It's Veterans Day and I'd like to say Thank You to all who served and all those who are currently serving. I almost said "Happy" Veterans Day but this is not a holiday to celebrate but rather it's one for somber reflection of the sacrifices made and lives lost.
Veterans Day started out as Armistice Day in 1918 when hostilities ceased on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month even though the Treaty of Versailles wasn't signed until June 28 of the following year. A few months later President Wilson declared November 11th to be the first anniversary of Armistice Day. In 1926 Congress adopted a resolution directing the President to issue an annual proclamation calling for the observance of Armistice Day. In 1938, Congress passed legislation making Armistice Day a legal federal holiday.
At the end of WW1 it was generally thought that this was the "war to end all wars', but they were wrong. With the end of WW2 and the Korean War a few years later, millions of new veterans were created. In 1956 President Eisenhower signed legislation changing the name of the legal holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor veterans of all wars.
In 1968 the Uniform Holiday Bill was signed to insure 3 day weekends for federal workers and Veterans Day was moved to the 4th Monday in October. It resulted in a lot of confusion and many veterans took offense to the change. In 1975 President Gerald Ford signed legislation returning Veterans Day to November 11th where it has remained ever since.
Salute!
There is another group of veterans I'd like to salute today as well.
They are the veterans of the "tobacco wars". Unlike conflicts between nations fought with bullets and bombs, the tobacco wars are fought in the hearts and minds of individuals, one smoke at a time. The enemy is General Nicotine and he's a remorseless master of psychological warfare.
The first thing he does, once you've gotten past the coughing and dizziness of those first few encounters, is to convince you he's your best friend. He gives you something to do when you're bored. He calms you down when you are stressed. He picks you up when you are tired. He even makes you look cool in public when he rides shotgun.
In fact he does none of these things. It's all an illusion constructed by "Big Tobacco" and sold by Madison Avenue. By the time you figure it out, you've been taken prisoner and sentenced to life. Welcome to Camp Addiction.
There are no walls or bars, guards or fences. You can come and go as you please but you do have to come back and check in every few minutes or hours. Not only that, you have to pay for the privilege. Anywhere from $5 to $10 or more each day. There are no rules about escaping. Breaking free of General Nicotine and the misery of Camp Addiction is entirely up to you. All you have to do is see through his lies, make a decision, devise a plan, map out your route and DO IT!
Good Luck on Your "Great Escape" from nicotine.
Current members of the GUS team! Please post a comment in the butt can if you would like your name added to the GUS Buddy List.
1BQ, 3rdGenFeminist, Abra Crabcakeya, addisnana, AfroPonix, allie123, alstradamus, amk for obama, andsarahtoo, Anne933, aoeu, arcadesproject, Archie2227, ArthurWolf (in memoriam), assyrian64, awkawk, bamablue, barnowl, bgblcklab1, Bike Crash, BirderWitch, bleeding heart, blue husky, Blue Intrigue, bluestatedem84, BoiseBlue, Brahman Colorado, breedlovinit, BrowniesAreGood, bsmechanic, burrow owl, Cen Den, Chocolate Chris, ChurchofBruce, Colorado is the Shiznit, coppercelt, dadanation, dangoch, demkat620, Dexter, DiegoUK, Dingodude, donnamarie, DRo, droogie6655321, duckhunter, EdgedInBlue, eeff, Everest42, Fineena, fishhawk, Flea, flumptytail, FrugalGranny, Garrett, gooners, greylox, gchaucer2, grndrush, High Tide, hulibow, Im a frayed knot, Indexer, indyada, Interceptor7, inventor, itsbenj, ItsSimpleSimon, Jahiz, JamesEB, Jeffersonian Democrat, john07801, jmadlc55, johngoes, Jyrix, jvolvo's Mom, jwinIL14, kai99, kailuacaton, Kelly of PA, kestrel9000, khloemi, Khun David, Kitsap River, Ksholl, labwitchy, Lady Kestrel, ladypockt, langerdang, LarsThorwald, Last Starfighter, Laurie Gator, Lipstick Liberal, litoralis, lmdonovan, luvsathoroughbred, maggiemay, magicsister, marknspokane, Matt Baier, mdemploi, michael1104, Mikeguyver, Minerva1157, MinervainNH, mskitty, nannyboz, ncsuLAN, Nick Zouroudis, Nulwee, one pissed off democrat, Ordvefa, OverTheEdge, paige, PaintyKat, parryander, Pennsylvanian, phrogge prince, Positronicus, post rational, psycho liberal, PvtJarHead, red mittens, revelwoodie, rkex, roadlion, rosebuddear, Safina, SallyCat, Sark Svemes, seenaymah, Scrapyard Ape, sgary, Shahryar, sheddhead, smartcookienyc, snorwich, spmozart, SpotTheCat, Tay, theatre goon, triciawyse, trueblueliberal, Turn VABlue, Turtle Bay, uc booker, Unduna, Unforgiven, Vacationland, webranding, weelzup, Wes Opinion, willy mugobeer, Wood Dragon, x