Complacency: Don't Let it Happen

Complacency is our problem. We have become smug in our distance from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their extensive tenure has fatigued our attention spans. We are on to the next thing and again to that which follows the next thing. With the domestic economy so poor, we are even less drawn to the story of our overseas commitments. So many people here at home need help this holiday season. So many financial institutions - too big, we are told, to let fail - are on the verge of falling that we must pay them heed. We are beyond complacent about the wars. We've not even thought of our own soldiers, including the 3,000 New Jersey National Guard troops who have been deployed to Iraq since the summer.

In partnership with American Recreational Military Services, we will "adopt" a unit of the NJ National Guard stationed in Iraq. We will correspond with them directly and send them care packages as needed. Once I have the contact information and permission to communicate with their officers I will share it with you. The second project is a holiday gift drive.

American Recreational Military Services (ARMS), based in Red Bank, provides support to troops and their families. Donations to ARMS are down, their volunteer commitments have flagged, and their need is higher than ever. They are in the middle of their annual "Little Soldiers" program. They need toys and gift cards for the children of deployed servicemen, volunteers to wrap, pack, and transport packages, money to underwrite shipping costs and materials, and letters of greeting and support to the soldiers. ARMS sent me this list of gift needs: GIFT CARDS FROM TARGET, WALMART, BEST BUY, TOYS R US, AND BABIES R US, ($25 VALUE), BASKETBALL, SOCCER BALLS, BARBIE DOLLS, WEBKINZ, ARTS AND CRAFT SUPPLIES, TONKA TRUCKS, WARM COATS, BABY CLOTHES, DIAPERS.

You can bring your donations to the temple (332 Hance Avenue, Tinton Falls, NJ), contact me at 732-747-9365, or contact Ronnie, Executive Director of ARMS. They are packing and shipping Little Soldiers parcels from the Tom's River Armory.

ARMS forwarded to me an email from a marine stationed at Camp Korean Village near the Iraqi-Syrian border. His words were gracious and upbeat but his online photo album depicted difficult living conditions and a grave seriousness about complacency. One photo showed muddy pools and unwashed soldiers outside the tents and equally spartan conditions inside. Running water and electricity are scarce. Fresh food with a sit-down mess hall are recently added luxuries.

The Marine shot two of the signs that mark exits from the camp: "Is Today Your Day? Complacency Kills" and the photo shown above defining complacency: "being overly satisfied or comfortable with an existing situation or condition; often while unaware of some potential hazard or danger. Don't Let it Happen to You." I know that, for us, complacency is not such a matter of life and death. But when comes to supporting soliders and their families we still shouldn't let it happen.