USA. THE GREAT EXPERIMENT

[jackhammer91406]

I received this in an email which included pictures. I was moved by both the prose and the pictures. I am unable to reproduce the pics here, but I can describe the photos.

 

The first was a seated retiree (obviously a veteran) looking up at an American flag with his golden retriever resting his muzzle on the vet's knee.

 

The second picture was of a parade with the colors passing in formation. The only spectator standing as the flag passed was a veteran in a wheel chair.

 

The third was a Marine color guard carrying a flag-draped coffin in a military cemetery.

 

The message seemed too profound not to share and I post it in this forum not as a political statement but as an American statement.

 

 

It is the VETERAN, not the preacher,

who has given us freedom of religion.

 

It is the VETERAN, not the reporter,

who has given us freedom of the press.

 

It is the VETERAN, not the poet,

who has given us freedom of speech.

 

It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer,

who has given us freedom to assemble.

 

It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer,

who has given us the right to a fair trial.

 

It is the VETERAN, not the politician,

Who has given us the right to vote.

 

 

It is the VETERAN ,

who salutes the Flag,

 

 

 

 

It is the veteran,

who serves under the Flag,

 

 

 

 

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

 

I don't know if you saw this in the news but it really impressed me. Funny, our US Senate/House took 2 days off as they couldn't work because of an expected storm.

 

 

On the ABC evening news, it was reported that night that, because of the dangers from Hurricane Isabelle approaching Washington DC, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment.

 

They respectfully declined the offer, 'No way, Sir!'

 

 

 

Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment; it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a service person.

 

 

The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.

 

 

We can be very proud of our young men and women in the service no matter where they serve.

 

 

God Bless them all!!!

 

======

[Rick Munroe]

> It is the VETERAN, not the preacher,

> who has given us freedom of religion.

>

> It is the VETERAN, not the reporter,

> who has given us freedom of the press.

>

> It is the VETERAN, not the poet,

> who has given us freedom of speech.

>

> It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer,

> who has given us freedom to assemble.

>

> It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer,

> who has given us the right to a fair trial.

>

> It is the VETERAN, not the politician,

> Who has given us the right to vote.

 

 

Whoever wrote this does not understand the United States or our democracy. The military defends our country, but we get our rights and freedoms from the Constitution, not from the military. We really do need to bring back civics classes!

[jackhammer91406]

Rick, with all due respect..

While you are technically right that the freedoms mentioned are provided for by the laws written, I believe the author's intent (at least as I took it) is that the Veterans pay the cost of guaranteeing those freedoms.

 

I am sorry that you mentioned a politician since that is the sure way to get this thread banished to the politics forum where I believe less people will see it.

 

My support for our armed forces has always been out front here and this thread was started as another show of support for them, not to trumpet the campaign of a politician.

[Rick Munroe]

> believe the author's

>intent (at least as I took it) is that the Veterans pay the

>cost of guaranteeing those freedoms.

 

I also respect their service, but it is incorrect to state that they "give" us any rights or freedoms, as the email clearly stated. Or did someone declare martial law and I missed it?

 

>I am sorry that you mentioned a politician since that is the

>sure way to get this thread banished to the politics forum

>where I believe less people will see it.

 

Well, your post also includes references to the "Lord" so it should probably be in the Religion forum anyway. ;-)

[kjun]

Jack,

 

I must agree with Rick. Too often I find that US Citizens have a problem distinguishing patriotism and nationalism. While your desire to show your respect for our soldiers is good, it is our constitution which protects us. It is, also, true that our soldiers are fighting to protect that constitution. But, it is the politicians who unlawfully try to weaken the rights provided by the constitution. Recently, republicans have been those guilty of this.

 

the Cajun

[Epigonos]

If there had been no Continental Army to fight and defeat the military forces of George III there would be no United States Constitution today. If there had been no Union Army to fight and defeat the military forces of the Confederacy there would be no Barak Obama running for President today. If there had been no U.S. Military to fight and defeat the military forces of Nazi Germany there would be no freedom for anybody today.

Yes the Constitution guarantees the citizens of the United States multiple freedoms yet, whether one likes it or not, it has historically been the role of the United States military to safeguard and protect the Constitution and the freedoms it guarantees.

[Rick Munroe]

Hmmm...in that case, I think we've been going at this whole gay marriage thing from the wrong angle. Let's get the military to give us all shotgun weddings!

[jackhammer91406]

I confess I have been surprised at the responses to this thread public and private, and even more surprised at my reactions to the responses.

 

I surely thought I was posting the most apolitical thread imaginable.

 

But it's an election year and we're in the midst of the most dynamic race in 1/2 a century, so everything gets filtered through that prism.

 

One thing I do know cannot be argued is that the vets of this Nation, regardless of political party, shed blood to defend anyone's right to have an opinion different from my own, and I will not go against something provided at so dear a cost.

[Guest zipperzone]

>While your desire to show your respect for our soldiers is

>good, it is our constitution which protects us.

 

You might want to mention this to Dick Cheney

[+ Gar1eth]

>I confess I have been surprised at the responses to this

>thread public and private, and even more surprised at my

>reactions to the responses.

>

>I surely thought I was posting the most apolitical thread

>imaginable.

>

>But it's an election year and we're in the midst of the most

>dynamic race in 1/2 a century, so everything gets filtered

>through that prism.

>

>One thing I do know cannot be argued is that the vets of this

>Nation, regardless of political party, shed blood to defend

>anyone's right to have an opinion different from my own, and I

>will not go against something provided at so dear a cost.

>

>

 

 

Actually everyone is right. The constitution is the ultimate base and grants us these rights on a theoretical basis--the military as well as other services and institutions allow us to put the theory into practice.

 

Gman

[+ Tom Isern]

My father was an army medic. Two of my brothers serve in the reserves, one in Iraq. With all due respect to the armed forces…

 

Before people were willing to die for freedom of religion, someone had to convince them it was worthwhile. The concept didn’t spring out of nowhere.

 

Before people were willing to fight for freedom of the press, the idea had to come from somewhere. There is such a thing as history. And thought. And intellectual work.

 

Before the veteran, there were people who reasoned, thought, and argued about philosophy and worked out the theory that free speech is worthwhile. There was censorship, and opposition to censorship, before the veteran.

 

Before the campus organizer, there were people who argued for the freedom to assemble. Not all of them took up guns.

 

Long before any of these freedoms there is a long and complicated history of discourse. But to state that veterans “gave” us these freedoms is reductive. It’s the type of political speech that works in this country because so many people don’t really think. They swallow one-liners and infomercials. Let’s aim for something higher.

[Rick Munroe]

Tom, you expressed much more clearly & eloquently what I was trying to say!

[Guest PWIT]

Giving us concepts and ideas is great...not sure it would have resulted in anything if there were not people willing to sacrifice life & limb to make it a reality.

 

It appears you have swallowed a few one liners yourself from your input in the politics forum. Save the reprove.