Hitler was not defeated by pacifism, Imperial Japan did not change into the democratic nation it is now through rational discourse. It took the lives of thousands upon thousands of brave soldiers to end those tyrannies. We face enormous threats to our liberties today, and there are far too many in our society who would simply let our freedoms erode so as to be thought of as "peaceful." That's happened before, and since the lessons of history are so rarely heeded, it will likely happen again. As always,when the choice becomes irrevocable, it will come down to men and women in the armed services to be the final line between freedom and slavery. We should remember that and be grateful to them.
and from Rick McGinnis:
...There are always classes of schoolchildren at the cenotaph. I can't help but wonder what they're thinking, and how much they really know about the wars being remembered. As the son of a veteran, growing up with Rat Patrol and Hogan's Heroes in after school syndication, I'm part of a generation that still felt the shadow of World War Two amplified by the geopolitical hangover of the Cold War. Perhaps these kids are luckier than we were; I don't get the feeling that 9/11 casts the same shadow over their lives. I hope my anxiety about what sometimes seems like either indifference or amnesia is unfounded, but I have a bad feeling about it all...
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