Check Norris in today's WND here;The Battlefields of Freedom
As in past years, I left the region more inspired by our troops than I believe they were by me. They make me proud to be American. Their sacrifice also reminds me that freedom is born in adversity and purchased at a price.
As I looked in the eyes of these freedom fighters, I began to wonder about the world we would leave to our children, and the nation I would leave to my own children and grandchildren.
A Traditional Warrior Comes Out
I agree with Bill O'Reilly in his new book, ''Culture Warrior,'' that America is in an intense cultural battle that is transcending partisan politics or simple conservative-liberal debates.
At the heart of this war is a head-on clash between traditional and ''secular-progressive'' camps. Will we become a country, in which licentiousness and lawlessness reign? Or will we maintain being a traditional nation, based upon the values and philosophies that our forefathers established?
I am an unashamed traditional warrior. What that means to me is that I believe our country was founded upon conservative faith and values, and that it will only be sustained by them as well.
My concern for our culture wars, however, goes far beyond our own shores.
From Culture Battles to World Wars
Right now, in the very center of this culture war (bubbling up even in the election) is the war in Iraq. Everyone is taking a side: Should we stay, change or abandon the course?
Here's where I stand.
Whatever the reasons we went in, we're there now. Our troops are there. And they are fighting for the freedom and democracy of more than 12 million Iraqis, who courageously went to the polls months ago to establish a new constitution and government.
At the same time, I also believe our service men and women are fighting for America in Iraq. Yes, America, or more specifically, our children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren.
President Bush explained it well in his recent interview with Bill O'Reilly:
''Here's the stakes, as far as I'm concerned. It is conceivable that within decades, the Middle East will be a place where moderate governments have been toppled, extremists and radicals will have gained control of oil resources ... to create a blackmail situation against the West and Iran will have a nuclear weapon, to complicate the mix. And 20 or 30 years from now if that is the case, people will say, 'what happened to them? How come you couldn't see the threat as a generation of Americans are dealing with something much more violent than we are seeing today?''
The fact is our soldiers are fighting for freedom in Iraq. At the same time, they are also fighting for the future preservation of freedom here in America, just as all our veterans did.
The Price of Freedom
No one likes war, least of all me. Being personal friends of the Bush family, I can assure you they don't like it either.
We all felt the same when we heard about the 100-plus troops who have died in Iraq in just the past month. One is always too many.
Each of them has a family left behind – those who will suffer over the holidays and beyond because of the bravery of their loved ones.
I do understand their pain, every time I think about my brother, Wieland, who also paid the ultimate price in Vietnam. I'll never forget when I received the news. I miss him still, all the time.
My brother fought a foreign war, as many of our service members do today. I refuse to believe that he died in vain. I also refuse to believe those 100 souls (plus the hundreds previously) did as well.
Their sacrifice makes me think of Jesus' words, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.'' I'm assuming that includes world friends and neighbors too.
Don't Be MIA on Election Day
You might not be in the military, but you can certainly still fight for freedom, right here on our own shores. How? By voting!
With the culture wars at full tilt, it is somewhat surprising that expected voter turn out is forecasted as low as 35 percent. This is particularly troubling since Democrats only need to pick up six seats to gain a majority in the 100-seat Senate. They need only 15 seats out of the 435-seat House to achieve their first majority since being swept out of power in 1994.
To not vote is simply a vote for the opposition. As British statesman Edmund Burke once said, ''Evil flourishes when good men do nothing.''
7 comments:
While I do not agree with most of what you say, I agree with your opinion stating that this situation with the Middle-East is not over. However, I cannot agree with your statement which is wrapped around the two most heavily stated words in this blog, "Pariot/Patriotism" and "Freedom". Why not state the facts concerning how we as a nation need the oil that is generated by Iraq and Kuwait, and that it is honestly debateable that we are there for oil?
Realistivally, the Democratic Party will not have enough push to "take over" Congress, so I'm not sure why you are stressing that view.
But again, I agree that wether we are against the war or for it, we are there and need to complete what we originally stated was our plan, whatever the real plan is.
Furthermore, I was hoping that I could pose a question to this community; is it just me, or has Afghanistan and Bin Laden disappeared from our media? Isn't he responsible for terrorist attacks, and why isn't he listed as the pupetrator behind the WTC attacks on the FBI most wanted website? These are legitimate questions and have no sarcasm in them in the slightest, I'm hoping someone could shed some light on this absent subject in our media.
Personally I would love to see the money we are spending on these wars used in a more positive venture, such as repairing our educational system, or ensuring that the one million plus homeless servicemen and one million plus homeless children have a warm bed and food to eat on a dail basis, but i'm often considered by unnamed individuals as a "tree hugging hippie" or a "wuss", but, if we look at the national IQ average and notice that it is around 80-90 while the governmental policies concerning retarded individuals cite an IQ of around 70 as one of the "requirements", one cannot but feel scared about our country's future.
