The High Cost Of Freedom
By William Bailey (07/03/03)
The Fourth of July . . . a National holiday . . . a time for celebration, a time to be grateful for the freedoms and liberties we enjoy. Also, a time for reflection on what it costs to preserve and maintain those freedoms and liberties.
Have you ever really stopped to think about the price paid for freedom and liberty ? Some would say it can be found in the cost of guns, munitions, planes, boats and other military hardware. Others might say it can be found in the cost to maintain an active Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard. While all of that may be a part of it, I would humbly suggest that the true cost of freedom and liberty . . .
. . . is the small, red-bordered flag in the window----with a gold star;
. . . is the empty chair at the table;
. . . is the absence of a parent for bedtime prayers;
. . . is the blood that has been spilled around the world so that there
will be no “hob-nailed” boots marching down our streets;
. . . is the lovingly and carefully folded American flag respectfully
presented to the next-of-kin of one who made the ultimate sacrifice;
. . . is the veteran in a wheel-chair or missing a limb or with some
other life-long memory of service;
. . . are the rows and rows of white crosses that dot the landscape, here and around the world—the final resting place of those who gave all.
Freedom and liberty don’t come at discount prices. We should cherish ours because of the high price paid by those who have served and who serve today. So, please-----the next time you see a man or woman in uniform or one who is obviously a veteran, take a minute, shake their hand—give ‘em a hug—say, “Thank You for my freedom and my liberty.”
‘Tis a small gesture for such a high price paid.
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