Please EVERYONE read this, it's very important.. and if you want to trash talk it... read the whole thing and have a good point or i'll delete your comment... my friends cousin went over and now Peterson is going to be going over there.. so please read it

 

A Military Wife
>>
>       (The following story was written by Lori Kimble, a 31 year old
>teacher and proud military wife. Mrs. Kimble, a California native,
>currently   lives in Alabama.)
>
>       I was sitting alone in one of those loud, casual steak houses that
>you find all over the country. You know the type--a bucket of peanuts on 
>every table, shells littering the floor, and a bunch of perky college  kids
>racing around with longneck beers and sizzling platters.
>
>       Taking a sip of my ice tea, I studied the crowd over the rim of my
>glass.  My gaze lingered on a group enjoying their meal. They wore no
>uniform  to identify their branch of service, but they were
>definitely"military:"  clean shaven, cropped haircut, and that "sq uared
>away" look that comes  with pride.
>
>       Smiling sadly, I glanced across my table to the empty seat where my 
>husband usually sat It had only been a few months since we sat in  this
>very  booth, talking about his upcoming deployment to the Middle  East.
>That was  when he made me promise to get a sitter for the kids,  come back
>to this  restaurant once a month and treat myself to a nice  steak. In turn
>he would  treasure the thought of me being here,  thinking about him until
>he returned  home
>
>       I fingered the little flag pin I constantly wear and wondered where
>he was at this very moment. Was he safe and warm? Was his cold any  better?
>Were  my letters getting through to him? As I pondered these  thoughts,
>high  pitched fem a le voices from the next booth broke into my  thoughts.
>
>        "I don't know what Bush is thinking about. Invading Iraq You'd
>think  that man would learn from his old man's mistakes. Good lord. What an
>  idiot!  I can't believe he is even in office. You do know, he stole the 
>election."
>
>        I cut into my steak and tried to ignore them, as they began an
>endless  tirade running down our president. I thought about the last night
>I  spent with my husband, as he prepared to deploy. He had just returned 
>from getting his smallpox and anthrax shots. The image of him standing  in
>our kitchen packing his gas mask still gives me chills.
>
>        Once again the women's voices invaded my thoughts. "It is all about
>  oil, you know O ur soldiers will go in and rape and steal all the oil 
>they can in the name of 'freedom'. Hmph! I wonder how many innocent  people
>they'll kill without giving it a thought? It's pure greed, you know."
>
>        My chest tightened as I stared at my wedding ring. I could still
>see  how handsome my husband looked in his "mess dress" the day he slipped 
>it on my finger. I wondered what he was wearing now. Probably his  desert
>uniform, affectionately dubbed "coffee stains" with a heavy  bulletproof
>vest over it
>
>
>        "You know, we should just leave Iraq alone. I don't think they are 
>hiding any weapons. In fact, I bet it's all a big act just to increase  the
>president's popularity. That's all it is, padding the military  budget at
>the expense of our social securi ty and education. And, you  know what else?
>We're just asking for another 9-ll. I can't say when  it happens again that
>we didn't deserve it."
>
>        Their words brought to mind the war protesters I had watched
>gathering outside our base. Did no one appreciate the sacrifice of brave
>men and  women, who leave their homes and family to ensure our freedom? Do
>they  even know what "freedom" is?
>
>       I glanced at the table where the young men were sitting, and saw
>their courageous faces change. They had stopped eating and looked at each 
>other dejectedly, listening to the women talking. "Well, I, for one,  think
>it's just deplorable to invade Iraq, and I am certainly sick of  our tax
>dollars going to train professional baby-killers we call a military."
>
>    &nb sp;    Professional baby-killers? I thought about what a wonderful father
>my  husband is, and of how long it would be before he would see our 
>children again.
>
>        That's it! Indignation rose up inside me. Normally reserved, pride
>in my husband gave me a brassy boldness I never realized I had. Tonight 
>one voice will answer on behalf of our military, and let her pride in  our
>troops be known.
>
>       Sliding out of my booth, I walked around to the adjoining booth and 
>placed my hands flat on their table. Lowering myself to eye level with 
>them, smilingly said, "I couldn't help overhearing your  conversation.
>
>       You see, I'm sitting here trying to enjoy my dinner alone. And, do
>you know why? Because my husband, whom I l ove with all my heart, is 
>halfway  around the world defending your right to say rotten things about 
>him."
>
>        "Yes, you have the right to your opinion, and what you think is
>none  of  my business. However, what you say in public is something else, 
>and I will  not sit by and listen to you ridicule MY country, MY 
>president, MY husband,  and all the other fine American men and women  who
>put their lives on the  line, just so you can have the "freedom"  to
>complain. Freedom is an  expensive commodity, ladies. Don't let your
>actions cheapen  it."
>
>       I must have been louder that I meant to be, because the manager came
>  over to inquire if everything was all right. "Yes, thank you," I 
>replied.  Then, turning back to the women, I said, "Enjoy the rest of your 
>meal."
>
>        As I returned to my booth applause broke out. I was embarrassed for
>making a scene, and went back to my half eaten steak. The women picked  up 
>their check and scurried away.
>
>        After finishing my meal, and while waiting for my check, the
>manager returned with a huge apple cobbler ala mode. "Compliments of those 
>soldiers," he said. He also smiled and said the ladies tried to pay  for my
>dinner, but that another couple had beaten them to it. When I  asked who,
>the manager said they had already left, but that the  gentleman was a
>veteran, and wanted to take care of the wife of "one of our  boys."
>
>        With a lump in my throat, I gratefully turned to the soldiers and
& gt;thank ed them for the cobbler. Grinning from ear to ear, they came over  and
>surrounded the booth. "We just wanted to thank you, ma'am. You   know we
>can't get into confrontations with civilians, so we appreciate what you 
>did."
>
>        As I drove home, for the first time since my husband's deployment,
>I  didn't feel quite so alone. My heart was filled with the warmth of the 
>other diners who stopped by my table, to relate how they, too, were   proud
>of my husband, and would keep him in their prayers. I knew their  flags
>would fly a little higher the next day. Perhaps they would look for more
>tangible ways to show their pride in our country, and the military who
>protect her. And maybe, just maybe, the  two women who were railing against
>our country, would pause for a  minute to appreciate all the freedom < BR>>America offers, and the price it  pays to maintain it's freedom.
>
>        As for me, I have learned that one voice CAN make a difference.
>Maybe the next time protesters gather outside the gates of the base where I
>  live,  I will proudly stand on the opposite side with a sign of my own.
>It will simply say, "Thank You!"
>
>        To those who fought for our Nation: Freedom has a flavor the
>protected  will never know. GOD BLESS AMERICA!
>
>        Please pray for God's protection of our troops and HIS wisdom for
>their commanders. Pass this on to as many as you think will respond. 
>"Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they  protect
>us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they  perform for
>us in our t ime of need I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and
>Savior."
>
>       When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for
>our ground, air and navy personnel in every area of the middle east.  There
>is nothing attached.... This can be very powerful.... Just send  this to
>all the people in your address book.
>
>       Do not stop this prayer chain, please.... Of all the gifts you could
>  give to anyone in the US Military, be it Air Force, Army, Navy,  Marines
>or National Guard, Prayer is the very best one.....Amen!


Every good gift and every perfect gift
is from above..... < FONT lang=0 face="Brush Script MT" color=#000000 size=3 PTSIZE="12" FAMILY="SCRIPT">