Clap if you Must

My commute this morning was, well, strange. So I'm behind this car and I read the bumper sticker, which says something about our heroes in Iraq. And it gets me wondering. I have a hard time believing that everybody stationed in Iraq is a hero. That's not to say that some, if not many, are. But all of them? I joined the service once upon a time, and there was nothing heroic to it.

The problem is, we've so watered down the meaning of "hero" that it truly means nothing anymore. There is nothing heroic about being conned into joining the Marines by a gung-ho recruiter who will tell you any lie you're willing to believe just so he can make his monthly quota. My guess is that the majority of service personnel over in Iraq (and let's not forget Afghanistan) really have no clue why they're there -- honestly and truly. Certainly, they've been told what to believe, and maybe they're content to believe their government. I, for one, believe everthing my government tells me...

So next time you see that commercial where everybody starts clapping at the service people in the airport, just imagine that those soldiers are returning from the Middle East in shame, that the first time they were under fire they wet themselves and ran away like little children. And they're returning, at best, because they're not fit for service.

But then, maybe joining the service is a heroic thing to do. After all, it means you're willing to trust the government with your life.