Disappointed with Neighbors....

[theGinsue]

My immediate family has never had to serve or chosen to, are we bad people? Bad Americans? My grandparents did their part, but indirectly by supporting other services during WWII, and I have an uncle who served. I fly the flag for everyone involved.

No. serving in the military isn't for everybody, and not everybody can serve (even if they want to). This doesn't make them/you bad people/Americans.

In WWII, my moms dad was a LtCol in the Pacific (on MacArthurs staff; he continued serving through Korea), while my mom's mom was a Major - a nurse. At the same time, my dad's father was the lead electrical inspector of bombers coming out of the bomber plant in Kansas City, MO. My dad's mom also worked at that plant.

Come Vietnam, my dad was disqualified to serve due to physical problems. Instead, he went to college to learn a skill that he felt could help the country - civil engineering/metallurgy. he wasn't a bad person either.

For every person that serves, it takes many more back home to continue to make their contributions. When I retured from the USAF, my wife received a fantastic OFFICIAL "thank you" for her service to the country as well.

The whole deal is that it's a team effort.

Now, if you were out burning the flag and spitting on servicemembers, or spitting hateful, poisonous comments about those who serve or their families (like Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church), that would be a different matter entirely.

Oh, and an occasional "Thank you" to those who serve sure means a lot to them too!

[Jer]

Oh, and an occasional "Thank you" to those who serve sure means a lot to them too!

I make it a habit to do this regularly... not just on holidays. I know it's not much but I hope it's a small token that conveys that not everyone takes them or their freedom for granted.

[Zundfolge]

We flew our flag yesterday ... we used to fly it every day but more and more I'm convinced the flag is a symbol of a nation that no longer exists (or worse, will eventually become the symbol of a nation that is 180deg out of phase with what we generally think of as "America").

Maybe I need to get a big banner of the Constitution and fly that instead.