War isn’t the only Atrocity
ver 30 years ago, when I returned from another land when my tour of duty was over, I was met at the airport by an ironic contradiction in attitudes; Moonies preaching peace on one side of the exit, and long-haired hippies on the other side throwing garbage at us and spitting words like "baby killers". Neither had a clue of course, but both stung nonetheless.
Our war started out pretty much like the one in Iraq. Everyone was gung-ho for the first couple of years. The public was behind the ‘Police Action' 100%. After all, there were people in this world who needed us to defend them because they were being bullied, tortured, and murdered. Their country was being overrun and they needed our help–but then the Americans and some of our allies started getting killed and the numbers kept climbing. Public opinion changed pretty quickly after that.
hose of us who defended ourselves, our country, our way of life, and our countries policies, were now asked to be ashamed of what we had done. Although few ever actually committed any dishonorable acts, for some reason the folks at home suddenly treated us like we had. The folks who had sent us there in the first place I guess had forgotten why we were there. Somehow the soldiers were to blame. Well, at least there were the yellow ribbons for some of us when we got home.
Is any of this beginning to sound familiar? Like maybe we've been here before?
Let there be no mistake. War is not a fun place to be. Nobody in their right mind ever wants to be in a war. War is hungry, dirty, loud, painful, more bloody that you can possibly imagine, and watching your friends die around you is something no one could ever forget. The folks on the front line in a war don't get rich, mostly they just get hurt or worse. They can consider themselves lucky if they ever make it back to their nice snug little homes in America, and if they're extremely lucky they can even make it back home with all the body parts they left with. All the parts notwithstanding–they will never be the same again. This is the price they pay for serving their country, while all of us complain about the price of gas and bitch about taxes, safe in front of our TV sets with our bellies full of food.
I have only a few words for people who disrespect the sacrifices our soldiers make, many of whom will never again enjoy the very way of life they have upheld.
Burn in Hell.