Posted by TerryS on November 05, 2001 at 04:33:56:
> > >>Subject: A Soldier at Home> > >Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2001 20:35:26 EST> > >> > >Hi there...> > >> > > This is awesome...let's live!> > >> > >> > > I sit in rush hour scanning the radio, bombarded with reports of> > >Anthrax, Small pox and airport security. Station after station of scary> > >scenarios and speculations of what will happen next. I look at faces> around> > >me in traffic. Old and young, rich and poor, a blue collar pick-up> sitting> > >behind a Lexus conservative. Only one city's traffic jam, on just one> road.> > >Hundreds of us doing what we do everyday. Working, commuting, waitingand> > >wondering. Many of us listening to a new American unfold on the radio.> What> > >I hear troubles me. The world's most powerful nation, is slowlycowering> to> > a> > >band of evil men and media hungry to feed on their frenzie. Flag sales> are> > >slowing while antibiotics are stock piled. Gas masks fly off the shelfas> > >our boys fly off to War. Patriotism is wavering; fewer flags arewaving.> I> > pass> > >the accident that has caused our delay. Two vehicles; one with a flagin> > >the shattered window. A serious crash,it may even be fatal. No one> planned> > it,> > >no one could predict it. For those involved, it is tragic and sad. The> rest> > of> > >us drive on, hoping not to be late for dinner. I share this, not to be> > >pessimistic. In fact, quite the opposite. You see, it was at that one> > >moment, on that one highway, in our Midwestern city, that I committed> > myself to be> > >a soldier for America. Not flying jets or carrying a gun like our brave> > >military men and women. I am a self-declared warrior against fear. Nota> > >general or even a Sergeant in this fight. I am a Private; a footsoldier> on> > >a mission. The battlefield is my life. I have a clear-cut choice. I can> sit> > >in my bunker and pray that evil will not find me. I can hunker down,> refuse> > to> > >fly, fill my medicine cabinet, pack up a bathroom with bottled waterand> > >open up every envelope like it contains an atomic bomb. I can fear the> > powered> > >sugar on donuts and walk blocks out of my way to avoid tall buildings.I> > >will protect my own life, by not living. I prefer war. I can stand upand> > fight> > >these cowards with the he very weapon they despise the most. I can bean> > >American. I will go to the theatre, I will play with my children in the> > >park.> > >I will enjoy sporting events with fellow fans. I will walk proudly past> our> > >courthouses and skyscrapers. I will go to work and be grateful for> freedom> > >of the press. I will go on vacation; Fly to my sister's house for> > >Thanksgiving. I am a soldier. I will play ball, buy stocks and decorate> my> > home for the> > >holidays. My kids will trick or treat, and I will open my Christmascards> > >with confidence. I will praise God every Sunday for letting me live in> the> > >Greatest Country on Earth. My ammunition is life itself. I belong to an> > >Army of 275 million good people.> > We know this war will have more casualties, and one of those could beme.> > But then again, had I left work 10 minutes sooner, on that one highway,> > I would not have been able to enlist. Let's Roll!!> > >