By Kit Jarrell at Euphoric Reality
For some Americans, the shock of 9/11 was enough to convince them that nothing is sacred anymore. Nothing is secure, needing no maintenance or defense. For others, 9/11 was an "I told you so" moment more than a wake-up call. But for all of us who thought 9/11 served as the epitome of "They did what?", the last few days have shown us that we can still be shocked; we can still be incensed. We--those of us who are here legally and love our country--can, believe it or not, still be united.
Many people would disagree with that. They think we're on the brink of a civil war, or even a race war, pitting, as some MSM outlets put it, "Latino against Anglo." I'll agree that the situation looks grim. Just look at the last few days. Out-of-control students hoisted a foreign flag over our own (upside-down) Stars and Stripes. A principal ran the Mexican flag up his school's flagpole. A school tried to ban the wearing of any flag, including the American flag. An ROTC cadet who stepped forward to stop the desecration of our beloved flag (and burned the Mexican colors) is now facing felony charges, while Mexican students and protestors burn U.S. flags with manic glee--and under the "protection" of the First Amendment. (I don't believe flag burning should be legal, thus the quotes.)
All these events combine and almost give you a feeling that you're coming up on the crest of a waterfall, right? You're about to pitch over the side, and you're grabbing for anything that will keep you from falling over into a tide of something you never thought you'd see in your own country. Maybe you saw the waterfall a long time ago and you've been trying to tell others. Maybe you were just floating along, enjoying the ride, and suddenly you heard the roar of it; faint, but insistent. Not here yet, but coming. Now, here it is.
I admit it--I am afraid. Afraid that the way of life I once helped protect, the precious, sweet freedoms that all of us enjoy, will be taken from us in the interests of "not offending anyone." I'm afraid that the beautiful countrysides and breathtaking scenery that my country boasts will be lost in a sprawling urban jungle, necessary to support the severe overpopulation that is coming from beyond our borders. I have seen that my family is not safe from the threat of Muslim hatred or the illegal immigrant's ideas of entitlement, and that frightens me.
Aside from the fear, however, is a deep, abiding sense of anger. And it's not just me. I see it in the comments readers leave here, I hear it in the voices of those who are dear to me. There are joking comments about the price of ammo at Cabela's, there are amusing photos of toilet paper stamped with the Mexican flag, but beneath it all, there is anger, and rightfully so. Courage is not being fearless. It is acting in spite of your fear; it is doing what needs to be done, regardless of the personal cost.
We are in the midst of a revolution--one to keep our own land safe and free. We stand as our fathers and grandfathers once stood against the fury of the Japanese. We stand as their fathers did, and their great-grandfathers. We stand against an entire religion that actively seeks our death. We stand against a force that surges from our borders, seeking to overrun, to conquer.
As an American, I stand to say, "You will not conquer me."
Every generation must pay its dues, and as Jefferson said, the tree of liberty must be watered from time to time with the blood of tyrants and patriots."
He never said that the watering will occur on foreign soil. Indeed, the Revolutionary War was fought on lawns, in towns, in our very homes.
He never promised that only the military will be forced to provide the patriot's blood. Everyone who believed in freedom had a part to play, and in our history, civilians have given their lives for the sake of our country.
He only said it was necessary to ensure liberty. Sooner or later, lives must be given in service to freedom.
That time is coming, when all of us will be asked to count the cost, and give what we believe we must, for the sake of our children. If we do our part, it does not exempt our children. Their own time will come to give. But if we do nothing, our children will not even have the sacred honor of knowing what it is to serve a higher purpose, for there will be nothing to live for.
I believe that the situation is critical, yes. But I also choose to believe that Americans can rise up and do what needs to be done. I don't mean the politicians. I don't mean the pro-immigrant, pro-terrorism, leftist forces that seek the destruction of our country and the erosion of our moral fiber. I'm talking about you and me. I'm talking about Americans who understand the incredible gift that was given to us by those who came before. I'm talking about those who, like the Minutemen of our history, decided to do more than talk, more than complain.
We could lay down and give up. We could easily look at the state of affairs and say, "Why bother? It'll never work." In doing so, we'd be like just about every other country facing similar problems with out-of-control immigration, riots, and Muslim violence.
But we're not every other country. And I don't give a damn if that's arrogant. I am a citizen of the greatest, most amazing country this world has to offer, and I'm proud of it.
The fight is here, in our neighborhoods and streets. It is not about rights, it's not about racism. It's about theft and laziness. It's about entitlement, and those who despise our country wanting only to suck it dry for themselves. It's about misguided history. It's about a complete ignorance of what makes this country what it has been for over two hundred years.
A student in the protests the other day said that he thought the rest of his family should be able to come over from Mexico and "get some freedom." That statement embodies so much of what is wrong here. Freedom is not a commodity. It is not something you can pick up in the Accessories department at JC Penney. It's not something you just "come over and get." For those of us who have grown up in the shadow of the great men of our history, those of us who understand the meaning of the phrase "live free or die," that student's words were a disgrace; they were perhaps as offensive as seeing the flag as it never should be, under the flag of another nation, used as a target of ridicule and scorn.
I refuse to lie down and let the waterfall carry me. I refuse to be silent as my country is overrun by those who care not a whit about what it truly costs to live here. "American" is not a geographical designation. It is not simply the country of my birth. It is how I grew up, who I am, and who I will choose to be for the rest of my life. I am free, and I don't care who you are--I will never let you disgrace the honor that it is to be a part of this nation.
This has been a production of the Guard the Borders Blogburst. It was started by Euphoric Reality, and serves to keep immigration issues in the forefront of our minds as we’re going about our daily lives and continuing to fight the war on terror. If you are concerned with the trend of illegal immigration facing our country, join our blogburst! Just send an email with your blog name and url to euphoricrealitynet at gmail dot com.
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posted by Joe S. at 4/03/2006 07:04:00 AM
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