My father served this country in WWII. He was at the Battle of the Bulge where 75,000 American soldiers lost their lives. He was at the crossing of the Rhine. He was a veteran.
Sheila's father is a veteran too. He served in the Navy aboard a ship in the south pacific. This picture is at Manowe. I took it when Sheila's parents were visiting. Papaw's hat is from his visit to the USS Missouri Memorial in Pearl Harbor. He wasn't on that ship, but his tour of duty took him briefly to that area.
America sends troops into harms way for the sake of liberty. But what does "liberty" mean? How is it defined?
In his Address at Sanitary Fair in Baltimore, Maryland, Abraham Lincoln said,
"We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing. With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while with others, the same word may mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men’s labor. Here are two, not only different, but incompatible things, called by the same name - liberty. And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective parties, called by two different and incompatible names - liberty and tyranny."
So when the sheepdog drives off the coyote before it can kill the lamb, the lamb thanks the sheepdog as Liberator, but the coyote denounces him for the same act. The sheepdog and the coyote do not agree on the definition of liberty.
As Lincoln portrayed it, our veterans served to deliver multitudes from the yoke of bondage, and they were hailed by many for the advance of liberty but bewailed by others for the destruction of liberty. The sheepdog has one view of liberty; the coyote another.
Today I honor all who've served to repudiate the coyote's dictionary!
Today I honor those who fought for each man's "freedom to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor."
Isaiah 49:25 - But thus says Yahweh: The warrior's captive will indeed be snatched away and the tyrant's booty will indeed be set free; I myself shall fight those who fight you and I myself shall save your children.
Mark, I read an article about a prisoner taken at the Battle of the Bulge this morning. I thought you would find it interesting. Here's the link: http://tinyurl.com/6ykqux
Posted by: Michelle Wegner | November 11, 2008 at 11:45 AM