"You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hope and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you." These sacred words were given by Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme commander of Allied Expeditionary Forces in World War II, to the brave men and women about to risk everything they had and would ever have on what we now know as D-Day.
Fellow countrymen of a bygone era answered the call to rid the world of fascism and in doing so faced dangers and uncertainties beyond comprehension. It was their time to rise to the challenge and rise they did.
And now those hallowed words that once echoed over the English Channel so many decades ago once again need to be heard so that all freedom-loving Americans are moved to action. Not to pick up arms but to cast a vote, not to invade another land but to rid the homeland of tyranny.
Every generation since Lexington and Concord has inherited a duty to serve and defend the freedoms gained and preserved by the generation before it. Today's generation is no exception. The oath to protect the U.S. Constitution against all enemies both foreign and domestic underscores the kind of critical struggle liberty now faces and the reason that every vote to stay the course is vital to the survivability of the Republic.
Now more than ever, we must summon the strengths so often associated with living in a free society. Calling upon clear judgment devoid of misplaced guilt and strong emotions which can devalue the facts.
And although some of our fellow citizens might savor the thought of impeaching the President, opening the borders and creating thousands of sanctuary cities, we must realize that such actions mean losing the identity and laws of this nation and the autonomy of all Americans.
That going backward means surrendering the economic advances made over the last two years in favor of higher unemployment, higher taxes, and more stifling regulations. It involves the permanent removal of evidence that uncovered the unfathomable tyranny of senior members within the Justice Department and F.B.I. but most importantly, it would waste the sacrifices made for us by those men and women who gave the full measure of themselves.
The real power of the people is the casting of the vote to select those who will follow the laws and represent the wishes of the people. And so just as the words of General Eisenhower were meant to touch the fighting spirit and resolve of our ancestors facing a desperate time, so it is with the expectation that they will sear a reality into the consciousness of Americans on Election Day, " The hope and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere are relying on you."
Rick Hayes lives in the epicenter of liberal land where reality and truth will never encounter a welcome mat.
An award-winning writer and photographer, with over twenty years of professional experience in both fields, Hayes started his journalism adventure after a successful, eye-opening career as a Banker in Wall Street. Although he spent his early work life surrounded by custom made shirts, expensive ties and the shiniest of shoes, Hayes was an accomplished singer, cutting a few records with a local band and appearing on one of the first cable shows.
Working for a weekly New York paper, in one of the most politically corrupt areas in the State, he began investing his time trying to understand the nature of corruption.
"You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hope and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you." These sacred words were given by Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme commander of Allied Expeditionary Forces in World War II, to the brave men and women about to risk everything they had and would ever have on what we now know as D-Day.
