America Is At War, No Sacrifices Necessary

America is at war, yet nothing is asked of most of its citizens but to shop and have fun. Go on with life as normal.

Like President Bush before him, President Obama has called for no sacrifices in support of the troops who are fighting and dying overseas. Just shop till you drop. And don't worry about the ugliness of war, it won't be shown to you.

You won't see heart broken families burying their dead or veterans with their limbs blown off or children orphaned nor will you see homeless, drug addicted veterans. Courtesy of the U.S. government, it's censored so as not to disturb you.

These actions must come as quite a shock to the soldiers who fought in all of the prior wars and for their families who were asked to sacrifice. And they willing did sacrifice. Americans rallied to support their nation in World War ll and many years later rallied to end the Vietnam War. In each case, they cared and got involved.

But today, you don't have to get involved. So just enjoy posting on Facebook and Twittering, and casting your ballots for the next rock star or great dance team on popular television shows. Cheer on your favorite sports teams and shed a tear if your favorite singer doesn't win a Grammy. If you play video games or go to the movies, this will be as close as you will get to the horrors of war.

For these things are meant to distract you from far more important issues, and to keep you pacified.

Our government is saying, "Keep trusting us and we'll take care of everything. You don't have to be involved." And through our silence and indifference, we give them that trust.

But this government brought us the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and through its lack of corporate oversight and its own runaway spending, has thrust us to the brink of financial collapse.

If you value your democracy, you had better get involved to protect it. Or it will sink in the quicksand of endless wars and reckless spending into bankruptcy.

These are perilous times and freedom is not free. It requires sacrifice if we want to retain what our forefathers passed down to us and what we hope to pass down to future generations. This is a major responsibility, not a birth right and it calls upon each of us to get involved now.

Dick