"Yea, men in position but backing away

Freedom is stuck in reverse

Let's get out of Iraq and get back on the track

And let's rebuild America first."

- Merle Haggard "Rebuild America First"

Haggard also comments on the current political and social scene in the song, "Where's All the Freedom?" He describes a country almost paralyzed by uncertainty, a nation where the Ten Commandments can't be displayed, where the grandparent of a soldier in Iraq can't afford to buy gasoline to drive to the grocery store, where individual rights are uncertain anymore.

He concludes: "Are we a nation under God anymore/How long do we cower down/Is this really still our ground/Our country is like a prisoner of war/Where's all the freedom that we're fightin' for."

Born Here: Thanks for acknowledging the right to protest and the right to speak freely. But peaceful exercise of those rights, does not come at the "expense" of Veterans. It seems to me that we honor our Veterans and our country by exercise of the rights our Veterans fought to preserve. Patriotism can take many forms, but one important duty of any patriot is to participate in the democratic process by questioning government policy, particularly policy that sends our children off to war for anything less than a compelling cause. Where did Merle Haggard get the idea that patriotism requires mindless lockstep acceptance of policies established by career politicians? If you want to foster a new movement of patriotism you might consider adding a lyric from Bob Dylan.

You tried Born_Here.

Despite a clear and robust message that the Veteran's Day Parade is not the time to impose their political viewpoint upon the rest of us, the VFP will very likely insist upon the venue for political speech.

Yes, they have a right to political speech. The real question is whether they understand the difference between a right, and an obligation.

They have an obligation to ALL veterans, those with whom they agree and those with whom they disagree, to allow a peaceful and honorable Veteran's Day parade.

I'm somewhat taken aback by those that are now imposing a sense of political correctness on free speech. It seems to me it is coming from those that have trouble with political correctness in the first place. Some of the people that would have problems with the VFP being in the parade would have no problem with a gun toting, flag waving patriot at a rally outside a President Obama appearance. I know, that's different, that's free speech AND gun rights.

I would bet that the guys who have died "for our freedom" might be screaming at us now, not to be so quick to fight, for their compassion has grown immensely, now that they see the bigger picture. We too easily sacrifice our children, and the children of others, for our "freedom." It doesn't make me, as an American citizen, feel too "free"...

OK, I've made up my mind thanks to all of you. I will not attend the Parade. I see all the "rights" being claimed in the posts, it's probably going to turn ugly eo why go and instead of giving my respects all I will do is get upset and probably do something stupid that I will later regret.

My thanks to all that served and sacrificed, you will be in my thoughts.

I might go to the parade. But I'm leaving the kids at home. I don't want my kids to see the Tomato throwers (domestic terrorists) in action. How do you explain to kids that soldiers fought for our freedoms and then at the same time let them see that it is only a certain version of freedom that is allowed. I don't remember the VFP causing any trouble last year at all. And from what I remember, it was only true veterans last year that were in the parade. I think they have a lot more courage to speak out against wars than those who just blindly support it.

Well the parade is going to be interesting that is for sure. I will be going along with a group of friends of mine. We will be driving WWII jeeps and have veterans riding with us. Hopefully there will be no discord between the veterans and the veterans for peace. If there is then I might take the advice of Loomis and sit out next year.

The "boys" who have fought in the many wars, with much bravery and I am sure, with the very best of intentions, many times, come home, changed men. For the reality of war is much greater, when you have seen the pain your actions cause to another human being. Many of them, finding it too hard to sort through, mask their pain, their guilt, which causes even more pain to themselves and those who love them. They are the ones who "went on" but could not let it affect their ideas, their behaviors and the actions towards those that love them. Many of them are sitting in our prisons, finding love, compassion and answers difficult to come by. Many of them are on our streets, broken and hardened by the wars they fought in, as we pass them by with looks and words of disgust. We have no idea what we asked them to do when they were still too young...

Lastly, we have the loved ones who have loved these men, and now women, bravely left to help pick up the pieces of what is left by war. It will be my decision to silently remember them all, to never forget those who maybe the most forgotten and to ask from my government, for the most honorable decision to fight when there is no options left, for the price of war is much to high for everyone...

Merle's cool... but I'm a bigger fan of Cash:

Last night I had the strangest dream I've ever known before...I

dreamed that all the world agreed to put an end to war...I dreamed

I saw a mighty room...the room was filled with men...and the papers

they were signing said they'd never fight again.And when the papers

were all signed, and a million copies made, they all shook hands and

bowed their heads and greatful prayers were prayed...and the people

in the streets below were dancing round and round...while swords and

guns and uniforms lay scattered on the ground...Last night I had the

strangest dream I've ever known before...I dreamed that all the world

agreed to put an end to war....

"Last night I had the strangest dream" ~ Johnny Cash

Never did like that song it wasn't much more than the other side of the same coin.

Having said that it seems to me that just because there is free speech doesn't mean that we have any obligation to use it. Once in a while it seems that out of respect for others that we might have a parade with nothing in mind than honoring those that have served. Just that and nothing else. Haven't they have earned at least that? I can think of many things that I can do but good taste and good judgment would tell me that it is disrespectful to others. Its really just a matter of manners. What we seem to have lost that more than anything else in this country is our ability to put our own needs aside for no other reason than it makes another feel better. Its the hallmark of my boomer generation that we seem to think of ourselves first. Hopefully future generations will be a bit more grown up.

CA04_Voter - Your words ring true (except for the Cash song), however, Veterans Day Parades are going through their own "Dark Ages", most visibly so in Auburn. We made national and maybe international news by the outrageous behavior of one of the vets in the parade and it turned out, much to our disgrace, that many others, who should have had better sense, chimed in the brawl...

We are a country who is sapped of financial strength, still wounded by experiencing what it feels like to have the kind of violence in our own back yards that others face daily and for which we don't hesitate to participate in. Our sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, etc are dying and leaving families that will suffer by the lack of their presence for many years to come, our children are learning to imitate us and we are turning our backs on many young men and women who will live the rest of their lives with the wounds inflicted by these wars, many of them without the support they deserve from the rest of us.

The only real thank you would be to end the unnessessary wars and take very good care of those left in the aftermath of the wars we have already fought. No wonder Pope John Paul II said that we live in a culture of death...

Observer

Sorry for not being clear, I was talking about the Merle Haggard tune. I have no affection for war, you and I probably agree more on the general topic than we disagree. The fact is that whether right or wrong this country asked for service and many answered the call. I just want those people to have a day where we leave the larger issues alone and just spend it saying thanks. Just one day and everyone can go back to arguing about the larger issues of war for the other 364. War will still be here the day after and for many days to come, these vets only get the one day a year and would be nice if people would put their personal feelings aside to let it come off smoothly.

CA Voter - I hear you. I am one who stands on the side and yells "thank you" :-) It is a thank you for their sacrifice. I wish we meant it. One thing for sure is, before my grandson, who is very caught up in military things, is completely grown, he will, with God's help, know as much as possible, what he is saying yes to

CA_04: Your 1:18p post was dead on.

I hope I can take those words and use them myself. We sometimes let our free speech get ahead of our respect for others.

Thanks for your words. They were solid.

Sam

Thanks and feel free