Thank you to all who serve.

Written by: Phil Specht on Jun 12, 2008 2:57 PM EDT

I'm thinking now of two groups in particular as we face our crisis situation in Iowa with the storms and flooding and loss of crops here in Iowa which will spread pain across our nation. The first are the emergency personel, the police, firemen, EMTs, volunteers, and our National Guard. and I'm thinking also of the Guard and Reserve units who would be on the front line here if they were not over there.

But behind them are America, the clergy with words of comfort, the families,the schools that take that special time with the child missing a parent, or now a home, the food pantry donors, and volunteers, and cooks at the shelter, someone bring blankets, another down at the humane society taking in displaced pets, the Red Cross.

America runs on people who step up to the plate.

Maybe as a little league coach or soccer mom, a volunteer at the library.

But a special group risk their lives.Some like in our armed forces, sent by a Democratic Congress and a Republican President into war at way too high a rate. Others firemen into a raging river to pull out a victim. to you a salute.

We owe you.

We owe you to care enough about our country that we all become informed voters. So budgets are adequate, equipment in order, and we never allow ourselves to be lied into war.

We owe you medical care, your pension, provisions for your family, and a willingness to pay taxes.(It is on this last point in particular I challenge my Republican friends). and we owe it to generations yet unborn to get our heads on straight and find a better way to get along on this globe.

Political winds have divided us as a nation and we are too good a people to let it happen, because when our hearts are harnessed not hardened we can do anything.

Robert, I hope you have time to stop by the new watercooler and chat when you finish your duty.

Thank you and those with you for your service.

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