I recently had an intense discussion with an Iraq combat veteran, which quickly digressed into a lament over how Americans no longer realize that they need to "earn their freedom." I was struck at how vague this concept is, and I couldn't come up with a reasonable way to decide when someone had or hadn't earned their freedom. If restricted to a simplistic "you must serve in the military" answer, you still have to consider people who spend time cleaning runways or cooking, who never see a battlefield. And what about women, who weren't allowed to serve in the military not so long ago. Did my grandmother not earn her freedom by supporting my grandfather, who fought with the Air Force in WW2? What about people who are not capable of serving in the military? What alternatives do they have to "earn their freedom"?
Is this just a pretty little phrase used to foster a fighting, civic spirit, or does it pose a real question to each and every citizen, to answer in their own way?
2007-03-17
19:24:05
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7 answers
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asked by
David
1