The Fourth of July - Land of the Free because of the Brave.

I am Alika Naluai, fire fighter, soldier, husband and father.  This is my first blog. 

I want to say thank you to all those veterans who have fought, bled and died for an idea; the idea that everyone has the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"; the idea that someone else's life or someone else's family or someone else's freedom is worth saving at a cost of your own.  It's not an easy thing to do. 

I also want to thank the spouses and children left behind to care for the home front, who can and have been casualties of war along side all the other tally's kept by the statisticians. My own family has teetered on the canyon ledge of oblivion but has avoided becoming a statistic.

What saddens me is the disregard some people have for all of this sacrifice.  If we look closely around us, even in us, we can see it everywhere - whether it’s the 1% of U.S. citizens and their families who are actually deploying overseas, or the mentality of, “I’m grateful you serve, because I could never do it,” or the speed we race to view trivial distractions like celebrity gossip or FB gossip or virtual gaming worlds, to the entitlement mentality that is prevalent in our society, and even to the Founding Fathers’ original intent being undermined by self serving politics and corporations.  If we look, we will find it.

This poem by Charles M. Province really says it all:

IT IS THE SOLDIER

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.

©Copyright 1970, 2005 by Charles M. Province

When I came home from “the Sandbox” the first time, in 2006, people asked me if the Iraqi people appreciated the freedom we gave them. I told them, from my perspective, about 20% did. But a vast majority, 70% were impartial to the idea of freedom.  They would look at me confused, unable to comprehend why that would be.  I would then say - freedom cannot be given, it has to be earned. And they would give their freedom to the next dictator that came along, because they didn’t fight for it.

I hope this never happens to our Land of the Free - because the Brave sacrificed so much for us to have so much.

If you are reading this, remember – Freedom is not free…you have to fight for it - inside and out.