Our Soldiers and Veterans: What's the Best Thing We Can Do for Them?

Our soldiers and veterans are fighting for our freedom… they have seen more atrocities than many of us can fathom. So, take a moment and try to imagine it. Try to imagine being in fear for your life everyday, try to imagine living in a war zone listening to constant artillery being set off, try to imagine witnessing your comrades being torn to shreds and killed, try to imagine witnessing unthinkable atrocities against innocent people, and then try to imagine having your own legs or arms blown off. This is what they are doing for us. Now what is it that you are willing to do for them?

After having fought for our freedom what are many coming home to? They are coming home to many businesses and dwellings that do not offer handicap accessibility because it is not required by code. We need to stop thinking about following the laws and what we can get away with and start thinking about what is right. If you fought for our freedom and were now in a wheelchair, wouldn’t you think the very least people could do for you is to provide you with some handicap accessibility into their businesses? Go above and beyond what is required by code and do what is right.

What else are they coming home to? They are coming home to families that are in “battles” themselves. If you fought for our freedom and came home to your family members bickering about silly things and perhaps not speaking to each other because of the “principle” of it, what would you think? This is what I fought for? More fighting? So another great thing we can do for our soldiers fighting for us is to start working on our relationships and getting along better ourselves… that would be worth fighting for. I’m sure there are many soldiers over there that are thinking, “I would take a bullet in a heartbeat if my parents would stop tearing each other to pieces.”

So, really the best thing we can do for our veterans is to provide them with the most accommodating and peaceful environment we possibly can when they come home. Let’s make fighting for democracy truly something worth fighting for… peace.

If you have any questions or comments on this article, please send me an email at beth@empathylessons.com

- Elizabeth Fink, February 3, 2009

*This article goes out to Don at Magothy Seafood who has been incredibly frustrated with me that I have yet to write an article for our veterans or maybe he's just frustrated with me in general, I'm not sure.