The Founding
Fathers put together an ingenuous system of government designed to guarantee
freedom in this new world, an ocean away from the tyranny of a monarchical
regime. It’s been about 250 years since they took a stand against King George
III and fought a bloody war to end the servitude they had been born into. None
of us can truly imagine the suffering they endured to carve out a sanctuary for
themselves and their families and defend it against the British Empire, the
dominant military force of its time. For them, it was do or die, inasmuch as
such treasonable action was punishable by death. Yet, having experienced the
misery of life without freedom, they were willing to make that sacrifice.
With the Virginia
House of Burgess undecided on whether to organize for military action against
the encroaching British military force, Patrick Henry argued in favor of
mobilization and ended his speech with words that have since become
immortalized: “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the
price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what
course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!”
Those words have
echoed through the canyons of time, reminding generation after generation of
the hardships endured to build a new nation, under God, with liberty and
justice for all. Nevertheless, it seems that millions of Americans have
become filled with the fetid odor of cynicism, cavalierly dismissing the
courageous struggle that built the foundation for the prosperity they now take
for granted. Academics, schooled in theoretical concepts, engage in
self-indulgent debate, seeking to find moral equivalence between past and
present.
As a Socratic
exercise, it may have merit, but as a blueprint for the preservation of freedom
and the destiny of a nation, it has no relevance. This experiment in democracy
wasn't charted by perfect people; they were a motley combination of
practitioners in many fields of endeavor. But the common thread among
them was an indomitable spirit and the passionate thirst for freedom. That
thirst, quenched for hundreds of millions during the last couple of centuries,
is being challenged in retrospect, by the ungrateful heirs of those patriots. Some
burn our flag, the symbol of liberty, while conveniently refusing to
acknowledge that the freedom to do so is part of their ancestral heritage.
Others find fault
with the former slaveholders among those early founding members, referring to
them as a bunch of old, bigoted white men. Such rhetoric is merely a sophomoric
attempt to juxtapose the cultural norms of vastly different eras. With food on
your table and clothes on your back, it's easy to have an intellectual debate
on the methods used to forge a civilization out of a savage wilderness. Thanks
to those early crafters of this republic; the many statesmen who followed them;
and the millions of decent, hardworking citizens who contributed to the effort,
we are still the most coveted piece of real estate on the planet. We don't
build walls to keep people in, but if we are to continue enjoying the bountiful
lifestyle we’ve earned, we must build walls to keep them out.
In pragmatic terms, the United States is a lifeboat
with a limited capacity to rescue the multitudes from a raging sea. The more
humanity we take on board, the more water will fill our boat, weighing it down
precipitously toward an ultimate capsize. We can reach out in heartfelt
sympathy to the floundering masses, but at some point, we must recognize that
one more passenger may take us all down to a watery grave. The average person
dares not contemplate making a decision of such magnitude. Nevertheless,
in the interest of rational thought, someone must!
Few people are old enough to remember the mood of the
country during World War 2, but America's sentiments can be readily understood
by viewing the movies made during the war against the Axis powers in Europe.
Even during the '50s, a decade after the troops were back home, the films
continued to portray the greatness of our country and its fight for freedom
around the world. It was a time of John Wayne, James Stewart, and Betty
Grable, major stars whose patriotism was self-evident in the roles they played
and the additional time they spent supporting the troops.
It was a time when families prayed
together and proudly displayed flags in front of their homes to show their love
of country and their support of the men in uniform. Legendary comedian Bob
Hope was entertaining the troops at military bases around the world,
accompanied by other major Hollywood celebrities. It was a time in our
history when we knew the good guys from the bad guys. It was the time of
heroes. However, since the turbulent '60s, with its anti-American rhetoric and its
drug-induced revolution against propriety, we have witnessed an erosion of
values that has sought to turn religion into a prohibited practice and
patriotism into a foolish philosophy engaged in only by fascists.
History proves that the United
States of America has always found its heroes in times of need. If past
is indeed prologue, it will find its heroes again.
