A friend of mine "Derg" posted a blog entry today that hit a sensitive spot inside my heart and so I am finally gonna voice a little bit of my feelings... IF THIS OFFENDS YOU...I AM NOT SORRY
Sept 11th, 2001 the world I knew as a soldier changed more than I ever thought it would. Sure I woke up at the normal time, went for a run to the IwoJima Memorial and then I went to work. However, within the hour of showing up everything changed. Working in DC most of us were making cracks about the pilot of the first plane"what kind of an idiot","was the guy drunk?" Another plane hits and all of the sudden an alarm sounded on post "Please return to your companies immediately!" The pentagon itself had just been hit. I was 20 years old!
Now here I sit almost 6 years later and it seems that everyday someone new has an opinion about the war. How our actions are illegal and immoral. How what we are doing here is wrong... WHY? Is it not also as wrong for people with anger to decided to kill thousands of Americans who they never even knew, who never fouled them in anyway? What did the 8 year old children that died that sept morning as their plane flew into the pentagon do to deserve that end result of their life?
As a soldier/sailor/airmen/ or marine we are constantly slandered... Baby Killer, Murder, amongst many other names have echoed in my mind as I have heard them shouted at not only me but my friends and military family. These names do not hurt me or offend me but they do instill a slight anger at the un-enlightenment of people..
For a minute stop to realize that we give up our families, our dreams, our freedoms, and sometimes our lives to defend your abilities to protest our funerals, spit in our faces, and downgrade our worth daily. I do not hate those who protest for valid reasons ... what does cause me anger is the mis education that causes people to protest in such ways...
As a soldier I never expect anyone to understand why I serve or live the life that I do but I would simple leave this for those who are not soldiers to understand..
1) Leave a funeral alone. Wether you disagree with the military or someones choice of lifestyle a funeral is a time to say goodbye. It is a time for a family to grieve do not cheapen it as a source to spread your anger or propaganda. Would you protest a 20 year old who died of a drug over doses funeral or one involved in a hit and run?
2) Speak your mind! Everyone should but because my views may differ from yours do not say I am wrong or attempt to cut me down. I am not judging you based on anything other than how you treat me as an individual try to do the same!
3) Before you damn a military service member try to live their life...Take the people you love and pull yourself away from them for a year, miss birthdays, graduations, child births and deaths. Take the simple fact of a weekend and for 8 months work 12 hour shift 7 days a week... Now continue to have a smile!
4) The next time you see a flag... Remember you may not agree with our current conflict, you may not agree with a damn thing about our country but if American military members were not willing to die for it... Your RIGHT to BITCH would be GONE as well!!!!
