Why did I serve? For twenty-one years I served in the United States Air Force and spent an additional five years serving as a Department of the Army Civilian. As honorable as both careers were, I didn’t choose to sacrifice my life for your thanks. Yes, I said sacrifice. Every member, military or civilian, gives up a portion of their life whereas some give it completely. Only to those does the fullness of our gratitude belong, but everywhere we go, people say “Thanks for your service.”

Do they really feel such gratitude, or do they simply follow the provocation of convention? After all, who wants to be identified as disrespectful to the military. But regardless of motivation, and ONLY for me personally, I’d rather not receive your thanks. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for your gratitude, but that is not why I served.

Patriotism is not about country nor any of its constituent elements of nationalism, ethnicity, and religion. And it especially isn’t about government; Patriotism is about people. Yet we see such infighting among ourselves. We are hating ourselves. We see it on social media, and unfortunately people are dying because of our hatred.

Freedom must be offensive. It must allow narratives and rhetoric apprehensible to others, but it must not foment in us such hatred that our neighbors, our friends and family – our nation – suffers. Yet freedom bolsters our defiance against normalcy and moral rectitude; we choose barbarism. We want to hate. That hatred comes from nowhere but ourselves. We echo Dr. Morbius by showing a mere token of civility to our fellow citizens, but at night, in the darkness of our thoughts, people die from the “monsters from our id.”

I served because I love America. I see that now more fully then I did upon initial enlistment, but I know it was as true then as it is now. We didn’t serve to make our country great, we served to give each citizen the freedom to choose and live with and for freedom for everybody, and only upon which, can we all make America great for everybody. We have failed.

The next time you see me or any military member, go ahead and give us your gratitude, but remember, it doesn’t end there. Use your freedom, our freedom, in the words of President Lincoln, “to bind up the nation’s wounds” and be truly patriotic.

I detest white supremacy. I detest their rhetoric of hatred and victimhood. I detest their perversion of Christianity, and I detest the religious right in their global failure to denounce the extremes of their base. I know some have, but Christianity, in general, provides a token of condemnation, but they more often simply turn their heads. They have simply been taught to hate the Left more than their own righteousness. It’s a shame really.

However, the extremes of the Left seeking to sanitize American history are wrong. And I detest their efforts. General Robert E. Lee is not the problem. Again . . .

General Robert E. Lee is not the problem.

General Lee was a master tactician, loyal servant of Virginia and the United States and a favorite of President Lincoln. He graduated from the American Military Academy and honorably served the United States for over 32 years. He was against the seccession of the confederacy and believed in unity over disunion. At the onset of the Civil War, he was President Lincoln’s first choice to lead the union army, but because of his loyalty to Virginia, he told Lincoln that where Virginia goes, he will follow. And he became the leader of the Confederate Army.

Every American should be proud of General Lee, yes, he fought on the wrong side of history. However, let us all honor his service, his loyalty, and death for our country. He was greatly involved in post-war politics and substantiated his arguments with civility and reason. An example, his present-day followers should follow. While I don’t personally agree with all he said and did, let me close with a snippet of a letter he wrote five years before his death. Something everyone in Charlottesville, Virginia would be well-advised to read:

"It should be the object of all to avoid controversy, to allay passion, give full scope to reason and to every kindly feeling. By doing this and encouraging our citizens to engage in the duties of life with all their heart and mind, with a determination not to be turned aside by thoughts of the past and fears of the future, our country will not only be restored in material prosperity, but will be advanced in science, in virtue and in religion."