Recently I was at a spiritual retreat organized by the ministry I am a part of. In one small group session, a 40-something vet with wounds that led to his discharge said something startling. He was talking about people with different political views (mostly re gun control) and their expression of same through public actions such as marches demonstrations. The vet said that although he disagreed with them, their right to do so was the reason he had served. Then he went on to say, "We aren't over there fighting to protect America. Our troops are fighting for these people's rights to express their views." I nearly choked. It was not the time nor the place to challenge this man's thinking, but consider what he said and what it implies: we didn't go into Afghanistan and Iraq to protect our country from another 9/11 or similar terrorist attack? We went in because our basic constitutional rights were being abridged and needed defense and/or restoration? Really? Rhetoric about the wars has frequently implied this, but it's the first indication I have that perhaps our folks in the military these days are being told this. Yes, I know what the oath of enlistment says about preserving and defending the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic and faithfully executing the lawful order of superior officers. I took that oath and have considered it to have no expiration date for myself. And to be sure, those injured and killed on 9/11 were denied their rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in a most grievous way. But how on earth were our Constitution and laws, our form of government under attack? Security was breached and compromised, but our FREEDOM and our FREEDOMS were not. Free citizens who do no exercise those freedoms are not free. And free citizens who do not challenge and restore freedoms if and when abridged by the very government established by our Constitution and laws have failed to exercise their responsibilities as free citizens. But before we citizens can do anything, we first have to pay attention and inform ourselves. Next, we have to give a care about what we have learned. Among other things, I think a major casualty of our recent wars has been the clarity of our thinking. We have allowed ourselves to believe that the military defends our freedoms, as if any and all threats to our security were in fact an overthrow of the institutions of government and the laws and courts, the checks and balances under which we operate. No, folks, that's our job. If only the military can and could defend our freedoms, then: A) the military should have years ago staged a coup to overthrow this government that spies on its own citizens and violates these citizens' rights; and B) We should again be invading Iraq and Afghanistan because current failures of the political systems there must again be constituting a violation of our freedoms here, right? The only thing that makes us free and keeps us free is our relentless insistence on being free.