If only peace weren’t short-lived; if only history hasn’t proven it to be a period rest and rearming between wars.
Wouldn’t lasting peace be wonderful? Imagine a global mindset in which diverse peoples work together peaceably, unconstrained by preoccupations with nuclear holocausts, or tyranny’s oppression, or the lurking subconscious “Chicken Little” syndrome which makes innocent men, women, and children ever fearful of inter-continental ballistic missiles raining down on them, as if the sky really were falling.
Such will be the case in the Kingdom awaiting the faithful, but not before then. As General Jonathan Wainwright once said, “Peace is a militant state, not secured by wishful thinking. To be sure of liberty, we must be willing to fight for it.”
Since willingly and successfully fighting for her independence nearly twenty-four decades ago, America has always been willing to fight. She has always provided her people security and opportunities to make their dreams come true, and, as Wainwright said — not because she trusts sham organizations like the United Nations, not because she has adopted a bunker, isolationist mentality in times of global unrest — her liberty exists because she remains strong militarily, and when necessary, has taken the fight to the enemy.
The people of this nation — this free land that is the shining light of hope for the world’s oppressed people — must choose leaders who will shoulder the burden of protecting and preserving all that America ever has been, and all she will ever be, against a different kind of enemy, a well-funded enemy, well armed and well positioned, not only outside America’s borders, but within them.
This enemy is composed of religious zealots, the most determined foe America has ever faced — terrorists who hate America with every fiber of their being, who awaken every morning with one goal burning like a hot brand in their minds: Destroy America, the Great Satan.
American soldiers are trained to fight opposing military forces, while striving to preserve their own lives and the lives of their countrymen. By contrast, this enemy’s soldiers are trained to kill not only American soldiers, but unarmed civilians as well.
For them, the value of human lives — even their own — seems meaningless. Indeed, they willingly strap on explosives and blow themselves up, just so they can slaughter innocents around them, certain that they will be rewarded eternally for committing such atrocities.
This enemy will never go away. Détente, compromise, mediation, unilateral concessions, and appeasement … all such things are laughable to this enemy.
When Americans vote, they must be mindful of this extremely dangerous enemy. They must decide whether to vote for articulate charismatic individuals with no military experience and little respect for America’s fighting men and women, who don’t acknowledge the dangers troops face who are willing to defend freedom by going in harm’s way, or they can vote for candidates who may have fought for this country, who respect the military, who agree with General Wainwright that liberty can only be preserved by a willingness to fight.
Jimmy Reed——
Bio and Archives
Jimmy Reed is an Oxford, Mississippi resident, Ole Miss and Delta State University alumnus, Vietnam Era Army Veteran, former Mississippi Delta cotton farmer and ginner, author, and retired college teacher.
This story is a selection from Jimmy Reed’s latest book, entitled The Jaybird Tales.
Copies, including personalized autographs, can be reserved by notifying the author via email (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)).
