The image nearby was floating around on Facebook today; my
cousin’s son (also my cousin), who spent six months as a Marine in the Iraqi
desert (near Fallujah), at a time when things weren’t so nice there, had this
posted, and I shared it. The following text was attached to it:
“Whitney Houston died today, sad, sure. But the entire world
doesn't need to stop spinning for her. Do you know who else passed these last
few weeks that nobody will give a second thought about? ... These outstanding
men who fought and sweat and suffered and died, so that you all could live
peacefully. She met her own fate curled up in a Beverly Hills hotel nursing her
selfish drug addictions, not protecting your freedom as these Marines did. Semper Fidelis.”
John,
ReplyDeletewith my own first born son currently serving in the Army, having seen combat firsthand himself and the son of another member of my Church, who is a Marine, who, himself is currently in Afghanistan, I say it is a sad irony that those men in the picture paid a dear price so Whitney Houston could curl up in a Beverly Hills hotel and die in a bathtub probably big enough for several of those soldiers to take a clean bath together in! The ironies are many, like, maybe the drugs she was addicted too first originated in the poppy fields of Afghanistan? Or, how about the many Ambassadors and Embassy officials living freely and securely enjoying the abundance that still exists here in the United States, being protected by our civil and criminal laws or who are living in one of the other coalition nations who also have men and women serving and dying in either Iraq or Afghanistan who could not nor would not speak up against their own nation's policies both civil and criminal like we can?
Both Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI called Iraq an unjust war. Our freedom/safety was not in jeopardy, and thus countless people suffered needlessly (especially Iraqi Christians).
ReplyDeleteNick,
ReplyDeleteEven given that, those soldiers don't get to decide whether or not a war is just or unjust, or whether to fight or not. I see the point of the post, and to a degree I endorse it.
That said, it's also correct that the outcomes of these wars have been pretty horrendous for Christians in the middle east. That's another thing not being spoken of enough.
Hi Crude,
ReplyDeleteI agree the matter is largely out of the soldier's hands, and they have a duty to obey orders. In that regard, those young men were displaying virtue and were living lives far more upstanding than Whitney. It is good to make that distinction clear.
Hi Natamllc, I appreciate your comments, your prayers, and I do appreciate what your son is going through, and the ironies you are pointing out.
ReplyDeleteNick, I don't care what the popes think. It's good to make this distinction clear too.
ReplyDeleteI do think the response in Afghanistan was a necessary one, and I also think the Iraq war was wrong-headed, but that doesn't negate the service and the sacrifices of these young men.
The politics of war are never the issue.
ReplyDeleteThese men are serving, and giving their lives.
I appreciate it very much. Lord bless them, and protect them, and if they don't know Your saving grace, then please open the eyes of their heart. And Lord bless celebrities like Whitney who are hooked on drugs, so that they don't die in their sin, and also have their eyes opened to the Cross of Jesus. Amen.
Crude said:
ReplyDeleteThat said, it's also correct that the outcomes of these wars have been pretty horrendous for Christians in the middle east. That's another thing not being spoken of enough.
For those who haven't followed it, the situation is fairly grim in Afghanistan:
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/not-single-christian-church-left-afghanistan-says-state-department
It's not much better in Iraq either, right?
ReplyDeleteFrom what I hear, Egypt's not exactly looking rosy now.
"Both Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI called Iraq an unjust war. Our freedom/safety was not in jeopardy, and thus countless people suffered needlessly (especially Iraqi Christians)."
ReplyDeleteNick you should be ashamed to call your self an american! We are there to put an end to those who killed thousands of innocent people! People that had families and carried pieces of their loved ones hearts around with them every day and died taking a piece of their loved ones with them! They killed around 3000 people affecting millions! Whose to say its unjust because these people will try to hurt us again! These popes live like gods and are worshiped. They didn't have someone they loved who died because the hate these people have against them. If we act like nothing happened and leave the taliban alone they will attack us again! The pope wouldn't know until these people were flying planes into the popes neighbors buildings! Theres is currently a wait to get into most military branches. People who throw their lives god gave them don't deserve to live. People who give their live so others can live without fear of ding every day deserve to live like popes.
Who cares what the pope says?
ReplyDeleteIn other news, the italicized text assumes too much. My wife and I were sitting in the Dr's office yesterday and there was a TV tuned to some cable news channel and all they were talking about was the singer's death.
I got really irritated because I actually thought of the service men/women who die every day while laying down their lives for their friends, family, and people they don't even know. Then you see how the media, and therefore the American public, go whole-hog about a single singer's death... It's disgusting.
Then I read something like the text with that image and I get irritated in a different way because the author assumes that he/she knows all about Whitney Houston and how she died. They don't actually know anything and they cheapen their point by overreaching.
Greg,
ReplyDeleteThere is no nice way to say this, but you have no idea what you are talking about. This is precisely why Papal guidance is preferred.
From a Marine veteran of Desert Storm, pass on my appreciation to your cousin. Uncommon valor is still a common virtue among some. Let's pray that when we look on heaven's scene we find the streets guarded by these United States Marines! Oooh Rah!
ReplyDelete(And for those concerned with the lack of good theology behind that last line, it's adapted from the last line of the Marine's Hymn. I merely mean that I hope that my fellow Devildogs who made the Ultimate Sacrifice were believers. I'm sure many who have lost their lives in the service of our country have not been.)