On this Veterans day, I would like to extent my deepest thanks and praise to all those who have served our country in the armed forces.  We might not always agree on everything, we might sometimes get at each other's throats, but that will never diminish my appreciation for the sacrifices you and others have made.

For those of you not familiar with Congressman Patrick Murphy, he was the first veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom to be elected to Capital Hill.  He served valiantly in Iraq as the leader of the first legal team that helped Iraqi citizens with the complications of a U.S. occupation, and his team was also responsible for the first arrests of insurgents, made jointly with Iraqi police.  My best friend served under Murphy, and is even mentioned on numerous occasions in Patrick's autobiography Taking the Hill: From Philly to Baghdad to the United States Congress.

Here is a man who willingly put his life before others, serving our country proudly in the Army, and now he serves his hometown as their representative to the U.S. Congress.  I value his opinions highly, and as it pertains to Healthcare legislation, I respect his views.  If you're unwilling to buy what Pelosi or Reid is trying to sell, at least listen to someone who has no reason to lie to the American people. 

His article can be seen below:

www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-patrick-murphy/why-we- cant-afford-to-fai_b_349592.html

www.cnn.com/2009/US/11/05/texas.fort.hood.shootin gs/index.html

I came home for lunch and saw this unfold on TV.  Now the question is, were these individuals Americans or not..