Friday, July 29, 2005

FREEDOM by Mary Hall (printed with permission)

Freedom has so many meanings to so many people. It can mean freedom of speech to one, where it is freedom of religion to another or a different meaning altogether.
There are people out there making their opinion known as to how they feel things need to be done to keep our freedom, (but the only way they lend a helping hand is to criticize) but then they turn right around with the same breath, and criticize the fact that there are men and women out there who, everyday, defend the very freedom they want so badly.
Every day men and women defend this great land so these people can praise and also criticize. But yet the men and women who defend their freedom don’t get the credit or support they so rightly deserve.
For years the military has been spit on, beaten, shot and well, just disowned. Just for going out and doing what they strongly believe in and want to stand up for.
It took something like 9/11 to have our Great Country open its eyes to what’ was really going on, and see that our very freedom is in jeopardy and yet there are still people out there who would give a soldier a slight smile or even the time of day.
Parents have lost their children, both sons and daughters, wives have lost their husbands, and now with all the women in the military fighting behind the lines instead of from the home front, we now have husbands who have lost their wives, and many, many children who have lost their parents . But for some this is still is not enough , and the ones we can not satisfy are the first ones who holler and scream the loudest when something happens overseas or here in the USA.
I’m not sure what these people want from our soldiers. For it seems that they are doing the very best they can. And yet they still complain and are not satisfied. I guess if we were to loose our freedom, totally and completely, and we let the countries who are attacking us everyday come into our great nation and take over or let the gangs and major crime bosses have at it all, then maybe, they would see how good they have it now.
Stop complaining and start supporting!
You don’t have to do a lot, simply say thank you. Thank you for all your hard work and for everything you have done for me. Its really sad that all the fussing, hollering, and complaining comes more easily, than saying Thank You, or a simple smile when a solider passes by , or even standing when you here the national anthem.
I ’m not sure that people realize what the military goes through on a daily basis to keep this great country of ours free.