Woof, what a week it has been. Sorry to anyone out there who has been breathlessly awaiting my next post (doubtful that there’s anybody fitting this description, but hey – it could happen); I’ve just been swamped. My mom was sick, BK was sick, his car IS sick, I had a job interview, blah, blah, blah.

I was listening to the John Boy and Billy radio show yesterday, and they had an active-duty soldier who is home on leave as one of their guests; they also had a retired Army officer (I can’t remember what his rank was). At one point during the program, Johnboy said how hot he got over people who don’t support our troops, and that he wished this country still had the level of patriotism it did the day following 9/11. The officer then said something that gave me pause: he said he was glad the country didn’t have that level of patriotism. Yes, glad.

The reason he was happy that the country wasn’t showing the same level of patriotism as it did on September 12^th is that patriotism isn’t a $3.00 American flag that you wave around for a couple of months then take down and put away in a closet. Patriotism is a true, deep-seated love and respect for the country in which you live. It’s a desire to protect and defend, to your last breath, a nation that allows you to live free. Patriotism is disliking what your President has to say, but defending his right to say it, even if it pains you to the core.

There are a lot of things wrong with our country, I won’t deny it. But that being said, there are so many more things that are right about it. The US defends those who can’t defend themselves, we give opportunity to people who have nothing more but the will to succeed, and we allow people to set their own destiny. You’re born into America or you come here, both legally and illegally, and it’s up to you to make of your life what you will. How many other countries in the world can say those same things? America doesn’t tell its population how many children of a specific gender they may have (China) and it doesn’t require women to dress in a certain manner on pain of death (the Middle East).

Now, all of that being said, I will be the first to tell you that I’m not thrilled with Dubya. In fact, I think there’s a village in Texas somewhere that is missing its idiot. I don’t like what’s happening in Iraq or the way things are going with Israel. I don’t like that we still have troops suffering and dying in Afghanistan. I hate the way that our freedoms are slowly being impinged upon in the name of “security”.

But you know what? I take comfort in the fact that we, the American public, have the means to change the course of our nation. It’s called a ballot. We have the tool necessary to make our voices heard…it’s just a matter of whether we actually get off of our lazy asses to use that power or not. I for one, stood (ok, so I sat) in a TWO hour line, just so I could cast a vote in the last presidential election. I even had my damn kids with me, a fact that drove pretty much everyone around me crazy. But, I did it.

I cast my vote with millions of other Americans, however, the total number of votes cast represented only a miniscule fraction of US residents who are eligible to vote. Why on God’s green earth would you NOT vote? Do you really want a handful of Americans (I use “handful” relatively here; millions of citizens in a nation with a population in the hundreds of millions counts as a handful) determining who your next leader will be, without you having a say in it? You’re talking about someone who will shape the country’s direction and future over the next four years. Someone who could get us in (or out) of wars. Someone who could suddenly declare martial law. Do you REALLY want to sit by and let a person like my next door neighbor, Bubba, who has three teeth, three hound dogs, and a pick-up with the Confederate flag painted on the side (and a horn that plays “Dixie”) direct who is gonna be your next president?! Think about it.

Ok, enough of my “Rock the Vote” speech, as I’m digressing. I think I really had wanted to write about the men and women who are serving in Iraq. When I was listening to the show, I got tears in my eyes. The soldier who was on described the pain of loneliness that so many of the troops face on a day-to-day basis. He said he couldn’t truly describe how happy they were whenever they received a letter or box from home, or a USO care package. Our soldiers face hardships every day that they’re on the ground in Iraq, from boredom to terror to loneliness to depression. They’re away from their families for extended periods of time, they’re facing enemies who want to blow them to bits, and they’re living in an environment that’s hostile – it’s boiling hot in the day, freezing at night, with sandstorms that can scrape the paint off of a jeep. How does one survive with sanity intact, after living like that for months on end? I don’t think I could.

The radio station is planning on helping the USO to assemble more care packages to send to the troops. I’m not planning on waiting that long; I know there are some organizations out there that will help you to “adopt” a soldier or a unit, enabling you to send them letters and care packages. There are some strict rules about what can and cannot be sent for security reasons, so it’s best to go through one of the officially recognized organizations. I’ll dig up information about them and post what I find here, so that if anyone else is interested, they can join my family and I in showing our soldiers that people back home do remember them, and do care.

Things that soldiers at war can use:

• Candy and snacks. Send candy and snacks that are individually wrapped, such as hard candies, and that won’t melt or go bad in 2 month’s time. Don’t send anything that has even the slightest chance of going bad (i.e. – sending a Hickory Farms sausage log is probably a bad idea, both in terms of cholesterol and its ability to stay edible by the time it reaches the destination). Be aware that your package may be searched by military authorities – don’t send anything that could land you or the recipient in the brig (pot brownies are a definite no-no). Soldiers often have to buy snacks from their meager pay, so anything that you can send from home is good. It’s even better if it’s something to remind them of home, a favorite type of regional BBQ sauce, for example.
• Books, comic books, movies, and CDs. Time can be endless when you’re far away from home in a foreign land, with nothing to distract you. Books are a great item to send, because they can be shared and traded with other people in the company. Comic books are quick, easy reads that can bring a smile. Movies can be shared with the company as a whole, but be sure to include something that both men and women will enjoy, if possible. CDs are a good idea, since many people take a CD player with them for company. I’d be cautious when sending magazines, especially news magazines that may focus on the anti-war sentiment in the country. I’d hate to have our soldiers thinking that their country doesn’t support what they’re doing.
• Personal hygiene items. Baby wipes are a fantastic item to send. Soldiers who spend days out in the field with limited opportunities to get cleaned up will welcome these. Kleenex, lip balm, and sunscreen are also welcomed, I’m told. Don’t send anything that may get stopped by the authorities, such as nail clippers or razors – you’ll be wasting your money.
• Playing cards and crossword puzzle books. Nice, inexpensive time-killers that the troops will appreciate. You can easily pick these up for next to nothing at your local dollar store, and it will mean a whole lot more to the troops than the few dollars it cost you to buy ‘em.
• Personal notes of thanks. There’s nothing better for boosting morale than a note explaining how much their sacrifice means to you. They go where you and I won’t; let them know that it means something to you. It lets them know that the pain and suffering they’re going through is worthwhile, and the people that are back at home haven’t forgotten them.

Our soldiers do so much for so little reward…a sticker on the back of your car saying you support the troops isn’t enough. I’m going to practice what I’m preaching – I plan to find a way to get a care package or three to the men and women overseas. I hope those of you reading this blog, will too.

Salute! 

Siren