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Blog Entry 68 of 82 Baseball,football,the Grateful Dead,Jesus and me
Could be politics, religion, music, sports, family life or anything in-between and outside the lines. (I refuse to say "outside the box," even if my chosen line means exactly the same thing) Chronologically, I'm 40. The consensus among those who know me best puts me somewhere between 10 and 13 in terms of maturity. I love listening to Jimmy Buffett, the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers and all acts Country (except the Dixie Chicks who offended my long-held,closed-minded view of decent behavior) I have deep, strong beliefs in all things I believe in and sometimes in things I don't. I pride myself in my contradictory nature even though it is a sign of weakness to change one's mind. I have been known to waver more than John Kerry talking about national defense, though I remain steadfast in my beliefs. I am prepared to argue to the death on one issue and one issue alone; Dickey Betts should be allowed back in the Allman Brothers. On this, there is no compromise. I believe in compromise in all other areas so long as the compromise includes everything that I want or believe in. In all seriousness, I am a lucky man, blessed with a wonderful family and an uncanny ability to not care about anything if the situation requires such. I believe that minds are like parachutes in that they have been known to fail their user, albeit with a slightly lower fatality rate. So that's me, or at least that's kind of me. I mean, I felt that way right before I didn't.

Blog Url: http://denver.yourhub.com/~billsblog

Who 'wants' to go?
Contributed by: Bill Prather   on 2/23/2008

I don't remember who said it, or the exact wording. The quote went something like this:

No one hates war more than the soldiers who have to fight it.

That helps to sum-up my frustration. The accusation that anyone in this country wants to go to war is ignorant. It's dishonest or plain ignorance to say that those who devised the war don't have to fight it, therefore they don't care. Please, pardon me for being blunt, but that's crap. The vast majority of those fighting the war believe in the cause.

Our country was attacked. We responded. It's fine to disagree with President Bush's response. That's what our Republic is all about.

But we need to be realistic. Sometimes, hard decisions need to be made. Sometimes those decisions aren't popular (see: Roosevelt, WWII)

It's foolish to believe that our own government wanted to start a war. It's beyond foolish; it's plain stupid! We didn't start it. Your president is doing what he believes is in the best interest of this country. Your goverment made the hard decision to meet violence with violence. In this imperfect world, your president realized that sometimes good people must take a hard stand. That means that people will be put in harm's way. I'm one of those people. No one forced me or anyone else to be in uniform today.

I'm not excited or happy to be heading to war. In fact, I wish I didn't I have to go. But I'm not going because of some perceived "lie." I'm not going because some people in my government are "chicken-hawks." I don't even know what that means. I suspect that term was made-up by small-minded people, bent on hate. But I digress. Why am I going to war?

I'm going because I have to. I have to go because some really bad people want to kill us. They want to kill Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians and Independents. They want to kill the "undecided." They want you, me and everyone we know to die.

I'm not going to war because I want to. I'm going because I have to. Because some evil people in another country are plotting to kill you. I don't want that to happen. So I'm going to war.

Wish I didn't have to. But I do.


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Showing 1-10 of 10 comments
Submitted By: Nikki Britain
posted on 3/2/2008 @ 1:26:19 PM
Rated Blog Entry
Stay safe. Come back. And I'm with Jamie.... if we get an address I will chip in with lots of grape-flavored BubbleYum, the best darn gum on the face of the planet.
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Submitted By: Jamie VanEaton
posted on 3/1/2008 @ 4:44:26 PM
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Bill, I hope you'll give us your address and a list of things you need while you're away. I can't imagine a friend of mine in a foreign country without moon pies.
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Submitted By: Gladys Mercier
posted on 2/28/2008 @ 3:56:09 PM
Rated Blog Entry
Just bring me my jar of Iraqi sand.the crab cakes can wait til you come home. Godspeed.
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Submitted By: Tracey Fanning
posted on 2/24/2008 @ 12:25:32 PM
Rated Blog Entry
Stay safe.Thank You from my heart for your service to our country.Thank you for doing something I probably couldn't do,put my life on the line,for my country.I believe in what our troops are doing.I believe you will come home safe. From one B-more to another,the Chesapeake Bay is still full of blue crabs,come home safe and get your old bay and beer ready. Thank You.
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Submitted By: Michael Rule
posted on 2/24/2008 @ 6:34:13 AM
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PSS, Mostly I just want you to stay safe over there, and a part of me is really interested in what you write us about your experience.
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Submitted By: Michael Rule
posted on 2/24/2008 @ 6:33:05 AM
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PS, Remember that old cartoon? "Son, if you want to be a chicken hawk, you gotta eat chickens...." LOL. That's all I really know about chicken hawks.
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Submitted By: Michael Rule
posted on 2/24/2008 @ 6:31:20 AM
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It will be interesting to see what the next administration will do about Iraq. I have always admired McCain because I feel he calls it like he sees it, but I'm thinking Obama will be our next president (just a hunch).
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Submitted By: Paula Dunbar
posted on 2/23/2008 @ 11:26:53 PM
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We'll miss you greatly.. and God's speed in getting back
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Submitted By: Paula Dunbar
posted on 2/23/2008 @ 11:24:59 PM
Rated Blog Entry
Bill.. I totally understand your thoughts.. and others who have been there.. have said the same thing who I've talked to. You are so right.. no one wants to be there.. but there is even more than that.. we are also defending defenseless people there.. That was a big one for me.. The entire world is just not our problem.. More and more.. it's all our problem... Thank you for serving :)
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Submitted By: Tom Treloar
posted on 2/23/2008 @ 9:28:25 AM
Rated Blog Entry
Well Said! Freedom is not free.
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Showing 1-10 of 10 comments
CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Bill Prather

Arvada , CO

Bill Prather has posted 82 blog entries and 320 comments since joining on 7/15/2006. Bill Prather 's average blog rating is 4.49.
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