WP: The Freedoms My Brother Is Defending (Sister Against the War)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/25/AR2006122500459.html

Here is what my brother, a member of the Army National Guard, told me as he prepared to serve in Iraq this year:

The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is who controls the armed forces. Civilian command of the Army is a cornerstone of our democratic system.

My brother told me that he takes his oath to defend the Constitution seriously and that he will fight and die if necessary to honor his commitment. When I asked him if he would be offended if I participated in activities opposing the war, he replied that it was not only my right but my obligation, and the obligation of all civilians opposing this war, to try to change bad policy. "Give us good wars to fight," he said.

<snip>

My brother is betting his life that you are not going to ask this of him. He has placed his trust in the idea that we will not ask him to die for anything less than the necessary defense of our democracy. Reasonable people may at one time have disagreed about the necessity of the Iraq war, but now that it has become abundantly clear from every quarter that we cannot win, will you be responsible for asking my brother to stay?

My family begs of you: Do not ask this of him. Do not ask this of us. My brother is doing his constitutional duty. Now it is time for us to do ours.

[Counciltucky]

1. Your brother's one of the good ones.

At least he's grounded to the point where he realizes why he puts on a uniform.

It sometimes seems hallow (and even partisan) to "support the troops" at every turn, but if every troop were more vociferously like this person, I wouldn't feel as much like it's being pushed onto me.