[WillowTheWhisp]

Originally Posted by LancYorkYankee

Of course they count Willow! Didn't your cousin acknowledge fact?

Yes she did, after I'd mentioned it to her. The point I was trying to make was that although many here would agree with the sentiments it's that last bit which says that only an American GI has ever offered to die 'for you' which doesn't apply once the message travels beyond the USA. The email has travelled through this country quite a but an unfortunately has evoked the response that it gives the impression that only American soldiers are willing to die for us Brits and sadly that provokes an anti-US backlash. It's like when the film makers rewrite history to minimise Britain's role in such things as the cracking of the enigma code.

I can see what the writer was trying to achieve by saying it but it also applies to the British soldiers and allied forces who fought in two world wars, the British soldiers who risked their lives in The Falklands (mistakenly interpreted by someone as us having invade Argentine territory) etc.

Originally Posted by Acrylic-bob

my support for those brave men and women who defend our country and our values against those who seek to destroy us is unwavering. They are doing what I can not. How can you not respect and admire them? Ok sometimes they may make mistakes or read the situation they are presented with wrongly, but that does not make them any less brave or honourable, it makes them human and fallible, like the rest of us. It must also be remembered that you cannot make an omlette without breaking eggs. There will be some who say "try telling that to the relatives of the eggs you break." But that is to completely ignore the actions of the chickens which came before the eggs.

On the issue of rights, Human or otherwise, I think that far too many folk seem to find it fashionable to wear their rights on their sleeves, without understanding that the concomittant of rights is responsibility.

Oh how very well put A-b. I wish I could have said it like that. Sometimes people overlook the facts of who really is responsible for conflict when they lay the blame on the soldiers who are only trying to do their duty in a situation I wouldn't want to trade with them for anything.