I can't stand hippies and peace activists.  Now in saying this, I don't mean that I'm some war-monger or anything, but these self-righteous jackasses that protest wars are some of the most idiotic people ever.  They're cowards, plain and simple.  They have no idea what it means to put your life on the line for something you believe in.  They have no concept of sacrifice, brotherhood, and fighting for a just cause.  For instance, let's look at the Vietnam protesters - a lot of spoiled college kids who deciided from the comfort of their living rooms that trying to keep communists from taking over a country that couldn't defend itself was no reason for American soldiers to be there.  If that wasn't bad enough, then you get the ones who bad-mouthed the soldiers and called them baby killers and spit on them.  Today we have Iraq, and I swear I can't believe how many of our own elected officials are acting like first class idiots and selfish bastards.  The politicians who are comparing our troops to Nazis like Senator Dick (aptly named) Durbin are scumbags.  They care more about themselves and appealing to the perceived popular opinion that they will say things that do absolutely no good.  If someone can honestly tell me a time that American troops were sent somewhere that the cause wasn't justified even on a basic humanitarian level, I'd love to hear it.  Instead, the ones who oppose the military would rather do crap like firebomb ROTC buildings instead of actually presenting a logical case as to why America shouldn't help someone.  I just had to get this off my chest.  Memorial Day is tomorrow and I know somewhere some idiot will use this day to make a speech where they will chastise our military in some way.  If there could be one day where someone in this country actually would honor fallen soldiers and show a little respect regardless of how they feel about war, please let this be the day.  I'll be doing what I've done the last few years and that's watching "Saving Private Ryan" and some "Band of Brothers" episodes.  No cookouts, no taking advantage of the big sales, none of that.  I just honestly can't feel right doing cookouts and shopping when the day is supposed to be a day set aside for the memory of the fallen soldiers from this country.  I'm not saying by any means that I'm the only one who "gets it" and understands what this day means because I know a ton of people do.  Just please remember all the lives that have been lost so you can even spend time on the internet reading my stupid drivel.

I've been fascinated with the military my entire life.  I played war as a kid like a lot have, and growing up all I wanted to do was join the Army.  I studied military leaders, battles, all of it...and dreamed of the day I could enlist.  I wanted to go into the Army and then go off to jump school to get that Airborne tab, then go through Ranger school and finally become one of the elite - The Special Forces.  It was my drream for many years.  I took ROTC for three years in high school and was the third highest ranking cadet.  When I was 17, I spoke with a Lt. Colonel at the National Guard here about signing up so I could go through basic training in between my Junior and Senior year of high school.  I was going to stay active in the National Guard through college, where I hoped to have an ROTC scholarship and after college become an officer.  I figured I would have more respect among enlisted men if I had already been one myself before being commissioned.  Well, my Junior year of high school found me in the hospital having back surgery, so there was no way I could go through basic training that summer, so I didn't enlist with the Guard.  I still pursued the Army ROTC scholarship though, and then lightening struck twice.  I had to have the same operation again my senior year because it got botched the first time.  Doing this disqualified me from getting an Army ROTC scholarship because I couldn't take the physical aptitude test.  Now at this time my grades may have not been the best in the world, so I probably wouldn't have got a scholarship anyway, but because of this second back operation I couldn't enlist in the Guard because it took a LONG time for me to get back to even being CLOSE to 100%.  After that I got pretty depressed.  I mean for years it was all I wanted and now I couldn't do it.  As the years went on and I developed a few other health problems like a hyperthyroid and hypertension, not to mention two back operations and I was basically at a point where I wouldn't be allowed to enlist because of health reasons.  Everything I had ever dreamed of doing wasn't going to happen.  I sucked...it really did.  My dad served for a number of years, my Grandfather fought in World War II, my Uncle graduated near the top of his class at Annapolis, one cousin got an ROTC scholarship and then went to jump school...basically I was going to be one of the few in the family tree that never served dating back to Thomas Heyward who signed the Declaration of Independence....he even fought when he didn't have to.  The desire was there...but due to unforeseen circumstances I was never able to serve.

I think that's why these protesters and hippies and crap really piss me off.  I look at them and I see a bunch of morons who are clueless about the evil in the world.  I see a bunch of Jimmy Carter's and Neville Chamberlain's.  I see people who are so ignorant that they think enemies can be reasoned with while at the same time calling our troops evil.  Give me Winston Churchill who knew how evil Nazi Germany was before the rest of the world caught on...give me George Patton who wanted to march into Russia because he knew that country would be a thorn in our side for decades....give me Douglas MacArthur who wanted to kick the commies all the way back to China because he knew if North Korea fell under the rule of the communists it would be a future problem.  Those are the real men of vision who recognize evil for what it is....who know that these bastards can't be "reasoned with" and that the mentality of just leaving them alone does nothing but lead to the loss of more lives down the road.  History had judged these men to be correct...and that even though their ideas may have seemed unpopular at the time they were the right thing to do.  When our founding fathers fought the British there were those who said we shouldn't, when Japan and Germany were trying to increase their empires there were those who said we shouldn't get involved, and when Sadam Hussein constantly violated the terms of the cease-fire from the Gulf War, there are those who say the war in Iraq is unjust.  Yes, I wish things were being done differently over there, but I do agree with the cause.  I just wish we had taken the gloves off from day one.  You can't go into a war skating around the edges...you go all out and annihilate the enemy.  If Patton were around today he would be the most hated man in America, at least that's how the press would treat him, but he would be doing the right thing and history would judge him as being right.

Through all this rambling, I guess my point is this - if you disagree with what the military is doing now or has done in the past, please just allow this one day to show respect to the people and families who have paid the ultimate price.  Please put aside your bullshit politics for one day and give respect to the families who have lost a loved one, and please respect the person who lost their life for doing what they thought was right.

Just do this for one day...please.