I got the following comment today from "Anonymous": "Soldiers are far from Patriots."
I chose to not publish the comment under the Guinea Hen blog post, instead I decided to feature it in a post of its own. I am assuming that the comment was targeted at the picture of my son wearing his Army uniform (located on the side bar) while holding one of his friends daughters.
I am very proud of him, he volunteered to serve as Combat Infantry and is currently deployed in Afghanistan. He celebrated his 21st birthday last week in extraordinary fashion - he stepped on an IED. An Angel of God must have been watching over him as the pressure plate connecting the detonator to the explosive failed and he is still alive. The whole family is looking forward to seeing him this Summer when he returns home for his mid tour leave.
Readers of this blog will recognize that I refer to my husband as the "Commander". The Commander is a retired Navy pilot and a veteran of the First and Second Iraq Wars, The War on Terror, several engagements in the Korean peninsula and off Israel, the end of the Cold War, and a few other trouble spots that most people no longer remember. The Commander's father and Uncle are Navy Veterans of the Korean War and WWII respectively. My Grandfather was an Army Medic and served in Italy during WWII.
Today's military is an all volunteer force, much like the first Americans who fought for their freedom against the British under leaders like; General Washington, Ethan Allen, Nathanael Green, Daniel Boone, or John Paul Jones. In their day they were called Patriots, and because of their efforts we have actual freedom of speech guaranteed via the Constitution of the United States.
Freedom isn't free, and free speech isn't a universal right. People in Russia, Cuba, Egypt, Venezuela, the EU, and even Canada (
Mark Steyn) wish they had the freedoms many take for granted here in the United States.
patriot [pey-tree-uht, -ot or, especially Brit., pa-tree-uht] noun
1. a person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion.
2. a person who regards himself or herself as a defender, especially of individual rights, against presumed interference by the federal government.
According to the above definition I consider my son a Patriot, as is my right. The Anonymous commenter obviously disagrees, as is their right. My son, his father, his grandfather and my grandfather have all voluntarily sacrificed to ensure that both Anonymous and I are free to express our differing opinions, and for that I consider them Patriots.
Not all Patriots are hero's, sometimes it is difficult to tell who the real Patriots are.