My maternal grandfather has been gone for over 16 years now.
I still miss him. But that’s not the reason I am writing this today. I want to
share with you a life lesson he taught me when I was about 12 or 13.
I had bought a t-shirt that said “kill em all, let God sort
them out” with a skull on it. When I walked into the house wearing that shirt,
I really thought he was going to lose his mind and I didn’t understand why at
the time.
You see, my grandfather was a Naval officer in WWII. He lost
friends as he spent much of the war in the South Pacific fighting against the
Japanese.
He sat me down and explained to me what his feelings on a
t-shirt were. They were more than just a t-shirt but his view on life. So, let
me share with you what I learned from my grandfather that day…
ALL life is precious.
The taking of a life is not something to be taken lightly.
If you must do it, it better be for a damn good reason because it’ll be
something you live with for the rest of your life.
God is in the business of grace and forgiveness. God is not
a sorter like at the grocery store checkout.
After I came home from the Gulf in 1991, he sat me down in
my mom’s kitchen with my step-dad’s father and those two old men, WWII
veterans, told me stories about some of their friends that were lost. We spoke
about friendship, friends lost and what it means to actually fight for freedom
and our Constitution. Up until that day, my grandfather never spoke to me about
his time in the Navy. And he never did after that. It was a day for three
combat vets to share a bond and reflect on how good we have it as Americans.
My love for this country runs generations deep. Those who
have wore the uniform of our nation and stepped into a place where hostile fire
is aimed at them are my brothers and sisters for life.
This past week, one our state representatives was threatened
because of his beliefs that he stands up for. This man is an Army combat vet.
He just happens to have a slightly darker shade in his skin tone than me but
that does not diminish the fact of being my brother in arms. And because of his
skin tone, he is supposed to “toe the line” and bend his principles and ethics?
I am glad he stands tall for the Constitution he swore to defend many years
ago. I am glad the people of his district elected a man of character and integrity
to represent them. I am glad they sent a man who loves this country as much as
I do to be a leader in our state. We need more of those.
So, to you sir, I tip my hat and support you. And just like
so many others have said, “we have your back”.
And that’s two cents from a Marine grunt.
Semper Fi.
