It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.
It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.
It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.
by Charles M. Province
2 comments:
Awfully militaristic though, as if nothing else counts in human affairs except war.
Without the willingness of service members to put their lives on the line, there would be no freedom for others to work in the various professions. At least not in any meaningful way- think of the situation for poets, etc. in Nazi Germany, Stalinist Soviet Union, Maoist China, and so on.
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