Free Keene

Peaceful Evolution

“Thank You For Your Service”

Filed under: Essay, National — nick at 9:44 pm on Monday, November 10, 2008

This Veteran’s Day, like all others, you and I will hear that statement repeated countless times to the so called “men and women in service to our country.” They are credited with “keeping our country free” and securing America from people who hate our way of life. But while security is important to a free society, the military that was established to defend the Constitution is currently undermining the bounds intended by the founding fathers by occupying over 150 countries with a US military presence.

There is no doubt that there are people in the world disgusted by American people, but I’ll leave it up to you to decide if they hate us for McDonalds and freedom, or for a government that can’t stay out of foreigner’s lives. Despite the foreign and domestic threats to personal freedom, who is really responsible for the privileged life most of us are lucky to live here?

To the garbage collectors, custodians, entrepreneurs in cleaning service, and others involved in keeping the rest of our homes and workplaces clean: Thank you for your service.

To the mechanics, plumbers, electricians, roofers, painters, and others that have the skills to keep our cars safe, our appliances running, our buildings solid, and our lives better: Thank you for your service.

To the musicians, artists, filmmakers, actors, and others dedicated to providing entertainment in our homes and towns: Thank you for your service.

To the doctors, nurses, therapists, and the other hard working members of the government-bogged, understaffed, over-demanded medical facilities of this country that offer invaluable care to Americans: Thank you for your service.

To restaurant owners, waiters and waitresses, fast food workers, chefs and managers who allow us to treat ourselves to a night eating out: Thank you for your service.

To preachers, councilors, funeral home workers, wedding planners, financial advisors and others that will stand and help in times of extreme grieving, happiness, or stress in our lives: Thank you for your service.

To truck drivers, factory production workers, loaders and un-loaders, overnight stock boys, and others that keep products moving around the country: Thank you for your service.

To the volunteers of this country that donate their spare time to churches, charities, non-profit organizations, and the less fortunate citizens in our society: Thank you for your service.

To the single parents, workers of multiple jobs, those in less than comfortable living, and others that have learned the meaning of hard work just to pay a bill: Thank you for your dedication and your service.

And to the city workers collecting property taxes from homeowners in debt, the state workers demanding vehicle registration for cars people struggle to keep running, the municipal workers who pass the buck on responsibility to the next higher bureaucrat in line, and the rest of the people in this society who’s income is derived from the coercion of the rest: Isn’t it time you served?

32 Comments »

Comment by Josh

November 11, 2008 @ 12:54 pm

And to those of you willing to risk an uncomfortable stay in a cage to fight for what’s right, thank you for your service.

I’m dedicating my “Veteran’s Day” to Lauren.

Comment by Ian

November 11, 2008 @ 1:12 pm

Awesome article, Nick! I’ll read this on-air.

Comment by Denis Goddard

November 11, 2008 @ 4:39 pm

So Much Win!

Comment by Dale

November 11, 2008 @ 4:55 pm

Excellent point, Josh. And it just so happens that Lauren is a war veteran as well. I will be thanking her as well for her more recent service to the cause of liberty.

Thank you for your service, Lauren!

Comment by Dale

November 11, 2008 @ 4:56 pm

This blog post has gotten a YouTube trackback. Good job, Nick!

Comment by Puke

November 11, 2008 @ 5:31 pm

As a veteran I hate this day.

All I can think about is the millions of people that have died in senseless wars caused by governments.

Great job Nick.

Comment by miamiballoonguy

November 12, 2008 @ 9:22 pm

“To the musicians, artists, filmmakers, actors, and others dedicated to providing entertainment in our homes and towns: Thank you for your service.”

Your Welcome!

Great Post!

Comment by GRAFFITI

November 14, 2008 @ 5:20 pm

Very well done Nick.

Comment by jermaine

November 11, 2009 @ 11:19 am

Still relevant today! Maybe I’ll unblock my YouTube video of me reading this blog entry for today.

Comment by Ben

November 11, 2009 @ 10:11 pm

Please do, Jermaine.

Comment by ihavehadenough

November 11, 2009 @ 11:09 pm

You fucking disgust me! Putting garbage men and plumbers on the same level as those who stand ready to voluntarily DIE for all the freedoms you fucks enjoy every day is over the top even for you nut jobs here. As you go safely to sleep tonight and get ready for another day of spreading your trash talk tomorrow, just rememeber one thing. Those men and woman taking up arms for this country are the reason you can say whatever ignorant filth comes to your puny mind. Semper Fi!!!!

Comment by GRAFFITI

November 11, 2009 @ 11:34 pm

I was a Marine and I agree with the article.

All that Oorah bullshit. Name the last “war” that Congress even bothered to officially declare war as they are required to by the Constitution.

Well, they almost did it officially when they declared peaceful citizens as the enemy in the “War on Drugs”.

