What a Joke

I am supposed to be doing homework, but I got distracted. Something about seeing "Fuck the Troops" on MySpace bothered me. And, really, if you're in touch wih your surroundings at all, you'd understand why I'm bothered by seeing something like that on a public forum.

American troops are there. We can say that our government put them there. Our country's hidden, alterior agenda caused an invisible, monster of a hand to trigger a machine called the military to start a war, and we ... WE have nothing to do with it. Thus, "fuck the troops", some say.

But have we forgotten? WE ARE THE COUNTRY.

We can fervently protest about how the government tricked us into believing what we should not have believed, resulting in the dire situation we find ourselves currently involved in globally.

But really, truly, honestly, WHAT HAVE WE CONSTRUCTIVELY DONE TO PREVENT THESE THINGS FROM HAPPENING??

Don't sit around here and tell me that there wasn't anything to be done. Don't tell me that the politicians are too powerful, and they pulled wool over our eyes, therefore, we couldn't have done anything.

You know just as well as I know that, if we want it badly enough, we can do anything. Did you want it bad enough?

I will admit right here and now that I did not do all that I could to help influence the outcome of the crisis. I cared more about my own personal life. I cared more about school, about money, about my ups and downs, about boys, about friends, about what I like to do when I have the luxury to choose .... I missed the window of opportunity out of which I could have made a difference.

What about you? What did you do? What stopped you from changing the situation in the first place, and brought you here to sit and wonder about the title "Fuck the Troops" and where you stand?

Ask yourselves, as I now question my heart: WHAT COULD I HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY?

Then, ask: WHAT CAN I DO NOW TO MAKE THE SITUATION BETTER?

American troops have been deployed. Many were killed. Killed. Someone's son, grandson, husband, father, brother, uncle, friend lost his life. Someone's daughter, grand-daughter, wife, mother, sister, aunt, friend lost her life. These are people. They are real people with souls, hearts, blood and flesh ... just like you and me. Except that they are there, and you are here. Think of the difference.

Regardless of whether they should be there in the first place, they are there. Whether you like it or not, it's because WE didn't do our jobs as fellow countrymen and global citizens to keep them from being there. The best we can do now is to face the consequences, for we gave our troops their fate.

Quit our complaining and support them. Stop the mentality of "THEY are the troops. THEY are the government. THEY DID THIS." Don't forget. WE ARE the country. WE can control what happens. We should be ashamed of ourselves instead.

"Fuck the troops."

What a joke.