This brought tears to my eyes. I hope some of you can take some hope from this as I did. Gary is an awesome guy. Im really happy to have subscribed to his emails. At the bottom is a link you may subscribe also if you would like.
To: Friends and Supporters
From: Gary L. Bauer, Chairman
Campaign for Working Families
Date: Friday, July 13, 2007
Destiny Or Defeat?
There is a very encouraging message circulating on the Internet right now
that I want to share with you. It comes from Chaplain Jim Higgins, serving
in Balad, Iraq:
“I recently attended a showing of Spiderman 3 here at LSA Anaconda. We
have a large auditorioum we use for movies as well as memorial services and
other large gatherings. As is the custom back in the states, we stood and
snapped to attention when the national anthem began before the main
feature. All was going as planned until about three-quarters of the way
through the national anthem the music stopped.
“Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in
the states? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude
comments, and everyone would sit down and call for a movie. Of course,
that is, if they had stood for the national anthem in the first place.
Here, the 1,000 soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed
forward.
“The music started again. The soldiers continued to quietly stand at
attention. And again, at the same point, the music stopped. What would
you expect to happen? Even here I would imagine laughter as everyone sat
down and expected the movie to start.
“Here, you could have heard a pin drop. Every soldier stood at attention.
Suddenly there was a lone voice, then a dozen, and quickly the room was
filled with the voices of a thousand soldiers:
‘And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through
the night that our flag was still there.
‘O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, O’er the land of the free
and the home of the brave?’
“It was the most inspiring moment I have had here in Iraq. I wanted you to
know what kind of soldiers are serving you here.”
That doesn’t sound to me like men and women who are fighting a “lost” war,
an “illegal” war or an “unjust” war. That doesn’t sound like men and women
who are demoralized, who want to give up and are ready to “cut and run.”
I’m sure they would love to come home, but I suspect they want even more to
guarantee their children and grandchildren will grow up in the “land of the
free and the home of the brave.”
Our soldiers aren’t worried about the latest poll or the next negative ad.
Their fear isn’t losing the next election; it’s losing this war, our
country and our civilization! No, I’m sure their voices were strong and
full of confidence in the justness of their mission.
Unfortunately, our politicians aren’t so confident. Last night, a majority
of the House of Representatives displayed an amazing lack of resolve by
voting yet again to begin the retreat from Iraq in 120 days.
My friends, what do you think our response would be if we learned of a new
tape in which Osama bin Laden warns his fellow jihadists that they can only
hold on for a few months? Would we call for a truce, lay down our guns and
stop fighting? No, we would press the attack and that is exactly what Al
Qaeda is doing.
The terrorists know our will is breaking. Every night our “elected
representatives” take turns telling them as much on the evening news and by
voting again and again to give up. How must this look to the rest of the
world?
There is no “balance sheet” the jihadists can point to that suggests they
can win this war. They have no state. They have no economy. They have no
professional army. They have no navy. They stole our planes to attack us
on 9/11. But they do have one thing and it is exactly the one thing that
we appear to be lacking: the will to win.
Our enemy believes we are weak, fat, lazy and a civilization in decline.
Leaving Iraq without victory won’t end the war; it will prove bin Laden
right and fuel the fires of jihad.
It will betray the vision of John F. Kennedy, proving America is no longer
willing to “bear any burden and any price to secure the survival and
success of liberty.” It will betray the faith of Ronald Reagan, who saw
America not as a defeated country that should co-exist with its communist
enemy, but as a shining city upon a hill that could lead the free world.
Do we have a rendezvous with destiny or defeat? I remain hopeful so long
as America continues to produce young men and women who proudly sing our
national anthem and willingly make the sacrifices necessary to preserve our
freedom.
For more on this subject, please see my column in Human Events, entitled
“More Churchills Needed,” at Conservative News, Views & Books - HUMAN EVENTS
Please feel free to pass on this "End of Day" update to interested friends
and family members.
