fontman
07-04-06, 07:57 AM
Editorial: Our soldiers protect what U.S. cherishes
Web Posted: 07/04/2006 12:00 AM CDT
San Antonio Express-News
Sometimes, the simplest pleasures are the ones we should appreciate the most - the ones without which we would be woefully impoverished.
They are the kind of pleasures that make today, the Fourth of July, so special - picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, activities enhanced by the warm embrace of family.
Such moments present an interesting paradox: The more we take them for granted, the more we can be certain of their profound significance.
They make us who we are, regardless of our economic, ethnic or religious backgrounds - Americans.
But this is not the day to take those pleasures for granted, not when thousands of brave men and women are struggling to make sure we can enjoy them.
The war that promised to end quickly has raged for more than two years, with more than 2,800 U.S. soldiers having fallen in the battle against terrorism.
Politicians call it a global war, and they are right, for terror can strike at any moment, in any city, but our soldiers are fighting thousands of miles from home, trying to keep a global war in name from becoming a global war in fact.
They are struggling to contain the horror to the hell in which they fight and die. They are struggling to keep us safe in Texas and Minnesota and New Jersey, in Iowa and Florida and California.
And they are struggling, ultimately, to maintain peace and security throughout the world.
On the day we celebrate our independence, thanking the Founding Fathers whose genius established our democracy, we owe special gratitude to the men and women who protect what Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and the other great figures secured for us - our freedom.
"I am ever unwilling that (peace) should be disturbed as long as the rights and interests of the nations can be preserved. But whensoever hostile aggressions on these require a resort to war, we must meet our duty and convince the world that we are just friends and brave enemies," Jefferson said.
To most of us, the war is a segment on the nightly news, the horror reduced to the size of our television screens. The soldiers are not so lucky. They do not see the war; they experience it, and many, sadly, will keep experiencing it long after the battle is over - in the form of the physical and emotional trauma they have suffered.
We should remember that sacrifice on this day, the day we enjoy simple pleasures. Simple but profoundly significant. We would not be enjoying them without those men and women fighting thousands of miles away.
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them," President John Kennedy said more than 30 years ago.
His words are as true today as they were then. And, as we celebrate our freedom, we must honor those who make it possible.
Happy birthday, America.
Web Posted: 07/04/2006 12:00 AM CDT
San Antonio Express-News
Sometimes, the simplest pleasures are the ones we should appreciate the most - the ones without which we would be woefully impoverished.
They are the kind of pleasures that make today, the Fourth of July, so special - picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, activities enhanced by the warm embrace of family.
Such moments present an interesting paradox: The more we take them for granted, the more we can be certain of their profound significance.
They make us who we are, regardless of our economic, ethnic or religious backgrounds - Americans.
But this is not the day to take those pleasures for granted, not when thousands of brave men and women are struggling to make sure we can enjoy them.
The war that promised to end quickly has raged for more than two years, with more than 2,800 U.S. soldiers having fallen in the battle against terrorism.
Politicians call it a global war, and they are right, for terror can strike at any moment, in any city, but our soldiers are fighting thousands of miles from home, trying to keep a global war in name from becoming a global war in fact.
They are struggling to contain the horror to the hell in which they fight and die. They are struggling to keep us safe in Texas and Minnesota and New Jersey, in Iowa and Florida and California.
And they are struggling, ultimately, to maintain peace and security throughout the world.
On the day we celebrate our independence, thanking the Founding Fathers whose genius established our democracy, we owe special gratitude to the men and women who protect what Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and the other great figures secured for us - our freedom.
"I am ever unwilling that (peace) should be disturbed as long as the rights and interests of the nations can be preserved. But whensoever hostile aggressions on these require a resort to war, we must meet our duty and convince the world that we are just friends and brave enemies," Jefferson said.
To most of us, the war is a segment on the nightly news, the horror reduced to the size of our television screens. The soldiers are not so lucky. They do not see the war; they experience it, and many, sadly, will keep experiencing it long after the battle is over - in the form of the physical and emotional trauma they have suffered.
We should remember that sacrifice on this day, the day we enjoy simple pleasures. Simple but profoundly significant. We would not be enjoying them without those men and women fighting thousands of miles away.
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them," President John Kennedy said more than 30 years ago.
His words are as true today as they were then. And, as we celebrate our freedom, we must honor those who make it possible.
Happy birthday, America.