A Deeper Problem Than I Realized

Tonight, I realized that we face a much deeper problem than I ever realized. As I was talking to my friend (we'll call him John) about the war against radical Islam and the battlefront in Iraq, he espoused the usual hard-core left-wing talking points: 9/11 was an inside job; George W. Bush is evil; Dick Cheney is evil; Republicans are evil; conservatives are evil. But at the crucial part of the conversation, after jousting back and forth for the better part of 30 minutes, after ticking off the list of attacks against America perpetrated by the practitioners of radical Islam, I asked him a very simple question: Who is the evil side in this war of civilization? Al Qaeda or our government and military? Needless to say, his response shocked me. He told me our government and military are the evil side in this war. My response was less than noble or polished: I picked up my 15-year old Macallan Scotch (yum!), said goodnight to my group of friends and came up to my hotel room to write.

Yes, the problem is much deeper than I ever realized. Not only are we fighting an epic battle for the very heart of Western civilization against the barbarians of radicalized Islam, but those of us who understand the threat are fighting what Newt Gingrich might call the Irreconcilable Wing of Western Civilization, those who are destroying our nation from within by aligning themselves with our enemies. This is nothing short of treason against the nation and our Constitution.

Robert Kennedy, Jr. was screetching during the Live Earth gala that the energy companies who are supposedly bilking the American people are guilty of treason and should be treated as traitors. What a joke. A "climate crisis" has been cooked up by a bunch of flat-Earthers who crush those in their path who dissent from their rigid ideology, but here we have an actual crisis pitting Western civilization against the barbaric forces of radical Islam all throughout the world and all we can talk about is a pressing need for windmills? Is Robert Kennedy, Jr., the scion of a truly great man, serious? Surely they must be joking, right? Would that it were so. Because our continued existence as a nation depends upon it.

Why We Fight: The War Against Radical Islam

The war against radical Islam isn't just a bumper sticker, as wannabe presidential candidate John Edwards likes to say. Yes, the phrase "war on terror" is very misleading because it doesn't define the enemy in a clear and cogent way. The enemy is radical Islam and we must be strong enough and speak with enough moral clarity to identify this enemy without equivocation. But why? Why does it matter if we say "war on terror" or the war against radical Islam? It matters because the American people have to understand who we're fighting, and why we're fighting. Without a clearly defined enemy the country can't effectively be rallied to support the war effort, which we're seeing right now as the support for the war against al-Qaeda in Iraq wanes. And make no mistake: we are fighting al-Qaeda in Iraq.

President Bush was clear when the war came to our shores that this would be a different kind of conflict against a different kind of enemy. This enemy is patient, brutal and relentless and we're trying to fight it with one hand tied behind our backs. We've restricted our rules of engagement and at every turn the Democrat party undermines the effort, calls for surrender and discloses national security secrets to the New York Times: wiretapping of terrorist suspects; financial monitoring and tracking of terrorist-linked transactions. In light of these things it's easy to see why support for the war is sagging among the American people. But reminders aren't far away about who our enemy is if we're paying attention.

Recently, Michael Yon reported a story about al-Qaeda in Iraq. In order to gain support among the locals, Qaeda terrorists invited local families to dinner. The family profiles were similar: husband, wife and children, with one of the children being a young boy approximately 11 years old. The boy was taken out of the room, the Qaeda terrorists spoke to the husband and wife, and when dinner was to be served the boy was brought back in with his mouth stuffed. The terrorists had baked the young boy and served him to his parents. Read that again: the terrorists had baked the young boy and served him to his parents.

All around the world and right here in America, children are at risk of being brutalized and murdered in the most incomprehensible fashions the world has ever known. The enemy seeks to break our will and edges ever closer to fulfilling their goal with every casualty reported on the 10 o'clock news. But before you decide to throw in the towel on our efforts in Iraq and the war against radical Islam, think about the story Michael Yon reported and understand the reality of what we're up against. Try to imagine for just one moment what it would feel like to be that Iraqi family, struggling to breathe the sweet air of liberty that we take for granted here, having your murdered child served to you on a platter. Think about what it will mean to America and the world over if we forsake our allies for cheap political expediency. And then remember why it is we fight.

Independence Day, 2007

What can we do to honor America's birthday, our Independence Day? I personally believe that such actions are required on a daily basis, and not just on one particular day. Celebrating America and ensuring the survival of the American ideal of liberty isn't just about having the day off from work, firing up the BBQ and spending time at the beach, though we do love these things! We must do more than that. Celebrating American independence and liberty requires teaching and learning American history, and with it an ongoing love of country, even if that might be out of fashion in the blue states and big cities. Our nation is steeped in a very rich history that isn't told because of the need to be politically correct. This is a mistake. Ronald Reagan warned us of this very thing in his farewell address to the nation in 1989 when he said, "If we forget what we did, we won't know who we are. I'm warning of an eradication of the American memory that could result, ultimately, in an erosion of the American spirit. Let's start with some basics: more attention to American history and a greater emphasis on civic ritual."

How many people know the story of Captain Ingraham and Kocha, an immigrant and proud American citizen? Kocha was kidnapped in the dead of night and Ingraham, the captain of a tiny little American war sloop, demanded his release. Ingraham told the Austrians that any attempt to leave the port they were docked in, with Kocha, would be met with appropriate force. Standing proudly and backed by the American flag, Ingraham secured Kocha's release. But the captain felt that he might have disgraced his country and so he resigned. In his letter of resignation he said, “I did what I thought my oath of office required, but if I have embarrassed my country in any way, I resign.” His resignation was refused in the United States Senate with these words: “This battle that was never fought may turn out to be the most important battle in our Nation’s history.”

How many people know the story of Haym Salomon, and how one Jewish American essentially ensured the birth of our great nation? He personally risked his entire fortune to fund the American Revolution, which he believed would provide a place where Jews could live free until Jerusalem rose again. Salomon raised money whenever necessary in order to ensure this young nation's survival. He died penniless and was buried in an unmarked grave in Philadelphia. Not a fitting end to this great patriot, but his efforts are appreciated by those who know his story.

Those are just two of the great American stories, but are highly illustrative of the American spirit and that independence is the very best of ideals that we can strive for as a nation. The United States Marines' motto is "Semper Fidelis", which means "Always Faithful". But being faithful isn't an ideal that only our beloved Marine Corp should possess. We must all be faithful: to God; to our country; to our family and friends; and to those who bless us with the gift of their love. Just as importantly, being faithful to the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution is greatest gift we can pass on to our posterity. This, and only this, will ensure the survival of liberty and the American experiment.

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two of the greatest Americans, died on the same day: July 4th, 1826. Isn't it amazing that two of the men who risked their lives for liberty would die on the same day, our Independence Day? In the eulogy for both, Daniel Webster proclaimed "It [the Declaration of Independence] is my living sentiment, and by the blessing of God, it shall be my dying sentiment. Independence now, and independence forever."

Yes. Independence now, and independence forever.

Happy Independence Day, America.