The Letters

My nephews got their "letters" last week.
In my family, we know what that means. No explanation is needed.
"Letters" is a word that can tear your heart in two and can cause fear to rush through your veins.
It makes my palms sweat and my knees weak and my mind race.
But, it also makes me proud.
It makes me realize that when I am sitting in the living room with those two boys that I have known my whole life, I am really sitting in the midst of two heroic men.
The notice letters, to let them know that they are being called up, don't scare them. They don't cause them to want to run or abandon their country.
They are proud of their "letters".
I listened to the President's address not too long ago and he spoke about men and women of valor. Mr. President spoke of his plans to remove troops but he also spoke of how the troops who would remain and who are going will protect the people "over there".
He reported how our men and women are rebuilding a country, an economy and a government. Mr. President read a letter from a young soldiers family. They wanted to express their pride for their son for serving his country. Their son did not come home. The letter stated though, "Freedom is not Free."
No, it's not. Every right that we now have as American's came at a price.
You can believe that.
Following the President's address, was the Democratic Response. The chosen speaker responded saying he was a veteran. He stated that the president didn't have a plan and how we needed to bring our troops home.
I have to admit, I was immediately angered. But then again, I was more frightened by his response than angered. Frightened because there are so many people who share his opinion and feelings.
Am I excited that my "boys" have to go to another country? No.
Am I proud? You can be sure of that.
Do I see the need? Yes, I do.
We as Americans should be proud and honored that we can help the Iraqi nation. We have the chance, the ability and the means to make life better for millions of people, and what are we doing? We are complaining. We want our desires and needs to be met.
Come on people, let's get over ourselves. We sit in our nice houses with a.c. and running water, with little or no threat of being harmed or injured except we might possibly wreck our nice shiny car.
Those people, "over there", suffer daily. They have no idea what it means to have "freedom" of religion, speech, etc. Their children have no idea what it's like to play a game of touch football freely in the front yard. They can't just ride their bikes around the neighborhood or go over to a friend's house to play.
They live in fear daily for their lives.
Our troops are doing something about that.
And we are going to take that away from them, because it's too tough for us, here at home, to watch the nightly news; to hear the statistics(which might I mention are often times skewed).
There is a motto, I heard it was the Coast Guard's but I'm not sure, that goes "So other's might live." Now, my nephews are in the National Guard, but I think that that particular motto is one that lives in the hearts of all military. They do what they do, so that others might have a chance at life. So that you and I might have a chance at life.
We Americans, well, we do alot of complaining. We complain that certain people and parties are too stingy with their money. That it should given to those in need. But, then, we complain about the budget and how much money we are spending on the war. Okay folks, let's make up our minds--do we want to be generous or not? Do we want to help those in need or not? Do we really want to pick and choose who we help? Don't others deserve our help just as much, if we can offer it?
If and when my boys go, they will do what they have chosen and were chosen to do. And they won't complain.
I find it funny how the ones doing all of the complaining are the ones who have never seen the fields of battle.
They are the ones who sit in their nice corner office or in their homes and go on with their day, taking a few minutes of their precious time to complain about the job that others are doing which they themselves, in all actuality, couldn't possibly handle .
So the next time you watch the news or a presidential debate, really think about why you are reacting the way that you are.
Is it because of a political or personal bias that you were raised with?
Is it because you are misinformed or uniformed?
Is it because of your own selfish desires?
We could all learn a lot about selflessnesss from our men and women who boldly serve this country.
I'm scared everyday for my boys and what they might have to see or do. But more so I am frightened and scared by the thought of what this country would be like without those men and women like my nephews.
Compared to that, the "letters" don't scare me at all.