There is a lovely little idea going around the net about Taking the Vow. While I find it’s childlike simplicity quite charming and reminiscent of the times I grew up in, the hippie generation, the Make Love not War generation, there is something about it that bothers me. It neglects to admit that our position of being able to Take the Vow is reliant upon others who have taken a different type of vow. It neglects to admit that there is evil in this world that cannot and will not be changed by personal revelation. It neglects to inform that there are countries in this world where evil men willingly place innocent children in the front lines of war. It neglects to admit that we are all vulnerable to this evil invading our own way of life. Evil has also taken a vow.
Our personal ability to be able to choose to Take the Vow is a privilege won by men (there are no women in the Infantry) who have chosen to take This Vow:
I am an American Soldier. I am a warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values. I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade. I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself. I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States in close combat. I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life. I am an American Soldier. Hoo-Ah!!
I have taken a Vow to support these men.
This was their deployment , December 15, 2008.
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, Easter Sunday, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Halloween, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, the birthday of every family member including their own, every anniversary, and for some, even the birth of a child,
all spent in Mosul, Iraq.
They are nearing the end of their year-long tour.
Whether you choose to take the above online “Taking the Vow” matters not to me. What would matter is when you see one of these young soldiers returning to U.S. soil, shake his hand and thank him for your ability to choose.
(This would apply to all branches of the U.S. Military. I can only write of my personal experience, which is the U.S. Army Infantry)
23 comments:
You present a very deep and real point of view. I abhor violence and hatred. Our Canadian soldiers are in Iraq too.
Wish Make Love not War was everybody's motto - forever.
I love your vow. Evil has taken a vow -- you speak the truth in this.
Shaking the hand of a soldier who is returning home from overseas is something that we can all do, and be proud to do so. We owe these young men and women a very great deal of gratitude.
Aaaaah! Don't you know how much I love this post?! Finally! I get a chance to read more of you. You are the essayist and as such I would love to read more of your thoughts. For Deborah, you are one of the special mothers whose child is doing the sacrifice so that we will be able to truly achieve peace.
It is a good idea to teach children to follow the path of peace; they can all use a lesson like that. It is another story for adults to think that taking the vow never to take up arms or engage in a violent confrontation is the answer to achieving peace. HELLLLLOOOO WORLD!!! Wake up whoever you are and stop smoking that weed I your peace pipe! Your brain is mottled and perhaps the neurons wasted from constant sniffing and snorting of psychedelic drugs. GET REAL. While the y are swaying to the tune of Khumbaya, Iran is building its second nuclear plant, South Korea is testing long range missiles, Russia invaded Georgia, Terrorist bombed a hotel in India, the Talibans are terrorizing Pakistan, the Moro national Liberation front movement are kidnapping innocent citizens and Christians in Southern Philippines, we just foiled uncovered a terrorist cell in New York and do we have such short memories we have forgotten the World Trade Center bombings?
Don’t get me wrong. I love peace. I hate confrontation. Heck, I don’t even want to argue with my husband or disagree with my best friend, but groups like “Taking the Vow” are preaching to the choir. For them to truly be effective they should go to the source of the violence and hatred, but they won’t do that because they know they will be beheaded and have their corpses paraded and dragged on the streets and public squares then have their remains and charred bodies strung from a bridge while men, women and children rejoice at the sight.
Real peace is achieved when those, the soldiers of free nations, who have made a vow, to uphold basic human rights and freedom ware willing to sacrifice their lives, take up arms to make sure that evil doers and terrorists cannot make war. It may be difficult for the pacifists and appeasers to understand this but they never get it, for they neglect to learn the lessons of history and mankind.
God bless our soldiers and God bless Pfc. Ryan.
OMG! Who is that beautiful long haired young lady on your profile photograph? Ha! I would not call this a Republican post but rather a truly American post. I just want to say that America is never a bellicose country but has always been there to help promote democracy. Now it is becoming a country of appeasers, naive diplomacy as if despots, dictators and tyrants will all of a sudden play nice. Oh God, I cannot stand seeing the destruction of our core values.
With a good and beautiful head on her shoulders! Oh you are just dropping little hints on your attractive and lovely youth!
OMG!
OMG!
OMG!
OOOOH! You are gorgeous. It's obvious you were a gorgeous gorgeous lovely young woman AAAW!
Oh I am enjoying this show!
TSUP!
HAHAHAHA! Absolutely understandable of your beloved! Hahahahahah! Yopu made the dress? Oh Deb these photographs are just lovely.
Can't blame him! Go have fun! Have a great evening! Thanks for the blog-chat.