If you would like to receive this update by e-mail, you can sign up online
at Untitled Document
To: Friends and Supporters
From: Gary L. Bauer, Chairman
Campaign for Working Families
Date: Friday, July 13, 2007
Destiny Or Defeat?
There is a very encouraging message circulating on the Internet right now
that I want to share with you. It comes from Chaplain Jim Higgins, serving
in Balad, Iraq:
“I recently attended a showing of Spiderman 3 here at LSA Anaconda. We
have a large auditorioum we use for movies as well as memorial services and
other large gatherings. As is the custom back in the states, we stood and
snapped to attention when the national anthem began before the main
feature. All was going as planned until about three-quarters of the way
through the national anthem the music stopped.
“Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in
the states? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude
comments, and everyone would sit down and call for a movie. Of course,
that is, if they had stood for the national anthem in the first place.
Here, the 1,000 soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed
forward.
“The music started again. The soldiers continued to quietly stand at
attention. And again, at the same point, the music stopped. What would
you expect to happen? Even here I would imagine laughter as everyone sat
down and expected the movie to start.
“Here, you could have heard a pin drop. Every soldier stood at attention.
Suddenly there was a lone voice, then a dozen, and quickly the room was
filled with the voices of a thousand soldiers:
‘And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through
the night that our flag was still there.
‘O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, O’er the land of the free
and the home of the brave?’
“It was the most inspiring moment I have had here in Iraq. I wanted you to
know what kind of soldiers are serving you here.”
That doesn’t sound to me like men and women who are fighting a “lost” war,
an “illegal” war or an “unjust” war. That doesn’t sound like men and women
who are demoralized, who want to give up and are ready to “cut and run.”
I’m sure they would love to come home, but I suspect they want even more to
guarantee their children and grandchildren will grow up in the “land of the
free and the home of the brave.”
Our soldiers aren’t worried about the latest poll or the next negative ad.
Their fear isn’t losing the next election; it’s losing this war, our
country and our civilization! No, I’m sure their voices were strong and
full of confidence in the justness of their mission.
Unfortunately, our politicians aren’t so confident. Last night, a majority
of the House of Representatives displayed an amazing lack of resolve by
voting yet again to begin the retreat from Iraq in 120 days.
My friends, what do you think our response would be if we learned of a new
tape in which Osama bin Laden warns his fellow jihadists that they can only
hold on for a few months? Would we call for a truce, lay down our guns and
stop fighting? No, we would press the attack and that is exactly what Al
Qaeda is doing.
The terrorists know our will is breaking. Every night our “elected
representatives” take turns telling them as much on the evening news and by
voting again and again to give up. How must this look to the rest of the
world?
There is no “balance sheet” the jihadists can point to that suggests they
can win this war. They have no state. They have no economy. They have no
professional army. They have no navy. They stole our planes to attack us
on 9/11. But they do have one thing and it is exactly the one thing that
we appear to be lacking: the will to win.
Our enemy believes we are weak, fat, lazy and a civilization in decline.
Leaving Iraq without victory won’t end the war; it will prove bin Laden
right and fuel the fires of jihad.
It will betray the vision of John F. Kennedy, proving America is no longer
willing to “bear any burden and any price to secure the survival and
success of liberty.” It will betray the faith of Ronald Reagan, who saw
America not as a defeated country that should co-exist with its communist
enemy, but as a shining city upon a hill that could lead the free world.
Do we have a rendezvous with destiny or defeat? I remain hopeful so long
as America continues to produce young men and women who proudly sing our
national anthem and willingly make the sacrifices necessary to preserve our
freedom.
For more on this subject, please see my column in Human Events, entitled
“More Churchills Needed,” at Conservative News, Views & Books - HUMAN EVENTS
Please feel free to pass on this "End of Day" update to interested friends
and family members.
If you would like to receive this update by e-mail, you can sign up online
at Untitled Document
