In Flanders Fields The Poppies Grow

How do you say 'thank you' for something this enormous? How do I, a member of the spoiled/protesting generation, look honestly at my grandfather and talk to him about the sacrifices he made?

Thank you, Grandpa, the other members of the 37th division, and all veterans; thank you for putting your life on the line so that I may still have the freedom to think, question, challenge, and support. Thank you for preserving this country that all of us, even those who don't think about it, love so much. Thank you for not taking America for granted, for stepping up when needed instead of running away mumbling something about "someone else's problems." Thank you for putting your life on hold so that I don't have to. Thank you for saying that sometimes right is right and wrong is wrong, and sometimes you have to fight to prove it.

I lose sight often of how powerful the founding principles of this country are. That people are born endowed with inalienable rights--that money, the color of your skin, or your genitalia don't make a lick of difference. These rights weren't just some philosophical discussion. They were set in stone so that no future generation could take them away without one hell of a fight. In context, what a radical idea. No more whims of rulers--just a piece of paper that can never be erased, only added to.

We forget how much we have not to fear, and we forget who we have to thank for that. Whichever way you spin it, your right to stand on the street and say whatever the hell you want has been defended by someone who acted instead of speaking. That makes me feel a lot less like talking.