military care packagesThe holiday season is upon us, which means it’s time to eat too much, spend too much, bicker too much, and be grateful that we can gather together and do these things. Christmas (or whatever festivus your family celebrates this time of year) may not be as magical as it was when we were kids, but somehow it always manages to be memorable.

Every fourth Thursday in November, people come together for feast and celebration to commemorate the brave pilgrims, who endured treacherous conditions to come to a new land to escape persecution and to try and make it on their own. We gather round our tables and give thanks, and if your family is anything like my family, everyone has to share what they’re thankful for.

One way to show true gratitude is to do nice things for the people we admire, respect, and are grateful for. U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Robert Roughsedge of Boston’s Suffolk University decided to organize a school-wide drive to collect care packages to send to troops overseas. Those men and women will be missing their families this year in order to keep us safe at home. A care package seems like a drop in the bucket compared to what they sacrifice every day for us, but it’s a nice way to let them know that they are appreciated.

In response to the drive, Roughsedge’s colleague Michael Avery sent a defamatory email saying that sending care packages to the troops is ‘shameful.’ He writes:

I think it is shameful that it is perceived as legitimate to solicit in an academic institution for support for men and women who have gone overseas to kill other human beings.

Excuse me, Mr. Avery, but our soldiers do not go to war to kill people. They go to war to protect civilian lives, both here and those that live under oppressive dictators like Sadam Hussein. As sad as it is, sometimes people die. You know why? Because when faced with psycho terrorists and other assorted bad guys that will stop at nothing to kill every American possible for the sole reason that we’re American … sometimes you have to pull the trigger.

Our troops go to war to defend America, not attack on its behalf. It’s shameful of anyone to suggest otherwise. 

Major Roughsedge quit in disgust over his fellow professor’s comments. Thank you, Major, for showing me that there are still principled men out there. 

It’s not too late to donate to cheer up our troops this holiday season. Check out Operation Shoebox, U.S. Troop Care Package, Operation Gratitude, or countless others to find out how you can say thank you to our military.


Image via The U.S. Army/Flickr