Freedom is a gift, support military families!

What must be sacrificed for everyone to have freedom? I will be focusing on remembering the sacrifices made to protect our freedom. The Importance of Freedom is often taken for granted. Many of us tend to forget the hardships and sacrifices our forefathers went through. We fail to cherish and value our granted freedom.

Our community doesn't apprehend the full meaning of freedom. We take advantage of the freedom we have. However, a few in society realize the value of such a bestowment. Our Freedom today exists as of the actions of those who believed that it was a necessity to live by and disallowing it is a relic of days more barbarous than ours. The Memorial Day weekend marks the end of spring and the beginning of summer. Here in America, many songs have been written about summer that conjure up images of fun and laughter and all the good things that life can bring. In other parts of the world, spring, followed by summer, marks the fighting season. But this freedom that we enjoy comes with a cost. It always has and always will.

In an ideal world, everyone gets along peacefully - and we should strive for that. A peaceful world is what most people ache for but could never have because honestly, we are a society swimming in sin. In the real world, mankind has always had aggressors that threaten to destroy peace. We have had so many wars for freedom and many more ridiculous things like the Pig War, The War of the Stray Dog, and The Pastry War. (Info on the Wars can be found here https://www.history.com/news/6-wars-fought-for-ridiculous-reasons). Today, we see that aggression on many fronts: in space, on land, at sea, in our neighborhoods, and on our personal computers. We are at war.

Like I said before we are a society swimming in sin..we are sinful beings so naturally we will fight and cause Wars. Our traditional adversaries are not asleep. Nations like Russia, China, and North Korea are advancing their military capabilities at alarming rates and flexing their combative muscles. Islamic terrorists are attacking with greater sophistication, taking advantage of technology and human frailty with horrific barbarity. They won't back down! This takes me back to the Viking days with how harsh it's become.

To all of these strong leaders, they think they're helping with bringing their sort of peace but in reality, they are only being selfish and destructive. And yet with all the aggression aimed towards each other, we are constantly asking our military to respond to these growing threats with few resources, putting their lives and ours in serious jeopardy. We are shortchanging our troops at the cost of our freedom. Which in my opinion is very selfish. Here’s just one example: In the Marine Corps, Class A Mishaps, which are defined as accidents that result in loss of life or loss of aircraft, are 84 percent above their 10-year average and have increased 50 percent since sequestration took effect. If we are to maintain a strong and effective defense, our capabilities must match and exceed those of our enemies.

A capable and deterring military also relies on the people who serve her ranks. Appropriate recruitment is of paramount importance in the military of today and tomorrow. We need to retain these recruits with adequate pay and benefits, and the promise to care for them when they return home. Battles can be fought both face to face and with the push of a button, so the skills needed range considerably: high-tech and cyber experience, training in foreign languages, physical force, etc. I love history and the idea of War in a fictional book but if I were to be able to choose between War and peace I would choose peace...no more fighting...yes some believe fighting will keep freedom but it won't!

Fortunately, while there are many opportunities for young able-bodied Americans, many have the desire to serve. They yearn to be part of something bigger than themselves. Many of these impressive young people want to help in the War to keep their freedom but losing a life is too much of a sacrifice...So this Memorial Day weekend, take time to laugh and play. Spend time with loved ones. Be happy and celebrate the freedom you have. Be grateful for every ounce of freedom that you enjoy.

Take time to look up to the heavens and say thank you to those who have lost their lives. Remember that your happiness, your life opportunities, and your freedom are the very reasons that those we memorialize this weekend gave their lives. When you go to bed at night, and you feel safe, secure, and unafraid, remember why. Those who gave their lives for your freedom deserve your prayers.