Posted on 08/14/2009 1:08:07 PM PDT by mckenzie7
Then you know well the sleepless nights, pacing the floor, the odd vehicle that stops at your house at night and frozen with fear you think it’s a notification team but apparently it’s someone looking for another address.
The phone calls at weird hours because God bless them, they call when they can and the 9 hours difference is not a factor and who cares but your heart stops until a reassuring voice says, “Hey Dad, Mom, ya okay?” Can’t talk, heart in throat, tears streaming so you trade back and forth until one regains composure, the last goodbye and “I love you” you wait until he rings off because it would be unforgiveable to be the first to hang up so you wait until that final disconnect.
He doesn’t speak of the near miss IEDs or ambushes that day or night or the tactical entries at 2AM on suspected HVTs (high value targets). In my day it was letters written by hand, three and four weeks old, sometimes I wonder if instant communication is a curse or a blessing but it’s so great to hear their voice regardless.
Oh do we remember and we lift up in prayer all these priceless soldiers, Marines, sailors, airmen and coastguardsmen AND their loved ones. It was 2 1/2 yrs for us B-Cause, two odd deployments.
So we have a government that has forgotten but we don’t and we won’t and when my wife sees a soldier, Marine, etc., in uniform there’s a hug coming but they never seem to mind two old white-haired folks that can hardly stammer a “thank you”; the ones that have “been there, done that” will smile and nod, they know...
Thank you B-Cause, thank that son! Tell him it’s not rah-rah pride but heartfelt, mind-numbing pride.
brushcop, so very well expressed (Only those of us that have had the experience of a loved one deployed in combat can truly understand - as you have so very well expressed). Our son is only now starting to open up and tell a few of his experiences as an air ambulance pilot, of the missions for the wounded, both friendly and enemy, that he extracted and tried to save - we are so grateful for his safe return. His first combat deployment was as an Apache pilot. We, of course, disguised our fear in open pride, but our situation was exactly as you have described so very well.
Thank you, and your son, and may God bless you and your family.
On the question arousing public passion now, any Republicans or Democrats who "compromise" for the sake of popularity now on this important principle involving future generations should be recalled at the next election cycle!
This is not about a frivolous question of which provisions are acceptable and which are unacceptable. This is about a power struggle between the principles the founding generation were willing to stake their "lives, property, and sacred honor" for, and those who, throughout the history of civilization have arrogated unto themselves power over other people's lives.
The current "issue" called "health care reform," or its equally obnoxious semantic twin "health insurance reform," is just the invasion of liberty by arrogant elected officials which has finally aroused citizens who, heretofore, ignored the decades-long power grab by those who were supposed to protect "We, the People's" constitutional principles.
Now, citizens are seeing that it is a matter of "principle," not an issue of semantics over wording.
They should not allow their elected representatives to be coopted by "blue dogs" or any other "wolf in sheep's clothing" that would allow what may turn out to be the most important watershed moment in the history of American liberty to be further threatened. Now, Conrad and Sebelius, and others, sensing the voter mood are throwing out "compromise" talk this weekend, all to punt for better position down the road. Seize the moment for the sake of posterity and just say, "no"!
A word from the author of our Declaration of Independence regarding citizens and oppressive government might give some backbone to today's citizens:
"The most effectual means of preventing the perversion of power into tyranny are to illuminate . . . the minds of the people at large, and more especially to give them knowledge of those facts which history exhibits, that they may. . . know ambition under all its shapes, and . . . exert their natural power to defeat its purposes." - Thomas Jefferson
And, for more wisdom from the same source:
" . . . this is a tendency of all human governments. A departure from principle in one instance becomes a precedent for a second, that second for a third, and so on, till the bulk of the society is reduced to be mere automatons of misery, to have no sensibilities left but for sin and suffering. Then begins, indeed, the bellum omnium in omnia, which some philosophers. . . have mistaken it for the natural, instead of the abusive state of man. And the forehorse of this frightful team is public debt. Taxation follws that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression."- Thomas Jefferson
Listening to a freeper on another thread discuss who caucuses were held an run by ACORN, bamboozling Hitlery out of the election, it is a very scary thought.
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There were all kinds of Dems, even on DU and on talk radio programs such as those on Sirius Left, who were outraged at how the primary and caucuses were run and openly complained with specific examples. In my mind, the signs of the Obama administration were all there during the primary. I have no idea why some of those who voted for Obama now appear to be shocked at how things are doing down. He’s doing many of the same things as President he did as Candidate, including reporting your friends, family and neighbors for supposed falsehoods. As FReepers know, the info on how Obama wanted to change this country was out there. Too bad much of the American public is so lazy, because now it gives Obama the chance to say “I’m giving them what they wanted by voting for me.”
So very well stated loveliberty2. We totally agree with what you have posted. Let’s just hope and pray that our “silent majority” is fully aroused, and proceeds to get rid of these liberal professional politicians. Single “term limits” seems like an obvious choice to flush out the corrupt politicians all around us today.
Thank you again for the fine post.
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