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For Memorial Day.. do try to remember for who

By thomas.wong1986   Follow   Sun, 27 May 2012, 8:52pm   3,972 views   39 comments
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It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

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1. thomas.wong1986 Follow Befriend 16 threads 4,426 comments

   1   8:54pm Sun 27 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike (1)   jvolstad, i like to personally thank you for your service to our nation and people.. Thank You!

2. Kevin Follow Befriend 40 threads 2,652 comments

   2   4:00am Mon 28 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (1)   Dislike   No. All of those rights exist by default. The solider (or rather, the soldier's commanders, since the soldier is just following orders) is the one who takes them away. Plenty of countries have soldiers that are ostensibly "defending", and have few to none of those rights. There's no threat to our freedoms at present that a soldier can do anything to prevent.

3. Bigsby Follow Befriend 2,826 comments Monterey, CA

   3   5:30am Mon 28 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Cloud says Thomas, on this site for many it will fall on deaf ears. Yet they LOVE the government that start the wars. Which wars did Obama start?

4. kentm Follow Befriend (1) 117 threads 971 comments

   4   5:41am Mon 28 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   http://nsaneys.blogspot.ca/2012/05/memorial-day-homeless-american-veterans.html Memorial Day: Tonight, approximately 67,000 veterans will sleep in alleys, abandoned buildings and under bridges because they have no home. Yeah, try to remember them - with more than lip service and facile platitudes to militarism. Your words show zero support for or appreciation for the people who become soldiers and total support for the lies and mistruths that keep them there far beyond what's necessary. You wont understand that thomas, but you can start by asking yourself "What have I done lately to actually help out a veteran?"

5. Patrick Follow Befriend (54) 5,181 threads 6,153 comments 46 male Menlo Park, CA Premium

   5   9:06am Mon 28 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   And now that US troops can be deployed on US soil against US citizens, it looks like soldiers will be the ones that take away all our rights as well, to protect the 1% from anyone using freedom of speech. I don't understand why there is not a HUGE protest against things like this: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/30/AR2008113002217.html http://www.naturalnews.com/026732_military_pandemic_outbreak.html http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/army_homeland_090708w/ http://www.salon.com/2009/07/25/military_4/

6. P N Dr Lo R Follow Befriend 21 threads 133 comments

   6   9:08am Mon 28 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Cloud says Thomas, on this site for many it will fall on deaf ears Well that's the world we live in, full of contempt and cynicism. If the attitude that is ascendant today existed 1942-1945, we'd be living under Nazi-ism or Communism.

7. mdovell Follow Befriend (4) 28 threads 776 comments

   7   9:27am Mon 28 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Bigsby says Which wars did Obama start? Libya http://www.veteranstoday.com/2012/01/13/obama-sending-us-forces-to-libya/ Uganda http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/10/obama-sends-100-us-troops-to-uganda-to-combat-lords-resistance-army/ Yemen http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2012/0511/US-sends-troops-to-Yemen-as-Al-Qaeda-gains-ground If you include drones then Pakistan http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/23/us-drone-militants-pakistan-afghanistan Troop movements might include Israel http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=250249 And Australia http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/17/world/asia/obama-and-gillard-expand-us-australia-military-ties.html?pagewanted=all Yeah he might not be starting "wars" like bush did but drones kill.

8. errc Follow Befriend (7) 29 threads 1,203 comments 31 male Premium

   8   9:47am Mon 28 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   I have done multiple tours in The War on Drug users, and they even awarded me with a Purple Kush Stay strong my brothers, the current admin continues to double down on both stupid and evil. Keep up the good fight

