May 29, 2013

A Line Will Be Drawn

By Tammy Derouin

The Memorial Day weekend is a time to reflect on the sacrifice that so many have willingly made for our country.  From our nation’s earliest days, the citizens of this country knew the importance of freedom. 

Try to imagine living in colonial New England.  The tension is mounting between the British and the colonists.  People are divided.  Neighbors wonder who among them will be loyal to the Crown.  Who will they be able to trust?  There came a time when a line had to be drawn.  You could argue the pros and cons of remaining a British colony but which side would you chose?  Which side were you willing to die for, tyranny or freedom?

Imagine living in the mid 1800’s.  Tension is mounting between the North and the South.  State’s rights and slavery are at the center of the debate.  Family and friends are located in conflicting locations.  The debate continues until the battle for Fort Sumter off the coast of South Caroline begins.  The debate has ended and the war has begun.  More southern states soon follow.  Do you stand with your state, with your family or your ideology?  A line is drawn, which side do you chose?  Which side are you willing to die for, tyranny or freedom?

The wars of the 20^th Century sent American soldiers overseas to fight on foreign soil.  The enemies were easy to identify, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan.  Once WWII was behind us, the Cold War began.  Communism became our enemy.  The Soviet Union and the countries behind the Iron Curtain as well as China, North Korea and Vietnam all had one thing in common, oppression and tyranny.  The enemy was called the enemy.

Americans have stood against tyranny from the very beginning when that first line was drawn in 1776.  America has been the land of the free, the beacon of hope to the rest of the world.  Americans fight oppression, they don’t defend it.  Soldiers and civilians have sacrificed so much in the name of freedom.  Every generation pays a price.  Freedom doesn’t come cheap.  There is no artificial substitute or reasonable facsimile.  You either have it or you don’t.

In today’s world, the enemies of the United States are still easy to identify.  The problem is, those in power have befriended them.  Because of this, they have been allowed to infiltrate our government.  They have managed to obtain posts in the highest places.  Slowly they have changed our language and behavior.  With our enemies operating in such high and prestigious positions, it wouldn’t be proper to actually call them our adversaries.  We wouldn’t want to hurt their feelings.  The government has made “phobia” a contentious word. 

Our government has decided to mask our enemies.  They have removed language from training manuals that clearly define them.  Political correctness has played a destructive part in our way of life.  The government is now telling us we have a “phobia” if we feel uncomfortable in certain situations.  Our natural insight or instinct is somehow wrong and needs to be re-trained.  Without a clear definition of our enemies, there’s either no enemy or we’re all suspects.

There is something clearly wrong when our government will defend our opponents even while they hold the smoking gun.  Meanwhile, Americans are subjected to unreasonable scrutiny.  It wasn’t Americans that took control of four planes on an early September morning.  Who’s being harassed at airports?  You can’t profile, that wouldn’t be politically correct.  Instead Americans have become the target of our own government.

So many Americans have given their lives to defend our nation.  We are told that our soldiers are defending freedom and democracy in other lands.  While our military is spread so thin around the world, our own REPUBLIC stands on shaky ground.  Our government has put us on the path to oppression.  Their goal is to remove our rights and our freedoms which so many have died defending.  Ask yourself, why is this administration sending soldiers to protect citizens of other lands from oppressive governments while at the same time they are mocking and eradicating our Constitution?

The signs are clearly visible.  Our government is attacking our rights.  We are being told that the problems of the world are somehow our fault.  The President has made several apologies.  It makes us question ourselves and our way of life.  We have given too many concessions to the wrong people.  The government continues to assume too much power.  They continue to claim it’s for our protection.  How’s that working out in Russia, China and the Middle East?

There will come a time when a line will be drawn, which side do you chose?  Which side are you willing to die for, tyranny or freedom? 

“I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.”

Nathan Hale