Up until fairly recently, about 2 years ago, I never really gave much thought to the phrase "Support the Troops". However, now that my brother is in the US Army and has already been deployed to Afghanistan ans is waiting to go to Libya, that phrase has a lot more meaning. It is has, in many respects, become a way of life for me and my family. Both of my parents have bumper stickers on their cars with the slogan and both proudly tell everyone they meet that their son is in the Army ; on our door, we have a yellow ribbon symbolizing family in the armed forces (I also have multiple cousins who are currently stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan). My family has essentially transformed into a military family. While different members of the family have different opinions over the legitimacy of the war itself, everyone is behind the military. In some ways, I would see it as wrong to be otherwise. I personally believe that making the ultimate sacrifice for one's country is the most heroic and patriotic thing one can do. As a soldier, my brother is more patriotic, in my opinion, than myself and most people I know. He is what I strive to be. Although the reasons for being over in the Middle East are ungrounded, they have no barring on how I view the soldiers who are fighting for their country. These individuals are to be admired, as long as they are living up to certain morals instilled in them by the military.
I am obviously writing this in response to the class discussion about patriotism. I agree that those who disagree with the war and who speak out against it are also patriots. I also agree that those who ardantly support the war without adequate reason for doing so are not true patriots. But ultimately, I think that those risks their lives on a daily basis to serve their country, whether it be soldiers, firemen, policemen or often demonstrators advocating unpopular stances on social issues, are the most patriotic.
Q: How do you feel about the draft?
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