The Online Reflector

We are fighting the longest war in American history. This June, the war in Afghanistan surpassed the Vietnam War as America’s longest continuous war.

It is a sad truth, however, that Americans have become apathetic about war. We pay little or no attention to the men and women dying for our country. We don’t realize that the suicide rate among soldiers is climbing; Americans are dying because of a war we neither care about nor understand.

The New York Times reported on Oct. 22 that in 2009, 162 soldiers took their own lives. This year, more than 120 soldiers have done the same. The article also stated that veterans are more likely to die in motorcycle accidents and car crashes than the average American citizen as well.

More veterans are dying at home than they are in war zones, and our apathy, lack of respect and ignorance have only fueled the fire.

The toll on both veterans and their families and friends is virtually ignored in our daily lives. The number of men and women we have lost is a travesty, but the death of America’s support for her troops is just as appalling.

We tend to think of veterans only as kindly, older gentlemen, like our grandpas or great-uncles, who fought in wars long before we were even born. However, war veterans are not just those who served in World War II, Vietnam or Korea. New war veterans are coming home from a war that is still raging.

This year, look at Veteran’s Day in a new light. Shake the hand of a serviceman who has done multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, thank a marine for his service abroad or simply use social media like Twitter and Facebook to support the troops and to encourage your friends to do the same.

Most of us would say that we support the troops, even if we do not support the war itself. Most of us would say that we have American pride and understand how important it is to be a strong source of support for those we put in harm’s way.

However, our lack of actually understanding the suffering and actively participating in a solution is downright atrocious.

Although Veteran’s Day is a great opportunity to show our support for men and women who fight bravely to defend us, it is not enough. Our efforts must stretch far beyond Nov. 11 if we want to live up to the standards of this nation. It’s not the small things that we do like shaking a hand or buying an “I support the troops” bumper sticker that matter. It’s the overall attitude of America that needs to change.

We say the Pledge of Allegiance on autopilot these days, never stopping to contemplate the words. However, if we really want liberty and justice for all, we had better start acting like we have respect and compassion for our troops, who are fighting to maintain the liberty and justice we just take for granted.