Restaraunt story.
My sister sent me this in an e-mail. I don't know if it is a true story, but it tells of doing something I have wished I were brave enough to do. Something more of us right thinking Americans need to do, OFTEN.If this is a true story and Lori Kimble is a real person, then God bless her. And if she is ever traveling through my town This 13 year U.S. Navy veteran would be honored to buy her another steak.
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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 iced 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 "squared 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 to me.
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
female 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. Our 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 security 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."
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, I
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 love 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 thanked
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 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!"
(*Lori Kimble is a 31 year old teacher and proud military wife. A California
native, Mrs. Kimble currently lives in Alabama)
To those who fought for our Nation: Freedom has a flavor the protected will
never know. GOD BLESS AMERICA!
*******************
There's just too much silence when people say these kinds of things.
Is Bill Clinton ultimately responsible for 9-11?
I feel he bears at least a part of the blame. He ordered changes in the way the CIA did business that tied their hands and prevented them from gathering information from people inside AlQuaeda.
You decide.
U.S. Will Drop Clinton-Era CIA Restrictions
Clinton Blames CIA for Implementing His Own Spy Restrictions
Idiotologues
Last week a man in Cincinnati died after being arrested.I'm not going to rehash the retoric about who is to blame.
(actually all you have to do is watch the video to see who is to blame)
What I want to think about is all the Political idealogues (here after known as Idiotologues ) who flew out of their closets blaming the police, calling for the Chief of Police to step down, even before they had seen the video.
I heard a caller on the radio saying he saw the police hit the man first on the video. This just didn't happen. It wasn't on the video. This idealogue was just trying to stir up trouble and hatred.
The man was black, the main officers seen on the video were white. Therefore it was a racist murder by white supremesist police, so the Idiotologues said. They couldn't see past the race of the criminal and find anything other than racism.
Who are these people?
Are they just stupid?
Do they have some plan in mind? Like maybe they know that a lot of people will just believe what they have to say without thinking or checking the facts, or watching the video.
I believe these idiotologs are the real racists. I believe they are the main reason we still have racial hatred in this country. Every time anything happens to a black person these idiotologues pop out from under their rocks and start spouting hatred and lies.
I believe in freedom of speech but so long as there are poeple who seem to want to create racial hatred in this country keep spouting their vitriol, it's going to be a lot harder for those of us who don't care what color a person's skin is to create the racialy equal country we wish we could.
They turn anything between whites and blacks into a race issue.
