May 31, 2017
Sacrifices
By Tammy Derouin
Americans have a proud tradition of
recognizing and honoring those who have served their country in the
military. The sacrifices an individual
makes for choosing to serve and defend our country are great. Their
personal life is greatly affected as their life is not their own.
Commitment may range from several years of service to a lifetime
career. What takes place during those years, however, will stay with
them forever. Those who make the ultimate sacrifice, by giving their
life, hold a special place in our hearts.
As Americans, we
have a lot that is worth defending. Sadly, our freedoms have been
taken for granted and in many cases the history of our
founding and the rights which were established, no longer seem
important enough to be taught in the public school system. Those who
serve are taking an active stand to defend our freedoms. Their
sacrifices have kept us free.
We have been blessed as a nation that
most battles have been fought away from the homeland. Our rights and
freedoms are always at risk when there is an aggressor; a country or
entity which wishes to harm Americans or calls for the destruction of
the United States. Our
military, our national defense system as a whole, has protected the
American people. Their service has allowed the rest of us, the
civilian population, to live our lives without an overwhelming worry
or fear of the true dangers which once lurked beyond our borders.
This sense of security, which unfortunately was taken for
granted, allowed generations to fulfill their life, enjoy their
liberty and pursue their personal happiness.
If any of the previous wars or
conflicts had come to our shores, our rights and freedoms would have
been in harms way. We have been attacked, but we have not
experienced battles in our backyards with a foreign occupation
shifting our borders, be it temporarily or permanently. Our country
has yet to experience the fear of an active foreign entity on our
land as an occupying power. Of course, we do not want this to ever
happen, which is why our security is so important.
While I was growing up, I remember a
wonderful feeling of security. We still had nuclear drills during
the 1980's and watched movies about previous wars. What we were
taught made us aware of such realities so we, the next generation,
would know what to watch for and fight against. I doubt such footage
is shown today. It might make students uncomfortable or give them bad
dreams. Isn't a little discomfort or a bad dream better than
actually living a horrible reality? Instead, the kids are watching
CNN at school. Now that brings about scary nightmares on a whole
different level!
I remember talking about our unique
feeling of security in history class. We didn't have the fear of
being the victim of a bombing when we got on a bus, went shopping or
to an event. We didn't have the fear of being gunned down while
walking through town. Knowing the true reality of life is vital to
our survival. Removing history and inserting a political propaganda,
by way of CNN, indoctrinates and manipulates our children. It paints
a false reality. We wouldn't want to naively trust our enemy or
ignore the truth, would we? That would be a disaster waiting to be
recorded in future history books.
Patriotism, love of country, exists
when you understand the exceptionalism of the United States of
America. Knowing what makes us different from other countries
instills a feeling of pride. Our founding documents explain tyranny,
why we confronted it and why we severed ties with oppressive rule.
They also state our God-given rights and what the government cannot
do. Our Constitution is a true document of liberties.
Perhaps if more people took the time to
actually read our founding documents, and not take the word of those
who are using their lack of knowledge and understanding as weapon
against them, they would learn that it's the government's job to
protect the American people and the homeland from outside enemies or
possible invaders. The American people are protected by the U.S.
Constitution. Foreigners are not protected, only American citizens.
If more people understood the value of
their rights, they wouldn't be so eager to give them away. They
would understand why vetting individuals who want to enter our
country is so important. It's so foolish to applaud when legal
attempts to keep our country safe are hampered. You wouldn't let
just anyone into your home, would you? Eventually, this error in
open admission will be realized. Let's just hope it's not too late
for the American people.
“America will never be destroyed from
the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because
we destroyed ourselves.”
Abraham Lincoln
