I'm helping some great FReepers put together Christmas and Hanukkah for our brave troops in Iraq. I'd appreciate it so much, as would our troops, if y'all could type up an email holiday greeting message from you and/or your family, which I could print out and include in my package to Iraq.
An expression of well wishes and support for these young people, who are so far from home and sacrificing so much for us, would be an easy and very meaningful way to kick off your holiday season; especially if you include the kids or grandkids.
Please do not put photos in your message (line drawing is fine) AND I need your messages by tomorrow noon, latest. Sorry! We have to post our packages right away.
Please FReepmail me to get my email address if you would like to do this for our wonderful young men and women in the military.
I am very grateful to all who participate. You're fantastic!
LakeLady
Here you go, LL. Add the following to the stuff for our brave folks overseas (Shamelessly swiped from the Virginia FR message board - thanks, jgbarber):
Don't Close Your Blinds
The other day, our nine year old son wanted to know why we were at war. My
husband looked at our son and then looked at me. My husband and I were in the
Army during the Gulf War and we would be honored to serve and defend our Country
again today. I knew that my husband would give him a good explanation.
My husband thought for a few minutes and then told my son to go stand in our
front living room window. He told him: "Son, stand there and tell me what you
see?"
"I see trees and cars and our neighbor's houses." he replied.
"OK, now I want you to pretend that our house and our yard is the United
States of America and you are President Bush."
Our son giggled and said "OK."
"Now son, I want you to look out the window and pretend that every house and
yard on this block is a different country", my husband said.
"OK Dad, I'm pretending."
"Now I want you to stand there and look out the window and see that man come
out of his house with his wife and he has her by the hair and is hitting her.
You see her bleeding and crying. He hits her in the face, he throws her on the
ground, then he starts to kick her to death. Their children run out and are
afraid to stop him, they are crying, they are watching this but do nothing
because they are kids and afraid of their father. You see all of this, son....
what do you do?"
"Dad?"
"What do you do son?"
"I call the police, Dad."
"OK, Pretend that the police are the United Nations and they take your call,
listen to what you know and saw but they refuse to help. What do you do then
son?"
"Dad, but the police are supposed to help!" My son starts to whine.
"They don't want to son, because they say that it is not their place or your
place to get involved and that you should stay out of it," my husband says.
"But Dad...he killed her!!" my son exclaims.
"I know he did...but the police tell you to stay out of it. Now I want you to
look out that window and pretend you see our neighbor who you're pretending
is Saddam turn around and do the same thing to his children."
"Daddy...he kills them?"
"Yes son, he does. What do you do?"
"Well, if the police don't want to help, I will go and ask my next door
neighbor to help me stop him," our son says.
"Son, our next door neighbor sees what is happening and refuses to get
involved as well. He refuses to open the door and help you stop him," my husband
says.
"But Dad, I NEED help!!! I can't stop him by myself!!"
"WHAT DO YOU DO SON?" Our son starts to cry.
"OK, no one wants to help you, the man across the street saw you ask for help
and saw that no one would help you stop him. He stands taller and puffs out
his chest. Guess what he does next son?"
"What Daddy?"
"He walks across the street to the old lady's house and breaks down her door
and drags her out, steals all her stuff and sets her house on fire and
then...he kills her. He turns around and sees you standing in the window and
laughs
at you. WHAT DO YOU DO?"
"Daddy..."
"WHAT DO YOU DO?"
Our son is crying and he looks down and he whispers, "I close the blinds,
Daddy."
My husband looks at our son with tears in his eyes and asks him... "Why?"
"Because Daddy.....the police are supposed to help...people who needs
it....and they won't help....You always say that neighbors are supposed to HELP
neighbors, but they won't help either...they won't help me stop him...I'm
afraid....I can't do it by myself.
Daddy.....I can't look out my window and just watch him do all these terrible
things and...and.....do nothing...so....I'm just going to close the
blinds....so I can't see what he's doing........and I'm going to pretend that it
is not
happening."
I start to cry.
My husband looks at our nine year old son standing in the window, looking
pitiful and ashamed at his answers to my husbands questions and he tells
him...."Son"!!!
"Yes, Daddy."
"Open the blinds, because that man.... he's at your front door now..."WHAT DO
YOU DO?"
My son looks at his father, anger and defiance in his eyes. He balls up his
tiny fists and looks his father square in the eyes, without hesitation he says:
"I DEFEND MY FAMILY DAD!! I'M NOT GONNA LET HIM HURT MOMMY OR MY SISTER,
DAD!!! I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM, DAD, I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM!!!!!"
I see a tear roll down my husband's cheek and he grabs our son to his chest
and hugs him tight, and cries...
"It's too late to fight him, he's too strong and he's already at YOUR front
door son.....you should have stopped him BEFORE he killed his wife. You have to
do what's right, even if you have to do it alone, before......it's too late,"
my husband whispers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THAT scenario I just gave you is WHY we are at war with Iraq. When good men
stand by and let evil happen is the greatest EVIL of all. Our President is
doing what is right. We, as a free nation, must understand that this war is a
war
of humanity. WE must remove evil men from power so that we can continue to
live in a free world where we are not afraid to look out our window. So that my
nine year old son won't grow up in a world where he feels that if he just
"closes" that blinds the atrocities in the world won't affect him.
"YOU MUST NEVER BE AFRAID TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT! EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO DO IT
ALONE!"
BE PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!
BE PROUD OF OUR TROOPS!!
BE PROUD OF OUR PRESIDENT!!
SUPPORT THEM!!!
SUPPORT AMERICA!!
SO THAT IN THE FUTURE OUR CHILDREN WILL NEVER HAVE TO CLOSE THEIR BLINDS
I hope your weekend was just what you wanted it to be.
RE: My post #134 (yesterday) about HOLIDAY MESSAGES FOR OUR TROOPS
I was incorrect about our shipping deadline. Thank goodness! I don't have to mail my box as quickly as I previously thought. This means there is still plenty of time for anyone wishing to send a message of cheer and support for our troops to do so. Remember, it need not be fancy, just a few heartfelt words of encouragement and holiday wishes. I will print them out on festive paper and fru fru them up a bit for you. Please include at least your first names, city and state as signees. Just FReepmail your notes to me and I'll take it from there. If you know non-FReepers who would like to participate, I will happily include their messages also.
To all those who choose to participate, you're wonderful and we thank you so much. It is so important that we show our support for the troops, especially during the holidays when they are so far from their loved ones.
I personally thank y'all from the bottom of my heart!
LakeLady
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{:@<}D ~~~~ PAJAMA PUPPIES PING ~~~~ {:@<}D
~~~~~~Have You Helped Your Local Shelter Lately?~~~~~~
~~~~Be as good a human as your dogs think you are !~~~~
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Please FReepmail me if you want on or off the PING LIST.
Thanks - LakeLady
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