Ben Stein Thanks Veterans

While We Enjoy Our Lives In The U.S., Others Are Sacrificing Everything To Protect It

(CBS)  Veterans' Day is a day of reflection for all Americans, including Sunday Morning contributor Ben Stein:

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The other night, I walked around my Washington apartment, near George Washington University, past all the smiling, joshing, flirting students guzzling down Starbucks coffee.

On the way back, men and women and kids strode happily down K Street, shouting out "Bueller..." "Bueller..." to me, and then I was back in my apartment looking out at the Potomac River and the lights of Virginia.

Then a hot shower, then time to sleep.

Actually, no, first I got on my knees and prayed a prayer of thanks.

Because while we're all laughing and smiling here in the capital and in the homeland, in Afghanistan, men and women are eating chow in a truck or a Humvee wondering if they're about to get blown up. They're far from home.

In Iraq, men and women in the uniform are on patrol in terrifying streets in Samarra and Kirkuk and Baghdad, wondering if they're going home in a body bag, or going home at all.

At Walter Reed Medical Center, a place I visit often, men and women in the amputee ward are learning how to live without their arms and legs. They're bearing up, making plans for their future, and their families and girlfriends and boyfriends are at their sides.

At Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, where the dead from Iraq and Afghanistan sleep, widows are putting flowers and stones on their husbands' markers, and parents are watching their sons' gravestones with tears in their eyes. Their stories could wring tears from cement.

And in Iraq and Afghanistan, the fighting goes on and our soldiers fight like tigers.

Freedom is not free. The millions who fought for us bequeathed it to us. They bought it with their blood and their lives and their limbs. They're still doing it. We're fools if we don't know it.

John F. Kennedy said it well. He said we all ask God to go to work to keep America going. "...here on earth, God's work must surely be our own."

The men and women fighting so far from home are doing it, and spending a good chunk of the day praying for them and thanking God for them is just common decency.

Then we can go back to laughing and loving. They've got our backs.

[anamerican2]

Whatever your opinion on the state of affairs in Iraq, the point of this commentary was to honor our veterans, support the troops, and acknowledge the sacrifice that our own families and fellow Americans have made to make America what it is today - home - where we can express our views freely, feel safe, and pursue our dreams. All rights and priveledges earned by our veterans & soldiers. Well Done Ben Stein!

[archaeo69]

If I want to hear silly Christian preaching, I change channels next time Mr. Stein comes on!

[wal13ter]

What we''re doing in Iraq is GOD''S work? My God, what a repulsive idea! Of course, Osama bin Laden feels the same about HIS "holy warriors" but, you know, I have a feeling God is sitting this one out.

[quatrops]

"The freedom . . . to know that you will not be imprisoned and persecuted without trial."

Yeah, maybe. Maybe if you''re in Mount Holly. But not if you are in Gitmo. Not if you''ve been sent to a secret prison in another country.

[sparks224]

Ben Stein Thanks Veterans

You can bet it has something to do with his money. Maybe he invested in Haliburton.

[sparks224]

runningralph,
the war in Iraq is not preventing anyone from attacking the US. It%u2019s actually increasing the danger to this country.

I can%u2019t believe anyone is STILL using those tired old neo-con talking points.

[sparks224]

runningralph,
The war in Iraq is not preventing anyone from attacking the US. It''s actually increasing the danger to this country.

I can''t believe anyone is STILL unsing those tired old neo-con talking points.

[runningralph]

kenner16,
Nancy Pelosi stated that Iraq has become a magnet for terrorists. She''s right. Where would the terrorists be if they weren''t in Iraq? In the US maybe? Our borders are porous. Besides a mall shooting in Utah, a sniper in DC, I can''t think of any more. There was an incident with explosives intercepted in Washington state I believe, but overall quiet on the home front. But their resources are not unlimited. They can fight Americans in Iraq so why waste their time and money coming to the US? They can get more bang for their buck in Iraq. So, that''s how soldiers in Iraq are preserving our freedom. They are keeping the war on their side.

I still don''t understand how soldiers in Iraq are preserving our freedom. If the Iraq war never happened, our freedom wouldn''t be any less than it is now. And the sad thing about doing "God''s work" is that the enemy believes that they are doing "God''s work" as well. Saying that "God" is on your side doesn''t make your cause any more righteous. Anyway, Happy Veterans Day, and hopefully future presidents will stop using soldiers for their unnecessary grandiose experiments.

[vetsson]

SFC George,
I would like to thank you and all of the other soldiers for doing what our country sent you to do. You have done it with honor and integrity.

Mr. Stein, I was on my way to put the flag out to honor our veterans, but stopped to listen to your contribution. My thanks to you too, for the eloquent way you said it. I paused a minute, then put the flag out.
John, from Milan, IL

[l8c6]

Oh, SHUT UP. You''''re an idiot. Just because you''''re good at trivia it doesn''''t mean you have a clue when it comes to foreign policy.

Posted by roger_inkart

Good point. Having a bunch of pieces to a puzzle doesn''t mean you can put it together and interpret it.

[l8c6]

This guy makes me want to barf. What a worthless piece of right wing trash this is.

[roger_inkart]

Oh, SHUT UP. You''re an idiot. Just because you''re good at trivia it doesn''t mean you have a clue when it comes to foreign policy.

[runningralph]

Troutfisher4,
They have always hated us. We are infidels. We didn''t create that. Remember the attack on the US embassy in North Africa in the late forties? The attack on the USS Cole? The attack on the the Russian theater? The attack on the 1972 Olympics? The Middle East has always been unstable. Remember the murder of Bobby Kennedy? The mission of Islam has always been to spread their religion through warfare. Remember Constantinople/Istanbul? Turkey was the seat of the Holy Roman Empire. CHRISTIAN! This happened before Columbus. We didn''t start this. War is 2nd nature to Islam. They are true warriors in that they will never surrender and they aren''t afraid of death. Respect them for that.In negotiation they have shown that the will shake hands and sign a deal and continue fighting. Support our troops and encourage them.

[runningralph]

troutfisher4,
If we lose the war on terrorism, we don''t have any guarantee that our conquerors would allow us any sort of freedom. In their religion infidels can be mistreated, robbed or killed with no consequence. And we don''t have any guarantee that we can beat them. We trust in our military to guard us.

Great article. Nice tribute to those who place their own self in harms way so the naysayers can continue to stick their heads in sand and insist their is no threat!

[onebeloved]

Great work, Ben. Too bad some choose to turn
a kind tribute, into a political forum.
Anyway, the post by "elfarcherus", essentially
trumps all.

[alanrobisch]

Yes Ben, it is all about freedom.
Posted by troutfisher4 at 01:33 PM : Nov 11, 2007

Its also freedom to believe as you chose to criticize the govt without fear. To know that you will not be imprisoned and persecuted without trial

[elfarcherus]

Mr. Stien,
I am a Sargent First Class(SFC E-7) with the Idaho National Guard, we have Been back from Iraq 2 yrs. now. I watch Sunday Morning when I can,I just happen to watch this morning,Nov 11th, and would just like to say Thank You Sir,It''s nice to know a man of your stature thinks what we do is empotant. We have a saying in Idaho when asked why we do what we do? The answer Sir is this. We do what we do so that our families and our friend''s do not have to! And with that Mr. Stien, We in Idaho and the rest of the Armed Forces Salute You.
Thank you Sir,
SFC. David E. George