thedrifter
02-26-08, 06:56 AM
Gayle K. Hamilton: Will Our Veterans Get Absolute Justice?
February 26, 2008
I am a veteran of World War II, a combat Marine in the Pacific islands, and our numbers grow smaller each day.
I have been in the foxhole. I know that believers and atheists pray for help in extreme emergency. Our true heroes died far from home, making the ultimate sacrifice to provide freedom for their families.
Why was I allowed to live so long while others have died? Maybe God left me here to speak these very words, to ask you what should be done to honor our veterans and give them absolute justice?
I watch each day with knowledge as American soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen return dead or so wounded they will never be productive members of society. Will we do absolute justice by them and provide for their needs?
This is not a new issue. Since Pericles fought Sparta to bring it again under control of the democracy of Athens in 400 B.C. and Lincoln fought to preserve the United States some 2,500 years later, there are some striking parallels. In the ensuing battles, thousands were killed on both sides and had to be buried. In each case both sides spoke the same language, read the same books, prayed to the same gods, came from the same families but were required to fight one another. Thus it fell to Pericles and Lincoln to hold a public ceremony to honor the dead.
Each leader had to have bedrock principles, with a solid foundation of beliefs that do not change, as statesmen do not transform principles to satisfy public opinion polls — that is, principles based on democracy.
Pericles said "Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it ... that we can no longer honor them as they are dead as they had already given their lives for Athens ... that those being buried had great patriotism and knew the noblest thing they could do was to die for their country ... that those left behind had to take up the struggle to prove themselves worthy."
Lincoln's Gettysburg address lasted only two minutes where he said "from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion that we here highly resolved, that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom. And that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the Earth."
You may think this issue doesn't involve you, but every person who lives in a country, without dictators, owes their very freedom to those who have fought and died in the struggle. So every citizen must take a firm stand for absolute justice.
We should take care of our wounded and dead as we have since our nation was founded. We should not only visit them but make certain that our government cares for them properly. These veterans are only asking to take care of their wounds, their surviving families and to bury their fellow servicemen in peace. That is not too much to ask.
I do not presume to tell you how to vote, but call or write your congressmen today and let them know that you want mandatory funding for the men and women who gave you freedom at all costs. Lest we forget!
Gayle Hamilton is a Shreveport resident.
Ellie
February 26, 2008
I am a veteran of World War II, a combat Marine in the Pacific islands, and our numbers grow smaller each day.
I have been in the foxhole. I know that believers and atheists pray for help in extreme emergency. Our true heroes died far from home, making the ultimate sacrifice to provide freedom for their families.
Why was I allowed to live so long while others have died? Maybe God left me here to speak these very words, to ask you what should be done to honor our veterans and give them absolute justice?
I watch each day with knowledge as American soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen return dead or so wounded they will never be productive members of society. Will we do absolute justice by them and provide for their needs?
This is not a new issue. Since Pericles fought Sparta to bring it again under control of the democracy of Athens in 400 B.C. and Lincoln fought to preserve the United States some 2,500 years later, there are some striking parallels. In the ensuing battles, thousands were killed on both sides and had to be buried. In each case both sides spoke the same language, read the same books, prayed to the same gods, came from the same families but were required to fight one another. Thus it fell to Pericles and Lincoln to hold a public ceremony to honor the dead.
Each leader had to have bedrock principles, with a solid foundation of beliefs that do not change, as statesmen do not transform principles to satisfy public opinion polls — that is, principles based on democracy.
Pericles said "Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it ... that we can no longer honor them as they are dead as they had already given their lives for Athens ... that those being buried had great patriotism and knew the noblest thing they could do was to die for their country ... that those left behind had to take up the struggle to prove themselves worthy."
Lincoln's Gettysburg address lasted only two minutes where he said "from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion that we here highly resolved, that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom. And that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the Earth."
You may think this issue doesn't involve you, but every person who lives in a country, without dictators, owes their very freedom to those who have fought and died in the struggle. So every citizen must take a firm stand for absolute justice.
We should take care of our wounded and dead as we have since our nation was founded. We should not only visit them but make certain that our government cares for them properly. These veterans are only asking to take care of their wounds, their surviving families and to bury their fellow servicemen in peace. That is not too much to ask.
I do not presume to tell you how to vote, but call or write your congressmen today and let them know that you want mandatory funding for the men and women who gave you freedom at all costs. Lest we forget!
Gayle Hamilton is a Shreveport resident.
Ellie