9. wbblair3 Follow Befriend 2 threads 94 comments

   9   11:58am Mon 28 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (1)   Dislike   "I don't understand why there is not a HUGE protest against things like this" Because the VAST majority of Americas are too busy watching American Idol or some other equally brain-dead TV show to realize those things are even going on, the mainstream media isn't making a point of emphasizing that those things are going on or their significance, and a large percentage of Americans wouldn't realize the significance of those things even if they knew of them. As far as what Chris Hayes said about the use of the term "heroes," I agree completely with what he was brave enough to say: "I feel uncomfortable about the word because it seems to me that it is so rhetorically proximate to justifications for more war. Um, and, I don't want to obviously desecrate or disrespect memory of anyone that's fallen, and obviously there are individual circumstances in which there is genuine, tremendous heroism: hail of gunfire, rescuing fellow soldiers and things like that. But it seems to me that we marshal this word in a way that is problematic." And, BTW, I'm retired military and had I ever been put very seriously in harm's way, I would have been fighting for my own life and the lives of my friends fighting by my side, not for "God and Country." That would have been the very last thing on my mind unless I was actually on US soil defending US soil from foreign invaders. But that hasn't happened in a major way since, what, 1812?

10. thomas.wong1986 Follow Befriend 16 threads 4,426 comments

    10   12:45pm Mon 28 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike (1)   kentm says "What have I done lately to actually help out a veteran?" I give every year to the wounded warrior foundation.. step up and YOU can give !

11. thomas.wong1986 Follow Befriend 16 threads 4,426 comments

    11   1:05pm Mon 28 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike (1)   Patrick says And now that US troops can be deployed on US soil against US citizens, it looks like soldiers will be the ones that take away all our rights as well, to protect the 1% from anyone using freedom of speech. You are again assuming that our military are some mindless drones-killing machine without a conscience .. thats pretty disrespectful of you.

12. Patrick Follow Befriend (54) 5,181 threads 6,153 comments 46 male Menlo Park, CA Premium

    12   4:38pm Mon 28 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (2)   Dislike   Protected   What can they do? Military people are not allowed to protest or to disobey orders. They can be shot on the spot for refusal to obey. When the 1% orders them to kill or imprison us for using our freedom of speech, they must obey those orders.

13. monkframe Follow Befriend 7 threads 187 comments Pacifica, CA

    13   7:01pm Mon 28 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   "Which wars did Obama start?" Yemen, Pakistan, unknown others.

14. Bap33 Follow Befriend (3) 12 threads 3,094 comments

    14   7:02pm Mon 28 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike (1)   Kevin says No. All of those rights exist by default. The solider (or rather, the soldier's commanders, since the soldier is just following orders) is the one who takes them away. Plenty of countries have soldiers that are ostensibly "defending", and have few to none of those rights. There's no threat to our freedoms at present that a soldier can do anything to prevent. Patrick, I nominate this post from Kevin as one of the stupidest posts on Patrick.

15. marcus Follow Befriend (5) 166 threads 5,054 comments

    15   7:20pm Mon 28 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (1)   Dislike   I appreciate and am grateful for the service of those in our military. Bap33 says I nominate this post from Kevin as one of the stupidest posts on Patrick. My guess is that you don't understand what he's saying. The last part might have been the hardest to understand, but I think he means that the only CURRENT real threat to our freedom comes from within, that is our politics, and our current somewhat corrupt system. If we were ever to become a fully fascist dictatorship, rather than the plutocracy/corporatocracy we have now, the military would still be in the service of that government. I think that's what Kevin meant. Hence the term "at present." And remember, "soldier" is a generic term that refers to soldiers of any country's military, and yes they are almost always all about following orders. This in no way invalidates righteous fights for freedom in the past or the future by American soldiers. Even the founding fathers spoke of risks from within (expect a comment from Abe about the federal reserve and sound money etc). Hence our well thought out 3 branches of government. The so called Citizens United ruling was an abomination, and is in my view one of the biggest current risks to our freedom. Others would cite the war on terror and some of the liberties we have lost as a result of that.

16. thomas.wong1986 Follow Befriend 16 threads 4,426 comments

    16   7:37pm Mon 28 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike (2)   Patrick says What can they do? Military people are not allowed to protest or to disobey orders. They can be shot on the spot for refusal to obey. LOL ! Your completely lost and pretty much paranoid !

