Imagine
Life Without It:
Thanking Those Who Protect Our Freedom
by
Courtney Caldwell
But
none of that did happen because America has the best-trained,
most dedicated, and technically advanced military in the world.
Yes, the world. A military, I might add, that we should not only
be grateful to for defending our freedom and protecting the land
on which we so value our freedom, but to whom we should also be
showing our unwavering support. After all, without them, we would
not have the freedom to be who we are and do what we want; a freedom
we forget is ours only as a result of those who have protected
it, defended it; a freedom for which many have died so that the
rest of us may continue to have and enjoy it.
If
it weren’t for these intensely dedicated people, America
would be just another monarchy or regime. We’d have little
or no control over our pursuit of happiness. There would be no
liberty and justice for all. There would be no American dream.
Hitler’s
mission was to conquer the world. He used death and destruction
as a means of control. That was his way of peace, his way or hell’s
highway, not that there was much difference under his rule. We
underestimated him and his capabilities, but history now shows
the result of a madman going unchecked. Six million Jews and hundreds
of thousands of military lives later, the world finally regained
control, but at what cost?
We’ve
seen the intent firsthand. How many more New York, Bali, or Israel
attacks do we need to understand the full scope of the intent
of terrorists or dictatorial regimes that support terrorism? How
many more innocent people have to die in these horrific acts of
violence before we say enough? How long must we wait before it
sinks in that the desire for dominance and control is the goal
of terrorists worldwide, not peace? Should we wait again until
our global community is infested with terrorist bombings and millions
of people are forced to live in fear?
Some
seem to think yes as we’ve seen them fill the streets in
protest against the war against the Iraqi regime. Some, for reasons
that escape me, don’t seem to remember that the reason they’re
allowed to demonstrate their freedom of speech is because we live
in a free society, a society that was founded on liberty and freedom,
a society that has been defended and protected by millions of
young men and women throughout history, as they are today in Iraq,
Afghanistan and dozens of other locations around the world.
We
can only imagine what it must be like to live there. Most of us
wouldn’t want to. The one thing we know for certain is that
Iraqi people want their freedom too. They are thankful to our
soldiers for freeing them from a life sentence of fear and control.
We
owe the coalition forces our undying gratitude, as well. While
our soldiers are liberating one society, at the same time, they’re
keeping America’s liberty intact for all to enjoy. We must
remember that we have this liberty, the freedom to do what we
want, when we want, because of the sacrifice others are making
and have made to protect it every day.
I,
for one, enjoy the freedom of travel any time I want, whether
by air or land. I am grateful for having the opportunity to pursue
my dreams, whether successful or not. I appreciate the opportunity
to speak my mind without fear of having my tongue cut out or being
thrown in jail and tortured. It makes me happy that my son had
a choice to enter the military or not. And I’m ecstatic that
my daughter has unlimited opportunities to do and be whatever
she wants in her lifetime. Most of those opportunities would not
have been available had I not been born in America, the land of
the brave and home of the free.
I
think I can speak on behalf of the majority of Americans when
I say, “Thank you, coalition forces and all American military
personnel, for defending our freedom, and providing the gift of
freedom to others, for all to enjoy and share. We love and support
you, appreciate the sacrifice you’re making on our behalf,
and look forward to your safe return.” Where would we be
without them? Imagine. (...BACK)
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