While Congress and the Nation at large continue to endlessly debate -- about the President, the War on Terror, and the past, present and future of Iraq -- our soldiers continue to fight it out. Right now it's about 90 degrees F in Iraq, and they are out there, in full armor and aging vehicles. They get paid less that those Blackwater dudes, and have older equipment. Meanwhile, though most of us lead lives not radically unchanged before 9/11, their families continue to face the burden of missing loved ones. Kids miss their parents. Reservists miss the incomes they made before getting called to service. Some will never come back.
As cynical and desensitized as many (including myself) are these days, it might be appropriate to take a few moments to thank the idealists who think so highly of our country, for whatever their personal reasons, to protect it with their lives. Then we can get back to the cookout and the Home Depot trip.
Thanks to all of you, and be safe. I hope we get you home soon.
Image: Three Flags, 1958 by Jasper Johns
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