You remember the Constitution don’t you? Remember you took an oath to defend it against all enemies foreign and domestic. That means you should have protected it when W. used it to wipe his ass. Will you defend it from the current Marxist in charge?

Maybe you’re one of those sad little veterans like come out every May Day in Russia with their medals on.

Comment by Paul

November 12, 2009 @ 1:25 am

You fucking disgust me! Putting garbage men and plumbers on the same level as those who stand ready to voluntarily DIE for all the freedoms you fucks enjoy every day is over the top even for you nut jobs here.

You’re right, they manage not to kill innocent people when they do their jobs, we should give the garbage men and plumbers more credit.

As you go safely to sleep tonight and get ready for another day of spreading your trash talk tomorrow, just rememeber one thing. Those men and woman taking up arms for this country are the reason you can say whatever ignorant filth comes to your puny mind. Semper Fi!!!!

They do jack squat for my freedom. If they wanted to defend my freedom, they’d come home and defend me from congress.

People here get tazered for giving a cop lip, and thrown in jail for drinking unpasteurized milk, buying orchids without permission, or god forbid selling a hot dog or a bottle of wine without a bureaucrat’s say-so, while half our money gets stolen every year to pay off bankers and special interests, and most of the bill of rights is ignored or rendered impotent.

If the marines were doing jack squat for my freedom, they’d be in between me and the tyrants here at home.

Instead, they’re overseas screwing around with other people’s lives, occupying other countries, and killing innocent people, while calling it “collateral damage”, and creating hundreds if not thousands more people that hate us every day.

I would be far more free if I got a refund, part of which I could use to pay for real security here at home (not invasions and occupations thousands of miles away) and they got real jobs.

I know a lot of them got roped into this, and really intended to join to defend the United States, not to participate in hegemony enforcing adventurism. I sympathize with those individuals, and am sorry for their predicament. I hope they have the courage to stand for what they believe in, and refuse to follow orders they consider immoral.

I greatly admire those who have stood for what is right in such adverse circumstances — they have demonstrated far more courage than I yet have.

Comment by xrazorwirex

November 12, 2009 @ 1:27 am

I definately value garbage men and plumbers wayyyy higher than solders.

Let’s see… brainwashed 19 year olds paid to kill brown people because of the region their from that incites violence towards people in my geographic region

or skilled technicians that keep shit from stinking the place up and enable me to get fresh water every day and ballsy people who take my trash away every week…

hmm…. tough choice there, especially considering I NEVER CHOSE to buy solders – it was forced upon me…

Comment by Sam A. Robrin

November 12, 2009 @ 11:54 am

Comment by ihavehadenough
“You fucking disgust me! Putting garbage men and plumbers on the same level as those who stand ready to voluntarily DIE for all the freedoms you fucks enjoy every day is over the top even for you nut jobs here. As you go safely to sleep tonight and get ready for another day of spreading your trash talk tomorrow, just rememeber one thing. Those men and woman taking up arms for this country are the reason you can say whatever ignorant filth comes to your puny mind. Semper Fi!!!!”

There’s a chicken-or-the-egg situation in operation here. You claim that these dangers exist, so aggression is justified. I believe (and the so-very-typical vituperative attitude here displayed bears me out) that people like you, “ihavehadenough,” have a deep, ambient anger, even hatred, that makes you want to be aggressive–and you manufacture dangers to justify what you know to be a socially unacceptable impulse.

Comment by Vince

November 12, 2009 @ 1:42 pm

“You fucking disgust me! Putting garbage men and plumbers on the same level as those who stand ready to voluntarily DIE for all the freedoms you fucks enjoy every day is over the top even for you nut jobs here. As you go safely to sleep tonight and get ready for another day of spreading your trash talk tomorrow, just rememeber one thing. Those men and woman taking up arms for this country are the reason you can say whatever ignorant filth comes to your puny mind. Semper Fi!!!!”

I’m not sure how people who have their pay forcibly taken from me can be said to be “serving me”.

And I’m also not sure why I should be grateful for people who make a living killing innocent people all over the world. You can claim they are “defending freedom” (whatever that means)…but all I see are the dead bodies they leave in their wake.

Comment by ihavehadenough

November 12, 2009 @ 1:59 pm

Hey Vince,
How do you think the garbage men get paid….from your taxes genius. Or at least for those that live in a city that has municipal pickup. The rest of you pay indirectly because of govt. mandates on how trash will be disposed of.
Think of how many dead bodies there would be in this country if there werent those dead terrorist bodies being killed abroad. I hope you are standing next to the first terrorist that sets off a bomb belt in this country because we are stopped from doing our job.

Comment by Josh

November 12, 2009 @ 2:07 pm

Your ‘job’ is securing oil for people much richer and more powerful than yourself. You are a pawn.

