Warning: Political Rambling

Happy remember Pearl Harbor Day.  Do I say happy when I say that?  But I don't want to just say "Remember Pearl Harbor Day," because that sounds kind of bossy.  Maybe I should just loudly say, "Pearl Harbor Day!"  Meh, "Remember Pearl Harbor Day" it is.

An older gentleman gave the closing prayer in church on Sunday and he thanked God for the men who died at Pearl Harbor, for their service and sacrifice, and for the men who died in the war it took us into.  I just thought he'd pray for the spirit to be with us and that we'd all make it home safely.  It made me kind of uncomfortable.  The twist of it made it get lodged in my noggin.

Remember when there was a draft in our country?  Remember when everybody was subject to serve in times of war?  Remember when it took a while to pull us into wars because people wanted to be sure that it was worth their boys?

I've got two boys.  I'm kind of scared of them ever being in the military.  But I'm not going to lie to you, I think getting rid of the draft might have been a big mistake.  I know, I know.  But it's easy enough to send other folks to war.  They choose to do it anyway.  This is a free country and random citizens shouldn't have to fight some dumb politician's war if they don't want to right?  Geez we pay soldiers enough anyway don't we?  They don't even have to pay taxes when they deploy...every other year for a year.  The sneaks.  Are we still at war anyway?  I haven't read about it in the newspaper lately.

OK, I'm getting a little annoyingly here.  Anyhow.  I just think its good for the integrity of folks and the integrity of a nation to know for whom the bell tolls when a war cry is sounded.

The other day I heard someone say something along the lines of, "The twentieth century will be known as the century of human rights - racial rights, women's rights, gay rights - and that is good.  But I hope that as a companion to that, the 21st century will be known as the century of human duty.  I hope now that we have, we will give."

Amen.