Sunday, December 02, 2007

Boone: Freedom Isn't Free - It's Costly

In his WorldNetDaily article, Freedom Isn't Free - It's Costly, Pat Boone makes some important observations about the fact that the freedoms we enjoy in this country aren't free...they are costly.

In a recent published interview, talking about the first movie produced by his new United Artists venture, starring himself, Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise said, "I hate war; my personal opinion is that war never accomplished anything." I actually do think the world of Tom, and I share his hatred of war itself. But my immediate reaction was the desire to ask him, "What about our own Revolutionary War? There most likely would never have been an America – the country that has blessed us and the rest of the world for 250 years – without it. And what about our own Civil War, bloody and inexcusable as it seems, that kept our States United? And what about World Wars I and II? In both cases, weren't those wars forced upon us – to rescue all of Europe from Germanic subjugation in WWI, and all the world from a surging evil axis led by the insane regime of Adolf Hitler in WWII?"

In any of those cases, should a free and democratic people just have refused to take up arms and allowed itself to be taken over by a crazed dictator? What serious options did a free people have?

A statement by Thomas Jefferson rings in my ears: "From time to time, the soil of liberty must be stained with the blood of martyrs."

Isn't that a pitiful but undeniable truth? Can anybody read much history without having to acknowledge that there have always been small and large segments of humanity driven to impose their will on other segments? And, as admirable and well motivated as "peace movements" surely are, does any overview of human history give us any real hope that one will truly succeed?

I'm an incorrigible optimist, but I've finally had to give up on any such idea. I reluctantly have come to the conclusion, along with Thomas Jefferson and the Moral Rearmament kids, that there will always be plots and schemes against free and blessed people, for any number of selfish, jealous, or power-hungry reasons. And the free and the blessed will have to defend themselves and others – with military arms.


I think that the following paragraphs represent just some of the reasons that the liberal left mindset, unfortunately, is missing in terms of why we are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Plus, he adds comments that reveal why illegal immigration is, and should be, foremost on the minds of Americans this election year.

Boone writes:

As tragic and painful a burden as the fatality numbers in our current Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts are – and however much we might hate being there, confronting at least two modern Hitlers and their expressed desire to destroy both the United States and Israel – the fact is America has suffered military fatalities every year since 1980, numbering from as few as 817 in 1997 to as many as 2,392 in 1980, the last year of President Jimmy (Nobel Peace Prize) Carter! And America suffered over 10,000 fatalities during the Clinton years!

And even more shocking to me is the comparison between our total military fatalities in Iraq (3,500 and counting) and the recorded murders in the United States (14,000) in a single year, an alarming percentage committed by persons in this country illegally.

Doesn't this tend to prove the apparent reality that there are everywhere destructive elements in our human makeup, and that diplomacy will not likely make the difference between war and peace? And that this may not be a good time to have best-selling books attempting to disprove the very existence of a Creator who has endowed all men with constructive attributes too – certain unalienable rights, among these life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?
Be sure to read the entire article. There are many additional insightful observations, including one example (of the many!!!) of how the MSM has distorted information throughout these conflicts. How shameful...

HT: WorldNetDaily

5 comments:

Christinewjc said...

Beg Laden getting desperate?

I still think that Bin Laden has Bin Dead for quite some time now. These videos all appear to be recycled ones.

If that's the case, then it's Zawahiri who is getting desperate.

Good!!

The surge is working in Iraq, ('bout time that Murtha admitted this...so where's his apology towards our troops?) the latest Al Qaida tape is begging for other countries not to support the U.S. in its efforts in Afghanistan.

BTW, the article also states:

"As the FBI has said since 9/11, bin Laden was responsible for the attack," Kolko said in a statement. "In this latest tape, he again acknowledged his responsibility. This should help to clarify for all the conspiracy theorists, again — the 9/11 attack was done by bin Laden and al-Qaida."

Take THAT Rosie O'Donnell and all the rest of the loonie conspiracy theorists!!

How about fessin' up and admitting you all are wrong?!!

Fat chance. I won't hold my breath for an apology from them any time soon...

Matt W. said...

I couldn't help but notice that Jefferson was misquoted, the actual quote is this: "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." A seemingly small differance, but significant none the less. It takes only conviction to stand and allow oneself to be martyred for a cuase (not to denegrate those who have that courage), however, for patriots to arise, and spill the blood of the tyrant also, making the sacrifice of their own lives far more than a mere statement, is critical to the survival of liberty.

Christinewjc said...

Thanks for the clarification, Matt. I wonder why Jefferson was misquoted by Boone? Perhaps he just tried to recall the quote from memory and came up with "martyrs" instead of "patriots."

I'm glad that you shared the additional point that Jefferson made in that quote. The need to destroy tyrants is very important. As you stated, it "is critical to the survival of liberty."

Good points!

David Stoker said...

Acknowledging that war is sometimes necessary, which I think is it primarily in defense or protection of the innocent, and that it will always be with us, considering the power of freedom of choice and the love of power and money, should not stop us from pursuing peace and diplomatic resolutions. I also think the current war in Iraq falls far short of a comparison to the U.S. Revolutionary War except if the U.S. is viewed as the colonial power trying to preserve their interests.

Matt W. said...

I don't believe that the point was to say that the Iraq conflict is comprable to our Revolutionary war, simply that it is proof that war is sometimes necessary. However, as quickly as an analogy for that falls apart, it doesn't fall as flat as the analogy as the US as a colonial power, afterall, we are in no way colonizing Iraq.