Honoring those who have served in the military, especially those who have lost their lives in service, comes naturally at our house. We are grateful for the sacrifices our families and so many others have made for our country. We cherish our freedom.
Each time I am in Washington DC I visit Arlington National Cemetery to see the guard change at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. During an hourly guard change, I hear the bell toll in the distance and watch the crowd grow quiet as they respectfully stand for next ten minutes while the relief guard take their places. It is a solemn moment in time. I have never heard a cell phone ring during a guard change nor watched someone take a selfie, but I did once see a child breech the velvet rope. That was a huge no-no.
She was about five years old, dressed in yellow, carrying a doll by a foot and softly singing. She was completely oblivious to the rope she had walked under. The ceremony abruptly halted and her parents were politely, yet firmly, asked by the lead guard to retrieve her. Their daughter looked sincere when she said, “I forgot to stay still and be quiet”. Her dad took her by the hand and led her back behind the rope. Surprisingly, most parents seemed more sympathetic than offended. With the child back in her place, the guard went back to his solemn business, unfazed by the interruption. The guard might change, but little girls rarely do.
There are 400,000 veterans buried at Arlington National Cemetery. They gave their lives fighting to preserve basic rights for all Americans. Among those rights are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I believe liberty is listed in the middle because it makes the other two possible.
Liberty by definition means an individual cannot be unlawfully imprisoned or detained. Victims of stalking or domestic violence may feel, or actually be, imprisoned in their own home or restrained in their activities and relationships. Their liberty is either diminished or denied. This is not living life to its fullest or healthiest. Helping them to safety preserves their freedom and honors the memory of those who sacrificed for it.
God bless the law enforcement officers, prosecutors and advocates who take up the challenge to restore a domestic victim’s right to liberty. It is no surprise that many of them have military service on their resumes. Freedom fighters come in every color, shape, size and walk of life, just like domestic violence victims do. The one thing they have in common is they, too, cherish freedom.