17. bob2356 Follow Befriend 2 threads 2,495 comments

    17   7:45pm Mon 28 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike (1)   Patrick says And now that US troops can be deployed on US soil against US citizens, it looks like soldiers will be the ones that take away all our rights as well, to protect the 1% from anyone using freedom of speech. No, the soldiers will be obeying lawful orders from the commander in chief, the president of the united states. A civilian who will be the one taking away our rights.

18. jvolstad Follow Befriend (4) 988 threads 1,120 comments San Antonio, TX jvolstad's website

    18   7:55pm Mon 28 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Remembering some of my former ASA (Army Security Agency) comrades.

19. oliverks1 Follow Befriend 79 comments Aptos, CA

    19   10:06pm Mon 28 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (1)   Dislike   thomas.wong1986 says It is the Soldier, not the minister Who has given us freedom of religion. It is the Soldier, not the reporter Who has given us freedom of the press. It is the Soldier, not the poet Who has given us freedom of speech. It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer Who has given us freedom to protest. It is the Soldier, not the lawyer Who has given us the right to a fair trial. It is the Soldier, not the politician Who has given us the right to vote. It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, Who serves beneath the flag, And whose coffin is draped by the flag, Who allows the protester to burn the flag. If I were a woman, it was demonstrations that gave me the right to vote in the US, not a soldier If I were a black man in the south, it was demonstrations that gave me the right to vote in the US, not a soldier If I were Gay or Lesbian, it was demonstrations that gave me the right to marry in the US, not a soldier If I were not a land owner, it was demonstrations that gave me the right to vote in the US, not a soldier If I were a southerner, it was a soldier that burnt my town to ground If I were a Native American, it was a soldier that burnt my village to the ground If I were a Kent state student, it was a soldier that killed me If I were a Japanese American, it was a soldier that interned me Happy Memorial Day

20. freak80 Follow Befriend (4) 52 threads 4,416 comments Corning, NY Premium

    20   8:17am Tue 29 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   Kevin says All of those rights exist by default. Ha! Get real. It's only the second ammendment that gives any of the other rights. Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.

21. FortWayne Follow Befriend (13) 102 threads 3,759 comments

    21   8:45am Tue 29 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Patrick says And now that US troops can be deployed on US soil against US citizens, it looks like soldiers will be the ones that take away all our rights as well, to protect the 1% from anyone using freedom of speech. Patrick, do you think our men and women in the uniform would follow or refuse such orders? I guess that would be a good question for jvolstad.

22. Bap33 Follow Befriend (3) 12 threads 3,094 comments

    22   9:09am Tue 29 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike (2)   marcus, I do not claim to be a good reader. But, that dudes position is based on fairy dust, in my opinion, and my nomination stands. folks .. the "RIGHT" was granted by God - not man or a paper written by man, or a weapon. Your ability to enjoy the RIGHT in safety and freedom is granted by laws that are enforced by American Warriors. "Protestors" are only able to do so in safety and feedom due to American Warriors. In areas were there is no American Warrior - like China or Africa - the RIGHTS granted by God are still there. The trouble is there is no safety or freedom for those who try to enjoy their God given rights. They can speak out freely, just as we do, only they will be killed. You take your enjoyment of your God given RIGHTS for granted, and even worse, you think some man or some document or some protesting hippy made them secure. On that hogwash is the entire liberal/progeressive anti-American, anti-Christian agenda built. The political monster (all sides) is what is wrong in America. The twisted minds that come from laziness, largess, perversion, drugs, and the other indicators of an easy life are what is wrong in America. Things have been so good for so long that people invent crap to have a bitch about, or do things to themselves to make the life harder. We wasted the greatest American True Grit DNA in WW2. We lost most of what was left in Korea and Nam. Right now the meat grinder in the land of sand is removing a large portion of what little True Grit DNA this country has left. We will soon be left with a large pile of limpwristed liberal/leftist/communist/progressive/elitist minded perverts, dim-witted hyper-breeders that do not have a hint of patriotism toward anything beyond their selfish wants, and the over-educated drugged up pukes that buy-off the pink-o's in black robes that make the laws to keep the three anti-American, anti-Christian, groups powerful. In my opinion. We need to rebuild the family inorder to rebuild America - so we need to end the educational system as it stands and offer education that is free of the liberal bias found in class rooms populated by over-educated zelots.

