Lone Ranger

Ok kids... I'm sick of writing posts about myself and my issues. As I'm sure you are sick of reading them - man, grad school really made me whiny. But that's over and done with and I have moved on to bigger and better things. I'm not saying I'll never write about myself again, but this week I just had to take a break from me.

This post is titled "Lone Ranger" because I know I'm probably on my own on this one - I doubt most of you will agree with me, but you have your own blogs to issue your dissentions to the whole thing, so let me talk. :-) If you're in the mood for a shallow post, this one is not it, so stop reading now.

The topic? Cindy Sheehan, the anti-war mom whose son was killed in Iraq. Sheehan has made quite a splash with the media through her protests and arrests over the past year or so. And last month, Sheehan was in Canada with visiting American army deserters and praising them for their "bravery".

Let me stop right there. The focus of that last sentence is this: American army deserters. While some of you may sympathize with them, let me remind you that today's military personnel are not drafted - they choose to serve our country. No one forces them to make the decision to go, which is why the sacrifice is so courageous and so honorable. So what is so honorable and brave about deserting when no one forced you to go??

Cindy Sheehan has simply gone too far, trampling on her son's name and legacy. She claims he never wanted to go to Iraq, and that may be true - but why then did he sign up for a second term? No one made him go; he already served our country with honor for one term, and he could have left the armed forces if he were THAT fed up with the system. He is a hero for serving that first term and he would still be a hero if he felt that one term was enough. But he made a commitment to his country and his fellow soldiers to serve a second term. It is unfortunate that he lost his life, and by no means am I putting him down in my criticism of his mother, but he lost his life in honor, dignity, and character - traits that Cindy lacks. I am sympathetic for her as a mother who has lost her son, and she is definitely entitled to her opinion. However, with her obvious need for attention and drama queen tendencies, I truly feel she has overstepped her bounds and become an extremist.

Both of my grandfathers had military careers, and although they served for another country, they both held true to their ideals, even if they didn't completely agree with the method of fighting. And that is how the armed forces function, folks - no one ever really wants to go, but when one is told to go, he goes and he fights with honor. It's like my favorite Mr. Miyagi quote: "Fighting not good. But when must fight, WIN." I am neither a war monger nor a pacifist, but I don't believe in the concept of utopia because I'm a realist. It won't happen - because somewhere out there, some bully is out to get you. And if you are not prepared for the bully's punch, you will be hit hard.

But I digress... back to the topic. It is important to understand what honor means and why it is relevant to military service. Honor is huge in most countries and cultures, and some regard it more highly than others. For instance, in American society, we search for our POWs and our missing soldiers and we welcome them home when we rescue or find them. In Asian cultures, however, POWs are not expected to return (remember the Japanese kamikaze pilots in WWII). If they do return, they are not welcomed home - in fact, it is pretty much considered shameful since you were expected to die. I'm not saying one way is right or wrong, but I do want people to think about it. In America, we consider it honorable if one even serves in our armed forces; so why is Cindy Sheehan slashing this concept?

I love this country and the ideals for which it stands. I proudly recite the Pledge of Allegiance when given the opportunity and sing the National Anthem whenever it is played. It means a lot to me to be in a country where I am privileged to have the experiences and freedoms that my grandparents' generation did not get to have. And I know that Americans don't always agree with the administration or with each other, but it's wonderful that we even have the opportunity to disagree. I am proud to be an American, and many of those who disagree with me are probably just as proud. It disgusts me that people like Cindy Sheehan have forgotten that without those soldiers, she wouldn't be able to launch a protest or a hunger strike or even sing a campfire song. I just wish she could tone her rhetoric and actions down a bit and give her son and the other brave men and women who serve our country the respect and honor they deserve.