Dissent is not Disloyalty
our country was founded by men who had the courage of their convictions. they disagreed with how they were governed and founded a new nation. they were famers, and lawyers, and brewers, and diplomats. they were citizens. not saints, but citizens.
this is from a well-meaning, but critically confused facebooks group:
"It is the soldier not the poet who gives us freedom of speech. It is the soldier not the reporter who gives us freedom of the press. It is the soldier not the campus organizer who gives us freedom to protest. It is the soldier who serves beneath the flag who salutes the flag and whose coffin is draped by the flag who gives the demonstrator the right to burn the flag."
it is not the soldier who gives us our freedoms. it is the citizen. the soldier swears and oath to defend those freedoms. he does not grant them. do not ever think that. a soldier would die to defend a citizens right to speak freely, to protest, and to disagree with the elected public servants. he would do this because it is his duty. not only as a soldier, but as a citizen.
we are a nation founded by the people, for the people, of the people.
i feel a great swell of sadness when i think about the lives wasted on every side of this meaningless war. i am not proud of my so-called leaders' choices. i am even more ashamed of their motivations.
i do not blame the men and women sent over there. its a shitty situation. a soldiers first duty is to his conscience. i wonder if many of those people over there were forced to compromise their principles. i feel bad for them. i wonder about the people who believe the bullshit they are fed about this war from the people who sent them over there. i feel pity for them.
i would like to point out the prime example of what many folks consider what it means to be a citizen of this country: george washington, the first president of the united states. was he a soldier? yes, but first and foremost he was a citizen. he aspired to uphold the example of cincinatus and beat his sword into a plow when the need for soldiers was over. he took up arms to defend his fledgling nation and the freedoms it promised to its citizens. he was a great soldier. he was a greater citizen.
i greatly respect the desire to defend ones home and loved ones. the dedication it would take to do so. to put ones very life on the line for the sake of an oath to that effect. unfortunately this war isnt really about that and its an insult to those who took that oath.
still more from that sad example of misunderstanding:
"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you: Jesus Christ and the American soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom"
again, wrong. this is a bit more difficult to argue because a debate requires two well-informed sides and most americans know about as much about their faith as a five year old knows about the circulatory system. but im not sure thats even the point...
what is dangerous here is likening the soldier to a god. they are just people. they can fail, and make mistakes. they can kill the wrong people for the wrong reasons.
here is something to consider: yeshua bar joseph only asked his followers to love, a soldier is ordered to kill.
this is from a well-meaning, but critically confused facebooks group:
"It is the soldier not the poet who gives us freedom of speech. It is the soldier not the reporter who gives us freedom of the press. It is the soldier not the campus organizer who gives us freedom to protest. It is the soldier who serves beneath the flag who salutes the flag and whose coffin is draped by the flag who gives the demonstrator the right to burn the flag."
it is not the soldier who gives us our freedoms. it is the citizen. the soldier swears and oath to defend those freedoms. he does not grant them. do not ever think that. a soldier would die to defend a citizens right to speak freely, to protest, and to disagree with the elected public servants. he would do this because it is his duty. not only as a soldier, but as a citizen.
we are a nation founded by the people, for the people, of the people.
i feel a great swell of sadness when i think about the lives wasted on every side of this meaningless war. i am not proud of my so-called leaders' choices. i am even more ashamed of their motivations.
i do not blame the men and women sent over there. its a shitty situation. a soldiers first duty is to his conscience. i wonder if many of those people over there were forced to compromise their principles. i feel bad for them. i wonder about the people who believe the bullshit they are fed about this war from the people who sent them over there. i feel pity for them.
i would like to point out the prime example of what many folks consider what it means to be a citizen of this country: george washington, the first president of the united states. was he a soldier? yes, but first and foremost he was a citizen. he aspired to uphold the example of cincinatus and beat his sword into a plow when the need for soldiers was over. he took up arms to defend his fledgling nation and the freedoms it promised to its citizens. he was a great soldier. he was a greater citizen.
i greatly respect the desire to defend ones home and loved ones. the dedication it would take to do so. to put ones very life on the line for the sake of an oath to that effect. unfortunately this war isnt really about that and its an insult to those who took that oath.
still more from that sad example of misunderstanding:
"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you: Jesus Christ and the American soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom"
again, wrong. this is a bit more difficult to argue because a debate requires two well-informed sides and most americans know about as much about their faith as a five year old knows about the circulatory system. but im not sure thats even the point...
what is dangerous here is likening the soldier to a god. they are just people. they can fail, and make mistakes. they can kill the wrong people for the wrong reasons.
here is something to consider: yeshua bar joseph only asked his followers to love, a soldier is ordered to kill.