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Editorial
When it comes to opinions, some carry more weight
Friday, November 11, 2016
Demonstrators are protesting the election of Donald Trump and some schools, where teachers have been seen crying, are offering counseling for students who are afraid how the results of the election will affect them.
You won't see much of that in Nebraska, especially in our end of the state, but that doesn't mean we're immune to effects from changes in Washington leadership.
In many ways, in fact, we may be more vulnerable, depending what kind of changes are imposed by the federal government.
While everyday citizens are affected by decisions made in the nation's capital, their sacrifices are tiny in comparison to those we honor today, on Veterans Day.
No one has more "skin in the game" than someone who has volunteered to serve their country in the military.
Trump, like Obama and all other presidents before him, will be commander in chief of our military, tasked with carrying out his orders without question. Voters should always keep military personnel in mind when checking the box for their presidential choice.
Since 1775, more than 43 million men and women have served in the U.S. military, more than 656,000 have been killed in battle.
Chances are, you rub shoulders with a veteran every day, whether you realize it or not.
More than 1.5 million served in the global war on terror since 2001, 2.3 million served in the Gulf War, 8.7 million in the Vietnam War, 5.7 million in Korea, and 16 million in World War II, although we're losing thousands of veterans from that conflict every day. Before them, 4.7 million served in World War I, 306,760 in the Spanish-American War, 2.2 million in the Union side of the Civil War and 78,718 in the Mexican War. Some 217,000 served in our earliest war, the Revolutionary, and 286,730 in the War of 1812.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and there is no shortage of them on social media, but we have to believe that an opinion carries more weight if it is held by someone who has served in the military.
We should give them our thanks today along with our pledge to do what we can to ensure their loyalty is not abused or taken for granted.