Everybody is buying the oil from there. Why do you think OPEC exist ? To set the price for OIL.
The rest of your points are OK.
Anonymous,
I don't understand you. This is an international blog, meaning our writers hail from all over the world. You say, "patriotism" is the most used word on this blog. What are you talking about? Do you read this blog? Did you know that our writers are from all over the world? Have you ever looked at the sidebar even once?
It seems that, perhaps, you think Bin Laden was not behind the 9/11 attacks. Well, if you think that, I'm sorry to say, then you are a loon. Why do you think the terrorists were in that video with him?
Now, let me ask you two questions:
1) What is Iraq's oil income per capita?
2) What is this war costing us per capita?
I would be delighted by a Democratic takeover of the Senate, because Bush wouldn't be able to appoint yet another Ayatollah Supreme Court justice. I do wish that the Democrats would be more willing to fight our war. The war will go on no matter how much deluded pacifist sentiment is out there.
I do wish the House would remain Republican, which it won't, but the Republican House was the only legislative body advocating an immigration policy that is not identical with the immigration policies that lost Europe to the muslims.
Pastorius,
Call me a "loon" if it makes you feel superior to me, but you are not, since, Bin Laden has yet to be charged for the 911 attacks on the FBI website. If you don't believe me check it out for yourself, but what do i know you are the smart one...pfft...
And one more thing
if you think that the US is not stealing or receiving oil from two large oil producing countries, then you are the loon. Acording to some articles I have read, Halliburton was one of the first companies sent to Iraq and Kuwait to "liberate" the oil.
as far as Patriotism and Freedom are concerned, it sounded as though the poster of that blog was writing something that was biased to an extent, but that is what a blog is.
And most importantly Pastorius, if I'm such a loon, where is Osama? I didn't know he was hiding in Iraq, didn't the whole weapons of mass destruction topic conveniently disappear after we took control of Iraq, and how quickly did people forget Bin Laden. Have you even seen one thing about Bin Laden or Afghanistan in the US Media? I think not.
That is what I was trying to point out before you called me a "loon" bbut then again I would rather be a "loon" and an ignorant misinformed individual such as yourself. Try reading more than one newspaper not written in Enlish. refdesk.com is a great place to get some newpapers which are written in other languages but translated into english.
Again, where is Osama?
And if you think we do not buy most of our oil from othe places than Canada, which I was told by someone else here on this site, you are the loon, the US gathers oil from all over the world, mostly from South American and the middle East, most notably S Arabis and Iraq / Kuwait. How convenient that we have a stronghold on Iraq, Kuwait, Venezuela, and other S. American countries which have oil production fields. Don't believe me, read up on chile and Brazil, and Argentina's history and what the US did to those coutries.
I'm not Anti US or Anti Patriotic, just disgusted with the way which I'm requited to worship and wrap myself up in this flag that my own government took a dump on. Like it or not, the blame for 911 is on us, we let our guard down by not updating the immigration policies and that is how they entered into this country legally.
But what do I know, I'm the loon that can't figure out how two planes toppled the twin towers when a B-52 bomber hit the empire state building and burned for 52 minutes and that building is still standing to this day. Another thing this "loon" can't figure out is how, when everything melted and we can't find barely anything from the place, how the passport of one of the terrorists was found on the floor of the WTC site, a passport made out of paper mind you, a passport made out of paper which wa on the plane that wrupted into a 1600 degree F inferno.
Hmmmmm
1939 Pearl Harbor all over again?
Look, you may be very intelligent. Certainly, I used to be a loon like you. I used to believe in all sorts of conspiracy theories.
But, there came a time when I decided I had better grow up and join the real world.
You didn't answer my questions about the size of the Iraqi oil industry vs. the cost of the war.
The reason I asked you those questions is so that you would research the answers. The answers to those two questions refute everything you are saying.
Anonymous,
You ask where Bin Laden is. He is, as everyone knows, in Pakistan. Maybe we didn't make the best choice of allies in the WOT, or maybe the internal condition of Pakistan stop from us doing anything to catch him there. Whatever the case, Bush is doing the best he can to get Bin Laden. I say that as a Bush hater, but one who thinks we should try to be fair about everybody!
If oil were the goal of the United States, there would have no need for sanctions against Iraq to start with nor the war. So, the Bush wants to steal oil idea is simply false.
Also, I reject as leftist nonsense the idea that the United States was so horribly for Latin America. Let's take Kissinger and Chile for the sake of argument. A Chilean general decides to throw a coup against a Marxist president. He tells Kissinger beforehand and Kissinger replies something like "You Go, Guy." It's more than a little preposterous to make Kissinger and the United States wholly responsible for everything that Pinochet did. And if the Left wants to hold up Pinochet as some demon, I'm sure I can find many a demon on the left, we could just start with Castro. I just want say that my demon has a larger penis than your demon.
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