|
|
November 9, 2001
"Leaning
Left "
To Our Veterans, Past
and Future
by James Hall
On Veteran's Day we recognize
the personal sacrifice of the many Americans who fought
for our nation and the ideas of individual freedom and
liberty that it represents. Many gave their lives; others
endured crippling wounds or gave years of effort in order
that America would overcome her enemies. Yet while we
celebrate the efforts of those who have given so much,
we recognize that the giving, unfortunately, is far from
over. America continues to have enemies who would happily
destroy her and our way of life, and in order to defeat
them we will require more people dedicated to public service
and more heroes to put themselves in harm's way.
September 11th was a wake-up
call for everyone hooked into the neo-liberal view of
the emerging global economy. Our nation had been at peace
so long, with the emphasis on the economics of free trade,
that many declared borders and even the idea of the nation-state
to be all-but-obsolete. Notions of self-interest seemed
to prevail over the public interest and honorable public
service But September 11 taught us that many people hate
Americans and the values we stand for, and for these values
to survive--including the freedom of the individual to
make his or her own choice--takes a nation that honors
public service and individuals willing to fight and perhaps
die for their beliefs.
Those who argue that America
can and should go its own way, and live in a live-and-let-live
world must now confront the evidence that our very existence
is an affront to our enemies. Usama bin Laden and those
who think like him will never be satisfied with an American
military withdrawal from Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, or
Palestine. It's not the power of the American military
that affronts them, but the attraction of American ideas
and the temptations of American culture. Only our complete
destruction as a people or the complete destruction of
the values that we hold dear will suffice for them.
It's unfortunate that many
see the export of American culture--its movies, music,
and material goods as well as its ideas--as a threat to
their own culture. They see the spread of American goods
and services as an agressive attack on their own way of
living, not as people exercising their choice to buy what
they want or believe as they wish. Rather than peacefully
competing with American products and values, they have
chosen to attack us, and we must recognize that to practice
our ideals also means that we must be willing to defend
them. Our veterans recognized this, and we honor them
for their courage and sacrifice.
While we honor those who
stood and now stand on the front lines of our defense,
we also ought to recognize those who stand with them--the
police, fire-fighters, EMS technicians, and those who
run the emergency management departments and public health
departments of our federal, state, and local governments.
When the terrorists brought their war to American soil
on September 11th, it was these people who responded,
risking and (in some cases losing) their lives in service
to their fellow Americans.
President Bush's visit to
Atlanta to honor the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
on Thursday is a recognition of the efforts that will
be required to win a war on terrorism. As a terrorist
war, this conflict will be fought not only in Afghanistan
but on the streets and in the skies of America herself.
Our enemy will often be faceless and invisible, and will
work to strike terror and fear in our hearts, whether
it be from airliners diving out of the sky, poisoned letters
in the mail, or other forms of hidden attacks on America's
people and its national symbols.
This isn't a problem to
be solved by entrepreneurs, product development, or corporate
mergers. It will be a conflict that won't be won without
people giving of their time and energy and personal sacrifice
for thier nation, whether they be soldiers, sailors, firemen,
policement, or medical workers. As a nation, we must honor
those who are willing to give of their time in public
service to our nation. And we must recognize that public
service is a service to America worthy of honor. That's
hard adjustment for some Americans who have learned to
despise and fear their own government.
The American Dream is the
dream for much of the world--but not all of it. If we
want to be free to pursue our own ideas of freedom and
liberty, we'll have to recognize and honor those whose
vision of public service requires them to defend us and
to give them their due. ***
©
2001 James Hall
|
