What Price Victory?

It's been six years since the attacks on American soil by radical Islamists. And much like the day JFK was shot in Dallas, we can probably recollect what we were doing at the time of those attacks. We can also remember what and how we felt in the aftermath.

As Americans, we wanted...no,make that DEMANDED justice for those lives lost on this day six years ago. We wanted blood for blood, as it were. Have we gotten that justice (to our satisfaction) yet?

I will submit to you that we did what we had to (as a nation united), and we are STILL doing it daily, both here and abroad. To date, we have not had another attack on American soil by those factions. We have managed to stave off any further loss of life due to these radicals, through the diligence of our military and governmental agencies, newly tasked (then) with gathering the intelligence required, and acting upon it before the possibility of another attack could surface. And we, as Americans, rallied to their side (our cause), and were behind those working to this end 100%. Can we say as much today...six years later?

Those fighting in Iraq (and elsewhere in the world) on our behalf, to quash terrorism would still say we've undertaken one of the noblest of causes for all the right reasons. Yet, more and more Americans are joining the "Pull Out" party every single day. And that sends much the same message to the world that other nations of our once large coalition sent when THEY left us to deal with things largely by ourselves.

Granted we're not the world's "police force"...no one nation should ever be, but there comes a time when SOMEONE has to step "up to the plate" to halt the reign of terror these extremists want to perpetrate upon an otherwise peaceful planet. Nations will always have wars amongst themselves; that's just the nature of mankind. We're just not enlightened enough yet to see to folly of war for war's sake. But there IS a time to act, and act with purpose...with conviction. The past six years has been just such a time.

But are we winning?

Well, considering we won EVERY engagement in Vietnam, but STILL "lost" the war, speaks volumes as to the "modern" methodology behind waging a prolonged conflict in any part of the world. It's a far cry from the teaching of Sun Tzu. We have won every engagement in the Middle East as well. We HAVE the resources...we HAVE the manpower...we HAVE the tactics, but, like in Vietnam, we do NOT HAVE the support of a grateful nation, as we did during WW2. Iraq isn't "popular" anymore.

It's passe...out of style....not in vogue...call it what you will.

When a people turn away from a conflict that has a potential for such dire consequences (should we NOT act), does not bode well for a unity among our people. A nation forged by an amalgam of diversity that still cannot unite behind a common cause against a common foe cannot remain at the forefront of democracy and liberty. Our ADHD-addled nation is proof of our growing lack of involvement and concern; we're "bored" with it already...give us something else to "watch for a few minutes", seems to be the tone of this country.

When we fought for OUR independence, it didn't take six years to achieve. It took closer to 11 years until the documents were in place that proclaimed our freedom from an oppressive government, allowing us to stand on our own, united in what we believed to be right and just. And we held those "truths" to be self-evident along the way.

The Iraqi people deserve to prove to us as much, and we should support them, if THEIR cause is as justified. After every war, we (and other nations) did have an occupation force to get that nation back on it's economic feet. We did it in Japan and Germany. We've done it in South Korea. South Vietnam was a little more "complicated", politically-speaking.

We've learned a lot since that morning back on September 11, 2001. We learned that we "thought" we were "safe". We were wrong, and that misstep in our complacency has since been rectified. We learned that we must be on guard for those that would seek to deny our own liberties to us. We learned that victory comes in many forms, and that many times, a price must be exacted to achieve that victory. We learned that our military is still the best on the planet. We learned that we have young men and women willing to place themselves in harm's way for the sake of securing liberty for others and ensuring a continuance of same for ourselves.

We grieved as a nation on this day in 2001...and we still grieve today. We remember those lost on that day, whether they were regular citizens or police officers or firemen. We should NEVER let their fates fade from our memories. They gave their all, in our stead, so we shouldn't have to. Sadly, we have forgotten this to a degree, and we need to reverse that trend, no matter how we're cajoled into believing the "war on terrorism" is wrong.

We need to renew our convictions and believe we are still capable of victory against terrorism, even if that victory means only that we all feel a little safer every night we go to sleep.

Others are making that possible for YOU...every day.

Just something to think about, that's all.