Discussion of "The True Toll" by livesideways22

I really enjoyed this. My sister and her husband are both Marines as well. So I have all the respect in the world for you!

Thank you very much for supporting us. As you could probably tell, that photo pissed me off something fierce, as I lost my cousin (R.I.P.) in 2004 in Iraq.

Yes, I can see where it would piss you off. I understand what the sign meant. But, the wording sounds terrible. We should be thankful for soldiers who have fallen, and preserve their memory. But never thankful that they died.

That photo pissed me off, too! I'm against the war (against all wars) but supportive of the soldiers who fight them, and I like to think most anti-war people support the people in combat. War is Hell, and no one should suffer that for their beliefs only to come home to complete ingratitude! I have a lot of respect for our armed forces, just not a lot of respect for our politicians who send them into harm's way for slanted agendas (and every agenda is tainted by something). May your cousin, and all the others who have given their lives, rest in peace.

Thank you.

What a wonderful piece of writing! That picture is truly sad. There are a few cruel people in the military who commit crimes agains the people in other countries. If they were here, they would be killing Americans. Bad people are bad no matter where you put them. It's a shame that the actions of the deranged few reflect on the entire military. One of my students had a son stationed on active duty. He said his unit found a huge stockpile of weapons and neutralized them. I don't know if there were any WMD's or not, but there are definitely terrorist storehouses all over, and a bunch of little weapons are as bad as one big one. You guys don't get the recognition you deserve in the media. Whether or not people think the war is a good idea, whether or not it's worth the cost you guys are paying, you deserve some thanks. Some of the nicest, most responsible people I've known are in the military. It's sad enough that they have to fight fanatics, that they have to deal with beaurocracy keeping them nearly paralyzed as they attempt to both wipe out the enemy and help the local civilians. That they do it thanklessly is unconscienable. Their politics blind them so much they cannot see strong character, cannot respect sincere courage and conviction.

I find it fascinating that the same people who hold those hateful signs about soldiers try to use the Bible to justify homophobia.

What good is faith in God, or in a political idea if it robs you of your faith in humanity? (Ask that of anyone who questions your worth as a soldier.)