PATRIOTISM or Lack Thereof....

By Van Hill

It seems to me that there is a serious lack of it in this country.

Case in point, I was outraged at the comments make by the Dixie Chicks in Great Britain about George Bush. It is one thing to not agree with his foreign policy, but it is quite another thing to malign him in public on foreign soil. The Dixie Chicks are an excellent example of how Americans can succeed in this country under our form of government. I find it ironic that one of the most prominent examples of American success would not back their popularly elected government regardless of their differences of opinion. In my opinion, the Dixie Chicks "pooped their nest." I am a former Dixie Chicks fan now and I hope they suffer financially and in popularity due to their remarks. It is obvious to me that they need to be humbled.

Along those same lines, I have personally heard some National Guardsmen around here griping about being called up. That just gets under my skin and goes straight to the bone. I can hardly prevent myself from jumping into the conversation when I hear these things. On each occasion I have wanted to loudly interject, "You weren't drafted into the National Guard. You joined up. News flash, asshole, that's the job!!!! It's time to earn that money they have been paying you all this time. It's not Welfare money. Now is when you get up off your ass and do what you originally signed up to do." Obviously you signed up for the money and the "cool" license plate for your truck and not for patriotic reasons. Stop whining and do your job!"

Sorry about the foul language, but that is what comes over me when I think about this situation. I get even more upset when career soldiers start complaining when it's time to be deployed. A career soldier who is unwilling to fight is simply a parasite living off the blood of the honorable. The sad fact of the matter is that they are not exposed as such until they "fold" in the face of the danger of actually having to fight in a war. Anyone with a concept of responsibility and any pride realizes that when you sign up to become a soldier, you made an oath to defend the country if necessary. On occasion you may be called on to do your duty.

I, myself, am a believer that Saddam Hussein is out of control and is a very big threat to this country and to others. Furthermore, I believe we should move to oust him from power. I can honestly say that in the unlikely event that I was needed, I would gladly go help. I also believe that if the U.N. is unable or unwilling to enforce its own sanctions, then it should dissolve. If seems to me to be, for the most part, a weak association of short-sighted egocentrics and not much more. It has been a source of great disappointment to me for years and especially lately.

When you get right down to it, regardless of what the "majority" thinks, any person should do what he or she thinks is right. A government should act in much the same way. What is best for the USA? What is right and just? What is necessary? The government should answer these questions to the best of their ability and then act upon them. I believe the conclusion to be the ousting of Saddam at whatever the cost, but whatever my elected government decides to do about this matter will be supported by me, a patriotic citizen.