The Supermen and Wonder Women who save us

This weekend we celebrate our independence from the British Empire. We remember the great words that define our nation, “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, and are endowed by their creator certain inalienable rights, the right of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness;” “We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty…” “Ask not what our country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,” “I have a dream…” and the list of great words goes on and on.

This weekend we should also remember the supermen and wonder women who don’t particularly say anything great or meaningful, the supermen and wonder women who serve in the militia. Sure the guys in the professional military is great, but the Minute Men of old, the people who spend most of their time at a civilian job, those who we currently call the National Guard and the Reserve, are part of what make this country great.

As a country, we expect these supermen and wonder women to be part of our military’s rotation to foreign locations, including war. We expect them to be prepared to fight fires, floods, clean up after tornadoes, hurricanes and other national disasters. We expect them to provide order to riots. And we also expect them to guard our southern boarder. Sometimes they are apart from their families for eighteen months. All of this, and we expect them to keep civilian jobs.

Instead of calling them “Weekend Warriors” and other such terms, we should call them our safety net. When our nation undergoes crisis or needs an extra helping hand, they are the ones we turn to. Thanks, heroes!