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