[Pelham]

The semantic distinction is insignificant. I could care less whether her tense is Present Perfect or Past Perfect, the point is she's associating the poor stressed out feelings of poor stressed out Americans with soldiers who actually get shot. Having seen the damage done to a friend who was shot, I think she's full of crap.

[D-fendr]

Everybody's seen a friend, parent, sibling, loved one in fear and agony, wounded, dying. I think that's Peggy's point; it's not a contest for who suffers the most but who can still drive for others.

"…O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.

[Miss Marple]

Are you aware of the use of the literary device called a metaphor? She is using the military as an EXAMPLE to be emulated, not claiming glory for regular folks who don't serve. Please read it again with this in mind.

[lepton]

the point is she's associating the poor stressed out feelings of poor stressed out Americans with soldiers who actually get shot.

No she's not. She saying the soldier complaining he's been shot to other soldiers who've been shot is comparable to regular people complaining to other regular people that life's rough for them. The comparison did not go from real bullet-shot people complaining to regular-people.

[Ditter]

She means every one has been 'wounded' in some way or other & she's right. Remember the old saying "time heals all wounds & wounds all heels"? Thats what she means. Forget the bullet & gun thing.

[teeman8r]

semantics are insignificant? if we are not taken at our words then we are no better off than those liberals who listen with their hearts. you have missed the whole point of noonan's article and my comments by clouding your judgement with emotional cotton in your ears that only allow you to hear what you want to hear to make your pitiful argument palatable to the bleeding heart masses.