At 11:21 PM 5/26/01 -0700 Christopher Gwyn wrote:
>>>> For each soldier that was lucky enough to survive, they were simply happy
>>>> to have their lives back.
>>> that is certainly true!
>> I'm glad you agree.
{snip}
>> Each soldier that went to war gave their life.
> Suggesting a 100% mortality rate? That is how most - if not all -
>people would hear that statement.
NO, NO, NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Look above, will ya! I already noted that a great many of the people who
gave their lives *GOT THEIR LIVES BACK*!!!!!!!
And in case you missed it above, I wrote it again, very next thing!
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
>> Those who died never got
>> back. Those who came back, did. Thus, it is appropriate to commend "All
>> Those Who Gave Their Lives", with the ", and didn't get it back" left
>> implied.
>> QED.
Let me be even clearer. Given that you agree with first statement quoted
above, it would be appropriate to commend "All those who gave their lives
for their country, and didn't get it back."
Because this is a mouthful, however, it is convenient to shorten this
statement. Since the second clause of my sentence two lines above almost
necessarily follows from the first clause, as a matter of convenienve we
commend "All those who gave their lives for their country."
In this manner, the last quote is taken by all listeners to apply solely
and totally to all soldiers who gave their lives during a tour of duty.
More to the point, this discussion started when I commended "All those who
gave their lives for their country." Jeroen and yourself disagreed with
this formulation is inaccurately reflecting the status of our war dead.
Nevertheless, if you agree that all *living* veterans gave their lives, and
then received them back (upon discharge), THEN it follows that all those
who died gave their lives, and did not receive them back. Indeed, while
you are in the armed forces, you no longer have control of your life (by
the statement we both agreed to above) - the armed forces have control of
your life. If you die while in the armed forces by means other than
natural causes (i.e. something job-related), then you died while having
given your life to your country.
The commendation is therefore accurate.
QED.
JDG
__________________________________________________________
John D. Giorgis - [EMAIL PROTECTED] - ICQ #3527685
"The point of living in a Republic after all, is that we do not live by
majority rule. We live by laws and a variety of institutions designed
to check each other." -Andrew Sullivan 01/29/01
