Freedom Isn't Free

Image courtesy of Arlington National Cemetery.

Today, Americans are honoring the thousands of men and women from all walks of life who have given their lives to protect and defend our freedoms. Their families have made great sacrifices and deserve our thanks, too. These brave Americans and their families have made it possible for us to have the freedom of religion and assembly and the right to due process and to keep and bear arms for over 200 years. In fact, it is these heroes protecting our freedom of speech that enables knuckleheaded bloggers, such as myself, to do what we do on the internet regularly. On a day when we say "thank you," those words just don't seem like enough.

I have always had great respect for our military personnel. In fact, as a teenager I sometimes thought about joining the military. However, when I turned 18 and registered with Selective Service, I was told that even though I had registered, I would never have to serve because of the muscular dystrophy that I suffered from. I accepted that because I knew there was nothing I could do to change it.

When the first Gulf War began in 1991, I was attending the University of Tennessee. I remember returning home after a night of studying at the library to learn that we had began bombing Iraq. In class the next day, several of the guys I had got to know that semester were strangely absent. They never missed class. That's when it hit me - they were in the reserves and got called up the night before. The sad thing was that several of them never returned. They had given all. For a few years that ate at me because I felt like I had not done my part. Those guys had given all fighting for my freedom and I was at home going to college. It didn't seem right, but I couldn't do anything about.

Currently, there are tens of thousands of American "sheepdogs" in Iraq and Afghanistan fighting the terrorist "wolves" who seek to maim and kill Americans and others who love freedom. Other "sheepdogs", such as myself, are keeping a watchful eye on the "wolves" here at home who seek to diminish our liberties and "fundamentally transform" our country. Sometimes I wonder which pack of wolves is the most dangerous - the ones on the battlefield or the ones here at home.

On July 4th, 2009, I rolled out this blog as a way of combating the "wolves" here at home. Today, Memorial Day 2010, I am pleased to announce the Official Roll-out of www.TheSecondChanceSheepdog.com, my brand new website. I dedicate it to the memory of the thousands of Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect us and defend our freedoms. Let us never take those freedoms for granted or forget to honor and thank the brave men and women who protect them.