THE SOLDIER

It is the soldier, not the reporter,

who has given us freedom of the press

It is the soldier, not the poet,

who has given us freedom of speech

It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,

who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier, not the lawyer,

who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the soldier,

who salutes the flag,

who serves under the flag

and whose coffin is draped by the flag,

who allows the protester to burn the flag

by Father Dennis Edward O’Brien, USMC

I spent time on the PSU campus yesterday. There was a large veterans display with music, speeches etc. And–what did I see? A large line of students standing in line to sign greetings to our soldiers. There were more students doing that at 12 noon than hanging at the food cart or the smoking area. I had to look twice. If I hadn’t been rushing through I would have taken a picture.
It seems the students at PSU know a bit more than the professors how to support our troops.
I would also like to thank my fellow bloggers, Lew Waters and Rees Lloyd, for serving our country in the uniform and defending it still to this day in their civilian pursuits.
PS I would prefer our children be in school to learn about these exceptional men and women who have donned the uniform in defense of our nation instead of playing video games. But I’ve felt that way for Presidents Day, MLKJr Day and the like. Let’s learn about our heroes. Let’s learn about America’s exceptionalism. Let’s learn it in class.