Ok, so I was going to sit back and watch all the comments flow freely after Micah made his last entry...but it seems some people feel the need to attack my husband personally...which I won't stand for. You can say what you want about the war, the President and whether or not you believe my husband should be over there, but don't think you can attack his character. No, my husband isn't a wife beater...unless he has another wife that I don't know about. I love the generalization that he's in the military so he must be a wife beater....wow, that makes sense...what an ignorant comment. Ignorant in the true sense of the word...only someone so ignorant about the military and the men in it would make a comment like that.
Anyway, as I wrote to Micah after reading his first entry on the topic a few days ago, I often find myself having to listen to comments such as these back here on the homefront. My most common source of comments comes from my students. I'm a high school teacher and it amazes me how ignorant some of my students are about this country and the world in general. Our state now requires us to say the Pledge of Allegiance and take a moment of silence every morning. I have students who refuse to stand up, let alone say the Pledge...and that's their right. One of them asked me if I would continue to stand and say it everyday if no one else stood with me...hmm...let me think about that...uh, yes. I told them that because of men like my husband who served in the military throughout all these years, they now have the right to believe the way they do. Every day I use that moment of silence to pray that somewhere along the way, someone smacks them across the head and wakes them up to the reality of what a great country they live in...and so now, I will add the rest of you to that prayer....may someone smack you across the head :)
I found your husband's site only recently. I want you to know that more people appreciate him, his troops and their efforts.
God bless them, and God bless you for your efforts in educating what I fear is becoming a lost generation whose only requirement is instant gratification, insistance upon rights to be rude, insensitive and callousness toward the sacrifices of others.
Posted by: Mike in Little Rock | February 15, 2006 at 02:53 PM
How incredibly difficult it must be or have been since I am not sure if your husband may now be home, to have lived with your fear and do it with a smile as military wives must and have to face what you did or do in the classroom.
Spoiled and self indulged, they could not, even out of respect for YOUR position, go through the motions even if they do not believe that this is the greatest country on earth. So really there are two issues, lack of respect for their elders and authority and no concept at all about the struggle we are involved in, not just abroad but here at home as the poignant "In Memory of Heather Lee Smith" of the prior note reminds us.
In the course of my work the other day I had occasion to verify if a New York City address was current. I ended up on a site on the WTC. More than 200 souls had to make the choice between a death by fire or one by jumping. More than 200 people! That knowledge pierced my heart. Your students need a reality check.
God bless you and your husband for you both serve us. Consider me a silent presence ever day as you say the Pledge. I am an immigrant. I did not come from a "bad" country. What I did do was come to the greatest country on earth and it sorrows me that so many are unaware of it.
Posted by: Janet | February 04, 2006 at 08:54 AM
How sad it is that some people have no respect for those that stand up for their rights. Children today have had the luxury of not being without. Nor have they had to put any effort into securing the rights that they enjoy.
I have 3 children in grade school and 1 in middle school. Quite often my middle schooler asks questions about the news and why these people say this and others say that. I have to explain to him how much of what he sees and hears in the media is slanted one way or the other and that the reality of the situation is much different. I only hope that I can help them to think for themselves, and they will know the truth.
Unfortunately, those that want to spout free speech are usually the same people that will not listen to the point of view of the soldiers on the ground in Iraq. For the military efforts to succeed, they must admit that they are wrong. A huge ego is very hard to swallow.
God bless you, your husband and family and all of our soldiers. Without them and their sacrifices big and small, our children would not have the luxury of ignorance.
Posted by: Jennifer | February 03, 2006 at 04:01 PM
Thanks for your time, your commitment and your commitment to our country, your husband and to your values.
Yea, I have had [almost] whack my grandkids upside their heads to get them to know and appriciate their country, their parents, and me.
Kids nowadays (like other generations) are not concerned with the big picture or with what is really important.
They have their cars, cellphones, kid drama, dates, music, and fashions to worry about and concentrate on.
School, studies and love for their country, way of life and parents (and us grandparents) is not on their list of things to be grateful for or even worry about.
But, who is at fault here?
Guess who. Kids are the product of their enviorment, but they are supposed to be shaped, governed and led by their parents (and grandparents).
So, do kids grow up to be adults who don't appriciate the basics of our freedoms and way of life? Yes, they do. But place the blame where it belongs. On the parents and grandparents, (or the lack of) not on the kids.
Your flustration and anger is understandable and ok.
Patriotism is not something that you are born with, it is learned, just like respect for your elders, respect for law and kindness to people and animals is learned.
My kids had their problems, my grand kids have theirs, but I am trying one kid at a time to instill the values my Mom and Dad gave to me, many years ago.
It is not easy, but we all can try to regain that, that which has been lost, and give it to our children so that they may give it to their children.
Jeez, just went back and read what I wrote. Sounds like a sermon or a lecture. I didn't mean it to be that way.
I just wanted to give you encouragement and let you know your not alone in your thoughts and concerns.
Tell your hubby to Continue the Mission and to you I say,
Thank you for YOUR service to our country and to us, your fellow citizens.
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
Posted by: Papa Ray | February 01, 2006 at 09:45 AM
I am a high school teacher too (on "sabbatical" if you will) and I've been in your shoes. And I've prayed what you pray - that someone will come along and smack my students upside the head and knock some sense into them.
Prayers for your husband and for you!
- hfs
Posted by: HomefrontSix | January 31, 2006 at 11:58 AM
I'm new here - linked over from LT Smash's blog. Have read a bit and posted elsewhere already. Had to comment here too - GOOD FOR YOU. Though that much needed, more than richly deserved, smack upside the head won't come in time for most of the snot-nosed, spoiled brats unfortunately. Many of their generation did get the head slap on 9/11/01 - but far too many have gone back into their velvet-lined cocoons and have forgotten what we are fighting for. I thank God everyday that soldiers like your husband are willing to sacrifice themselves for the freedoms of others. The moonbat lefties don't get that - and sadly probably never will. It's all very personal to me - we lost a loved on on 9/11 and there isn't a day that goes by that we don't think about her and the other nearly 3,000 victims. So when people rant about bringing our soldiers home and blaming the President for everything that is wrong in the world, I tell them to look up the following name - Heather Lee Smith - and find out what it's all about.
In memory of Heather Lee Smith, Flight 11
Posted by: Kris, in New England | January 31, 2006 at 07:13 AM