But how does a family serve for generations?The reason is that there is a feeling of obligation for the benefit of living in a country built on ideas. That we understand that freedom is not for free. That somebody has to defend it. And we are actually willing to do it.

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), on the other hand, is a miserable creature, who has no chance of being free unless made or kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.

Better men like Sen. John McCain. And the men in his family who — generation after generation — have fought to defend ungrateful asshats like Tom Harkin.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s family background as the son and grandson of admirals has given him a worldview shaped by the military, “and he has a hard time thinking beyond that,” Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Ia., said Friday.

“I think he’s trapped in that,” Harkin said in a conference call with Iowa reporters. “Everything is looked at from his life experiences, from always having been in the military, and I think that can be pretty dangerous.”

Harkin said that “it’s one thing to have been drafted and served, but another thing when you come from generations of military people and that’s just how you’re steeped, how you’ve learned, how you’ve grown up.”

Harkin believes that voluntary service in our nation’s military is dishonorable and dangerous. Even though he himself served (U.S. Navy from 1962-1967), he is the worst kind of veteran — guilty of stolen valor.

Harkin lied about his service on numerous occasions, claiming that he was a heroic, combat-tested and combat-proven military pilot. Which he wasn’t.

Harkin joins a group of men — to include Rep. John Murtha and Sen. John Kerry — who, though they served in the U.S. military at one time, I do not acknowledge or consider my brothers in arms.

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While Harkin believes that McCain is too “military” to be President, I wish that ALL members of Congress had chosen selfless service in the U.S. Military before going onto the selfish service of “representing” us.

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Sen. John McCain comes from what Blackfive calls the American Warrior Caste. The Warrior Caste is made up of families that serve in the military for generations.

I come from one such family. Me and both of my brothers served in the U.S. Army. My father was a Navy man during the Vietnam War. My mom’s brother — and my boyhood hero — Cpt. Herbert Williamson died of cancer 7 years after coming home from Vietnam. My mom’s sister Marla served honorably in the U.S. Navy. My grandfather, Lt. Col. Robert Williamson, fought in WW II and Korea.

And the next generation of my family is carrying on our proud and exceptionally honorable tradition of military service — my sister’s son and my oldest nephew is now a Combat Engineer in the U.S. Army.

If and when I have children, I will raise them in the hope that they choose to serve in the U.S. military at some time in their life.

Hell, I even married into a military service family — my father-in-law fought with the Navy during the Vietnam war.

Harkin might consider my family tradition of serving and fighting for our country dangerous and dishonorable. And by doing so, he insults me and those who have come before me. And he can kiss my ass — because it is the millions of other Warrior Caste families just like mine who are the true backbone and strength of this great nation.

Posted by Robbie Cooper on Sunday, May 18th, 2008 | Trackback |