[bvw]

My granfather taught me that it is NOT a man's military service that defines him, that the military is NO special badge of honor. It's a job, a duty, like a million others we all do to keep our nation healthy and safe. We don't give great honor to sewage treatment plant operators, to dump truck drivers, to restaurant cooks and grocery clerks -- but anyone who does his or her job with integrity and diligence is just as deserving of honor. My grandfather never joind the American Legion, even when they wanted to name the post after him, he never publicized his medals, he almost never talked about his servce. The construction work he did when he came home was more honorable to him, and his greatest joy was his last job as school custodian for a K-3 elementary school.

I'm sick of men like Mutha, McCain, Kerry who use their military service like some great honking badge of honor we all have to bow down to.

We all serve in our own way, and that service no matter what it is can be and often is a greater service to our nation than military service. Military service is not the be all and end all of honorable service. It is one, and can be a good one, but there are many -- I know too many, we know too many -- who where dishonorable before they served, while they served and after they served. Kerry comes to mind, as a public example. We also know men and women who served very honorably, yet in later life became ammoral, corrupt, vile.

It is not what you do and it is never what you have done, it is always what you are NOW. Is a person now honorable?

It is helpful to remind a person how has taken some dubious current undertakings of the times he/she was more honorable, or to point out honorable deeds done by others -- but to me, honors should stop there. We all have lives. Lives to life. Not lives that have already have been lived.

Except for the dead and seriously wounded on battlefields -- those I will always find occassion to honor.

[A.Hun]

Whether a person served or not- a liberal hack is still a liberal hack.

[anita]

All great points, thanks. We are lucky to have grandpas & grandmas like yours, who always make sense. We learn a lot from their living experience.

[TomGuy]

So true.

Let the cable go out and the cable man becomes the most important person in one's world.

Let the toilet stop up and the plumber becomes the most important person.

[Morgan in Denver]

Great post. You nailed one major difference between most Republicans and Democrats, or certainly the left versus right.

The only ones wearing their service on their sleeve are those Democrats (and GOPers like McCain) who have nothing else and need to reinforce their egos. Democrats also do it in an attempt to regain the respect they lose when they disparage the military.

[MNJohnnie]

It is not what you do and it is never what you have done, it is always what you are NOW. Is a person now honorable?

Quite possibly the post of the day.

[Fury]

Re: Port #136 - Easily one of the best posts I've seen on FR in the last year. Thank you...