By Mark Young
mark.young@manateeherald.com
I wonder what a time traveler from 1776, 1865, 1945 or other significant eras in our country’s development would think of us if they arrived in America on today’s date.
Or what would all those who sacrificed their lives in America’s armed conflicts think about this country today?
I would imagine that our Greatest Generation and all the spirits of all those generational Patriots prior to them, would have tears streaming down their cheeks as they watch what they sacrificed for, unravel before their eyes.
I wonder if any of them traveling to the here and now would think sacrificing their blood, sweat, treasure and tears was worth seeing America take drastic steps backwards from the freedom they all fought for under this dangerous administration?
Would the 29,000 American soldiers who died storming Normandy beach think so? The 2,390 at Pearl Harbor? The 6,800 who died in action during the Revolutionary War? The 10,000 dead Union soldiers at Gettysburg? The 7,000 lost Marines on Iwo Jima?
Would they look at today’s America and say it was worth their lives?
The short answer is yes, I think so. I don’t think our fallen warriors would be sitting around wiping away tears. They’d be rolling up their sleeves, spitting mad, balling their fists and ready to fight another battle for freedom.
It’s who they were. It’s who we are.
I think the greatest line ever written was a simple two-word statement in Saving Private Ryan: “Earn this.”
Have we, though? Will we? Can we?
These last couple of election cycles surely make me wonder and the fact that Georgia let us down once again in reelecting Ralphael Warnock raises the question of: When will America ever learn its lessons?
In 2006, a take on time travel movie called “Idiocracy” was released where this very averaged intelligent Army private volunteers for an experiment that literally gets put on ice for a few hundred years.
He wakes up in the future where the dumbing down of America – thanks largely to the addiction of technology – has run its course, making this not very bright guy the smartest man on the planet.
I don’t think it was an overly popular comedy, but it is a bit of a cult classic for some. I have watched it a lot, not because it’s funny, but because the premise is somewhat brilliant, and unfortunately accurate.
I bring up the time traveling analogy because I think we are well on our way to that future, especially in America where we just love shooting ourselves in the foot over and over again.
Sadly, our national test scores and a dramatic drop in where we stand in the world as far as educational prowess isn’t a movie. It’s reality. We are dumbing down at an alarming rate.
I’m so tired of hearing smart people tell me that they don’t like watching the news. They say they prefer not to know what’s going on all the time because it’s depressing.
Well that’s the Catch 22 of individual liberty I suppose, but doesn’t the future of America interest them? I mean it literally involves their future, their freedoms, their quality of life. That doesn’t interest them? The sacrifices of others don’t have any impact on what drives them as Americans?
And yet they vote.
If you do challenge them on a subject, they are quick to turn to Google. As we have discussed, Google sets inaccurate and outdated information at the top of its search engine.
You truly have to dig for accurate, relevant information. You have to do the work. You have to put in the effort.
So the question remains: Are we capable of “earning” the freedoms we have that cost thousands of gallons of blood to have fed the tree of liberty?
Well we certainly know that the election of Joe Biden is not a good sign. So even after two years of that, you would think America was paying attention. You would think that Georgia was paying attention.
So what did Georgia get for their efforts to reelect Warnock, who as a Senator, influences the direction of America?
We got a senator with long ties to radical, racist, black theologians to include the anti-semitic Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
Wright, who famously said, “God damn America,” accused the Jews of prohibiting him from meeting with then president Obama, and accused the U.S. government of creating AIDS to kill African Americans.
Warnock, who has been accused of domestic violence and interfereing in a child abuse case, defended Wright by saying Wright’s statements were in line with, “black prophetic preaching.”
Really? I had not been aware of such a thing. Black prophetic preaching? Hmm.
Another long standing mentor to Warnock is Dr. James Hal Cone who said, “White Christians,” are “satanic,” and called for, “the destruction of everything white.”
Warnock said about Cone, “How blessed we are that someone of the spiritual magnitude and power and commitment of (Cone) passed our way.”
Warnock, of course, criticized President Donald J. Trump’s decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and preached about his belief that the Palestinans were being oppressed by Israel. He even used Russian propaganda clips in his sermon.
Has Warnock even read the Bible?
And of course, there was the infamous Warnock sermon disparaging U.S. military personnel, claiming that you can’t serve God if you are in the military.
When criticized for that statement when he got into politics, Warnock said his statements reflected his, “ultimate allegiance to God.”
We can certainly get into the irony of that statement and ask the question of what’s the difference between serving in the military and serving as a government official in the eyes of God?
I’d argue serving in the military is much more honorable in the eyes of God than serving as a Washington D.C. swamp monster.
Wright, Warnock and others hide behind God while preaching hate, racism and anti-American sentiment. I’d call that preaching satan’s word over the Gospel, wouldn’t you?
I certainly believe it all goes back to our failing education system.
At the end of the day, I suppose I have no right to speak about all those who have died for this great nation, even as a veteran myself. As for my opinion, if I had fulfilled my oath in willingly giving my life for America, I’d still think it was worth it.
I don’t drop a shot of vodka into the ground every Memorial Day for the fallen brothers I did know and for those I didn’t, for nothing. I honor that sacrifice, and if I must confess, often wish I could take their place.
But I can’t so I take up the banner of freedom and I continue the fight because I know that’s what they would do had it been the other way around. They wouldn’t give up and neither shall we.
Sure, if I had died, I might be sitting up on some cloud spraying spirit urine all over every liberal I could find, but that’s another story.
The truth is that this country has always been tested. This is just another exam toward our graduation and like every other test we have taken, this is just another we will pass.
It may take another horrible experience for America to once again unite. It may take a large scale violent attack for Americans to understand just how good they have it. It may take war, famine and neighbor turning on neighbor for some Americans to finally become “interested” in their country.
But this is still America. As Rush Limbaugh said even as he pointed out the dangers of the rising socialism ranks in our own government, “I will never give up on America.”
And neither shall we, which is why we all do our part even when others will not. It is up to us my fellow Patriots. So as always, stay vigilant, stay aware, keep informed, teach others and share our visits to all you know who need to hear these messages so they know that they are not alone.