Hi Deb,
I haven't heard about "The Vow" on-line, but I'm intrigued and must read about it. I'm amazed when people REFUSE to accept that evil exists in this world. It is real, present, and on a mission!!!!
Thank you for speaking the truth without fear of what others may think...You go Girlfriend!!!!!!
I'm there with you and THANKFUL for men like your son who fight to keep America free!!!!
xoxo Cori
deb, i have to say i find all this too black and white. i don't think one position cancels out another. i prefer peaceful means whenever possible and i will defend freedom (and appreciate those who do on my behalf) vehemently when necessary. i do not like 'them versus us' positions in general--don't think it's necessary or particuliarly helpful.
(xoxo as you know) :)
Loved it!
Deborah, I meant to say North Korea, not South Korea. South Korea is a peaful democracy loving nation.
Oh and one more thing. There is no hemhawing about it. Evil is evil. There is no otther name for it. True freedom fighters do not hide in women's skirts, do not use boys and women as fronts and do not strap bombs on their wives, daughters and sisters to blow off hotels.
Deborah, your blog is wonderful--I'm glad that Manon's blog led me to yours. THis is a serious, thought-provoking post with realism tempering idealism--a good reminder to be balanced. The quotation, "Be wise as serpents and gentle as doves" comes to mind.
Your light-hearted entries are also delightful. I love your spirit!
ACK! Wake up! wake up! Open your eyes! You are thinking of somebody else! I want some of your legs!
Love the post Deborah! I had not heard of Taking the Vow. Thanks for sharing your frankness and honesty.
Oh Deborah...You are a HERO of a mother. Indeed: thought provocing...Ces is a real ANGRY American patriot isn't she ? ( Anger is never good unless it can be let go in order to help build a loving and healthy society, especially micro ). She is right in many ways, but I feel HURT when she writes that par example I, as a pacifist and a Christian, could be nothing else but a "pot smoking...etc. " Besides, it isn't as much democracy-o- the-human-rights, I.m afraid, for there would be no hunger and there would be enough clean drinking water in the world, everywhere. It is much more democrac- o- money and-arms, I'm afraid. But what the heck...I DO love you Deborah; I admire you as the mom to this brave young man ( and your husband as well ) and as you know I am praying for him to come back home safe and sound and in his right mind even though he is in alsmost the worst region of Irak...Military and civilian...let us respect both in their own wordly worthyness.
Godeliva
I need to add one more thing: we over here are barely recovering from the occupation of Nazi-regime; we, in our veigns, in our DNA still carry...and this is not a slightly thing/issue...we KNOW what it is to be occupied ! Don't toll the bells for any wild poetic idear of a certain form of FREEDOM if only by the falling of the Berlin Wall the Germans were freed at last from the sins of their ancestors and the COLD WAR that was America-Russia( wich were their own parents, for crying out loud ) ..and then again: were the 16year old boys that died at Arnhem for nothing for their Fürher....waist land...waist boys >>>Did they live and die for nothing !!! And all the Polish paratroopers ? What ARE WE DOING IN IRAK ????????
In my country it is known that the government of Buch knew all about what the treaths against the WTC and DID NOTHING. I tend to believe that this goevernment was sleeping and gave every oppurtunity to Bush to act out the sins of his father and start a war...a war in wich also now Dutch soldiers have died...So who is smoking weed here...?? Capitalists governments !
Dear Deborah, I am so sorry. Your blog isn't the arena to be political. But we are SO DIFFERENT ! All around the world. If it was up to us , women and mothers, we would need to rule differently ! We would have to go out and BE peaceful ! If not we TEACH peace to our children, will they ever know it ? Is it more legal to stand up for PEACE armed with guns ? Or with the heart ??
I'm sorry again. I can be shallow or I can be ME, and I am deep and absolutely engaged.
Godeliva
One last thing, my friend . Is it possible for FPC Ryan and his Dad to visit Europe when he is off duty ?? What a lovely journey it would be for the two men. You just come here with me and rest, my friend, and send them off to France, Italy, Berlin, London, Vienna, Turkey, Greece....
Ack! I did not know Ariadone was commenting on my comment. No way, I am not an ANGRY American but I will not let those who hate America destroy it.
OK, Ces, you are not an indifferent person and that is good.
Hi Deborah! Thank you for the wonderful comment you left on my blog. I'm so excited for you that you son is returning home in a few months :) You are truly an amazing woman for raising a boy to be an American soldier and then being able to watch him board that plane.
I haven't yet heard "Taking The Vow." I'll have to check it out. This is a really great post and I absolutely agree with it. I think all the comments are right in their own way. I mean, we can't have peace without evil. How would we know peace and how wonderful it can be if we didn't know evil and how terrible it is?
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