“Thank you for your service.”

It’s a common phrase heard often this time of year. People and businesses alike show their support for veterans and the troops by offering free meals, discounts and verbal appreciation.  All of this gratitude is undoubtedly sincere, and all who have served do indeed deserve to be thanked.

Every Veterans Day, people come out of the woodworks to not only offer their thanks, but also  brazenly display their high level of patriotism. It is quite common to hear things said like, “America is the land of the free because of the brave,” and “Our boys are over there fighting so that you even have the right to protest.”

But are these assertions true? First, one would have to honestly think that we really are the “land of the free,” something that I have some serious reservations about. There is no doubt, however, that this country was fought for and founded by brave men who envisioned a life free from tyranny. Those troops were indeed freedom fighters.

The same can be said for those who fought in World War II. They are called “The Greatest Generation” for a reason. We were attacked on our own soil, and those men and women answered our nation’s call. Many sacrificed more than we could possibly imagine so that we may indeed remain free.

With our current conflicts in the Middle East, Central Asia and the Korean Peninsula, one must ask if they are being fought to protect our freedoms and liberties.

Can an argument really be made that if it weren’t for our brave servicemen and women, we would all be speaking Iraqi right now? Was Iraq posing a direct threat to our civil liberties? Did they have missiles pointing in our direction, ready to take out key American targets?

Many feel the war in Afghanistan was justified following the 9/11 terrorists attacks. But are our troops being wounded and killed there in order to protect our freedom?

If our troops really are the defenders of liberty, you must ask yourself, “Who or what is the biggest threat to our liberty?” After thinking about this extensively for the last few years, I believe it is safe to say that threat does not reside in some foreign nation. Rather, it seems like the biggest threat to our liberties comes from within. It comes from our own government.

Marine veteran Adam Kokesh has gone on record saying, “If the troops were defending freedom, they’d be attacking the government.”

I commonly have friends, family and strangers come up to me and thank me for my service in Iraq. I respond the only way I know how – with humility. I have no problem with people thanking me for serving. Thanking me for their freedom is where I draw the line. I am no American hero. I was a workhorse and mercenary for our government.

Are we any more free right now because of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan? No? Are we less free? Yes? Then who do we blame, and what are we to do to preserve our liberties?