Patriotism

[ElDiablo (Paul)]

Hello all!

   I found this posted on one of the forums of a local MX track. I thought that we could all appreciate the message even though we are of multi-national origin. I just want to say that I think it is a FREEDOM thing and not a US thing. If this message offends anyone here then I apologize in advance.

> From a lady in Colorado---



>One of my sons serves in the military. He is still stateside, here in
>California. He called me yesterday to let me know how warm and
>welcoming people were to him, and his troops, everywhere he goes,
>telling me how people shake their hands, and thank them for being
>willing to serve, and fight, for not only our own freedoms but so that
>others may have them also. But he also told me about an incident in the
>grocery store he stopped at yesterday, on his way home from the base.
>
>He said that ahead of several people in front of him stood a woman
>dressed
>in a burkha. He said when she got to the cashier she loudly remarked about
>the US flag lapel pin the cashier wore on her smock. The cashier reached
>up and touched the pin, and said proudly, "Yes, I always wear it and I
>probably always will."
>
>The woman in the burkha then asked the cashier when she was going to
>stop
>bombing her countrymen, explaining that she was Iraqi. A gentleman
>standing behind my son stepped forward, putting his arm around my son's
>shoulders, and nodding towards my son, said in a calm and gentle voice to
>the Iraqi woman:



>"Lady, hundreds of thousands of men and women like this young man have
>fought and died so that YOU could stand here, in MY country and accuse a
>check-out cashier of bombing YOUR countrymen. It is my belief that had you
>been this outspoken in YOUR country, we wouldn't need to be there today.
>But, hey, if you have now learned how to speak out so loudly and clearly,
>I'll gladly buy you a ticket and pay your way back to Iraq so you can
>straighten out the mess in YOUR country that you are obviously here in MY
>country to avoid."
>
>Everyone within hearing distance applauded!
>
>Pass it on.... Patriotism is not a Fad message.
>
>It's what we stand for.

[MX45]

I may be a little less conservative. I'm not affraid to offend anyone, its part of our privilage and freedom of speech here.

But Paul, I have to agree with you, and the lady from Colorado and anyone else with the view that non-American's are overall ungratefull for the US's involvment in current and past times. Even the British, they'd all be speaking German if it wasn't for us. Not to say their and other countries help toward the US isn't appreciated.

That incident in the grocery store is a bit ridiculous, and I like how the man handled it. America is by no means perfect. Wehave way too many problems, but compared with other parts of the world, we got it made in the shade.