Many of the younger generation must be truly bewildered
over the emotions older Americans display when expressing love, devotion,
respect, and reverence for our country. A tear in the eye for a patriotic
song... a hand over the heart as the national anthem plays... a salute to the
flag as it passes in a parade. Why would we older folks do that?
What frame of reference could younger Americans possibly have? Patriotism,
nationalism - even American citizenship - are taboo in today's school
curriculum. Globalism, diversity, and political correctness trump real history,
sound economics, and science. Communism is just another economic system. The
Founding Fathers are simply old, dead white guys. The UN's Declaration on Human
Rights trumps the Declaration of Independence.
Where are the heroes for today's young people to admire? Principled leaders who
understood the roots of America's greatness now are replaced by
blow-dried sound-byte kings whose professional campaign staffs understand only
how to maneuver a special interest group or a voting block.
How can young people make decisions in the voting booth? Whom can they choose?
Are there any candidates who offer anything other than meaningless gibberish?
Perhaps if today's young people could learn some of the history that brings the
older generation a sense of pride... perhaps if they could be helped to
understand that ordinary people in history understood that there were issues
worth sacrificing and even dying for, then perhaps they could help demand a
better future for themselves.
Here are three little-known examples from three separate eras of our nation's
history which demonstrate how Americans once thought; how they once stood
proud, ready to defend ideals to the death if necessary; how the rest of the
world understood that such unwavering devotion to those ideals meant our word
was true; and that America offered the human race something different,
something wonderful. It meant that Americans were more secure, more prosperous,
and happier than any people in history.
Perhaps, with these examples, today's young Americans will understand that the
tear in an eye or the hand over a heart expressed by the older generation
wasn't for a flag or a song. Instead it was for the actions taken by the men
and women who fought to make those items symbols of freedom.
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Thomas Nelson, Jr. was born and raised in a wealthy family in Yorktown, Virginia. Educated in England, he was elected to the House of
Burgesses in 1761. He loved everything British and was proud to be a British
subject. That is, until King George decided that his subjects were good for
little more than a revenue source to pay for his wars with France. The King imposed the hated Stamp
Act on the American colonies, and Nelson became a dedicated opponent. He
believed he had rights to his own hard-earned money, and he believed it was
wrong to impose the tax when he had virtually no say in the matter. Such was
the foundation of the American Revolution. It
mattered.
Soon Nelson was elected to represent Virginia in the Continental Congress where
he became one of fifty-six men to sign the Declaration of Independence. By
adding his name to the bottom of the document he pledged his life, fortune, and
sacred honor. In other words, Nelson and his fifty-five colleagues gambled
everything in exchange for the ability to live their lives in freedom.
Thomas Nelson, Jr. backed up that pledge by becoming a brigadier general in George Washington's army. But he did more than just
fight. He used his own fortune to help Washington fund the army. His money helped
make payrolls for the men who needed it for their families back home. His
contributions to help keep the army on the battlefield would have equaled $2
million today.
Finally, in the last battle of the war, Nelson found himself commanding troops
outside his own hometown of Yorktown. As Washington laid siege to the British-held
town, Nelson watched as a cannon battery continually missed an important
target. It was British General Cornwallis' command post. Nelson inquired of the
troops why they weren't shooting at the house. "Because," they said,
"it's your house." Nelson said, "give me the torch." He
then fired the first cannon aimed at his own home and gave the order for the
other cannon to fire at the target as well. The home was destroyed. Not long
after, Cornwallis surrendered and the United States was born.
For his service, Nelson died a pauper as his health and fortune were wrecked by
the war. Thomas Nelson, Jr. made the sacrifice because he believed freedom was
more important than comfort and material wealth. He was not alone, as almost
all signers of the Declaration of Independence met similar fates. Some died in
the war effort. Many lost their fortunes. Some even lost their "sacred
honor." They did it so that future generations might live a better life.
Francis Scott Key
Most young people today know the Star Spangled Banner as simply a hard song to
sing before sporting events. To them, its curious words about bombs bursting in
air and flags flying just sound like a Fourth of July
party. Where's the beer? Play ball.
But the words mean much more. The song's lyrics are actually a testimony to
sacrifice, death and courage. Francis Scott Key
personally witnessed the events described in the song and wrote what he saw as
it was happening.
