It is a sad commentary on the state of our world that we are far too familiar with those who have shed their blood ... for noble and ignoble causes. The media has been reminding us of the bloody sacrifice that thousands of our soldiers have made in the war in Iraq. Our country is still bitterly divided over whether that sacrifice has been worth it or not.

The last two summers I have had the privilege of visiting two of our national cemeteries: Jefferson Barracks on the shore of the Mississippi south of St. Louis and Arlington Cemetery on the shore of the Potomac across from Washington DC. Visiting those cemeteries was a moving and sacred experience. The beautiful hills in both those magnificent places are covered with thousands of white crosses marking the lives of those who shed their bl…