America's Greatest Sacrifices In Vain ?
May 30th, 2011 is Memorial Day. It is a special day All American's should take time to reflect upon the men and women of our military who have given up their lives for the freedoms we currently enjoy. There have been so very many heroes willing to make that willing ultimate sacrifice to keep us “free.” One cannot truly pay homage to our fallen hero's unless we take time to reflect upon what exactly others have given for us in the USA. Let me just say in my own special way now- Thank you !
Last year, on Memorial Day 2010, I visited the place where the surviving American and Filipino Soldiers and Sailors who during the Bataan Death March in the Philippines during WWII, were held as prisoners of war by the Imperial Japanese Army. It was a somber place where there are several large memorials. One memorial is for the Philippine Soldiers and the other, for The American Soldiers/Sailors. Being an American Citizen, of course I spent the majority of my time looking over the names, ranks and plaque writings of the American's on the memorial wall. As I was there, I noticed something very much missing- that was other American Citizens such as myself. As I was there for over an hour, I did not see any wreaths, flowers, small American flags planted around the American memorial, or anything that would identify that there were any American's who had visited before my time there late Memorial Day afternoon 2010. In reelection, I am not sure which almost brought the tear in my eye most that day; reading the memorial plaque how the American Soldiers/sailors were brutally tortured and treated by the Japanese Imperial Army, or the fact that there were no other American's visiting this important WW II American Memorial on that day with me.
It would seem we American's are very easy to forget our fallen heroes. Last statistic I had read about American's living here in the Philippines, there were over 150,000. Surely one or two besides myself could have come to visit, to plant a flag or “make a showing.” Unfortunately and sadly, it did not occur- it was just me all alone and remembering those who lived to die for me and my fellow American's “freedoms.”
Looking at the America of today, the current “policy” of most American's saying thank you to our fallen heroes with a day off of work, a day to visit family or having a BBQ in the back yard, is just not enough to remember our dead military veteran's or our duty to never betray what they have died for. If anything, we must remember exactly why they gave up their lives. If they could come back from the dead, I am quite confident they would communicate with all of us that the reason they indeed chose to willing die, sacrifice their lives, was so-you and I could enjoy and maintain our freedoms intact. I also believe whole heartedly, if they could have visualized what we currently visualize as “freedom” in America and American Government today, perhaps many of our fallen hero's would renig on their decision to give up their very souls during war time! I may be yet going further out on a limb here by also saying this, but I firmly believe we have stabbed in the back(if that were possible) our fallen heroes by not only forgetting who they were but the reason's they gave up their lives. After all, sacrifice of one's own life is not an easy task to do under any circumstance !
I would love to think that also some how that not only our American war dead but also our American Fore Father's could some how speak to us today. If they could, they surely would tell us of their great love for God and how much the Bible influenced their thinking, their documents and the building blocks of this once young nation. I would suppose they would also give us a warning, an important warning that indeed we as a nation have forgotten why our War hero's have died and to what original purpose. Perhaps then, they would go on to share regarding how we as a people have forgotten much of what the United States of America was meant to be as a nation. Indeed, we do not literally hear their voices but we that love the USA have remembered that there are writings that still exist as reminders of the original intent of who, what and where we were meant to be as Americans. Clearly, real American's can see exactly where disastrously wrong we've gone and where we are as a nation today.
As a history lesson and reminder to all American's I as that you read carefully the following quotes from just a few of our American Fore fathers and see how far we have indeed forgotten God, our nation and duty.......
“Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."~John Jay
“God grants liberty only to those who love it, and are always ready to guard and defend it.” – Daniel Webster (1834)
“Let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers just men who will rule in the fear of God [Exodus 18:21]. If the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted. If our government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the Divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws.”-Noah Webster
“Resistance to tyranny is service to God.” – James Madison
“Tyranny is defined as that which is legal for the government but illegal for the citizenry.” – Thomas Jefferson
“Whether our religion permits Christians to vote for infidel rulers is a question which merits more consideration than it seems, yet to have generally received either from the clergy or the laity. It appears to me that what the prophet said to Jehoshaphat about his attachment to Ahab ["Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord?" 2 Chronicles 19:2 affords a salutary lesson."-John Jay
“The general principles upon which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity"~John Adams
“Where is it written in the Constitution, in what section or clause is it contained, that you may take children from their parents and parents from their children, and compel them to fight the battle in any war in which the folly or the wickedness of government may engage it? “– Daniel Webster
“If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so.” – Thomas Jefferson
My friends, “We The People” have forgotten who we were meant to be as a people and as a nation. It would appear our current 'policy” of celebration Memorial Day Holiday in America for most is nothing more than a day off of work. To many American's have lost their way becoming apathetic and self centered in nature. It seems to me the selfless, loving and patriotic American has gone by the way side. He/she no longer exists. If he/she is out there somewhere, I ask you then Sir/Mam to stand now with me, giving a resounding “I” and sound the trumpet and call any other remaining patriots back to a service of selfless, sacrificial love for God, family, duty, and nation.