(image via Sodahead)

THE SOLDIERS SO DESPISED BY THE LEFT

Its hard to believe that there were many, many years when, like most everyone I knew and worked with, I took these fine people for granted, at best, and thought of them with an arrogant kind of snotty contempt, at worse. I'm ashamed that I was ever that way.

Former liberal Charles Winecoff talks about how he came to respect and admire the brave men and women that keep us safe:

...On 9/11, real war roared back with a vengeance - right in our own backyard. This was no channel-changer shot through a telephoto lens; this was horror, up close and personal (until the networks stopped showing the blood and falling bodies, and opted for a more “objective” bird’s eye view).

That’s when we finally saw soldiers again - as real men and women - firefighters and police officers and military personnel all working together, the best of human nature on spontaneous display, surprising and selfless. That’s when we witnessed the triumph of the flag again, without embarrassment or excuses, hoisted up as a beacon in the midst of apocalyptic chaos and sorrow.

That’s when ordinary Americans, like me, who never knew real war or much suffering, began to understand what was truly at stake. That’s when, for many of us, “soldier” took on a new meaning. Soldiers were no longer just toys or the pathetic pawns of a ruthless war machine; they were fellow citizens of integrity and courage, brave individuals from diverse backgrounds, willing to go places most Americans would never dream of going - often because their consciences told them to.

These were men and women who cared enough to risk everything for others, and to stand proudly for an ideal.

I never knew any soldiers. I never had to. I was always safely ensconced at home, free to live my life and pursue whatever interests I wanted . The closest I came to knowing a soldier was an NYPD cop, a friend who lost his wife in the World Trade Center attack. Despite the constant stress of his job, the long hours and bad weather and petty violence he saw on his beat - and the agony of his loss - I never once heard him say an unkind or demeaning word about anyone, of any race, or any religion.

On the contrary, I heard him say, quite matter of factly, that if he died on the job, it would be worth it, if it prevented more misery from happening. He was willing to give up his own life as part of his job. How many of us would ever consider, could ever fathom, such a commitment?

That’s a hero. That’s a soldier. And it’s no fairy tale - it comes from having a mind, a heart, and a spine.

God bless the men and women who share those attributes, and move forward everyday, knowing it could be their last. We are so grateful you really do exist.

A mind, a heart and a spine. If only our leaders were that way.

We can say thank you here during Troopathon 2009.

Greg Gutfield offers a little perspective:

In our current culture, here’s what we consider “daring:” barbed wire tattoos around the biceps of scrawny witless musicians, well-abbed unemployed drifters found on various reality shows, pierced, preeny “in your face” dip-wads from pranky stunt shows, spoken word cretins fueled by rage and poor hygiene, performance artists who use their own bodily fluids as both canvas and paint, brain-dead hard-partying actresses with assorted infections, extreme adventurers who require public-funded rescues, animal rights activists with more tics than friends, creepy new age healers who drink their own urine - and of course, Adrian Grenier.

But overlooked as the truly coolest people in America? Those folks who put their lives on the line for their country. These are the people who deserve the reality shows, the fat paychecks, the accolades and the free drinks at swanky clubs.

Amen.