[A regular reader sent me this. It is awesome. I’m thinking I should have it on permanent display on my site. People who mock soldiers and what soldiers do, do not understand, or deliberately keep themselves blind to what motivates soldiers. Soldier do not fight purely out of hate. Their main driving force is that they fight out of love for those they love and that which they wish to defend and to preserve. Soldiers put their lives on the line so that others may live in happiness. It is soldiers who come face to face with the enemy. Throughout history, the world’s course has been charted by THE FEW MEN, who were brave enough to join armies and to fight for a cause. Whatever prosperity and enjoyment we have, comes from those few. And even when they lose, they normally did have some positive effect in helping our survival and our cause. Jan]

“It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who won the freedoms enjoyed for protesters to burn the flag.”

–Charles M. Province