23. freak80 Follow Befriend (4) 52 threads 4,416 comments Corning, NY Premium

    23   9:48am Tue 29 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   bob2356 says No, the soldiers will be obeying lawful orders from the commander in chief, the president of the united states. The commander-in-chief being controlled by the top 0.1% who own him...

24. thunderlips11 Follow Befriend (13) 49 threads 2,625 comments Premium

    24   9:50am Tue 29 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (2)   Dislike   Protected   thomas.wong1986 says It is the Soldier, not the minister Who has given us freedom of religion. Ever see "The Hidden Valley"? thomas.wong1986 says It is the Soldier, not the reporter Who has given us freedom of the press. See "Alien and Sedition Acts" And maybe not the US, but see "Iraq" thomas.wong1986 says It is the Soldier, not the poet Who has given us freedom of speech. Kent State. It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer Who has given us freedom to protest. Homestead, Pullman, Ludlow Massacre. Striking workers got shot at by US soldiers. Strikes were routinely ended by the US Military. Also think of the Bonus Army - when soldiers killed veterans. Egypt, North Korea and Chad have soldiers - how free are they?

25. freak80 Follow Befriend (4) 52 threads 4,416 comments Corning, NY Premium

    25   9:54am Tue 29 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (2)   Dislike   Protected   The soldier works for the top 0.1% in any society. It's always been that way throughout history. The "People's Liberation Army" crushed the folks in Tiananmen Square.

26. thunderlips11 Follow Befriend (13) 49 threads 2,625 comments Premium

    26   10:15am Tue 29 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   Thomas Jefferson: "There are instruments so dangerous to the rights of the nation and which place them so totally at the mercy of their governors that those governors, whether legislative or executive, should be restrained from keeping such instruments on foot but in well-defined cases. Such an instrument is a standing army."

27. freak80 Follow Befriend (4) 52 threads 4,416 comments Corning, NY Premium

    27   10:39am Tue 29 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Protected   thunderlips11 says Thomas Jefferson: "There are instruments so dangerous to the rights of the nation and which place them so totally at the mercy of their governors that those governors, whether legislative or executive, should be restrained from keeping such instruments on foot but in well-defined cases. Such an instrument is a standing army." And slavery too. But of course Jefferson had no problem with slavery since he benefited so much from it. Jefferson was a total hypocrite.

28. burritos Follow Befriend 52 threads 269 comments Newbury Park, CA

    28   10:50am Tue 29 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Barbequing at the beach in memory for fallen and live soldiers is laughable. If we really cared about veterans, we'd abolish these unproductive holidays, make everyone work these days, and donate either the profits and or at least all the taxes earned on these days off(memorial/veterans/columbus/presidents'/etc...) to fund underfunded vet services.

29. thunderlips11 Follow Befriend (13) 49 threads 2,625 comments Premium

    29   11:07am Tue 29 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (2)   Dislike   Protected   Cloud, it must be nice to live in a black/white world. US Soldiers are all Good. Liberals are all Bad. In your world, one can't have a nuanced opinion about anything. Thou art either with us or against us. The guys who stormed the beach at Normandy are Heroes. The National Guardsmen who fired on unarmed veterans in DC in the 30s weren't. Capt. Calley was a butcher. WO Thompson was a hero. If you want to thank the guys most responsible for stopping Hitler, thank a Russian. 80% of Wehrmacht casualties happened on the East Front. If you want to celebrate the guys who gave the most in WW2, thank the USAAF. The 8th USAAF took more casualties than any other US force in WW2. The Merchant Marine too, but oops! Not armed forces, so I guess going to Davey Jones locker to deliver Beans, Bullets, and Black Oil to fight the war after being torpedoed by a Jap Sub doesn't count, since they weren't soldiers. That's the real world. In Black/White world, the 101st paratroopers in Market-Garden were just as heroes as Capt. Calley. Sorry, I don't see it that way.

