WAR – Random thoughts on War, Patriotism and Responsibility from my journal.

THE YIN AND THE YANG

I am a divided man when it comes to war. I have no problem with defending my country, community, family or self if need be, but I am always for peace whenever possible.

IGNORANCE IS BLISS

One thing I have to keep in mind is that wars are extremely complicated. There is no way that a common citizen such as myself will ever be truly and thoroughly advised of all the circumstances and issues involved in any given conflict. For me to badger the government with protest with the limited knowledge I have of the overall picture would be both selfish and naive. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against assembling in support of a specific cause or issue, sometimes it’s the only way to have your voice heard; such as the Teachers Rally in Frankfort last month. These rallies are meant to persuade leadership to recognize a certain point of view, not criticize them in difficult times. I simply think there is a fine line between rallying for a cause and protesting in selfish ignorance.

HEAVY IS THE WEIGHT OF A CROWN

I live in a country where once a year I bare the responsibility to vote for my leadership. Sometimes the people I vote for don’t get into office, but since I live in a country with set rules for deciding leadership I will ultimately pledge my support to whoever wins. After that it is my strong belief that I should trust that leadership to make intelligent decisions with my responsibility now being to back my leaders in their decisions. If my leaders decide there is a need for war then I must pledge my support both mentally and physically. In recent years this country has been put through difficulty placing trust in leadership due to scandals, but if I let a few stinkers destroy my patriotism then the future of this country looks very grim. I can only hope that if I ever decide to run for office people will support me in my difficult decisions.

ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR

If I never achieve any other notable act let it be known I have loved. I owe much of who I am and have to my country. I love my country with all my heart and soul. I used to be of the mind set that I am extremely grateful for the men and women who chose to serve in our military, but I would show my support safely away from the front lines unless needed. Now that the terrorist have brought the fight home I am still equally grateful for our military, but I realize my responsibilities in this country could be called upon in a more active role at any time. I don’t think of it as living in fear and I refuse to let possible threats stop my way of life. It’s a bit inconvenient picking up my friends at the airport and the cost of living will inevitably be affected, but I will deal with it.

Written by Chad Hembree