Defense and Freedom¶
I do not want to offend anyone, but I always want to be honest…
When I hear the common conservative mantra that if it was not for our military we would have no freedoms in this country, it bothers me a little (and I am a conservative). The notion undermines the constant fight for our freedoms at home. Our ideas are what make America great. It is true that those ideas must be protected but not always on some distant battlefield. The most important battlefield, where we must protect the essence of America, is here on our own soil.
The military is an essential piece in protecting our homeland, our allies, and stopping atrocities across the world. While I cannot defend every action by our military, I believe that the nature of our military is good and when we go to war we mean well. The grand majority of the men and women who join the military do it for love of country. And for this, they deserve all of our respect.
To all soldiers … thank you. I appreciate your sacrifice. To all other Americans … thank you. I appreciate your sacrifice. I do not believe one sacrifice is greater than the other. Even in the greatest country on Earth, we are all still human, and we all still sacrifice. Someone will say, “but they do not give up their lives.” Yet, some of them do. Are the sacrifices of police, fire fighters, and construction workers less worthy? Or what about careers that lead to high stress and high suicide rates like doctors and lawyers? Or how about your carpenters, miners, lumberjacks, and the list goes on for blue collar workers? And what about the others who instead of sacrificing their lives, must choose between their job and their dignity? Or the Americans who lost their jobs and had to explain to their children why nothing is under the Christmas tree?
We all sacrifice on an individual level for a host of different reasons. At the end of the day, we are all just Americans. Many of whom are struggling to climb the rungs of the class ladder while chasing after that elusive American Dream. We have fought and continue to fight to bring down barriers that have gotten in the way of equality. America has come a long way despite the great divide between the left and right on the direction of our country.
We all fight for what America was, is, or should be. There’s a battle of ideas that will define who America becomes and how we are remembered throughout history. I believe most Americans love this country. But whether we eventually fall will not depend on how great our military is or ever will be. Our fate rests with the American people.