I think nearly all Americans can now agree that the biggest mistake made after 9-11 was avoiding a call to sacrifice.
(Picture from the BBC.)

My generation has never been "in" to sacrifice. It was our parents' thing. They went hungry during the Depression, they risked their lives during World War II, and then they stayed together, working hard, so that their kids (us) would have "everything."

Which we do. Our lives are very comfortable. Most Americans have cars, and TVs, and air conditioning, and healthy food in our refrigerators whenever we want it. We can take vacations. We can get fat. Then we can pay to have the fat stripped away and get fat again.

Maybe that's the real Vietnam syndrome. Those of my generation who felt the call to sacrifice as young people died in rice paddies, or had their dreams shot away. Frankly it doesn't matter why anymore. No matter what side you took in that war, get over it. We're in a different era.

These days sacrifice must be forced on us. And for many this week it has been.

The man who takes care of the church around the corner from us had relatives in the disaster zone. Suddenly this week he found himself with 43 relatives, who had nothing but the clothes on their back and stories of horror to rival those told anywhere by anyone.

Three homes took the 43. The church members were called on. There was a list of stuff to get a mile long.

We gave a little. We also gave a little to the Atlanta Food Bank.

But sacrifice? No, we didn't sacrifice.

So what am I talking about?

• Sacrifice means doing without in the name of a greater good.
• Sacrifice means going hungry, literally hungry, so others may eat.
• Sacrifice means risking death and thinking nothing of it.

There are now causes for everyone, no matter their politics, to sacrifice for in this country. Iraq. The War on Terror. Louisiana. Take your pick.

There are huge tasks facing us, and we all need to sacrifice in order to Git 'R Done.
In fact, the code term of Larry the Cable Guy might be a good hook for what we need to do -- Git 'R Done.

Everyone must sacrifice based on their abillity to sacrifice. The rich need to sacrifice their tax cuts, the middle class needs to defer gratification, and the poor must resolve to use what they get to improve themselves and stop complaining about how empty their glass is.

This is bedrock truth. We all have a lot to gain if we accept it.

We are all Americans, and if our country is to survive we all have to get behind it, and sacrifice for the greater good.

Starting now.

Git 'R Done.