Key was an attorney who lived in Washington, D.C., during the War of 1812. Again the United States was at war with Great
Britain. The British had never really gotten over losing
the American colonies. In the 20 years since Cornwallis had surrendered at Yorktown, they had continually harassed
American ships on the high seas. The U.S. tried diplomacy to solve the
problems as the country sought to freely and honestly trade with both England and France. Peace was the goal of the young
nation.
But American ships seeking trade with Europe faced blockades by the British,
who dominated the seas with their vast fleet, the largest in the world. In
addition to preventing trade, the British claimed the right to take their
sailors off the American ships. The problem was, they also took American
sailors, making them serve against their will on British ships. Finally, the
Americans had enough. Diplomacy wasn’t working. American lives and freedoms
were being threatened. So the U.S. Government declared war on the British,
again.
It didn't go well for the Americans. The British used their vast sea power to
attack the United States. First the fleet sailed up the Hudson River to control New York. They launched an attack on New
Orleans, gaining control of the Mississippi. And then they sailed up the Chesapeake, into the Potomac, to invade Washington, D.C. With little resistance, the
British ransacked the capital city, burning buildings, including the White
House. First Lady Dolly Madison was able to escape with little more than the
Declaration of Independence. As the Americans were forced to flee, the British
fleet set its sights on the next target, one of the nation's most prosperous
cities, Baltimore - just a short trip up the Chesapeake. It was meant to be the final
victory before reestablishing the Americans as British subjects.
Meanwhile, as the ships wreaked havoc from the sea, British troops were on the
ground in countless towns and villages, arresting American citizens and putting
them in makeshift jails or on prison ships. The Americans were not happy having
these occupying troops in their communities and tried to fight back. In the
small community of Upper Marlborough, Maryland, two drunken British soldiers were
arrested by Dr. William Beanes and thrown into jail. One escaped, caught up to
his unit, and reported what had happened. The British returned to the town,
released their soldier and arrested Dr. Beanes.
Enter Francis Scott Key. The people of Upper
Marlborough enlisted Key to help free Dr. Beanes, who was now being held in the
hold of a prison ship in Baltimore harbor. Key was allowed on the
ship and taken to the prison hold. There he found the ship packed with American
prisoners, including Beanes. Key met with Rear Admiral Sir George Cockburn to
negotiate a prisoner exchange in hopes of freeing all of the Americans. At
first Cockburn agreed, and Key went below to tell the men they would soon be
released.
As the two men met on the deck of the ship, Cockburn told him that, yes the men
would soon be released, but not through a prisoner exchange. They would be
released, he said, because the war will be over. Then Cockburn pointed down the
bay where Key saw hundreds of British ships sailing toward them.
"That," said Cockburn, "is the entire British fleet. They are
coming here to take Fort McHenry." The fort was the last
stronghold of the Americans, and it protected Baltimore. Its fall would assure the final
British victory and the end of the United States.
Key was held on the ship, unable to leave until the battle was over. The
bombardment began at dusk in a deafening roar of cannon fire from a hundred
ships which stayed outside the range of Fort McHenry's guns. As the fleet opened fire
on the fort, the men held in chains below deck wanted to know what was
happening. Key reported what he saw throughout the battle.
Waving from the fort was a large American flag. As night began to fall, the
bombs from the British fleet burst through the air. The last thing anyone could
see in the twilight's last gleaming was the flag defiantly flying over the
fort. Throughout the night the prisoners called out, "Is it still flying?"
No matter how many bombs seemed to hit the flag, it continued to fly. Finally,
in frustration, the British fleet trained all of its guns on the flag, determined
to bring it and the Americans’ defiance down in a heap. Still it flew.
In the morning the guns stopped. In the dawn's early light, all saw that the
flag still flew, and the fort remained in American hands. Eventually, the fleet
sailed away. Key was released. He rushed to the fort and there he saw what had
happened. The flagpole had been hit numerous times. The flag was full of holes.
Around the base of the flag were numerous bodies of American soldiers and
citizens. Throughout the night, they had sacrificed themselves to keep the flag
waving. As the flagpole splintered from the direct hits it suffered, men rushed
out and held up the flag, becoming human flagpoles. One by one, as each was cut
down by the bombs bursting in air, another rushed out to take his place.
