Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Veterans Day

Veterans Day.  

I am sitting here on my computer without a worry in the world.  Many men and women have fought for my rights and for my way of life.  What have I done for them?  I am not quite sure but they have given everything up for me, even their lives when necessary.  How many people have died?  How many families have been broken up?  How many wives weep?  How many children grow up to have known nothing about their father but that he was a hero?  How many men wait anxiously for their wives to come back only to find out that they never will?  When is it my turn to fulfill my duty to them?  When will I pay them back?  What am I doing now?  These brave soldiers that fight and die for us not only deserve our respect but also a strong commitment to our country.  We just had an election, who voted?  Were there people today in a commemoration ceremony who don't care enough about their country to do the simplest of tasks?  That is why I spend so much time involved in politics.  I am not brave, I am not strong, I am not skilled but I love this country and I care a great deal about the direction in which it goes.  I put forth the only thing that I know how, that is my time and energy to put this country on the path that I feel is best for it.  That is why I spend so much time thinking about the issues, that is why even though the election is over I will still care and continue to watch C-Span and see where we are going.  I encourage all people to do the same.  Do what you can to serve and put forth as much as you can to benefit those around you in society.  We are together as a nation, lets go forth in unity and propose those things that do not just benefit us individually but benefit us as a whole.  We are together, if some will die for us as a whole, we should act as one.  I am not saying that we all must agree, just that we should all care and be balanced in how we think and conduct ourselves, always thinking about the interests of all people.
World War One was, "The War to End All Wars."  The casualties of that war were upwards of 40 million people.  Many of those, especially those of the United States were sent into that conflict to create peace once and for all.  Since then we have had many bloody and long battles that have cost our country and the world millions of the best of our citizens.  May we work every day to make sure their sacrifices were not in vain.  
Even if you have already, please take this moment to contemplate both the value of peace and of those soldiers, both fallen and returned to us.  May God bless this country.  May God bless this world.  Let's go to work and do our part to change the lives of all people, for the better.