Veteran's Day
2010-11-11 18:17:26.475873+00 by
Dan Lyke
2 comments
from Poems of Patriotism (and other sources, this one's oft-quoted):
SONS of Shannon, Tamar, Trent,
Men of the Lothians, men of Kent,
Essex, Wessex, shore and shire,
Mates of the net, the mine, the fire,
Lads of desk and wheel and loom,
Noble and trader, squire and groom,
Come where the bugles of England play,
Over the hills and far away !
Southern Cross and Polar Star
Here are the Britons bred afar ;
Serry, serry them, fierce and keen,
Under the flag of the Empress-Queen ;
Shoulder to shoulder, down the track,
Where, to the unretreating Jack,
The victor bugles of England play
Over the hills and far aivay !
What if the best of our wages be
An empty sleeve, a stiff-set knee,
A crutch for the rest of life who cares,
So long as the One Flag floats and dares ?
So long as the One Race dares and grows ?
Death what is death but God's own rose ?
Let but the bugles of England play
Over the hills and far away !
— William Ernest Henley.
[ related topics:
Religion Quotes Pyrotechnics Flowers War
]
comments in descending chronological order (reverse):
#Comment Re: made: 2010-11-12 04:27:29.002318+00 by:
Dan Lyke
Sources: Pentagon group finds there is minimal risk to lifting gay ban during war:
More than 70 percent of respondents to a survey sent to active-duty and reserve troops over the summer said the effect of repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy would be positive, mixed or nonexistent, said two sources familiar with the document. The survey results led the report's authors to conclude that objections to openly gay colleagues would drop once troops were able to live and serve alongside them.
#Comment Re: made: 2010-11-11 19:23:18.364049+00 by:
ebradway
I as affected by this story of the first Sikh to join the Army enlisted ranks
since the 1980's. It underscores three important things:
- You can have brown, wear a turban, and still want defend America from its
enemies
- Even the Army, at times, understands that freedom of religion extends to our
troops and that freedom may conflict with silly rules and regulations
- Sometimes the differences amongst us are our greatest strength
Now if we can just get #1 and #2 to read "You can have open homosexual
orientation and still want to defend America" and "Even the Army understands
that sexual orientation does not affect ones willingness or ability to fight".
Because, obviously, #3 applies whether you are talking about religion, race or
sexual orientation.