User blog comment:PlantyThePottedPlant/Random Topic Blogging II: Electric Blogaloo/@comment-4121682-20120705020713

Today is the day that we, as a people, declared independence from Great Britain's tyranny in 1776. That freedom didn't become a total reality until many lives were lost and much blood was shed. Since then, we have had to fight to keep the freedom and security for our friends and loved ones. We have survived another war with Britain, a war with Mexico, a war against ourselves, a war with Spain, a war with Germany (twice, the second involving Italy and Japan as well), a war with North Korea, a war with northern Vietnam, and a war against Iraq (1991, mind you).

And now, in spite of all we have survived, we have lost our fight...lost our spirit...and we are losing ourselves. We are drowning in our own domestic issues to the point where we are blinded to our military is fighting our greatest threat in history - terrorism. We have forgotten that freedom is not free, and neither is security. We have the luxury of pointing fingers at our military when we ourselves have no idea of the threats posed to us. Instead, we drug ourselves up with "political correctness"..."pluralism"...and every other spineless ideology in the book to ignore the problems at hand. Instead of a "thank you" to our military and law enforcement, we give them a "screw you" and the middle finger.

For once, let us thank them as we see them - not just today, or tomorrow even...but every day. Remember that without them, we would not be where we are today with freedom and security. Even in the midst of our issues, "Double...no, triple our problems, and we'd still be better off than any other nation in the world", in the words of the late former president Ronald Reagan. So let us give those who put their lives on the line for us every day a little gratitude and show them that they are not forgotten...and that they are loved...appreciated...but most of all, important.