Monday, May 28, 2007

Memorial Day.


My grandfather fought in WWII, in France. My father was in the Air Force, between wars. My best friends father served as a medic in Korea. Papa John fought in Vietnam. Many friends have husbands, sons, and daughters serving in Afganistan or Iraq.

It is an incredible testament to the American character that we send our loved ones to defend our values, to protect our liberty, and to keep balance in the world. They serve regardless of political affiliation, ethnicity, home language, religion. They serve because they love the United States of America.

I am proud to live in a country that can foster such a collective character. In our house we discuss many aspects of world and local events, we struggle with values contrary to our own, and we mourn the results of some of our national decisions. Still it is an incredible and unique thing we have here - to value the individuals right to believe and say what they wish, to value pluralism to the extent of protecting ideas and the sharing of those ideas even when we oppose them vehemently. To put the rule of law above our own ideology. I am proud and incredibly blessed.

Thank you to all who have fought to create, protect and sustain this nation. And may God protect all those who are serving presently.

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