We Honor

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On this Weekend of Memorial, we honor those who have served and fallen in defense of liberty and justice for all.

From the founding of this nation by those brash young upstarts, our founding fathers and mothers and their families who sacrificed much, we remember the times of honor of this nation…and the not-honorable times, that leave a Trail of Tears which also must never be forgotten. Our own fathers and mothers served, too—in the War to End All Wars and the Greatest Generation and the bitter cold of Korea and the heat of Viet Nam.

We honor their legacy of service in defense of this nation.

Our sons and daughters serve today, too many fallen, too many maimed, too many home in body but not in spirit. We watch Arlington on CNN, but are mind-full of Walter Reed and rehabilitation centers in San Antonio, and Florida, and triage hospitals in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the great global hospitals like Reinsdorf and Tripler, where medical teams work relentlessly to stabilize the wounded so they may come home for healing.

The nation, too, is in sore need of healing right now.

This weekend, as more Americans choose what CNN has dubbed “staycations” instead of “vacations,” we are mind-full of the deep debt we all owe those who put life and limb on the line in service of this nation’s defense and their families.

We honor the Senators who put forth the 21st Century G.I. Bill, a modest “thank you” for those who give so much.

We reject and shun the mindset that says “we don’t need to do anything more” whether it comes to that education bill or payroll or… the mindset that says we must take great pallets of dollars and drop them in the pockets of Iraqis who turn around and turn those dollars into weapons to use against us. We reject those leaders who still stubbornly hold to their vote in support of this Iraq War.

We have squandered much in lives and national treasure on this current war. This weekend, take time to remember the honorable service of our troops, and honor them not just in words, but in deeds. Bring them home…alive and whole…now.

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Call this a modest proposal in support of our troops and the security of the nation: Slow Down this Summer. Drive under 60. Go ahead, it won’t hurt you. After all, you’re cutting down your distance travel, so driving under 60 won’t take longer than you were willing to spend going farther away.

Since nobody else seems able…or lacks the will to cut the high cost of oil lest oil barons and sheikhs have to give up their gold-plated palaces, you be the change. It doesn’t have to be just politics, you know. We can start from the bottom up and accomplish honorable things.

Slow Down this Summer…the ‘roots way to support the troops…and stick it to the Greedy Oil Pushers.

How Many More Years?

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Minutes ago, I posted this as a comment to a blog post by looseheadprop over at firedoglake. I hope you'll stop by FDL and read LHP's posting that prompted me to write:

...today on local radio they are marking the return of the remains of an 18-year-old soldier from Wahpeton, to the south of Fargo. The Patriot Guard motorcycle group will accompany him from the Fargo airport 60 miles or so down the highway, past the grade school and high school sites he left behind long ago.

He was 18. He was MIA. He died in Korea.

How long must this war’s families of soldiers bear such burdens? When is enough enough?

This war grinds on, and wears us down. I remember another soldier's return with such an escort for this war early on. We lament, we blog, we comment, we rail, we weep.

And still the war goes on.

And those in positions of leadership and power seem caught in some kind of stasis that keeps them from bringing our men and women home. Groundhog Day. Twightlight Zone. Mission Accomplished writ large this 5th anniversary--a shocking word to describe the passage of time and this event, for there is no celebration in such an occasion.

Just posturing and pontificating and pointing fingers. And slip-slidin' away from "The Buck Stops Here...."

And still the war goes on.

Last Sunday I heard Barack Obama respond to Chris Wallace how much he misses hugging his little girls. And I thought of the troops, so many parents among them, serving tours of duty, long and multiplied. And how much they must miss hugging their little boys and girls.

And as much of a grind as it is...this campaign season, it seems to me, must have one outcome. Because I see only one candidate who understands what it means to be away so long and wanting to be home to hug his little girls.


UPDATE: The good folks at FDL helped me track back to this comment about another soldier coming home. April 3, 2007, Christy at FDL blogged A Requiem at Twilight:

Prairie Sunshine left a comment a couple of nights ago that I want to elevate today, so that everyone will have a chance to read it. It is a poignant reminder that in the small towns, and rural farms, and urban landscapes -- wherever it is that we each live, there is a high probability that someone near you has been touched by the cost of conflict. And once in a while, something brings that very personal, very difficult cost home for the rest of us:

Had a really poignant drive into town. Turned on the Fargo radio for weather and road reports. Right at the freeze mark and rainy dismal white-knuckle driving all the way back. Then the radio mentioned a motorcade for the Frazee soldier’s remains which were arriving in Fargo and asked people to come out to honor him. Just west of Hawley we started seeing pickups and SUVs at the ends of driveways. Flags flying in front yards. By Dilworth, the fire dept trucks were all out along the road. As we drove into Moorhead, the police escort led the way for their group. My God, I had tears running down my cheeks. Flashing our lights seemed such a small gesture. All those fatheads on the Sunday shows and cable news with their strolls and photo-ops and posturing. And it’s all about this. One 28-year-old kid coming home for the last time.

And still the war goes on....