Red Fridays - Update

Back in August of 2006, I shared this post (click to see post) about "Red Fridays".

Brief recap: I received an e-mail from one of my cousins that included a heart-warming story about a soldier's family. At the end was a suggestion that anyone who supports our troops to wear something red on Fridays.

I don't know how many saw the e-mail. I don't know how many people read my post. I don't know how many people thought "That's a good idea." I don't know how many people actually started wearing red on Fridays. I don't know how many people who did wear red on Fridays for that reason, have continued to do so to present day.

But I did.

Why bring this up now? Because today is (pardon the pun) a red-letter day. Today is the official day when the last combat troops leave Iraq. Mind you, we still have troops in Iraq. We also still have troops in Afghanistan. But it is still a good thing; especially for those troops coming home.

I would suspect that some who have actually remembered to wear red on Fridays may now stop because the last combat troops are coming home from Iraq. But as stated, we still have troops there and in Afghanistan. I sometimes think that Afghanistan has been forgotten by many. Of course, with all of the media attention so focused on Iraq, there's little wonder. But I remember. And now that the last combat troops are leaving Iraq, perhaps the media will focus more on Afghanistan. Guess only time will tell.

In the mean time, I think I will continue to wear red on Fridays until our "forgotten" troops in Afghanistan come home too. Because the reason I started was not solely for our troops in Iraq.

Too many people believe that freedom is free. It's not. It must be fought for - constantly, because there are those who would quite happily take it away, if they could. And the most surprising of all is that not all of them try to do so violently. In fact, some in our own government are trying to do so. Slowly. Patiently. Quietly. And we're letting them. Oh they say all the right things, try and make you think that if you don't agree with them that you are a bigot or unpatriotic, or just plain stupid. I see it happening, almost everyday. And I cannot stop it.

But "we" can. It's not too late, yet. Be watchful - pay attention to what's going on and who's doing what. Be weary - remember, the nine most frightening words in the English language are, "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help." And be active - if you are a citizen that is at least 18 years old, then exercise your right that literally millions of people do not have and VOTE. Support candidates that support freedom. Support candidates who don't believe "they" know what's best for you. Support candidates who support smaller government and truly wish to decrease the size of ours. Don't think that just because one is a member of a certain party that they must believe in these things - base what you do on what they DO, not what they SAY. ACTIONS, not WORDS.

I have gotten off on a tangent I did not mean to go down. But there it is.

Back to my original topic. I have always been a supporter of our troops because I know that freedom isn't free. And we have what we have because our troops do what they do. They fight for us. They fight because someone has to. If not them, than who? I don't think we say "thank-you" nearly enough for what they do for us.

To all our service men and women, past and present, whether here or abroad - I salute you and with all of my heart, I say "Thank-you!"

I will continue to wear red on Fridays. Others may not know the reason why.

But I do.