I feel like Earl Pitts... I've been reading a topic on a forum I moderate and it has got me in a right frame of mind. The subject is "Son wants to Join the Marines". "Advise" ranges from cheerleading and practical instruction to just shy of belittling service. This was my response to the naysayers:

If you want your son to be safe build him a nice little steel box and bring him his chow and wipe his butt for him. Otherwise he's going to be taking a chance just like the rest of us no matter what he does. It is called life. God has given us life for a reason and MEN live life they don't run from it. Whatever service he joins for whatever reason he's done more than 99% of other males his age. Be glad of it.

Frankly I will never understand anyone who can't praise God that their child has seen fit to defend this country. I know that if my son was to get up off his butt and enlist and then to be killed I would grieve BUT I would be so very proud as well. That my son would risk all his comforts, his dreams here in this life to protect us from evil so that we can continue to let freedom's light shine, well, that's all that I ever wanted.

Every day I thank God for those young men and women who leave home and their loved ones for extended periods to do what needs to be done in defense of this nation. I pray for their families to have the strength to deal with whatever may result. Were it not for such men and women we would not have what we have here in the USA.  ¶ posted by The Editor 3:13 PM