A cold and horrible number has been reached in the war effort in Afghanistan. 1,000 United States soldiers have been killed in the conflict.
The dollar cost is nothing compared to the cost of human life. Out of these 1,000 are the young and healthy, best and brightest that volunteered and were trained for their jobs.
The went into harm's way and paid with their lives.
Most will be missed by parents and friends. Some will have left wives and children. Some will be buried at services in their home town and some will make their way to other National Cemeteries and some even to Arlington, most to Section 60.
Add this to the toll in the Iraqi conflict and the results make one weak in the knees.
We want to believe that we are taking the fight to global terrorists and that our efforts are protecting our nation. Perhaps so.
However, we let the Afghans grow and harvest their poppies that create heroin and that heroin makes for trouble wherever it goes. Its profits fund the terrorists and the drug makes addicts in our nation weak.
We have just recognized Memorial Day and I hope that you gave some thought to the price that was paid by veterans of past and current wars.
As I write these words, Dwight D. Eisenhower had given the command to begin the invasion of Europe - D-Day. Throughout this Sunday there will probably be some replaying of WW2 movies and some honoring of those surviving veterans.
1,000 WW2 veterans are dying each day now - they are aging out and joining the ranks of those that fell in battle many years ago.
One hateful thing that happens at some funerals is carried on in the name of freedom of speech and religion by the "Westboro Baptist Church" of Topeka, Kansas. These insensitive, judgmental, mean-spirited people send members to military funerals to greet mourning families with hateful chants and cheers that their sons and daughters, husbands and wives have died.
"Who could be so heartless?" This "church" group has decided that the deaths of our soldiers are God's judgment on America for our sins.
Because of abortion, homosexuality and other things they find most unforgivable as practiced in our society they celebrate the death of our soldiers.
There is nothing right with this behavior. It is not Christian, for we are compelled to weep with those that weep.
It is not American for America is greater than personal prejudices.
They are a club or cult hiding behind the label of "church" and are probably taking tax benefits as do legitimate congregations.
I have an idea.
Let's offer tickets of families with the heroes in Section 60 in Arlington tickets to Topeka. Let's invite a Gay Right's rally to be held in Topeka and then discover whatever the other items on the list might be that is bothering this petty little bunch of nits and march and surround them. Surround them, drop to our knees and simply not move.
Pray that God would give them true wisdom or smite them dead.
If any property is available around the church, buy it up and put VFWs and Veteran's rehab centers around them. Aids Service Centers would also make good neighbors as would Planned Parenthood centers.
Maybe a new National Military Cemetery next door would be possible. That would cut down on their travel.
This "church" will not last long. It has an agenda of hate. The Supreme Court will soon hear a case against them and I hope the nuthatches on the bench have the sense to rule against these people - free speech does not give people the right to assault grieving families. I have used quotation marks around any reference to this group. They are not a church. Gospel is the redemptive story of Jesus Christ and Jesus would not be doing what they are doing. They are really and truly committing treason - giving aid and comfort to our enemy.
I would have had a hard time when I was a pastor and giving comfort to a family and hearing seeing such behavior.
That's why I had linebackers for deacons.
In any case, these are the people who will, at their passing hear the ultimate voice and the Voice will ask, "Did you not see me weeping ... and you comforted me not."
1,000 and counting. Every US paper ought to keep this increasing number on the front page of the main news. It ought to be on the main page of every online banner page.
We ought to keep it fresh in our hearts - lest we forget. © tim www.timjohnsonphoto.com
