The Daily Gripe #34 - The Gripe Gripe

It's time for The Daily Gripe from Average Joe American

The fifth anniversary of the attacks of 9/11 has just passed. "Patriot Day," as it has now been officially proclaimed by President Bush. You wouldn't think there would be much else to gripe about, would you. I didn't think there would.

But I heard some pretty disturbing things as the day progressed. People complaining about all of the television coverage of memorial events, much of which was replaying the original news broadcasts from five years ago. I heard of one individual who turned his TV off because he was tired of hearing the names of the nearly three thousand victims being read again. I heard complaints that families of the first responders who gave their lives on that fateful day attempting to rescue victims from the rubble were not "being taken care of" by the government. And a day doesn't go by when you don't hear someone complaining about the current war in Iraq.

That really, really gripes me! Come on, America!

First, we remember such things as September 11th and December 7th for a reason! Failure to learn the lessons of our past dooms us to make the same mistakes again! Remembering such tragedies by honoring the victims keeps us painfully aware of what the cost of ignorance could be, and makes us much less likely to be victimized in such a way again. This is why there have been no major terror attacks on the U.S. in the past five years!

Second, if you're tired of hearing the names of the victims repeated again and again, turn off you're TV. Fine! You're an American. You have that right. Just remember why you have that right! Because somebody died fighting to defend it.

Third, and this one can be touchy, but let the families of those first responders speak for themselves. I served eight years in the Army. My father served in the Army. My brother served in the Marines and continues to serve as a Police Chief. Why? For the same reason that those first responders were willing to lay down their lives for their fellow Americans. Because we are Americans, and that's what Americans do. We stand strong. We stand together -- united. We fight for what we believe in, even at the risk of losing our own lives. We don't serve so that someone will "take care of" our families when we're gone. That would be nice. It might, in fact, be proper. But it isn't a condition, or even a motivation, for serving. If you haven't served -- and those whom I heard complaining haven't -- I have two words for you: SHUT UP! Until you understand what serving your country is all about, mind your own business.

Thank You!

Joe