ruggbutt wrote:Yesterday we were on I-17 going to meet someone for work and there was a military convoy traveling with us. As we passed them we gave them the thumbs up. The smile on that young man's face was priceless, I'll never forget it. My g/f started crying. These guys are what America is about and is what makes me proud to be American. Then there's Slick..........................
wow! Aren't you freaking special....
Here's a clue for you, and a trip down memory lane for those who have followed CWOS for a while: A couple years back, I lost a football bet to g00se, and as a result gave a contribution and big shout-out for Fisher House, which provides long-term accomodations for the families of severely wounded troops. Further, I am a founding contributor, and participating angler in the program called Healing Waters, which gives severely wounded vets a chance to have access to fishing across the nation. I participated in an event recently and got the chance to fish with some great guys, including a double amputee who we managed to set up at the tailout of a fine trout pool to flyfish on one of the finest, buggy nights I've ever witnessed. I've gotten so much more out of that program than I ever could give. Just seeing the faces of these vets who had, in some cases, resigned themselves to never experiencing the sport they love again, was heartwarming. Finally, I helped, this season, start up a non-profit called Total Outdoors which teaches outdoor sports to the children of servicemen here in PA who are either overseas or gone forever.
Here's my point in relaying this, Ruggie. One of the things I hear when talking to the vets in the HW programs is this, "Talk is Cheap". It is repeated over and again in regards to how they, wounded troops from Iraq and Afghanistan theaters, were treated by the prior administration and a lot of citizens they refer to rather disparagingly as 'fake patriots'. They appreciate that the Obama admin has turned a good bit of this around and put money and personnel into the rehabilitation and ongoing care of veterans after they return home and even after they leave the service of our nation. They appreciate programs like the ones I cited above, among many, that go the extra mile beyond mere lip service to the troops.
So, Ruggie, here is my question to you: What have YOU contributed, beyond waving at passing trucks? My friends from Texas have a fine expression, "All hat and no cattle", and I suspect this describes your insulting bullshit regarding my concern about our servicemen and women. Prove me wrong. Tell me what you've done, in your spare time. You have time to spend playing games and hanging out with your 'squaddies'. Nice stuff for a 16 year old, but you're a man(supposedly). So, as a man, what have you sacrificed of your time or money to better the lives of US servicemen?
