Sweet Tweets

Monday, May 26, 2008

Memorial Day in Perspective

For some perspective on Memorial Day from an email I received:
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When some claim that America shouldn't have started this war, think about the following:
FDR (DEMOCRAT) led us into World War II. Germany never attacked us; Japan did. From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost...an average of 112,500 per year.

Truman (DEMOCRAT) finished that war and started one in Korea...North Korea never attacked us. From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost...an average of 18,334 per year.

John F. Kennedy (DEMOCRAT) started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam never attacked us.

Johnson (DEMOCRAT) turned Vietnam into a quagmire. From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost an average of 5,800 per year.

Clinton (DEMOCRAT) went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent. Bosnia never attacked us. He was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three times by Sudan and did nothing. Osama has attacked us on multiple occasions.

In the years since terrorists attacked us, President Bush has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran, and, North Korea without firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people. And there are complaints about how long the war is taking.

Some people still don't understand why military personnel do what they do for a living. This exchange between Senators John Glenn and Senator Howard Metzenbaum is worth reading. It's a good example of one man's explanation of why men and women in the armed services do what they do for a living.
Senator Metzenbaum (speaking to Senator Glenn):
'How can you run for Senate when you've never held a real job?'

Senator Glenn (D-Ohio):
'I served 23 years in the United States Marine Corps. I served through two wars. I flew 149 missions. My plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire on 12 different occasions. I was in the space program. It wasn't my checkbook, Howard; it was my life on the line. It was not a nine-to-five job, where I took time off to take the daily cash receipts to the bank.'

'I ask you to go with me...as I went the other day...to a veteran's hospital and look those men with their mangled bodies in the eye, and tell THEM they didn't hold a job!

You go with me to the Space Program at NASA and go, as I have gone, to the widows and Orphans of Ed White, Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee...and you look those kids in the eye and tell them that their DAD'S didn't hold a job.

You go with me on Memorial Day and you stand in Arlington National Cemetery , where I have more friends buried than I'd like to remember, and you watch those waving flags. You stand there, and you think about this nation, and you have the gall to tell ME that those people didn't have a job?'

What about Metzenbaum?'

For those who don't remember, during W.W.II, Howard Metzenbaum was an attorney representing the Communist Party in the USA...then he was a Senator.

If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading it in English, thank a Veteran.


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Listening to: Tonic - Head On Straight
via FoxyTunes

1 Remarks:

Cammie said...

Thanks for posting this! Being married to a veteran of the Iraq war who has selflessly risked his life on countless occasions and who still serves his country every day makes this entry feel very close to home! Unfortunately there are a lot more people than you would think who are very ignorant on this topic, so it's great to see you put it out there!