A young man from my town has come home from Afghanistan. I wish I could say that he came home to greet his family and friends. Unfortunately, he came home in a flag-draped coffin.
I never had the chance to meet this young man. I know he walked and drove the same streets I do, he ate in the same restaurants, and that he played high school sports, and was a member of student government.
I also know that his family is in the midst of shock and grief, and that our town is preparing to give him a hero’s welcome upon his return.
I have been giving thought today to the nature of patriotism, and the nature of love of country.
I am a talk show host, and I write a column now and then when I have the time and when the muse strikes. And even though I have been making an effort to “elevate the discussion” lately, I wonder if I and those in my line of work would have the intestinal fortitude to do what this young man did. In the Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln called it “the last full measure of devotion”
Please read the rest in honor of our warriors …
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