The doors to America's Temple of Janus remain open, and will continue to be open as long as war is good for business. That's a quite cynical reading of the current situation, but the old expression "Rich man's war, poor man's fight" remains as fresh today as it was back in the middle of the 19th Century. The meditation for this weekend is that while sometimes this Republic needs to fight, we should be sober about which fights need fighting. Because some don't come back from that fight.
That's what this weekend is for. It's not barbecues, it's not "Thank a Veteran" Day. This weekend is for the ones who answered the call and who laid the most costly sacrifice upon the Altar of our Freedom. Remember them, and the families they left behind. Justin Moore did with this song, which currently has over 20 Million views on Youtube so I guess that he's not the only one.
Suggested by The Queen Of The World, who knows a thing or two about the sacrifices of those in Service, and their families.
The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home (Songwriters Paul DiGiovanni, Chase McGill, Justin Moore, Jeremy Stover)
Tour was up, middle of June
She was planning a welcome home barbeque
Green bean casserole, Grandma's recipe
There was a knock on the door 'round two o'clock
Two uniforms and her heart stopped
Yellow ribbon 'round an oak tree
Blowin' in the breeze
Here's to the ones that didn't make it back home
The ones we ain't seen in so long
The hold up a beer ones, the wish they were here ones
The not forgotten but gone
They're in a better place up there
But they sure left a hole down here
We just go on livin' and go on missin' the ones
The ones that didn't make it back home
The whole town shut down, the whole town showed up
Sang Amazing Grace, watched a slideshow of
His 22 years
There was laughs and there was tears
And that preacher talked about sacrifice
And traffic stopped for them Cadillac lights
Johnny sold beer half price that night
And everybody raised 'em high, singin'
Here's to the ones that didn't make it back home
The ones we ain't seen in so long
The hold up a beer ones, the wish they were here ones
The not forgotten but gone
They're in a better place up there
But they sure left a hole down here
We just go on livin' and go on missin' the ones
The ones that didn't make it back home
Back to that front porch
Back through that front door
To the life they were fightin' for
Here's to the ones that didn't make it back home
The ones we ain't seen in so long
The hold up a beer ones, the wish they were here ones
The not forgotten but gone
They're in a better place up there
But they sure left a hole down here
We just go on livin' and go on missin' the ones
The ones that didn't make it back home
The ones that didn't make it back home
Poignantly, right now, the teacher shielding her students by standing in front of them, unarmed and helplessly vulnerable, well, her courage and sacrifice would have been in vain as she'd be dead as would her charges. We JUST saw that. But what if she shielded the kids, crouching in front of them holding a large caliber handgun at the ready? The chances of her and the children's survival would increase exponentially.
ReplyDeleteBut...we are not supposed to talk about that, according to Oue Dear Leaders; who cower behind their armed guards in their gated, guarded communities. Funny that...eh?