the soldier

[tali264]

The Soldier


It is the soldier, not the poet,
who gives us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the reporter,
who gives us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
who gives us freedom to protest.

It is the soldier who serves beneath the flag,
who salutes the flag, and whose coffin
is draped by the flag, who gives the
demonstrator the right to burn the flag.