The nation survived, and America became a shining light in the
world as the land of the free. And the men of Fort McHenry proved it was also the home of
the brave.
William Barret
Travis
In the winter and early spring of 1836, war raged throughout what is now the State of Texas. Mexico, led by General Santa Anna,
wanted to control the territory. Santa Anna was a pompous, brutal dictator who
had terrorized the citizens, murdering at will, and taking property at his
whim. The Texans wanted to be free of him. In a recent battle they had managed
to free San Antonio of his rule. Now he wanted it
back.
So, Santa Anna began a march on San
Antonio with more that 1,000 troops, determined to prove that
resistance to his rule was futile. On February 23rd, about 145 Texans under the
command of William Barret Travis rushed into a mission called the Alamo. Soon they were surrounded.
Travis put out a call for reinforcements, saying, "I am besieged by a
thousand or more Mexicans... I have sustained a continual bombardment and
cannonade for 24 hours... The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion,
otherwise the garrison are to be put to the sword if the fort is taken."
Over the following two weeks, the Mexican forces continually strengthened to
over 2,000. Answering Travis's call, a few reinforcements for the Texans were
able to break through the lines and build the garrison to 189. Famed
frontiersman and Congressman Davy Crockett arrived with 15 good men from Tennessee. Another famous frontiersman, Jim
Bowie was there. There were 30 volunteers from South
Carolina, ready to fight with their native son, Travis. More than
81 volunteers were from different countries including England, Scotland, Germany, Ireland and various U.S. states.
Finally, as it became apparent that no large group of reinforcements would be
able to come to their aid, Travis called a meeting of the men and told them
they were free to leave and save themselves. He took out his sword and drew a
line in the sand. He said, if you want to stay, cross that line. To a man they
crossed, determined to stay and fight the Santa Anna tyranny.
After constant bombardment from the Mexican guns, the men inside the Alamo heard a bugle signal the command
to Santa Anna's troops to charge and take no prisoners. The men in the Alamo fought to the last man. Travis
was one of the first to fall, on the north wall where the main assault
occurred. He was 26. Jim Bowie, ill on a stretcher, was killed in a small room
on the south side. He was 41. And Davy Crockett's body was found in a small
fort on the west side, surrounded by a pile of dead Mexicans. He was 50 years
old.
189 Texans died that day, but they took 600 Mexicans with them. The Alamo had fallen, but their courage
allowed Texas General Sam Houston the time he
needed to raise an army and meet Santa Anna only forty-six days later. As Houston's men charged, they shouted,
"Remember the Alamo." The battle lasted only 18 minutes. The Texans killed 630 of
Santa Anna's men, and captured 730, literally destroying his army. The next
day, General Santa Anna was captured, disguised as a peasant. His rule was
finished and Texas had won its independence, because
189 heroes had offered their lives in a belief that preserving freedom was more
important than living life under tyranny.
Making Sense Of It
All
American history is full of stories of sacrifice and heroism in the name of
preserving freedom. They were called patriots and they didn't sacrifice to
build the power of government, or to enrich the pockets of a select power elite
or to promote one group over another. They did it so they could live their
lives in peace, unencumbered and left alone.
Today, our young people are taught in government classrooms that these ideals
are old-fashioned, quaint and, in many cases, just plain wrong. Patriotism is
racism, we're told by modern scholars. Property ownership is selfish. Children
are taught that our free society is the root of the Earth's destruction and
must be dismantled through a tightly controlled, organized global village. The
Constitution, say the scholars, is a living document, changeable with a whim.
The Declaration of Independence, which Dolly Madison risked everything to save,
is just a "war document from the Revolution." Nothing more.
Yesterday's patriots have been replaced by politicians who pander to special
interests, as they fill their pockets with money in exchange for deals,
privilege, and power. A foreign policy based on honest trade, avoiding
"entangling alliances," has been replaced with our military meddling
in over one hundred countries, imposing economic and personal values where they
aren't wanted. America today is guilty of the very same
kind of "nation building" we fought King George to end. Now America finds itself hated and
non-respected, assuring Americans are unsafe on every street corner in the
world.
