My Country, My Home, My Love

I heard many people say how thankful they are for the country they are allowed to live in and it warms me knowing that people have not died in vain to keep us free. I have seen, read and heard of attacks on our rights from people that do not understand and or accept our ways of life. I have watched many put on the uniform of this country and stand in the face of danger to protect it. World War I and II, Korea, Viet Nam, Iraq, and Afghanistan to name just a few. I listned to my ancestors when they told stories of attacks on our sovereign nation and could not grip to grip how a nation could do that to another. I heard stories of how the Native Americans once proud owners of this great nation had been sacrificed, dishonored, abused and herded like cattle to make room for expansion of what we know as the United States of America today.
Then I grew up and realized that a lot of the same people that had given thanks for the freedoms they enjoyed had no concern for the ones that stood in harms way to protect them. I heard tell of veterans coming back from war and no one there to meet them, many ending up living alone and homeless. This tore at my heart as I was one that had been taught the great sacrifices endured to keep us free. I watched as civil servants in uniform turned their backs on the American flag that was in a parade just so they would not have to salute. I have watched as people have thropwn the flag on the ground and ground it into the dirt and even set it on fire in protest. I have seen people march in protest when things did not go exactly as they thought they should, not taking into consideration of what the decisions meant for everyone as a whole. The United States has transformed itself with the help of slef minded indivuduals from a nation of we to a nation of "I".
My heart reaches out to the families, loved ones, friends and any others that have suffered the great loss of an American hero being shipped home after paying the ultimate sacrifice for this great nation. Many have sat and talked wondering to themselves and others why, why did their loved ones have to pay such a price when people back here only protested against them. At funerals of heroes, both large and small and i have personally witnessed protests calling the heroes, baby killers, war mongers, worthless, and bums. While I myself stand silent and proud and pay them the respects I was taught as I grew up. My heart pains for kids that lose a parent, parents that lose a child, a lover that loses their mate or a friend that never got to say welcome home to a close comrade. I ponder each of these and looking to the heavens I silently give thanks that I was one of the lucky ones that came back in one piece.
As I sit and right this blog pain fills my heart and thoughts run thru my mind. I can see the injured laying on the battlefield, dismembered hereos laying in beds waiting their turn for parts that will help give them back some resemblance of a normal life. I watch as soldiers are rolled out the front door of a hospital in a wheelchair, knowing that they will never get to leave it for the rest of their lives. I then wonder why and how people can still stand and say they love this country as often as they do and then never reach out to give a hand to those that have defended them and it with honor and pride. No soldier that I know of ever asks for praise for doing what they do nor do they seek a reward for it.
So the next time you feel the urge to acclaim your love for this country, those of you that protest and sit on your hands unwilling to reach out and help, stop and take a good look at yourself. There is one thing worse then not respecting others that do reach out or stand and serve is to LIE about what you feel for your country. There is no greater disrespect given to a heroes then to tell them you are proud of them and then turn and march in protest against the country they stood for. If you are a person that gets a warm fuzzy feeling when you say you love your country just to hear yourself say it, stand in front of a mirror and say it cause the heroes do not want to hear it.
I will close this blog with a saying I was told by a very wise man many years ago: It takes an individual to stand up and ruin something mighty and strong but it takes a hero to stand up in defense of it. May God bless all those that have served, will serve and now serve in the armed forces of this great nation......"SALUTE".