Today is Veterans Day. A day where we as a nation honor
our veterans. There will me be platitudes and thank you’s to our veterans. Commercials
honoring the veterans for their sacrifice and dedication to our country will
fill the airwaves. Restaurants will offer free meals. People will say this is
no day to protest or burn the flag because it is Veterans Day. That is no way
to honor the veterans. I want to share my thoughts about being veteran.
I went into the service in the Fall of 1972 due to the
fact that my magic number was 9. For those of you too young to remember there
was a draft. Based on when your birthday was would determine the order in which
Uncle Sam sent you a letter that said, Come on Down. We have a special vacation
plan for you.
At the time the Viet Nam War was in full swing. There was
no end is site. I was opposed to the war for all sorts of reasons but I had
three choices in front of me. Become a conscientious objector, move to Canada,
or join the military.
I had not built a
resume as to why I opposed the war so becoming a conscientious objector was out.
Moving to Canada was not an option for me. Hence, I became Private Rosing.
Emotionally and mentally I aligned myself with those that
were protesting the war more than those that that supported the war. Protest
were happening all across the country. Some lost their lives as a result of
being part of the protest movement. Many were thrown in jail and beaten. Still
they persisted.
During the second part of military life, where they
determined what my job was going to be in the military, the Paris Peace Accord
was signed. January 27, 1973. The Viet Nam War had ended. Being sent to Viet
Nam was no longer a possibility for my future. I would not have to put my life
on the line in the jungles of Viet Nam for a war that I did not believe in.
I believe that those ongoing protests had played a key
role in the signing a peace treaty to end our involvement in Viet Nam. No more
troops would be going to Viet Nam. I may not be here today without those
protests.
As a veteran I reflect upon that time now as I see all
the protests against our new president elect. Many individuals are saying it is
wrong to protest. The election is over and to get on with it. I disagree. The right to protest is fundamental to our
democracy. Protesting does not mean we don’t acknowledge he won, it is about there
is fundamental disagreement about him as our leader and what he stand for.
So many people want to honor me and others that have
served in the military. Me, I want to honor those that protest with conviction
in their heart. It is their right to protest that is at the core of our
democracy. Protest are about giving citizens the voice to say that they do not
agree with policies or the direction of our country. Protests allow people to speak
up and be heard
.
As a veteran, I am with the protesters. For me, many (not
all) of those who voted for the president elect, stand completely against the
principles that I hold dear in this country. I believe that all people, women, Blacks,
Hispanics, Muslims, and members of the LGBT community all are part of this
country. They should not be discriminated against nor should be made to feel
they are second class citizens. They should not be afraid to live in America.
As a country we honor the Statue of Liberty as a symbol
of what made the United States so great. It is a reminder that this country was
made up first and foremost of immigrants. Understanding that all but a few of
us are here by way of having an ancestor emigrate to the U.S. from another
country. That fact is important to remember. That is what has allowed us to now
be citizens in the United States of America by birth.
An inscription at the foot
of the statue states, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses
yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send
these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden
door!"
Speaking for myself as a veteran, if you want to honor me
as a defender of our freedom, you should also honor those that protest in order
to have their voices heard regardless if you agree with the protesters or not. After
all, that is what America has made America great.
Happy Veterans Day.
As a footnote, wasn’t our country formed out of protest?
