(no subject)
I sat in a movie theater watching Schindler's List,"
asked myself, "Why didn't the Jews fight back?"
Now I know why.
I sat in a movie theater, watching "Pearl
Harbor" and asked myself, "Why weren't we prepared?"
Now I know why.
Civilized people cannot fathom, much less
predict, the actions of evil people.
On September 11, dozens of capable airplane
passengers allowed themselves to be overpowered by a handful of poorly armed
terrorists because they did not comprehend the depth of hatred that
motivated their captors.
On September 11, thousands of innocent
people were murdered because too many Americans naively reject the reality
that some nations are dedicated to the dominance of others. Many political
pundits, pacifists and media personnel want us to forget the carnage. They
say we must focus on the bravery of the
rescuers and ignore the cowardice of the
killers. They implore us to understand the motivation of the perpetrators.
Major television stations have announced they will assist the healing
process by not replaying devastating footage of the planes crashing into the
Twin Towers.
I will not be manipulated.
I will not pretend to understand.
I will not forget.
I will not forget the liberal media who
abused freedom of the press to kick our country when it was vulnerable and
hurting.
I will not forget that CBS anchor Dan Rather
preceded President Bush's address to the nation with the snide remark, "No
matter how you feel about him, he is still our president."
I will not forget that ABC TV anchor Peter
Jennings questioned President Bush's motives for not returning immediately
to Washington, DC and commented, "We're all pretty skeptical and cynical
about Washington."
And I will not forget that ABC's Mark
Halperin warned if reporters weren't informed of every little detail of this
war, they aren't "likely -- nor should they be expected -- to show
deference."
I will not isolate myself from my fellow
Americans by pretending an attack on the USS Cole in Yemen was not an attack
on the United States of America.
I will not forget the Clinton administration
equipped Islamic terrorists and their supporters with the world's most
sophisticated telecommunications equipment and encryption technology,
thereby compromising America's ability to trace terrorist radio, cell phone,
land lines, faxes and modem communications.
I will not be appeased with pointless, quick
retaliatory strikes like those perfected by the previous administration.
I will not be comforted by "feel-good, do
nothing" regulations like the silly, "Have your bags been under your
control?" question at the airport.
I will not be influenced by so called,"
antiwar demonstrators" who exploit the
right of expression to chant anti-American
obscenities.
I will not forget the moral victory handed
the North Vietnamese by American war protesters who reviled and spat upon
the returning soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines.
I will not be softened by the wishful
thinking of pacifists who chose reassurance over reality.
I will embrace the wise words of Prime
Minister Tony Blair who told the Labor Party conference, "They have no moral
inhibition on the slaughter of the innocent. If they could have murdered
not 7,000 but 70,000, does anyone doubt they would have done so and rejoiced
in it?
There is no compromise possible with such
people, no meeting of minds, no point of understanding with such terror.
Just a choice: defeat it or be defeated by it. And defeat it we must!"
I will force myself to:
-hear the weeping
-feel the helplessness
-imagine the terror
-sense the panic
-smell the burning flesh
- experience the loss
- remember the hatred.
I sat in a movie theater, watching "Private
Ryan" and asked myself, "Where did they find the courage?"
Now I know.
We have no choice. Living without liberty
is not living.
-- Ed Evans, MGySgt., USMC (Ret.)
Not as lean, Not as mean, But still a
Marine.
Keep this going until every living American
has read it and memorized it so we don't make the same mistake again
BTW, this Marine that wrote this is a Master Gunny (MGySgt.), the equivilant to a Warrent Officer 5 for the Army, in civy terms the highest someone can go as enlisted. Generals hold equal if not less respect than MGySgts do. So believe me when I say, what this man thinks is the same that every true Marine thinks. So I thought I'd share.
asked myself, "Why didn't the Jews fight back?"
Now I know why.
I sat in a movie theater, watching "Pearl
Harbor" and asked myself, "Why weren't we prepared?"
Now I know why.
Civilized people cannot fathom, much less
predict, the actions of evil people.
On September 11, dozens of capable airplane
passengers allowed themselves to be overpowered by a handful of poorly armed
terrorists because they did not comprehend the depth of hatred that
motivated their captors.
On September 11, thousands of innocent
people were murdered because too many Americans naively reject the reality
that some nations are dedicated to the dominance of others. Many political
pundits, pacifists and media personnel want us to forget the carnage. They
say we must focus on the bravery of the
rescuers and ignore the cowardice of the
killers. They implore us to understand the motivation of the perpetrators.
Major television stations have announced they will assist the healing
process by not replaying devastating footage of the planes crashing into the
Twin Towers.
I will not be manipulated.
I will not pretend to understand.
I will not forget.
I will not forget the liberal media who
abused freedom of the press to kick our country when it was vulnerable and
hurting.
I will not forget that CBS anchor Dan Rather
preceded President Bush's address to the nation with the snide remark, "No
matter how you feel about him, he is still our president."
I will not forget that ABC TV anchor Peter
Jennings questioned President Bush's motives for not returning immediately
to Washington, DC and commented, "We're all pretty skeptical and cynical
about Washington."
And I will not forget that ABC's Mark
Halperin warned if reporters weren't informed of every little detail of this
war, they aren't "likely -- nor should they be expected -- to show
deference."
I will not isolate myself from my fellow
Americans by pretending an attack on the USS Cole in Yemen was not an attack
on the United States of America.
I will not forget the Clinton administration
equipped Islamic terrorists and their supporters with the world's most
sophisticated telecommunications equipment and encryption technology,
thereby compromising America's ability to trace terrorist radio, cell phone,
land lines, faxes and modem communications.
I will not be appeased with pointless, quick
retaliatory strikes like those perfected by the previous administration.
I will not be comforted by "feel-good, do
nothing" regulations like the silly, "Have your bags been under your
control?" question at the airport.
I will not be influenced by so called,"
antiwar demonstrators" who exploit the
right of expression to chant anti-American
obscenities.
I will not forget the moral victory handed
the North Vietnamese by American war protesters who reviled and spat upon
the returning soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines.
I will not be softened by the wishful
thinking of pacifists who chose reassurance over reality.
I will embrace the wise words of Prime
Minister Tony Blair who told the Labor Party conference, "They have no moral
inhibition on the slaughter of the innocent. If they could have murdered
not 7,000 but 70,000, does anyone doubt they would have done so and rejoiced
in it?
There is no compromise possible with such
people, no meeting of minds, no point of understanding with such terror.
Just a choice: defeat it or be defeated by it. And defeat it we must!"
I will force myself to:
-hear the weeping
-feel the helplessness
-imagine the terror
-sense the panic
-smell the burning flesh
- experience the loss
- remember the hatred.
I sat in a movie theater, watching "Private
Ryan" and asked myself, "Where did they find the courage?"
Now I know.
We have no choice. Living without liberty
is not living.
-- Ed Evans, MGySgt., USMC (Ret.)
Not as lean, Not as mean, But still a
Marine.
Keep this going until every living American
has read it and memorized it so we don't make the same mistake again
BTW, this Marine that wrote this is a Master Gunny (MGySgt.), the equivilant to a Warrent Officer 5 for the Army, in civy terms the highest someone can go as enlisted. Generals hold equal if not less respect than MGySgts do. So believe me when I say, what this man thinks is the same that every true Marine thinks. So I thought I'd share.