By By Duncan Chalk Jr. / guest columnist
November 11, 2004
To me, service to our country is more than fighting, more than dying and more than leaving home for extended periods of time. Service to this country stands for something much deeper.
Service, no matter what the situation, is fighting for a good cause. It defends the rights we have as Americans, not just our freedoms.
The brave men and women who do the unthinkable are the ones to whom we owe a debt. Service is a very noble thing. It takes a lot of spirit to put your life in danger and do what is expected of you. These noble people are the glue that holds this world together, despite the fact that sometimes the world seems to become more divided in the presence of them.
It is a sad thing when half of a country is mad at the other half for entering a war it supposedly shouldn't have, despite the undeniable good being done. Men are not flawless and we will always share different opinions as long as there are two sides to a story.
Hearing stories of events concerning war has always touched me. The people in these stories don't always survive, but, even in the face of impossible odds, they do what is necessary for the cause of freedom.
Freedom not only inspires us, but it is the one thing we live for that so many of us take for granted. Some of us don't realize that freedom has to be earned and, therefore, often abuse the privilege.
It has been said before, and it shall be said again freedom isn't free. Freedom must be protected, as well as shared.
In today's world, the taste for freedom is on the tongues of many angry people and the bell of liberty does not fall upon deaf ears. And, with the help from good people, freedom can be given to those who desire it most.