I would die for my kids; I would have died for my parents (but they wouldn’t have wanted that); I would risk my life for my friends; even for people I don’t know when I see they are in danger and need help; I would risk my life for my dog and my cat. Not because I am a hero, but because I care for them. I love life and everything that lives on our planet.
Nevertheless I am selective in risking my life. I think lions and polar bears are beautiful, sharks are magnificent, but I wouldn’t share their company, even not in an attempt to save their life. For those situations I prefer to donate some money.
I would fight and risk my life when foreign warriors would invade my country and endanger the lives of my beloved. I would take revenge when they killed my beloved and made the mistake not to kill me.
I served in the army when I was young (it was in the sixties during the cold war). I would have given my life at that time, mainly because I was young and inexperienced. I did not know or realize what I know now. A country is only united in interest and decency when it wins a gold medal or a world cup or when it is attacked indiscriminately.
A country is a political system, ruled by people who try to maintain the system. Nothing is perfect, so also no system is perfect. But at least it should have representatives of all walks of life. For some reasons they don’t have.
About twenty years ago a newspaper did a little investigation in The Netherlands. For normal people the price of bread, milk, potatoes, luncheon meat and other simple food is important for their existence. Politicians hadn’t the faintest idea of those prices.
Politicians judge by numbers. For them I am a number.
This number will not die for them.