Today, was set aside NOT to count your personal blessings. Today, in the USA, this day was a day set aside to honor all those who died protecting this country.

But no one EVER told us how to do this. Some mount flags on their property and fly them full and some at half mast. Some take flowers to the grave sites of loved ones and some visit the National cemetaries.

One thing we know, is that many of us are here because of some of those men and women who protected our country and others as well.

What would they want us to do, how would they want us to act today?

Those men and women fought for an ideal. They believed this country had something to offer the world but what do we offer today?

A WAR, MORE CASUALTIES! A day of going to church and counting your blessings praying for those men and women you have sent who will come back in boxes. And the tradition of memmorial day will have no lack of reasons to continue.

Today, instead of counting your blessing - think how you can share them.

There are no less than 30 wars and armed conflicts in the world at this moment. WE are a big part of some these, we could spend time reviewing WHY?

Then ask yourself why are you so blessed by circumstance while others are the innocent that suffer the horrors of these conflicts.

WHAT CAN YOU DO to honor the memory of those who died in the conflicts of fear and hate and greed?

Try figuring out how what you can do to promote peace, to support where it's needed and in the form that will best serve the propects of peace.

You have not asked with any greater exhuberance or in any greater faith for the blessing you have than any other who is suffering in this world.

Exceptionally well worded sentiments--and well worth the thought and consideration they provoke.

-Drew

Very good thought Red I will continue to fight to bring ours home. It is a daily process for me but I will continue to do it.

To our service men and women and to my three personal heroes Bill, Heather, and Ken, all three who served and Ken who is still serving. My children. My heroes.

Thank-you your reading this post.

About our children - when I was young I was told that our parents should be our heros. It's odd how time changes that idea and pretty soon our children become our heros.

That made me realize - that to SOMEONE, we too are heros.

We have a lot to live up to, don't we?

Thanks Redy. You have inspired me to renew my efforts for peace. Sometimes I get discouraged- seems like no one wants to hear about the conflicts in the world.

Even the war in Iraq doesn't dominate the news in the way that I feel it should. I never understood those who didn't want the coffins coming off the planes to be shown. That is always the end result of war. Vibrant young people's lives are ended.

I don't think that can be overemphasized.

Peace. What a concept. And yet growing up I can remember my dad being my hero. Seeing him come home in his uniform. Watching him bring out those Time-Life books and see how his eyes would light up when he showed me those pictures of gore. Hearing talk about the Korean War through his actual experiences and how it was different for him during the time he spent in the Viet Nam war. How he went into the Army when he was 17 after his mother signed for him so he could enlist. Then thinking back how growing up was like being in basic training. Picking up and leaving for a new place to live every time he was transferred to a different base. And learning how to do the same when I lived with my mom since my step dad later was regular Army, too. Watching mom when my dad and step dad would get together while they shared their stories of war. Seeing how my step dad looked in his uniform. And how they met in Playcoo, Vietnam. Listening to mom talk about how it was to be an Army wife and the inspections she endured because it seemed like we lived on bases for a long time. Later remembering how much fun my grandmother and me had cutting up his uniforms to make quilts. Today, I called my older sister who has the same dad and mom as me to remember what it was like growing up from pillar to post like a yoyo between the two. She is my hero for she like me remember what it was like growing up in basic training. After the call I made to her she told me that she loved me and I told her the same. It was very peaceful.

I think this brings up an excellent point Rainbow. I think it's important to work for peace without disrespecting the soldiers that have served because they believe in protecting their ideals...

I have protested the war from the start and I think many current protesters understand that and make sure to mention the hope that those who are currently serving will come home safely, in fact at most of the protests and vigils I have been to many of those attending are either veterens or friends and family of those currently serving (myself included).

And I'm happy that the war can be protested without disrespecting the soldiers. But now how to respect and honor their service without glamorizing being a soldier or war?!?

Yes. And the glamour has definately improved from the old News Reels in black and white. Coverage can instaneous. I am surprised they don't have a war channel.

my parents are my heros.anyone who can stay married over 50 yrs is good with me..

Life can be a curse as well as a blessing. There are far worse things than death in this world

Do you go to church and pray for war??????????????

Thats insane

Just like "GOD" I dont honor war and murder

And it's not just the galmorization of our soldiers, it is the demonization of the "enemy". I almost wept when I heard my friends 8 year old son "shooting" his brother and yelling "die iraqi die".

When I asked him about why he wanted to "kill them all" he told me that they were bad. I asked him if he didn't think that they had mommy's and daddy's who would miss them and maybe there was a way to talk about the problems without killing anyone?

He said that the iraqi mommy's and daddy's were all terrorists too and should all die.

This is what he learned from television and his friends.

No Di! Don't tell me it's a middle age thing! I am still in denial.

Wow, so many comments.

Anoasis:


The "peaceful" end result is the coffins coming home. It's the men and women and who come home alive that are never completely at peace again. They have been changed, they have taken part in murder, and they have been used to front a lie, they suffer mental and physical anquish and their families suffer with them, from them, for them.

The President is the one who told the Associated Press not to exemplify the returning dead. Why?

We honor these soldiers, Anoasis, by making sure they are not fighting for a lie but with honor. That they are not attacking the innocent but those who seek to or have caused us harm.

We owe it to those serving as our protectors to make sure they are fighting for and with honor under honorable commanders. Whether they or anyone else will see it that way, makes no difference.

We stay behind to attent to their honor, that is our duty, that is what we do when they leave us behind to GIVE their life, and they will ALL GIVE thier life, for it will certainly never be the same again.

When there is war or armed conflict anywhere on this globe, it is news, but do we hear of it, do we see it, do we read about it? There are 30 conflicts, how many can any one of us name?

We are not given news, we give what the what we want, and that is determined by the sponsors, who make the best sales from the adds they market in what you call "the news".

Sorry, didn't mean to give a speech - still trying to understand a lot myself.

Rainbow, you have the best stories. Your sister is your hero because she validates you - how awesome is that? Isn't that what we all look for, validation?

Thanks-everyone again, for listening to my political agenda stuff. Just my thoughts - thoughts I share becasue I can't understand why others rarely say them and those that do are give h ell to pay.

Good evening all!

I myself feel conflict between honoring those who go to war or not. They feel that they are doing the right thing, and some believe they fight for freedom. Then they end up loosing their humanity, killing innocents, being killed themselves.

I would beg them not to go to these illegal wars. I would beg them to educate themselves about the agenda behind them.
But I do not know what to say or what to do to end war because I don't know enough of the truths behind the reasons for it.

Does anyone really know what is going on? I wonder. I still believe it is a constant battle for world domination by the banksters who fund war and politicians and steal the land and gold and profit from both sides of the war. These are facts.

It is a game for them, only they don't use toy soldiers, they use your sons and daughters.

So all I can do is be peace. Feel peace and love in my heart for them and for their enemies. All I can do is shake my head.

I am to horrified by it all to even cry.

JB