A call for America to change course since the 9/11 attacks.

QUOTE from LaVerne Schueller: "What I saw in those two days amid the carnage and destruction was courage, dedication, bravery, selflessness, sacrifice, unity, real love, honor, and a host of the best the human spirit has to offer."

The quote comes from a chaplain who, along with several other military chaplains, assisted with the wounded and ministered to all those volunteers who needed or wanted counseling at the Pentagon on 9/11 and 9/12. His name is LaVerne Schuller and he was a military chaplain for 26 years, retiring in 2003. He retired to Cedar Rapids and is now a community volunteer.

But what got my attention was what he went on to say about the course our country has taken. These are his words.

The course our country has taken since that day is the antithesis of what I experienced. Our civilian leaders sent our military into two different wars. America is not at war. Our military is at war.

Our leaders could have seized the moment of 9/11 and asked our citizens to sacrifice to fund the war effort. No such sacrifice has ever been asked. We expect sacrifice from our military, but the citizenry at large shuns it.

Instead, we get the "cheap grace" patriotism of attaching flags and bumper stickers and magnets to our cars. We are bombarded by blowhard talk-show hosts who have never donned a military uniform in service of their country, yet presume to define partiotism. We have corporations making billions in profits and paying no taxes to support the military from which they benefit.

My military career spanned 26 years. Never once in that span did I meet the son or daughter of a rich man or woman serving in the military. The sons and daughters of the poor and middle class fight and die for us. The VERY FEW carry the burden for the many.

Our country is hopelessly polarized. It is time to require a two-year national service from everyone. It doesn't necessarily have to be in the military. Such national service would provide a common ground to perhaps bridge the divide. It also would get everyone involved for the betterment of our country. We would then not have the inverted pyramid of the masses standing on the shoulders and backs of the very few.

And the 9/11 dead will not have died in vain.

I couldn't agree more - he hit it right on the head. I might add that we were also not expected to pay for the prescription drug plan passed in 2003 and implemented in 2006. The two wars and the prescription plan went on the credit card and America is seeing the results.


HUMOR for today comes from a forward on the internet.

Tescher: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water?
Donald: H I J K L M N O
Teacher" What are you talking about?
Donald: Yesterday you said it's H to O.