Stop complaining for one day...

All of us Americans grumble a lot. We are frustrated with our government. We don’t like many of our elected officials. Taxes are too high. Schools are not good enough. Our air and water could be cleaner. Even our cable television channels make us mad. But this is it. This is all we have. This is the life we live in a free and open democracy. How did we get to this point in our lives? Most of us were born here. Many of us came here for our own personal reasons and have become full-fledged citizens. Can we change the way things are? Can we make our lives better? We can certainly try and, in this country, no one can stop us from complaining or trying. Guess why?


Today is Veterans Day and, at least for today, we should think about those who have served our country proudly and how they have protected our right to complain…and our right to try to make things better. We only have a draft or conscription during war times…and then with exceptions. Otherwise, our military is volunteer. Many other countries have conscription. China, Russia, Germany, Israel, South Korea, even Switzerland require two years of military service at the age of 18. There are many reasons to serve your country. Personally, I like patriotism. Being a patriot is honorable. It is a distinguishing characteristic. The dictionary says one who loves, supports and defends one’s country. We all may have different reasons but I think, deep down, we love our country.

I am reminded of a line from the powerful movie about military service, “A Few Good Men”. The lawyers who are defending two Marines in a case about their commitment to service are arguing about the motives of these two young men. One lawyer asks, “Why do you like them so much?” The other answers, “Because they stand upon a wall and say ‘Nothing’s going to hurt you tonight, not on my watch.’” That’s patriotism to me.

I come from a military family. My father was a career Army officer. He was drafted in World War II and fought on D-Day and in the Battle of the Bulge. Later in his career, he worked to create Civil Defense, now FEMA, to help our country in emergencies. I still remember seeing him on television standing behind President Carter at Three-Mile-Island when he was Chief of Staff of the Department. He was a patriot to the end of his days and he would have been appalled when “W” uttered that now-infamous statement, “Good job, Brownie.” Brownie would have been my father’s boss and he would have been embarrassed. He was a patriot.

It took me over a week in the 3rd Grade to be able to bounce a quarter off the square-cornered blanket on my bed. When I could pass my Dad’s inspection, I went on to other things. I never considered not serving my country during a very unpopular war. I’m definitely a veteran and I sincerely hope I’m a patriot. I have the greatest respect for those who have served our country. It should be considered an honor. Every veteran deserves our applause and gratitude…at least, on this day dedicated to them. So take a break from your belly-aching long enough to give thanks to those who have helped make this country a place we can all love. Salute the veterans. They deserve it.