If You Feel The Need To Burn Our Flag, Please First Wrap Yourself In It.

Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Whose gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have more responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives, and that my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. I know deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then question the manner in which I provide it. I prefer you said thank you, and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to.
-- Col. Nathan R. Jessup - A Few Good Men


I haven't read my usual round of blogs in a few days. When I discovered the recent debacle over StinkyPants' post and the subsequent fallout, I had a decision to make. I really at first was just going to simply ignore the whole thing and just move on. This is a poker blog. I have other outlets for my socio-political rantings. But I feel like I had to say something. This really stuck a chord with me. For those who just don't want to hear anymore about this, please move to the next post for on-topic discussion.

So, Nick, it basically comes down to this. Those people who murdered Mr. Berg want to kill you. That's the bottom line, pal. They don't care one shit about your ideals, your family, your compassion or your hate. You are simply a means to an end. Don't ever forget that.

And the next time you see a veteran or an active duty soldier, be sure to thank them for the freedom that allows you to voice your hatred for our President and not end up dead. You are a true American.

See, we as Americans can't seem to get our heads around the idea that these people don't want anything from us. They just simply want to kill us. You can't reason with them, you can't negotiate with them, you can't barter with them, and they absolutely will not stop until they have killed all of us or they are all dead themselves. As soon as we realize this, we can effectively combat this problem.