Veterans Day
"Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day."
---from the St. Crispin's Day speech in Shakespeare's "Henry V''
"If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields."
Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, "In Flanders Fields"
And there, in lines written centuries apart, is the glory and sadness of Veterans Day. The old soldiers remember, in their minds and in the aches in their bones, how they fought for the blanket of protection and the free skies under which we live. But it should not be only the old soldiers who remember, or even the old and young soldiers together.
We need to keep the faith with our soldiers, to thank those who serve now and remember those who sleep now in the bloodied ground.
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day."
---from the St. Crispin's Day speech in Shakespeare's "Henry V''
"If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields."
Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, "In Flanders Fields"
And there, in lines written centuries apart, is the glory and sadness of Veterans Day. The old soldiers remember, in their minds and in the aches in their bones, how they fought for the blanket of protection and the free skies under which we live. But it should not be only the old soldiers who remember, or even the old and young soldiers together.
We need to keep the faith with our soldiers, to thank those who serve now and remember those who sleep now in the bloodied ground.
posted by Michael Riley at 10:58 AM
18 Comments:
Even today Ray can't say "God Bless America"..how sad.
Oh, what baloney. I'm no less a patriot than you are and I can appreciate this country and the sacrifices that veterans have made without resorting to supernatural blather to prop it up.
What Ray can say is that we're very fortunate to have had founding fathers who saw that government involvement in religion and vice versa is a bad thing for both. In fact, maybe Ray appreciates this nation more than the blathering anonymi who would no doubt be calling Thomas Jefferson and James Madison atheists, if they were alive today, out of spite and religious hatred - just as their religious and political forebears did back then.
God help us all,especially Ray.
Again I note, not a word of response to the substance of my post. Thanks for continuing to prove my point for me. ;->
Would these be the same founding fathers, Ray, that permitted religious services to be held inside government-owned buildings? Would these be the same men who hired chaplains to pray before the members of Congress each day? Would these be the same founding fathers that, when drafting our Declaration of Independence, wrote not only of a "Creator," but who made their reliance upon this Creator well known? Would your list include men like George Washington, a man that spoke often of God in his public speeches and who called for a national day of prayer upon taking office as our first president? Are these the founding fathers that you are referring to, Ray?
Like all too many leftists, Ray thinks that any expression of patriotism is jingoistic. Case in point:
Barack Hussein Obama: No Hand on Heart for National Anthem
Now to get back to Veterans Day.
I hope you enjoy the posts of November 10th - "Remembrance of Things Past...and Present" and November 11th - "Thoughts on a Veteran"
www.hillsboroughnjjournal.blogspot.com
A Different Christmas Poem
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night." "It's my duty to stand
at
the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."
Atheists don't celebrate Christmas.right? If no God, how can they? Just curious Ray, you said you were raised a Christian but don't believe,what do you do Christmas time? Pee on nativity scenes for fun?
Anonymous wrote:
"Would these be the same founding fathers, Ray, that permitted religious services to be held inside government-owned buildings?..."
Most of those things you've listed took place after the founding fathers were dead. Wait! Don't tell me!... This all came from David Barton, right? Big mistake.
The Declaration of Independence does not define us as a nation, the Constitution does. And nowhere in the Constitution does it mention God, Jesus or Christianity. Besides, the "creator" mentioned in the Declaration was the God of Deism and that language was chosen to put it in the face of George III, who ruled, as all kings rule, with the assumption that they were chosen by God. Thus, the language was a direct attack on George III.
For George Washington to mention God means nothing here because he was, as are all others, allowed to speak as an individual. This has nothing to do with the separation of church and state.
If you really want to learn about Washington's beliefs, go here
The clown who posted as me wrote:
"Like all too many leftists, Ray thinks that any expression of patriotism is jingoistic."
The fact of the matter is that conservatives think they own patriotism by virtue of the fact that they spew the jingoistic nonsense that passes for patriotism in their own circles and spit on anyone who doesn't fall into line with their rules. An expression of patriotism isn't jingoistic but feel-good demonstrations of faux patriotism are.
"Case in point:
Barack Hussein Obama: No Hand on Heart for National Anthem"
You're a bit off course. First, I'm not a supporter of Obama so take another shot. Second, all you've done here is to show how predictable your take is on things. If Rush Limbaugh or some other conservative icon didn't put his hand on his heart for the National Anthem we wouldn't be hearing a word from you on the subject.
A circus freak wrote:
"what do you do Christmas time? Pee on nativity scenes for fun?"
Yup.
BTW, do you know that Christmas wasn't celebrated until relatively recently and that commercialism has a lot to do with why you do celebrate it? Some conservative sects don't celebrate Christmas at all. Did you know that all of the trappings of Christmas are pagan, including the date? So what are you really celebrating? Your dislike of others, of course.
It is not required to put hand over heart for National Anthem (just to stand) but it is expected for pledge of allegiance (except for Ray sitting and scowling and smirking because he is an atheist of course) one nation under god , sorry, under Ray.
A loser wrote:
"(except for Ray sitting and scowling and smirking because he is an atheist of course)..."
Ha! You post the most shameful junk and constantly try to mock me with insults yet you try to portray me as one who scowls and smirks!
Honestly, are you drunk when you post here? Do you actually think you're making sense?
I'm glad to read you're a patriot, Ray, but I knew that from other posts in other blogs.
We conservative religious folk might think patriotism is God and country. But if it's simply "country" it's still a lauded stance.
I like to ge to mass on Veterna's Day. Our priest here holds the service at the cemetery. While that may seem morbid, to me seeing the flags that loved ones have put at the deceased gravesite brings it all together for me. I may notknow the ones I pray for, but I cry all the same.
I am so grateful to those who serve for our freedoms we take so lightly at times.
Spell check :" I like to go to mass on Veteran's Day"
M
ray anooys me wrote:
"It is not required to put hand over heart for National Anthem (just to stand) but it is expected for pledge of allegiance ..."
Allow me to introduce you to The United States Code, Title 36, Chapter 10, Sec. 171, which holds, in part, the following:
"During rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Men not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart."
Having said that, don't hold your breath waiting for Senator Obama (or anyone else) to be charged with violating the law referenced above. If our US Supreme Court has little problem with those that burn the US flag, I don't suspect they will be all that quick to legally condemn those who fail to place their hand over their heart during a rendition of our National Anthem. In short, the law I quoted above, although still on the books, would not, I believe, pass constitutional muster if challenged in our nation's courts.
(And you can thank a strict-constructionist like Justice Nino Scalia for that one.)
multcopurch opetaja pharmexpert discover conserve amcis jessica francisco scalability trainers attribution
lolikneri havaqatsu
Post a Comment
<< Home