Freedom Rings 1

I want you to close your eyes
and picture in your mind
the soldier at Valley Forge,
as he holds his musket
in his bloody hands.

He stands barefoot in the snow,
starved from lack of food,
wounded from months of battle
and emotionally scarred
from the eternity away from his family
surrounded by nothing but death
and the carnage of war.

He stands tough,
with fire in his eyes and victory
on his breath.
He looks at us now
in anger and disgust
and tells us this...

I gave you a birthright of freedom
born in the Constitution
and now your children graduate
too illiterate to read it.

I fought in the snow barefoot
to give you the freedom to vote
and you stay at home
because it rains.

I left my family destitute
to give you the freedom of speech
and you remain silent on critical issues,
because it might be bad for business.

I orphaned my children
to give you a government to serve you
and it has stolen
democracy
from the people.

It's the soldier not the reporter
who gives you
the freedom of the press.

It's the soldier not the poet
who gives you
the freedom of speech.

It's the soldier not the campus organizer
who allows you to demonstrate.

It's the soldier who salutes the flag,
serves the flag,
whose coffin is draped with the flag
that allows the protester
to burn the flag!!!

"Lord, hold our troops in your loving embrace.
Protect them as they protect us,
Bless them and their families
for the selfless acts
they perform for us.
Amen."

Of all the gifts
you could give a U.S. Soldier,
a sincere Prayer & something
worth coming home to;

a Country
that
will
not

soon
forget,

their sacrifice!

Warm & special prayers
to all of you,

Love
Barbara