I don’t have a PhD. I don’t even have a college degree. I have no credentials what so ever that would make me an authoritative figure on anything. But there are three things which I do have: patriotism, a sense of justice and common sense. These things cannot be taught at an Ivy League University, or through a fancy graduate program. These things are ideals.
Ideals are personal beliefs you develop through the course of your childhood and adolescence, even college. Maybe I have these ideals because of the way my parents raised me, maybe I have them because of the people I conversed with while growing up. It doesn’t matter. The important thing is that I have them, and the sad thing is that so many people don’t.
Many people believe patriotism is bad, that patriotism is something to be hidden from others because it shows loyalty to America, a country that they believe is the underlying cause of all oppression, poverty and social problems in the world. Well, I’ll tell you why I do have patriotism, and why I bleed it though every pore on my body
I love being able to work my tail off through years and years of schooling, and have aspirations of a successful life. I love having the freedom to do whatever I want with my life, and to go wherever I want to. I love being in America. There is no other country like it in the world. And the only reason people in America have the freedom to speak out against the government is because hundreds of thousands of men and women have sacrificed their lives in the name of our country. They sacrificed their lives for you, you who denounce the country in which you live, you who are so arrogant and all-knowing. You, who blame all the world’s problems on America, and deny credit when it’s due.
This very moment, as you stand ignorantly at your peace rally, holding your posters of protest, “Masturbate don’t retaliate,” “Violence breeds violence,” and all the other sickening signs of self-righteous rhetoric, there are people dying or willing to die for a cause. Willing to end their life short, never to achieve further aspirations, all because of a promise. A promise made to defend America and its people. Yes, there are people willing to die just so you can keep the right to hold your precious little protests. That is patriotism, my friends. And if you criticize America for defending itself over the death of about 5,000 innocent Americans and still think you have patriotism, think again.
The most disturbing thing I read in the past week came from an Oct. 2 article, “The Young and the Gutless,” in the New York Post, by Rod Dreher. Mr. Dreher walked around Washington Square Park and asked people if they’d be willing to fight for America. One man claimed he was not “big on war” because he was gay. NYU student Jonathan Chen said he believes war is wrong, but still thinks we should handle the terrorist situation. But “we” does not include “he,” because Jonathan does not want to fight. He believes some people, people in the military, are born to fight, that they “… have the mindset of killing people.” And Jonathan “. has hopes and dreams of becoming a filmmaker, and doesn’t want to endanger them.”
Let me tell you, Chen, I am in the military, and I don’t have the “mindset” of killing people, I was not “born to kill.” And I also have hopes and dreams of becoming someone, I don’t want to endanger those dreams by fighting in a war. But when I made the oath three years ago that I would defend America and its people, I wasn’t crossing my fingers. Neither were the hundreds of thousands of other men and women guardsmen, reservists and active duty soldiers when they made that same oath.
By denouncing the attack on the Taliban and wishing no further violence, you are objectively siding with terrorism. Sure, you never would go so far as to say, “Yes, I am a supporter of terrorism,” but by blaming America for what happened Sept. 11 and wishing no further action, you are in essence siding with Osama bin Laden. Anyone who believes that the blame can somehow be traced back to America, whether through arguing that we aided the pre-Taliban Afghans or through arguing the United States is greedy and imperialistic, is nave.
America is inherently good. Sure, we have our problems, scandals from time to time, but overall our good outweighs our ill by far. If you think America is so wrong in everything it does, why don’t you leave? Why don’t you go somewhere far away, where you won’t have to worry about all the things America does wrong. Why? Because America offers you the chance to do whatever you want whenever you want. America offers you the most opportunities for a good career and a happy life. America is the strongest country in the world. If you don’t believe that, by all means, leave. If you think you’d be so better off somewhere else, leave.
Now let me explain to you a little about justice, that is, the kind of justice our president is seeking. Yes, it is an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, but so was every other major conflict around the world since the beginning of time. World War I was an eye for an eye, World War II was a tooth for a tooth. But because of that policy, the extermination of every Jew in Europe was prevented. How plausible is it to “catch” bin Laden and try him? Do you think he will just surrender if we get close enough to him? Do you have any idea what bin Laden wishes upon every American? Death. He and his al-Quida wish the downfall of America, the country in which you live. You say if we kill bin Laden, that his followers only will avenge his death. Well, if we imprison him, his followers will commit terrorist acts until we release him (which of course we won’t). The war on terrorism is directed at terrorism itself, but this particular battle is against bin Laden and his followers.
And for anyone who believes bin Laden should be caught and tried on international grounds, you are wrong. The attack happened on U.S. soil, the people murdered were Americans, and the United Nations has no jurisdiction in this matter.
There is one more ideal that I am very adamant about arguing, because I know so many people lack it. Those that lack it are the ones chanting, “1,2,3,4, we don’t need another war, 5,6,7,8, stop the violence stop the hate.” What they lack is common sense. Common sense to see that when our lives and well-being are threatened by people whose only intent and desire is to see Americans dead, we cannot sit idly by and hope for the better. Peace isn’t something that just you want, it’s something we all want and it’s not something we are given instantaneously, it is earned, it is fought for. America doesn’t want to kill just as much as it doesn’t want to be killed, but we are left with no other option. Pacifism has the appearance of being on the higher moral ground, and in some cases it actually is. However, in circumstances such as these, pacifism is ignorance, and ignorance breeds violence. By taking a stance of non-aggression, we allow the people responsible the chance to kill again. This is common sense, and unfortunately, some people cannot see this.
If you think that I am way off track and my argument holds no ground, I’d like to see you convince me of this. I wouldn’t expect that you could, just as I don’t expect to convince you otherwise. You’re too blind to see through the aggression and understand the outcome. So why bother even arguing, why bother voicing what I believe to be right if I’m not going to convince anyone. Well, why not?
Why shouldn’t I spend my time writing this if there’s a slight chance it might make someone think a little deeper and realize that anti-American sentiment is hurting our country and helping the anti-American terrorists?