The US Military is not protecting us from terrorists, they are just giving the terrorists more motivation. Ask any terrorist, and they will confirm this for you.

Comment by Laur

November 12, 2009 @ 2:14 pm

“I hope you are standing next to the first terrorist that sets off a bomb belt in this country because we are stopped from doing our job.”

Wow. Such hatred.
I find your comment absolutely disgusting.

Comment by Paul

November 12, 2009 @ 2:24 pm

Trash is not a government monopoly in Keene — people choose to subscribe, or not. Yeah, current regulations are bad, but their business is a heck of a lot more legitimate, and helpful, than armed men blowing things up on the other side of the globe.

Think of how many dead bodies there would be in this country if there werent those dead terrorist bodies being killed abroad. I hope you are standing next to the first terrorist that sets off a bomb belt in this country because we are stopped from doing our job.

There would be thousands fewer innocent people dead here, and hundreds of thousands fewer innocent people dead overseas. Here’s a trivia question, to judge your level of brainwashing:

1. Terrorists are motivated to attack the U.S. because they can’t stand the fact that we eat Big Macs, and have freedom of speech.

2. Terrorists are motivated to attack the U.S. because for decades our government has occupied their countries, which they consider holy, deposed their leaders, subsidized tyrants, and blown up their families.

I know it’s a difficult question. Here’s a hint: it’s not big macs. Here are the bonus questions:

How many family members of the hundreds of thousands of innocent people who have died as a direct result of our government’s invasions are going to become future enemies of the U.S.?

If the Chinese destroyed US infrastructure, opened bases on US soil, started backing certain political leaders, setting up road blocks, blowing up entire apartment complexes and wedding parties of innocent people to take out one or two people who they consider “insurgents” (aka opposition to their occupation), what would your reaction be, and that of your countrymen?

Comment by Vix

November 12, 2009 @ 2:32 pm

Laur: Sadly this is a great example of the level of hatred some people will express at people whom wish government to at least be voluntarily funded.

Comment by Laur

November 12, 2009 @ 2:37 pm

Vix: It was just such a jerky thing to say.

Surely IHAVEHADENOUGH could have conveyed his/her point to others on here in a more adult fashion instead of resorting to violent wishes on someone he/she has an opposing opinion with.

I’m supposed to feel glad and thankful that IHAVEHADENOUGH is a member of an organization who believes it is their duty to serve and protect me after that comment?

No. No thank you.

Comment by Vince

November 12, 2009 @ 3:11 pm

“Think of how many dead bodies there would be in this country if there werent those dead terrorist bodies being killed abroad.”

If we want to stop innocent people from dying (a goal I’m sure we all share), a good place to start would be the organization killing the most innocent people. Anyone want to take a shot at which organization that is?

I’d also like to echo the sentiment that, if the army was interested in protecting me, I’d like them to start by protecting me from congress. That’s a service I’d be more than happy to pay for.

Laur, I don’t want you, or anyone, to die serving these politicians.

Comment by ihavehadenough

November 12, 2009 @ 3:26 pm

It is so much fun to watch you guys pile on with your empty rhetoric when someone expresses a sentiment you dont like.
Oh, by the way, my tone is no less hateful than a lot of your fellow fucked up bloggers.

I only post here once in a while so I can laugh at your comments

Comment by ihavehadenough

November 12, 2009 @ 3:27 pm

My guess is that the first response from you no minds will be something like …get a life….

Comment by Paul

November 12, 2009 @ 3:32 pm

No, it will be this: Why don’t you answer my questions?

Comment by ihavehadenough

November 12, 2009 @ 3:37 pm

Paul….you dont get it….I dont care what any of you think or say…I am only here for the entertainment

Comment by Vix

November 12, 2009 @ 3:39 pm

ihavehadenough: Sadly you have no entertainment value maybe you should work on that.

Comment by Vince

November 12, 2009 @ 3:44 pm

Hi Laur,

I’m not sure what “empty rhetoric” you are referring to, but don’t you agree that if our goal is to prevent innocent people from being killed, we should first focus our efforts on the organizations that kill the most innocent people?

Comment by ihavehadenough

November 12, 2009 @ 3:44 pm

Well…I am just about done on this post anyways…If it takes to long to scroll to the new messages, I get bored.
Hey guys…here is a constructive comment for once! Have your web guy set it up so when you click on the recent comments…it jumps to that spot in the list. Might be a good idea…just forget it came from me!

Comment by Laur

November 12, 2009 @ 3:51 pm

@Vince

The “empty rhetoric” comment came from IHAVEHADENOUGH, not me.

Comment by xrazorwirex

November 12, 2009 @ 6:32 pm

“Well…I am just about done on this post anyways…If it takes to long to scroll to the new messages, I get bored.”

Textbook trolling right there folks… respond once or twice then ignore it.

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