30. burritos Follow Befriend 52 threads 269 comments Newbury Park, CA

    30   1:15pm Tue 29 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   thunderlips11 says If you want to thank the guys most responsible for stopping Hitler, thank a Russian. 80% of Wehrmacht casualties happened on the East Front. If you want to celebrate the guys who gave the most in WW2, thank the USAAF. The 8th USAAF took more casualties than any other US force in WW2. The Merchant Marine too, but oops! Not armed forces, so I guess going to Davey Jones locker to deliver Beans, Bullets, and Black Oil to fight the war after being torpedoed by a Jap Sub doesn't count, since they weren't soldiers. Don't forget the Japanese american regiment 415. The most highly decorated regiment in the history of the USA, despite their loved ones being in the American equivalent of a concentration camp.

31. Vicente Follow Befriend (8) 203 threads 4,403 comments Davis, CA

    31   2:06pm Tue 29 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like (1)   Dislike   thomas.wong1986 says It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer Who has given us freedom to protest. The entire list is IMO built on logical fallacy. http://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/black-or-white Attempting to claim entire credit for "freedom to protest", by setting up a false dilemma that it's either soldiers or "hippies" well we know which is the "right" answer there. The "freedom to protest" in the U.S. at least was written into the Constitution by politicians during peacetime with not much significant standing military present. In other countries such things came into being as recognized rights without necessarily involving soldiers presumable killing anyone who disagreed.

32. aurelius Follow Befriend 12 comments

    32   3:07pm Tue 29 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   bob2356 says Patrick says And now that US troops can be deployed on US soil against US citizens, it looks like soldiers will be the ones that take away all our rights as well, to protect the 1% from anyone using freedom of speech. No, the soldiers will be obeying lawful orders from the commander in chief, the president of the united states. A civilian who will be the one taking away our rights. I thought they were sworn to defend the constitution, not the president.

33. aurelius Follow Befriend 12 comments

    33   3:10pm Tue 29 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   burritos says Barbequing at the beach in memory for fallen and live soldiers is laughable. If we really cared about veterans, we'd abolish these unproductive holidays, make everyone work these days, and donate either the profits and or at least all the taxes earned on these days off(memorial/veterans/columbus/presidents'/etc...) to fund underfunded vet services. Don't be silly. As long as we keep shopping we can't be defeated!

34. aurelius Follow Befriend 12 comments

    34   3:19pm Tue 29 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Cloud says I would rather be a prisoner of war in ANY American camp than any camp we have ever faced. *cue Vince Dicola's "Final Fight" from Rocky IV

35. burritos Follow Befriend 52 threads 269 comments Newbury Park, CA

    35   3:25pm Tue 29 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Cloud says Yeah, the Japanese were raped and tortured and thrown into ovens. Stupid F'ing Libs. I would rather be a prisoner of war in ANY American camp than any camp we have ever faced. Liberals suck. You should really watch the HBO series The Weight of the Nation.

36. HEY YOU Follow Befriend (4) 328 threads 913 comments

    36   4:20pm Tue 29 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   I'm still wondering who JESUS would kill & for what reason & what caliber handgun would he'd carry today?

37. Kevin Follow Befriend 40 threads 2,652 comments

    37   4:55pm Tue 29 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Yeah dude its something magical about American soldiers that causes the us to have "freedom". That's why no other country has freedom.

38. thomas.wong1986 Follow Befriend 16 threads 4,426 comments

    38   5:30pm Tue 29 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike (1)   jvolstad says Remembering some of my former ASA (Army Security Agency) comrades. Yes, we also had some very good people here in Santa Clara back in the day .. Navy P3 Pilots/crew/ ground maintance ... flying out of Moffet Field.. They were doing 24/7 365 days a year.. always there watching your back! God Bless 'em

39. marcus Follow Befriend (5) 166 threads 5,054 comments

    39   7:21pm Tue 29 May 2012   Share   Quote   Permalink   Like   Dislike   Off topic, I know, but... re: HEY YOU says I'm still wondering who JESUS would kill & for what reason & what caliber handgun would he'd carry today? I'm reminded of this...