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Today’s column on this page by Connie Schultz should make us all stop for a minute and consider the essence of that commentary. It’s about putting faces and names on the war dead.
Indeed, they have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom, mostly in foreign countries, where our involvement often is at question.
The essence of that column is that our soldiers should be much more to us than just a list of names. The Bush administration made if very difficult for the public to even see the flag draped coffins that were returned from Iraq. What a shame! There should have been large gatherings there to pay their respects.
Some newspapers, in defiance of the administration’s cruel strategy, did publish names.
Each soldier returned in a body bag was special to someone. He or she had brothers and sisters, mamas and daddies and many of them had children.
And each one deserves a story of some kind. Did they like baseball? What kind of music did they like? What was their favorite food and when did they last partake of it? How did they feel about American politics these days? Where did they stand on the environment?
Given that we now have an all- voluntary military, there is some distance between the average man on the street and the names and faces of those soldiers. We all should have ownership in our wars. By ownership, we should be closer to the fray in that we be totally aware of the carnage, the physical costs, the rehab costs and yes, maybe we should make some effort to learn something about those men and women who put it all on the line for our principles.
By the way, let’s keep their sacrifices in mind as we approach the November elections. Locally we had a pathetic turnout in the primary. Please note that those soldiers we talk about here were trying to expand democracy according to those who send them there. It’s a shame not to respect the very concepts for which they gave their lives.
Opinion
We should know more than just their names
- Opinion
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More data on the Battle of the Bulge
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Life is a matter of perspectives; think about it
My friend, a city boy, was yelling for help. We were fishing on a river, and he had ventured over to another spot.
“Someone help! I’m cornered!” he yelled. -
We better wake up
Dear editor:
Have our GOP representatives gone to sleep or are they refusing to act for the people they are supposed to represent? The Obama administration has contracted a Spanish company called SCYTAL, to tabulate the 2012 November presidential election. - Rant and Rave for 5/26/12
- Rant and Rave for 5/25/12
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May God bless my Uncle Henry
My uncle once noted on his return from a fishing trip that he caught so many fish he couldn’t put them all in one pile.
That’s how I feel trying to keep up with all the causes and organizations that either require support groups or else they comprise support groups. -
A kind humanity
Dear editor:
Humanity. One word. That word can translate into many other words. Some would say humanity is dark, greedy and bent on world domination. Others may say humanity is sweet, kind and caring. I myself witnessed a small part of a loving, caring humanity the other day. - Rant and Rave for 5/24/12
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Why it's a bad tax
Dear editor:
In regards to the Transportation TSplost Tax: The statement, “Economic development suffers if we don’t pass this tax” is not a valid statement, because Georgia has always been behind the 8 ball in regards to transportation, but yet look at the growth we have experienced; being behind in transportation didn't hinder economic growth. Georgia now ranks 11th in the country as of 2010 and this occurred mostly since 1995. The economic vitality of Georgia is alive and well considering the slump the country is in. - Rant and Rave for 5/23/12
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