Politicians
America needs leadership which
understands our roots and the history it took to mold this nation. But who can
our young people look to for such ideas? Who among the politicians and
self-appointed leaders of our nation would make such sacrifices? Who among them
would even advocate such an attitude?
Would Hillary Clinton stand on the front lines in
defense of this nation and order her own home destroyed for freedom's sake?
Would Barack Obama stand on the North wall and
fight to the death to stop an invasion of the country? Of course not.
Today, instead of statesmen who serve our country out of love and loyalty for
its ideals, dealing with other nations with the just interest of the United
States first and foremost, we have politicians looking for a deal. Will it
sound good to certain voter block? Will it make me look good on television? Can
I get a leg up on the other candidates if I propose this?
As the Associated Press said, "Democrats Hillary
Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards have proposed vast policy programs costing
billions of dollars. Republicans Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, John McCain
and Fred Thompson have vowed to extend President Bush's tax cuts and continue the
multi-billion dollar wars in Iraq and Afghanistan indefinitely."
What are the real issues on the minds of the American public? Too-high taxes
and ever-creeping government intrusion in our lives. Over 60% say they want us
out of the UN; growing corporate power; reduced standard of living; the fall of
the dollar and less buying power; massive government debt; high gas prices.
These issues affect every single American.
Yet not one of these issues is being addressed by most of the candidates for
president. Instead we have great debates on AIDS,
hate crimes, racial disparity, education, and the rebuilding of New
Orleans. Each of these issues is a hot button for a specific special
interest group which is piling money into campaign coffers. The average
American could not care less about any of them, yet they are the debates of the
day while the real issues are ignored.
These politicians would never be trusted on the front lines next to the heroes
of the Alamo or Thomas Nelson, Jr. None would
ever inspire a single lyric by Key. And they are not worthy of being elected to
leading the country these heroes helped create and preserve.
Patriots
But there are still patriots in our nation and some still seek to serve it in
the highest office: Ron Paul, Duncan Hunter, and Tom Tancredo.
Duncan Hunter alone has forced legislation
through Congress to stop funding for a North American Union. He loves his
country and strives to keep its national defense strong. One can picture Duncan Hunter taking up arms next to Davy Crockett.
Tom Tancredo almost single-handedly created the
national debate over illegal immigration. He has been unwavering in his demands
that the borders be secure. Tancredo would have stood next to Thomas Nelson,
Jr. and taken the pledge to sacrifice his life, fortune and sacred honor for
his country - he already has.
But Ron Paul is perhaps the one man from our era
whom the Founding Fathers would most want to join for dinner. They would have
learned from him what defense of the Constitution is all about.
Under a Ron Paul presidency, the nation would be
in for a lesson in economics not seen since the days of Thomas
Jefferson. Ron Paul managed to discuss
Austrian Economics on Jay Leno. All Bill Clinton managed to discuss was the type of
underwear he wore. Such a comparison shows how Paul towers over the rest.
To watch Ron Paul almost single-handedly defend
the ideals of Constitutional government against the massive power of the
national news media, political parties, a forest of rotted politicians, and a
government-school-created ignorance of history, is a lesson in what it means to
be a patriot. His courageous candidacy brings a tear to the eye and a swell of
pride in the heart. To the young people searching for a hero, look no further
than Ron Paul.
Tom DeWeese
is one of the nation’s leading advocates of
individual liberty, free enterprise, property rights
and back-to-basics education. For over thirty years
he has fought against government oppression.
In 1988, Mr.
DeWeese established the
American Policy Center (APC), an activist think
tank headquartered in Warrenton, VA. In 1992 Tom
DeWeese became passionately involved in the fight
for the preservation of American private property
rights and against intrusive environmental
regulations. He is also a recognized leader in the
fight to preserve American national sovereignty from
intrusive United Nations policies on global
governance. APC has also joined the fight to rescue
American education from federal intrusion and the
fight for American privacy rights against intrusive
government data banks, and a national identification
card.
Mr. DeWeese
makes regular appearances on radio and television
talk shows and has articles published in several
national publications.
Tom DeWeese
is the publisher/editor of
The DeWeese Report. You can contact Mr. DeWeese
here.
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