How Much Does it Cost?

I just watched The Patriot with a few friends and a family. The feeling I had by the end was rather hard to describe. The movie produces a flood of diverse emotions. I have a rough draft of a poem; I was trying to articulate my thoughts, but I think perhaps many of my thoughts and feelings were lost in transit. Here is the draft. Please read it slowly.

How much does it cost?

How many men, and how many women?

How many have fought in the front lines?

How many have died on the cusp of an overflowing cup,

Two or more mouths slurping for something in it?

Land. Wealth. Power.

How many have perished by fire and ball?

By powder and bullet?

How many have lost their lives, protecting those they loved?

The freedom they loved.

The country they loved.

How many nations have been caught in the cup,

And consumed in the greedy slurp for something?

And how many men, women, children, have died in an assault?

Be it revolutionary,

civil,

international,

Or worldwide,

Never mind their nationality.

How many have died?

What have we lost in war?

I have seen a man as he healed his enemy,

Bound up his bullet wounds and fed him.

And I have seen men surrender

Only be cut down by the sword and the bayonet.

There is goodness in our race.

It is small.

It is frail.

But it exists. Even in the midst of war, it exists.

And in a nation without war, it still exists in frailty.

So what is lost in war?

What is gained?

Let us consider the price.

Please consider the price. Please take the time at least to remember our fallen troops. And the fallen troops of the nations we have fought. What has been gained in war? I'm sure some will say that we have gained our freedom, and we have gained our independence, and we have gained democracy for others, and we have gained safety. I completely agree. These things we have gained, and we should be grateful for them.

But what have we lost? How many lives have been spent? Young men in our earlier years; boys; teenagers. They could have built families. They could have lived out their lives had they lived on. Alas, they did not get the chance. Husbands and fathers as well, their families lost them. Their children had to live without. And now, today, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters go to war and they give their lives.

I wish there had been another way; without the loss of so many. But our history dictates the tragedy as it happened. History is the way which was taken. Now what will you do? We have a country with freedom, and justice, and goodness.

I know others who will disagree with me. They will say that our current state is not the way it should be perhaps our leaders are not the ones we would like. Perhaps our laws are not aligned with our desires, and perhaps there are factors which, as we see it, are not in agreement with the governing principles of this nation, and we have some changing to do. To you I say, yes. We do indeed have progress to make. We have good things to earn and bad things to expel from this country. But I ask you to stop, and look for a moment not at the future, but at the past and the present. Just for a moment. Consider what has been lost and what has been gained. What was the price for what we earned? When you work harder to gain something, you consider it more valuable. Many of us were born into this country. We do not have a clear understanding or respect for our freedom. But we must. So much has been lost for the amount gained. We need to remember our fallen; the men, women, and children, whose lives have been lost in the horror of war, and the men and women who have fought to give us something. On all sides. Every nation. Let's remember them, and respect their sacrifice; their contribution to our nation.