Today is Veteran's Day and it is really nice to see all the messages of thanks on Facebook. It is encouraging to see that so many people are thankful for those who have served, and those who continue to serve.
The past couple of years has brought much "change" to our country. Obama coined the phrase, but the truth is, the biggest "change" I experienced in my generation was the beginning of the War on Terror, the beginning so tragically marked by the date September 11, 2001. Ever since then our country has been struggling to figure out the right thing to do, and struggling with how we define "patriotism" and "freedom."
It is one thing to say we live in the Land of the Free. It is another to fully appreciate what that means. On September 11th, 2001, the USA had a taste of what many other places in this world deal with regularly....terrorism, fear, confusion. We reacted with unity. We hung our flags and stood by President Bush in the months that followed. We were patriotic. We were proud.
Time goes by. Mistakes are made. The war rages on, and many lives are lost. We become frustrated, desensitized, angry, confused. We begin to forget why this war ever started in the first place...were the reasons ever clear cut? Were we misled? Have we sent our military off to fight a war that can't be won? Did we allow our president to commit us to years of fruitless fighting? Have thousands of men and women given their lives for their country in vain?
What started as a war against anti-American terrorists in an effort to preserve our way of life has now turned into a divisive, internal political war that rages in our country. Republican vs. Democrat. Liberals vs. Conservatives. Obama Lovers vs. Obama Haters. Use any label you wish, but the bottom line is that the biggest threat our country faces right now is American vs. American.
In honor of Veterans Day and for all those who have served our nation, wouldn't it be great if everyone could take a step back and redefine what it means to be an American. To be thankful for what we do have rather than spiteful for the things we lack. To be grateful that in the years since 2001, our soil is still sacred.
Thanking our veterans is meaningless unless we truly appreciate what they do. And in order to truly appreciate what they do, we must first understand what is at stake. And in order to understand what is at stake, we must first have something worth saving. That something worth saving is our country. And our country is only as good as the people who live in it. So it stands to reason that the best way to thank a veteran is to be a responsible citizen who is committed to preserving the values on which our country was built. Our society was not made strong by winning a tug of war. Our country was built on a united appreciation and acceptance of democracy.
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy
The past couple of years has brought much "change" to our country. Obama coined the phrase, but the truth is, the biggest "change" I experienced in my generation was the beginning of the War on Terror, the beginning so tragically marked by the date September 11, 2001. Ever since then our country has been struggling to figure out the right thing to do, and struggling with how we define "patriotism" and "freedom."
It is one thing to say we live in the Land of the Free. It is another to fully appreciate what that means. On September 11th, 2001, the USA had a taste of what many other places in this world deal with regularly....terrorism, fear, confusion. We reacted with unity. We hung our flags and stood by President Bush in the months that followed. We were patriotic. We were proud.
Time goes by. Mistakes are made. The war rages on, and many lives are lost. We become frustrated, desensitized, angry, confused. We begin to forget why this war ever started in the first place...were the reasons ever clear cut? Were we misled? Have we sent our military off to fight a war that can't be won? Did we allow our president to commit us to years of fruitless fighting? Have thousands of men and women given their lives for their country in vain?
What started as a war against anti-American terrorists in an effort to preserve our way of life has now turned into a divisive, internal political war that rages in our country. Republican vs. Democrat. Liberals vs. Conservatives. Obama Lovers vs. Obama Haters. Use any label you wish, but the bottom line is that the biggest threat our country faces right now is American vs. American.
In honor of Veterans Day and for all those who have served our nation, wouldn't it be great if everyone could take a step back and redefine what it means to be an American. To be thankful for what we do have rather than spiteful for the things we lack. To be grateful that in the years since 2001, our soil is still sacred.
Thanking our veterans is meaningless unless we truly appreciate what they do. And in order to truly appreciate what they do, we must first understand what is at stake. And in order to understand what is at stake, we must first have something worth saving. That something worth saving is our country. And our country is only as good as the people who live in it. So it stands to reason that the best way to thank a veteran is to be a responsible citizen who is committed to preserving the values on which our country was built. Our society was not made strong by winning a tug of war. Our country was built on a united appreciation and acceptance of democracy.
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy
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