Is this what we give up our lives for?

My heart cries out in anguish

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Whenever I look at our soldiers

Our very brave men and women in uniform

Strapped with their guns, wearing their caps, at times wearing their medals of appreciation in service to their countries

Sometimes, with their backpacks back from their tours of active duty

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Some of them return home full of expectations….wild ones at that and some others, not really

They don’t really wish to return to where their non-combat lives left off

Can you blame them?

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“War is not a joke”

“It’s not a place where you get to have second doubts”

“When bullets fly, you won’t say you weren’t ready lest you lose your head”

“If you want to avoid violence, it’s best you don’t start up a war”

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A lot happens when you shoot down something

Try to imagine what goes on in one’s mind when they shoot down somebody and kill them

Is their life ever the same again?

Do you ever recover from that?

What happens if this goes on unchecked?

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Then, the most interesting thing happens when they’ve returned home

Their sacrifice seems to have gone down the drain much faster than they could have anticipated

Back home, it’s like no one really cares about them or their welfare

Many a time, they are forgotten by the system that they put their lives on the line for

They are belittled, abused, trashed aside like they don’t really matter

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What do you think goes on in their minds at that time?

Or moments like those?

Because let’s face it…..those moments are inevitable; they will come through one way or the other

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Human interaction of any form provides ground for disagreement, that we must appreciate

Difference is, some people handle disagreement in healthy ways and others, not

During those moments when disagreement is handled poorly, one of ours may get caught in the line of fire

Often in time, reaction takes a back-seat because there are civilians around and calm response is offered

To which, it’s taken for granted (sadly)

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Did we give up our utmost sacrifice, for you to fight and disrespect each other this way?

Why did we even go to the bush?

 

Is this what we give up our lives for?