Bill C (Dec. 16, 2013) When I was a young boy – I thought like a child. I longed for things that gave me immediate gratification like candy, toys and television and I was envious of other children who had more stuff than me. And although I was fortunate to have loving parents who had enough resources to provide for me and our family’s needs. I can often remember being unhappy with what I didn’t have. Fortunately, my parents provided for my safety and security as well as my health and emotional well-being, but I never knew to appreciate the protection afforded to me by them – I took it all for granted!
Unfortunately many American adults today have never grown out of these child-like mindsets. While most people want all the benefits that the United States has to offer, they often take for granted the blood, sweat and tears shed by the patriots who have gone before us or who are standing right now on the battlefield to insure America remains “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” I re-visited two classic movies this week, both of which reiterated why as Americans we should all be thankful! The “Hurt Locker” portrays a day in the life of an explosive ordinance specialist in war torn Afghanistan. My main take-away is this soldier’s commitment to use his expertise in de-fusing terrorist weapons makes him not only an asset to his comrades at arms but a significant deterrent to terrorism as an enemy tactic. Basically he is taking the terror out of terrorism one bomb at a time while enhancing America’s security both at home and abroad. The other movie was “Zero-Dark Thirty” which reenacts the raid by an elite team of Navy Seals sent into Pakistan to successfully capture/kill Osama Bin Laden for his senseless and murderous attacks on the people of the United States on September 11, 2001. Both movies reminded me that our Country depends 24/7 on the brave men and women of our armed forces to protect and defend the freedoms that we all often take for granted.
Even though it may sound like a cliché, I really will sleep better tonight knowing that an American airman, sailor or solider is on patrol (at our boarders and around the world) defending the American freedoms that we all enjoy, just like my parents did for me when I was a child – it is a blessing we should all be thankful for!
(Photo by Birmingham Mall)