Published: May 16, 2008 11:53 am            

Silent no more

On Feb. 20, 1950, President Harry Truman signed a presidential proclamation announcing the creation of Armed Forces Day and asked all branches of the military to celebrate it on the third Saturday in May. “It is a day to honor and acknowledge the people of the armed forces of the United States.”

Tomorrow, May 17, America will celebrate it’s 58th Armed Forces Day.

In the 60s, a large number of antiwar fascists, peace activists, conscientious objectors and pacifists joined together to protest America’s participation in Vietnam. The media ensured the antiwar view was visible world wide. As a member of the “silent majority,” I couldn’t believe that many Americans would blame those serving in the armed forces for the war.

Service in America’s armed forces is not required as an obligation of citizenship. Since the Vietnam War, America is protected by one of the best trained and best equipped all volunteer armed forces in the world. Keep in mind that the equipment developed for our military is the best that money can buy. Because compulsory service is not required, many Americans grow up, live and eventually die having never had the honor of “serving.” Yet, many love to comment adversely about those that serve.

America is again deeply involved in a war with an enemy that is ruthless, unprincipled and deadly. An enemy that does not differentiate between civilians and soldiers. One that believes rape, torture, mutilation and murder are a path to paradise. Unfortunately, too many Americans are more interested in their rights than their responsibilities. Our forefathers probably never considered that Americans could become so enamored with their rights and enabled by Supreme Court decisions, to operate in a manner that legally endangers the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness of every other American simply because they do not believe in war for personal, religious or pacifistic reasons. Where does survival fit into their lives? What about their children? Do they seriously believe that not fighting will save them?

Americans like to think of themselves as a peace-loving people. But peace at the price of liberty is fatal. John Stuart Mill once said, “War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.”

Those better men and women are risking their lives every day for every American and one or two of them may have their checks cashed on Saturday, their holiday.

It is time for the silent majority to stand up and speak out in a loud voice. I was silent then but no more!

Samuel I. Kraemer is a Stillwater resident. E-mail comments to .

        

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