Sunday, September 18

Sentimentality Anyone?

It seems that everywhere I go these days I see folks with little yellow stickers on their cars, flags stuck in the windows, and bumper stickers that read "God Bless the U.S.," etc. Even the little yellow stickers are not consistent in their message. Some read "Support our Troops", some say "Bring 'em home safe", others simply display remarks referring to Sep 11, 2001.

Why in the past 4 years has their been such a outpouring of national nostalgia and seeming pride in our Nation? Perhaps it is because our lives radically changed after the terrorist attacks of 2001, perhaps it is because we remember the good old days when we were paying only 0.98$ per gallon, or maybe, it is because we still are haunted by the 1960's and 70's.

The short answer is that simple sentimentality is not going to change where we are. Looking back to the 90's where the economy was great, fuel was cheap, and global conflicts could be solved with a cruise missile is not the cure. We Americans have a choice in front of us. We can buy into our sentimentality, wish for the old days and fade into oblivion, or we can make a stand where we are, bite the bullet and surge forward.

We as a people should not support the idea of "Bring them home safe;" that is not how we wage war. We must not let our rosy memories of the past deter us from our current course. We are not fighting right now for lower gas prices, or shorter lines at the airport terminal. We are fighting for the survival of Western civilization, and more importantly, the future of our children.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Kinda weird how you got "fighting for Western civilization" out of what we're doing in Iraq. In Saddam Hussein's Iraq, I saw an awful guy ruling over a terrifed populace, but I definitely didn't see a threat to Western civilization, or a threat to my or any American children. But I'm glad you believe that. It must make the rising death toll over there seem really worthwhile to you.