Half Man- Half Boy, Thanks to Both

The average age of the military man is 19 years He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's, but he has never collected unemployment either.

He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away. He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and a 155mm howitzer.

He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must.

He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional.

He can march until he is told to stop, or stop until he is told to march. He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient.

He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry.

He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.
If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low.

He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands.

He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job.

He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay, and still find ironic humor in it all.

He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime.

He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed.

He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while> at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away ' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking. In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years.

He has asked nothing in return, except> our friendship and understanding.

Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood.
And now we even have women over there in danger, doing their part in this tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so.

Drip Drop...

I took a few days off from writing on my blog because I was not sure what I was accomplishing. I have talked about issues near and dear to my heart, gave up sleep I'd really rather be getting, and I keep wondering why... what does this change?

Our country is in crisis. People are loosing their jobs still, boys are being sent off to fight in wars while our President make friends with the Muslim insurgents (that's right its not PC to call a terrorist a terrorist anymore), and now we are 50 days into the worst ecological disaster that this country has ever seen. Has our President even talked to the CEO of BP? This administration has again made tough talk in the news but little action. He is talking about passing CAP and TRADE bills to tax Americans on energy while letting the oil flow.

This year has been difficult in me with medicine too. See, I went into medicine to help people. I wanted to do CPR, fix illness, and make a difference. Congress's inability to fix the SGR and my growing frustration with elected officials had led me to believe that Congress cares nothing about the average working class American. If you are not a special interest member, kiss you agenda good by. What is killing me about this is that by there inaction, people are dying and loosing access to care. How many business models could survive a 1/4 pay cut without a cut in overhead. That is what doctors have had to do three times this year over Congress's inability to fix a broken formula for physician payment. They have no problem in bailing out Fannie Mae, but let the Doctors deal with it and the patients are the ones who suffer.

I keep hoping for a change, then while sitting at a funeral last night I thought about what a dearly respected cousin of mine (well, she is a cousin of Brian's buy I have had her for 13+ years) said to her son, you should read her blogs - its worth the time.

So back to my title for tonight, Drip Drop... you know where I go that. Water is one of the most powerful forces in nature. Ask any of my fellow Tennesseans who are still dealing with our own economic losses from the floods of May. Mountains move and and Canyons form from simple drip drops, so my goals is to keep on drip dropping at the issues I feel strongly about, because if people don't speak out for Lady Liberty I am not sure the amount of abuses she can continue to take.