Memorial Day 2009

By Crystal Laramore

Memorial Day - a time for reflection and gratitude for many of us. I spent the day having a lot of fun with my fiancée & friends and all our combined children. We spent the day on the lake tubing and sun bathing and telling stories. You know, enjoying our freedom-while it lasts-wondering if the children splashing in the water were going to enjoy the same America I’ve enjoyed…hoping that everyone is paying attention to the rapid decline of freedoms and the rapid increase of direct government involvement in our lives. Find a tea party. Enjoy some tea.

Then, as always, I thought about our boys overseas. I always say MY Marines whenever I’m telling one of my Baghdad stories. Those guys over there-they are our guys. So if you are ever wondering who’s over there, now you’ll know…our boys and our girls. They are over there carting around 80 plus pounds of battle gear in 120 degrees, sleeping on the dirt, losing buddies, losing limbs, dying. For all for us, so we can have the freedom to be here today, enjoying the lake and our families & friends.

It’s holidays like this that cause me to pause for just a moment in time and realize how damn lucky I am to be living in the United States of America; the country that has the Bald Eagle as its national symbol; the three heads symbolizing the three branches of government, and the right wing representing conservation and the left wing representing the liberal side of life-doing stuff for those who cannot (or will not) do it for themselves. Our bird is becoming out of balance with a tiny right wing and a very large left wing. As Glen Beck pointed out, we can’t fly like this.
And its holiday’s like this that give me reason to remember who we are as a nation:

We are the country that remembers what we did for France. No, not what we did for France, what we sacrificed for France. The Dixie Chicks may be too young to remember or too self-centered to care, but you can bet most of us are not, uh Toby? And I’m the person who served the French Ambassador Woodbridge wine. Take that! Listen, it’s the best I could do under the circumstances. My Marines and I thought of several other things but all plans led to prison.

We are a rich country; gracious, forgiving and we should also be demanding. I want Reagan back. Sorry, I’m chasing butterflies again. We’re the country who shows up in a big way in every natural disaster area around the world. We’re the guys with C-130’s filled with relief supplies in Burma who cannot get in. We want to help China more than China wants to help China. That’s who we are! And we do NOT need the government to mandate our compassion.

We are the country who forgives. We forgive a lot. We may never forgive the Dixie Chicks but we’ll forgive a nations’ debt so they can feed their hungry. We forgive where it counts. And we do not need the government to mandate our forgiveness.
We are a proud country. We’re proud of ourselves, our children, our nation and most of all, our forefathers. Just ask the Dixie Chicks. We can love you one minute and turn on you the next. We have the power to make you rich (see: Toby Keith) or wish you’d kept your mouth shut (see: Dixie Chicks). We can put a company in business or take one out. We have the power b/c our government gave us that power. And we do not need the government to do it for us. It’s a free market. We understand. Those of us buying and selling. We ALL understand.

We are flag fliers and banner wavers - with wild abandon! We wear our bumper stickers and our yellow ribbons and we speak out against dictatorships and tyranny and open our arms for refugees and immigrants from those countries who do not. We not only take care of our own but we take care of others; sometimes to our own detriment. And no, we don’t always do the best, but I believe we do the best we can. And we don’t need the government doing it for us.

We are a brave country. We have brave men signing up every day to go to war. We don’t have to make them - they volunteer. They don’t run away to other countries by the hundreds (a few-but that’s another article) to escape serving their country, they run to the recruiter’s office and say “I want to serve. Sign me up; Sir”! So no, we don’t need the government interfering here either.

Just watch the right news programs and you’ll see our young men with their chests out and their eyes squinted; their weapons slung over their shoulders and a cigarette between their gritty teeth; sweat dripping down their foreheads into their eyes, thoughts of survival on their minds. Some of us have seen all of this up close and personal; and for those of you who haven’t, be grateful, be very grateful and think before you speak about what you know nothing of.

One of my Marines came back from Fallujah and told me how he had to handle an insurgent up close and personal. Kill or be killed. Only brave men sign up for that. They are a band of brothers. They train together, live together, sleep together, dream together, fight together and sometimes die together.
And in those rare moments when all seems safe, they have fun together. On my big Four-Oh, I was in Baghdad, with my Marines. As I drove from the U.S. Embassy to my hooch I had to go through several check points. My marines were there, singing happy birthday to me as I drove through. I was on the phone with my dad. He was a little weepy and I was…brave.

A lady opened the door of my restaurant Monday and wondered why everything in town was closed. I told her it was a national holiday. She said that she had driven for an hour to pay her taxes. I reminded her that it was a NATIONAL holiday. “Well, I guess it’s important to some people”.

Seriously? I told her that in fact it was important to some people and I was one of “those people”. Then I showed her my cousins’ picture from WWII receiving a Silver Star medal and told her he also received a Purple Heart. I told her his name was Don Cook, just in case she repeats this story. I said the holiday was important to him too. I showed her the autographed covers (hats) and uniforms hanging on my wall, one with my last name on it belonging to my UB, and told her the holiday was important to them too.

I asked her if she was actually from the United States of America. She said yes. I just looked at her and then asked her to leave, you know, since I was closed and all. But what I thought was “too bad”. Too bad so many people have become so apathetic. My pastor says apathy is worse than being vehemently opposed or for something; at least those emotions show that you care-one way or the other. And then I thought it was people like her that caused someone to invent duct tape.

And, we are FREE! So the next time you hear someone complaining about our country, your country, remind them they are free-to leave. It’s a real show-stopper. I hear France is nice.