Shake Off Complacency This Memorial Day
Posted on 24 May 2008 by Nicholas Johnson
As Memorial Day nears, I have come to the realization that I have committed the unwritten 8th deadly sin – complacency. I have become so wrapped up in the rising prices of food and gas, how many TV channels I can get, and how many carbs are in the 3 burritos and 4 soft tacos from Taco Bueno that I just ate. This makes it very easy to forget that there is still a war going on. We have been at war so long, we're starting to creep into Vietnam territory.
It has become commonplace to turn on the television, hear about the attacks and death toll, and not even be phased. Why? Because we, as a society, have become complacent. We walk through our behemoth open-air malls buying useless crap, sipping coffee in the middle of the summer, and drive our air polluting vehicles without stopping to think about all of the men and women that are overseas protecting our right to do so.
For those that know me, I’m not the most patriotic American. In fact, I’m probably near the other end of that scale. I’m a numbers guy and sticking to that means that I don’t always take the most popular (or patriotic) side of arguments. Regardless of my personal philosophy of patriotism, war, and just about everything else; I’m still willing to stand up and give credit where credit is due.
I was recently contacted by Chris from Heroes 4 Heroes. H4H is a Dallas based non-profit organization that distributes care packages to the men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces. The care packages are primarily filled with comic books, but they also include CDs, DVDs, Books, and Magazines. Spend a little time checking out the website. They, by far, have the coolest fundraiser I have ever seen. I may be a little bit biased due to my love of comic books and comic art. The funny thing about Chris’ email, he wasn’t asking me to do anything for him. He wasn’t asking for me to rally the troops and put a fundraiser together, or break out my checkbook. His only request was that I mention H4H so that people knew that they could go to the website and send a friend or family member a care package.
It is that kind of altruism that has generally been missing from our daily lives. It is for that very reason that I am writing this in hopes of rallying the troops. I am calling on all of you to take a moment to click the link to their DONATIONS page. There are multiple options and ways that you can contribute.
The simplest, least time consuming, and versatile is the paypal option. Money is the universal lube for every machine. It is also the best way to tell the guys at H4H that you trust them to make the best decisions for how to appropriate their resources. It’s also tax deductible. Now if you’re like me, cash is in short supply. So you have other opportunities to give. Go through your CDs, DVDs, Comics, and other literature. If you’ve already loaded all of your CDs into iTunes, then you don’t need the hard copy.
With the holiday weekend, this gives you a great opportunity to do some spring cleaning, create a tax deduction, and be a patriot. It’s just *that* easy. Remember: complacency is a sin and freedom isn't free. Do your part. Support a cause, any cause. And have a safe Memorial Day weekend.
Popularity: 57% [?]
May 27th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
So true. It is so easy to get caught up in our everyday, boring lives that we forget all other things going on around the world. When I do stop and think about it I am truly grateful for all that I have. A safe place to sleep, parents who love me (even if they show it in weird ways), wonderful friends (this means you), and the knowledge that I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. I often wonder if I deserve these freedoms and I constantly try not to take them for granted.
May 27th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
You don’t deserve them.
May 28th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Nicholas,
Thanks so much for the great write up about H4H! If you have a heart to donate entertainment media for our troops we are really in need of DVD’s! We have plenty of comics and money is good, so go through your old DVD’s and send them on. Soldiers really enjoy a good movie in their down time.