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"Nov. 11: Thankful to all Veterans and those still fighting for preserving my freedom. Wish you could go on the front line at the US Capital where I fear my freedom is in danger the most."
Today is Veteran's Day, which naturally turns my attention to those who fought and still are fighting to preserve the freedom that I have as an American citizen. I truly am thankful for the men and women who do what I do not do. I do not actively participate in a military. I do not gather intelligence on the enemy. I do not help plan or execute any campaigns. I do not sacrifice to leave my family for months or years to go to the front lines of a battle against terrorists or other foes who try to take my life and to take away the liberties we have as Americans.
Or do I?
While I truly am thankful for those who formally have served and are serving this country, I want to take this opportunity to discuss those of us who do not formally serve but serve just the same.
I am an American. My weapon is my choice. I can choose to vote, or I can choose not to vote. If I choose to vote, I can choose for whom I vote. I can choose to vote "party line" or I can choose to vote for individuals, regardless of party affiliation or lack thereof.
I am an American. My weapon is my voice. I can choose to speak out, or I can choose to remain silent. If I choose to speak, I can choose the media through which I speak. I can speak one on one. I can write to my representative in our republic. I can write a blog post. I can write a Facebook status. I can place a bumper sticker on my car or a sign in my yard. I can wear a t-shirt.
I am an American. My weapon is my intellect. I can choose to use it, or I can choose not to use it. I can choose how much information I want to consider or how little. I can choose how to gather than information, which sources I deem credible and which I do not. I can discern what is going on around me. I can choose to stick my head in the proverbial sand of denial and avoidance.
I am an American. My weapon is my liberties. I can choose to exercise my freedom and owning the responsibility that goes with my freedom. Viktor Frankl wrote that the Statue of Liberty on the East Coast should be accompanied by a Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast, and I believe that wholeheartedly! While I cannot erect such a statue on my own, I can embrace the message and choose to live my life by that message.
I am an American. My immediate enemy is not the person with the bomb or the gun; rather, my immediate enemy is apathy and quiet surrender to those who, in the name of democracy, attempt to remove my liberties one by one until I realize that I have very few freedoms left. My battle line is to recognize and confront propaganda, regardless from which camp it emanates, and to discern the lies and falsehoods from the truth.
I am an American who is thankful for our military forces.
I am an American who can fight a different war to make their fighting worthwhile.
Today is Veteran's Day, which naturally turns my attention to those who fought and still are fighting to preserve the freedom that I have as an American citizen. I truly am thankful for the men and women who do what I do not do. I do not actively participate in a military. I do not gather intelligence on the enemy. I do not help plan or execute any campaigns. I do not sacrifice to leave my family for months or years to go to the front lines of a battle against terrorists or other foes who try to take my life and to take away the liberties we have as Americans.
Or do I?
While I truly am thankful for those who formally have served and are serving this country, I want to take this opportunity to discuss those of us who do not formally serve but serve just the same.
I am an American. My weapon is my choice. I can choose to vote, or I can choose not to vote. If I choose to vote, I can choose for whom I vote. I can choose to vote "party line" or I can choose to vote for individuals, regardless of party affiliation or lack thereof.
I am an American. My weapon is my voice. I can choose to speak out, or I can choose to remain silent. If I choose to speak, I can choose the media through which I speak. I can speak one on one. I can write to my representative in our republic. I can write a blog post. I can write a Facebook status. I can place a bumper sticker on my car or a sign in my yard. I can wear a t-shirt.
I am an American. My weapon is my intellect. I can choose to use it, or I can choose not to use it. I can choose how much information I want to consider or how little. I can choose how to gather than information, which sources I deem credible and which I do not. I can discern what is going on around me. I can choose to stick my head in the proverbial sand of denial and avoidance.
I am an American. My weapon is my liberties. I can choose to exercise my freedom and owning the responsibility that goes with my freedom. Viktor Frankl wrote that the Statue of Liberty on the East Coast should be accompanied by a Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast, and I believe that wholeheartedly! While I cannot erect such a statue on my own, I can embrace the message and choose to live my life by that message.
I am an American. My immediate enemy is not the person with the bomb or the gun; rather, my immediate enemy is apathy and quiet surrender to those who, in the name of democracy, attempt to remove my liberties one by one until I realize that I have very few freedoms left. My battle line is to recognize and confront propaganda, regardless from which camp it emanates, and to discern the lies and falsehoods from the truth.
I am an American who is thankful for our military forces.
I am an American who can fight a different war to make their fighting worthwhile.
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