When I see Ole Glory

Usama Bin Laden is dead.  I knew it would happen; it was only a matter of time. I’ll even say “well done President Obama” I won’t dwell on the narcissistic speech that announced it, or the fact that every tool of intelligence used to track down the terrorist leader was opposed by Pres. Obama, or the apparent indecision in deciding the biggest no brainer in the history of military “go no go’s”.  rather it was because of or in spite of the President’s leadership is of no matter, we, the United States of America, did what we said we would do, dead or alive we got Bin Laden.

I didn’t feel the desire to celebrate when I heard the news; instead I felt relief, a sense of accomplishment, and pride. The same pride I feel when I see the flag that flies over the Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor, or the Star Spangled banner which soared over Fort McHenry , or the picture of the firefighters raising the flag at ground zero. When I see the flag I see America.

When I see the flag I see the mightiest military force in the history of the world. I see half a million 18-24 year olds given weapons, trained to kill people and break things, and sent all over the world. Not all of them are good guys, just 99%. We defeat nations then rebuild and protect them, we don’t conquer, we don’t seize oil fields, and we have no empire. The rules of Bushido or the laws of chivalry were celebrated codes of honorable combat, yet both of these were written after the fact it was an attempt to romanticize a past struggle, the real code of honor is the US military’s rules of engagement. We have tried desperately to limit civilian casualties; we spend billions on smart bombs so we don’t have to carpet bomb civilian areas, our troops will put themselves at risk rather than just blow up a crowd of innocents to get one bad guy. Besides when there is a disaster the first best and fastest relief, rather it is Haiti or Thailand or Japan, comes from the US military. When the oppressed see our flag, they see hope, when he destitute see it they see help, when our enemies see it they see the end, even if its ten years down the road.

When I see the flag I see freedom. Where in all the world can Muslims Christians and Jews coexist in peace, seek happiness and prosperity each according to his or her gifts? The United States of America. I believe our freedoms are under attack that’s the lion’s share of the reason to do this blog, how dare I receive from my father a free nation purchased with the blood  of his shipmates at Iwo Jima, and not do all that is in my power to pass it along to my children!   I am sitting in my home writing a blog hoping to have it read by as many people as possible that is frequently critical of the president and the powers that be and what fear do I have of having my door kicked in, and being hauled off to prison, or just kind of disappearing? None. Are our freedoms under assault, are they being infringed on, yes undeniably! We must battle against each and every infringement and attempt to secure the freedoms guaranteed in the bill of rights for another generation, lest those infringements grow into true oppression, but ask the people of Syria what it means to not be free. Ask the Iranians or the Chinese if freedom of speech and religion are worth dieing for. Even under Canadian law speech and expression are repressed. America really is the last hill where free men must take a stand and die if need be.

When I see the flag I see one nation under God. We are a Christian nation, and only a Christian nation can be truly free for those of other faiths. More Bibles have gone from this nation to the world than all others combined; more missionaries have carried the gospel from our shores than any other. We have not always been in obedience to the God who blessed our founding, we are now as we have in times past straying from the straight and narrow but I have no doubt that God still has a place for us in his plan. Don’t get me wrong if we don’t repent and turn away from the path we are on, God could raise up another nation in our place. Some of my friends feel   that it’s too late, we’ve gone too far, but I doubt we have gone so far as had Sodom, which God would have spared for the sake of 10, yet we are a nation where millions live decent moral and charitable lives, where hundreds of thousands pray to God and who humble themselves and before Him every day. Think carefully of what the world without us would be like, those we feed would go hungry those we protect would be helpless, those we rescue would perish. I believe God sees these things as much as He does our sin.  

When I see the flag I see a friend of all freedom loving people. Years ago a friend traveled to Israel and said the Israelis divide the world into three categories: enemies, neutrals, and the United States. Even those who support Israel may disagree on policy, settlements and the like, and I think we have asked too many concessions of Israel and too few of the Palestinians, but even the most misguided of American policies has sought the end result of a secure and independent Israel.  Even now with a truly ambiguous administration hell bent on reaching out to our enemies and insulting our allies, American troops with no fanfare go quietly to Sinai to ensure that the new Egyptian government doesn’t get any ideas about breaking the Camp David accords as some in that nation have threatened to do. Israel is not our only friend, Europe had no ability to fend off the soviets or the Nazis without us, South Korea has a large free and vibrant economy because of us, and things didn’t go as well for those poor schleps in the north did it? Even our former enemies, Japan, Germany, soon Iraq and God willing Afghanistan, are among the freest nations on Earth.

In closing I quote the words of one far more eloquent than myself, one who saw in this nation what I see.  You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children's children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done -- Ronald Reagan

Until next time, keep on the firing line.