It's what we do with the chance, after the guns are put back in their holsters and the tanks are put back into whatever passes for a tank garage, that determines whether we actually are free.

Opening one's mouth is the key to freedom. Whether one puts one's foot inside after the mouth opens is not the issue. The point is, if no one will speak, let alone act, in honest disagreement with those in charge because of fear of reprisal, we can call ourselves free all we want, but the assertion will be a lie. It's what we do, not what is done for us.

Signing up for the military is a career decision, the same as the decision to go to medical school. Some people base their decision on a noble purpose, such as patriotism or the desire to save lives. Some people are in it for the prestige. Some are interested in the money. Most people's motives are probably a complex combination of a lot of factors, because most people are complex. But I will tell you one thing: I have never looked at a person and said, "You are not a doctor, so you don't care about saving people's lives", or "You are not a priest or a minister, so you don't care about God." I would like to know the justification for stating or implying, "You have not served in the military, nor did you attempt to serve, so you don't love your country."