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A Real Holiday Break
The countdown starts tomorrow -- students and, yes, teachers will all be thinking -- final week of school before the holiday break. I remember the ritual well. Thirty-five times during my teaching career I thought about it. I looked forward to the holiday break like no other break during the school year.
I would always cover it up by saying, "The kids need a break!" But I was the one who was ready for the week and few days off at Christmastime. I always tried to plan ahead so that I wouldn't have tests or essays to correct. It was a time to take a real holiday break.
As I think of that this year, though, I figure there are some people who really need a holiday break more than any other, and that's our fighting soldiers way on the other side of the world. I can't think of a group of people more deserving of a break. I don't think President Bush has time to read "On the Sly," but I'll make the proposal anyway. Maybe somebody will get the message to him.
How about sending our troops home for a two-week break? Let's put up signs all around Iraq and Afghanistan: "We will be back on January 5." Let's get some of those big airplanes we own, even Air Force One, and fill them to capacity with our soldiers and bring them home for the holidays.
Wouldn't this help troop morale more than anything else? Would it really matter if we left for two weeks and just took a break from the war? We could just leave everyone else to fend for themselves for two weeks and see how they do.
I'm not in any way proposing we just give up. I'm just saying "take a break." We could maybe get some senators or entertainers or athletes to volunteer to go overseas and keep an eye on things while the real heroes come home for two weeks to spend the holidays with their kids and families. Maybe even President Bush could give up a little time and head over there to check out all the progress his surge has made.
Who knows? Maybe even Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly could spend some time over there and show how patriotic they really are. I'm sure that O'Reilly would be glad to go. He'd get a chance to be labeled a "patriot" and not a "pinhead." And he could write another best-seller about his two weeks tour of duty.
There would be other benefits to bringing our troops home for a two-week break. Some of them could ride with Santa in the holiday parades. Kids all over the United States would scream in joy to see Daddy or Mommy sitting under the Christmas tree.
And think of all the money we would save! 50,000 troops would be eating at home instead of on the government tab in Iraq. Think of the money we would save with a two-week break from using guns and ammunition.
I'm sure the soldiers would find plenty to do while back home for two weeks. They'd be spending money left and right, which would be a nice boost to our economy. And I'm sure around September of 2008 we'd have a whole new generation of Baby Boomers.
I think this is a proposal worthy of consideration. After years of being in a war where it's so difficult to see or measure progress, would a two-week break really matter?
Not to mention the benefits that President Bush would derive from such a kind gesture. His sagging popularity ratings would jump to new heights. He'd even be considered a hero.
I see no reason why we can't bring our heroes home for the next two weeks. Let's give them a real holiday break.
Comments
Hi Foxy...now that I talked in circles on my previous post (I'll blame it on the drugs I've been taking to get rid of the latest flu bug I caught -- so much for living in weather that is 80 one day and 40 the next)..I think the below poem states more clearly what I was trying to communicate. Some may have read it before...but always a good read this time of the year. Merry Christmas P'burg!!!
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
> HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
> IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
> PLASTER AND STONE.
>
> I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
> WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
> AND TO SEE JUST WHO
> IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.
>
> I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
> A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
> NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
> NOT EVEN A TREE.
>
> NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
> JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
> ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
> OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
>
> WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
> AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
> A SOBER THOUGHT
> CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
>
> FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
> IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
> I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
> ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
>
> THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
> SILENT, ALONE,
> CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
> IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
>
> THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
> THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
> NOT HOW I PICTURED
> A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.
>
> WAS THIS THE HERO
> OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
> CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
> THE FLOOR FOR A BED?
>
> I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
> THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
> OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
> WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
>
> SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
> THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
> AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
> A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
>
> THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
> EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
> BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
> LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
>
> I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
> HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
> ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
> IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
>
> THE VERY THOUGHT
> BROUGH T A TEAR TO MY EYE,
> I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
> AND STARTED TO CRY.
>
> THE SOLDIE R AWAKENED
> AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
> 'SANTA DON'T CRY,
> THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
>
> I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
> I DO N'T ASK FOR MORE,
> MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
> MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS.'
>
> THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
> AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
> I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
> I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
>
> I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
> SO SILENT AND STILL
> AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
> FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.
>
> I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
> ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
> THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
> SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
>
> THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
> WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
> WHISPERED, 'CARRY ON SANTA,
> IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.'
>
> ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
> AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
> 'MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
> AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.'
>
> This poem was written by a Marine.
>
> The following is his request. I think it is
reasonable.....
>
> PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many
> people as you can? Christmas will
be coming soon
> and some credit is due to our U.S. service men and
women for our being
> able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in
this small way to pay a
> tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and
think of our heroes, living and
> dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do
your small part to plant
> this small seed.
Posted by: Chief | December 21, 2007 1:46 PM
Hi Foxy...Hope all is well back in P'burg! We have finally started feeling a little chill down here (was in the 80's last week, but now in the 50's)...family tells me it has been a little snowy up there.
This was an interesting topic..one I had mixed emotions about. After 27 years in the military, the past two years have been pretty quiet. I myself have found myself thinking up ways to be over in "the sand" (miss d, no telling mom) :) I believe I spent no more than about 5 Christmas Days at home in Plattsburgh over my career...normally in fun spots like Minot, ND or Montgomery AL etc...it was on those occasions that I would have glady been serving in a more forward capacity versus sitting stateside. So actually..I knew I could get to a point sooner or later...I think the break should be for those that are sitting stateside, but away from home...most of them would rather be overseas instead of in the US, but far away from loved ones, and the ones in Iraq (not all I will agree) would rather be right where they are..doing what they have been trained to do, and love doing, for the good of the country. I realize for the most part the suggestion was in jest...and if I had my way all military...wherever they may be stationed, should be able to go "home" to celebrate..a two week timeout..a pause for the cause..oh well..Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
Posted by: Chief | December 20, 2007 8:27 PM
Fox,
Wouldn't it be wonderful if something like what you have proposed could actually happen? since I don't see it happening, however, maybe we could do something small like sending care packages to our troops. I'm sure that simple things such as a deck of cards, a can of mixed nuts, and some kool-aid singles packets would be appreciated. Maybe asking some of the guys that have gone and come back could let us know what the troops would most enjoy seeing show up in a care package.
Much too often our troops are forgotten about. Maybe it's the whole out of sight, out of mind premise but all of them are away from home and family over the holidays and deserve not to be forgotten. I will be sending out a few care packages and I urge others to do the same.
Posted by: Kathy | December 16, 2007 8:00 PM
Hey Foxy, Thanks for the troop support and It would be nice if the goverment would do that. Since we can't realisticly expect to see the troops brought home for xmas. how about we take care of some of the 21 homeless veterans that live in our county. It's funny the goverment will pay people that don't even have their citizenship 2400 dollars a month until they get on their feet but we turn our backs on veterans that have fought for this country. People need to open their eyes around them more and try and make a diffrence at home before they do the rest of the world.
(Foxy's note: Thanks for the comments, Chris. You make a very good point! We are cheering for you!)
Posted by: chris gillen united states marine and foxys former student | December 16, 2007 1:20 PM