Dear Mr. President I am sending you my s...
Dear Mr. President I am sending you my son today. He leaves for Army Basic Training at Fort Benning GA this afternoon. He believes in the honor of serving his country, protecting us from terrorism, and that this is a way that he can make a difference in the world. He loves being active and was not cut out to sit behind a desk or be a pencil pusher.
He is my only child, so I send him to you with fear as well as pride. Teach him to know that being a warrior is more than simply being a soldier. Help him to learn that he can not simply seek to kill those who desire to do harm, but that he must also build up those who want to live fulfilled and productive lives. Make it possible for him to be as proud to bring peace and prosperity as he is to provide protection and power.
Teach my son the restraint of great power; that great power does not give him license to impose his will but rather gives him the strength to show others they way to their own power. Show him how to be swift and sure in providing consequences to violence while restraining others from violence wherever possible. Help him to find clear vision that he may seek to stop those who would do violence without developing bitterness or arrogance.
I can only imagine how difficult it is to change the mentality of those who believe that the way we've always fought wars is the only way and that providing support to local farmers, schools or families is not the job for us or our military. And I have to agree that it seems like an impossible contradiction to me. But our world is too small, and our lives too interconnected not to see that when we respond to violence with only violence, hatred, anger and resentment are the result.
I accept that my son will learn to be an excellent marksman as well as a member of a fighting team. I also realize that others will seek to shoot or bomb him. But what I know is that he is a young man of character, with a deep spirit and a loving heart. Do not spend his life needlessly or waste it unnecessarily. Bring him home safely to me. This is my prayer for him and for every other son and daughter in our military.
A deep and powerful consciousness here . . . shared with you by our community -- guides and protects Jason.
2 years ago