Service Stories

In my initial quest to solicit service stories from others I have met with some resistance.  This has been mostly due to the desire to remain anonymous.  First, all service stories can be shared without revealing one's identity.  The goal is not to have someone go on the record but to share their experiences and reasons for serving. 

So, I implore those who visit this blog and who have either served in the military or volunteered for a civilian cause to share their stories.  The more we hear from you the better this dialogue can be and the more we can try to explore why certain people serve and why others do not and what we can do to incentivize more people to sacrifice for others.

Judging from some of the correspondence I have had or seen from others, there are strong feelings there but people are afraid to share their true thoughts on the subject matter.  This in and of itself is an indictment of the kind of political and cultural environment that has been established in this country.  People are afraid to speak out for shared sacrifice because it has become taboo or politically incorrect to point to those that do nothing and say "That is wrong."

To make it more personal - as a Marine - it has become culturally unacceptable for me to point to those that do not serve in some capacity and say that they are people who live off the fruits of others' labor and sacrifice, people that live under the blanket of protection that others provide, without having to commit any of their own time and effort to the cause and that the system is wrong for allowing this to go on.

That, my friends, is part of the problem.  When it is not even acceptable to bring up the subject, discourse is suppressed, debate is stifled and true change can never be expected.

I, for one, believe our country suffers from this lack of discussion.  And I hope, with your help, to change this.

Please share your stories with me and the rest of the community.