[Photo Tramp]

On this US. Holiday of remembrance, to all that have served, and to all that serve now. To those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and to those who stand ready to protect and defend. We who know the meaning of freedom and the cost at which freedom has been gained. To my friends and comrades that I served with and to those who never came back.

THANK YOU FROM THE DEPTH OF MY SOUL AND HEART.

May you, who did not serve, sleep well knowing that there are young men at the ready to defend and give their lives for an ideal we call freedom.

[vievetrick]

great post David.

[carpents]

Amen, brother.

Thank you all.

[dwinnert]

I'll bite....

I support our troops and hope all return home safely.

But they are not fighting for our freedom. They are fighting for some twisted ideology put forth by our current administration. Weapons of Mass Destruction...didn't exist. 9/11 connection...nope. Saddam a bad man..true, but more Iraqi civilians have been killed during US occupation then during Saddam's reign. I mean...why did we go there?

The country has been cleansed of doctors, educators and people of education by the religions zealots that have been allowed to flourish because of our mistake. When we can no longer support our troops either because of money of popular opinion the country will fall into a hardcore Islamic state. A state that could of been avoided by continued UN sanction and economic pressure. We should of kept up the fight in Afghanistan and chased Osama to the ends of the earth. But instead Bush and his people saw something they wanted and have turned this whole situation into the worst cluster **** since WWII.

Did everyone forget Viet Nam?

[carpents]

I'll bite....

Stop it.

Feel free to cut out of your original post and put it in a Bush-hating thread of your own. There is no need to pull down a thread about thanking our military and veterans in a Memorial Day thank you.

[clm]

Memorial Day History

What did you perceive as "bait" in the original post? Why doesn't anyone ever start his own anti-war thread instead of hijacking every remotely related thread?

[Harald]

Memorial Day History

What did you perceive as "bait" in the original post? Why doesn't anyone ever start his own anti-war thread instead of hijacking every remotely related thread?

Well, just some thoughts; this site being quite international, why even bother to start this kind of nationalistic threads? what your military remembrance has to do with Pentax and photographing?

I am also an patriot, serious one, and respect others similar attitudes, but will never announce our national days or other such stuff here. This kind of subjects, as well as religious ones, are quite delicate, and I think so they do not fit very well to this kind of forum.

[dwinnert]

Any soldier who dies in the call of duty should be honored for their ultimate sacrifice. What disgusts me is when a government knowingly sends soldiers to their deaths for unjust reasons. I have deep sympathy to all the families that have lost a son, daughter, father, mother, sister or brother in Iraq. Tomorrow we can watch President Bush use this day to somehow show he is sympathetic.

Sorry if this offends anyone...But I lost a very good friend in Iraq, who was a few months out from finishing his term in the Marine Reserve, He was enrolled to start college but was pulled from his family and three year old son and killed in a war based on lies. His wife, family and son will forever pay for this.

Isn't America a great country where we can speak our minds without fear of reprisal.?

Memorial Day History

What did you perceive as "bait" in the original post? Why doesn't anyone ever start his own anti-war thread instead of hijacking every remotely related thread?

[atupdate]

Well, just some thoughts; this site being quite international, why even bother to start this kind of nationalistic threads? what your military remembrance has to do with Pentax and photographing?

How about this:

DS w/ DA18-55


and this:

DS w/ DA18-55



Now it is about Pentax and photography.

Got it? Good!

Tim

[Jonas B]

Got it? Good!

Lol - Is that what you call raising the standards?

For a discussion on any memorial day I would guess it takes a another forum and another date. Besides of that I guess "intelligent discussions" just is on Adam's wishlist, not a requisite.

==

Really, I went here to post the following when I saw the post I quoted above...

As we are in the General talk forum I see no problems with any of the posts here. That's the basic view of mine. When anyone posts about a memorial day it's probably a part of their way of life, or something personal, or both. Whatever - other people will react and should be allowed to do that. I do however find it more suitable to start another thread and let the OP and his/her friends sharing a common view have their memorial thread dedicated to it's original purpose.

In Vietnam the war is called "The American war" and it isn't hard to understand other views of what happened. In Chile 9/11 is something else than the Laden-US thing and so on. In Iraq people dies every day, most of them civilians not getting any holidays dedicated to them. It's natural with a lot of feelings about all this. It would be good to see people being able to discuss things without mixing up different views with personalities.

with due respect, and
some wishful thinking

[carpents]

What disgusts me is when a government knowingly sends soldiers to their deaths for unjust reasons.

What disgusts me is when their lives are debased by mindless, self-hating liberal talking points that ooze from from the corners of hysterical minds.

I have deep sympathy to all the families that have lost a son, daughter, father, mother, sister or brother in Iraq.

Then get over your hatred for conservatism, George Bush, and Israel. You and your kind have degraded political speech into wild accusation and personal destruction.

Sorry if this offends anyone...

Sure. Now who's lying?

Isn't America a great country where we can speak our minds without fear of reprisal.?

One of the great truths that liberals often miss about our country is that free speech does not mean you are free from reprisal. It is no surprise that you think this is so.

[Photo Tramp]

I'm sorry I posted this thread. I happen to be a Viet Nam vet I served three tours in a Ranger unit. I remember my friends and all that have died for this country. If you ask me to fight for my government I would rather leave the country. Ask me to fight and die for my country my words would be when and where. I never brought politics into this thread. Nor would I have. I will say this once again for anyone who doesn't understand. THE FREEDOMS YOU NOW ENJOY ARE NOT A GOD GIVEN RIGHT. THEY ARE A GIFT OF PATRIOTS OF YEARS GONE BY. THEY ARE PROTECTED BY OUR CONSTITUTION.THEY ARE CHAREISHED BY THOSE OF US WHO UNDERSTAND WHAT FREEDOM IS AND OUR LOVE AND ADMIRATION AND THANKS TO THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIVES TO KEEP FREEDOM ALIVE.

SO STICK YOUR POLITICAL VIEWS UP YOUR ***.
I don't care if you like whats happening today in the world or not. It has nothing to do with our past and how our freedom was achieved.

If you don't like the post then don't answer it. Or better yet start your own post.

[Sailor]

I'm sorry I posted this thread. .

Don't be sorry at all, my friend. I lost sight of what Memorial Day is about - your post reminded me. Thanks.

Jer

[khardur]

Well said all around, no need to be sorry for remembering those we have lost.

Amen.


_____
Dan

[PDL]

No need to be feel sorry - but you should expect extremes when posting on a public/world wide site. I am sure that when any day of memorial comes around someone will feel compelled to ask others to remember those lost. My grandfather, father and uncles all served in the military. Their participation has helped keep me free and placed me in the position where I was not forced to serve as they were. The people (on any side) who did not survive are remembered on days such as this - it is right to keep them in mind - and to pledge that their sacrifice will not be forgotten. And believe me - conservative or liberal we do not forget the sacrifice.

From another point of view - I was really hoping that as my generation died off (graduated from HS in 70) we would actually be seeing the last generation of people in such organization as the VFW (a fine organization too - don't think I am dissing them). Now my son's generation has a war - and that saddens me to no end.

And don't think that those of us who some cast as "liberals" (remember - who gave us in the US the bill of rights?) do not support the "troops". These people are our sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, mothers, fathers and friends. The best way to support them is to get and keep them out of harms way.

History will be the judge of motives - and it ain't going to be pretty.

So where ever you are - remember those who fought. Remember those who paid for your freedom - on what ever day your fellow citizens decree.

PDL