This is Freedom

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.

— Ronald Reagan

I recently wrote a review for the new movie Last Ounce of Courage.  And in this movie, a question was posed.  Will we, the American people, stand idly by and allow the sacrifices of our Armed Forces be in vain? 


You all know I am the daughter of a third generation Marine. And, as I said in my recent blog post, Conceal and Carry, I have been very upset by some of the recent conversations I have been involved in due to the apathy of not only Americans, but Christians, concerning our Armed Forces.  So last night, as I sat watching Last Ounce of Courage, I had all those conversations playing over and over and over again in my mind.  And I came to a decision.  I won’t stand idly by and watch their sacrifices be discounted.  I will not let their sacrifices be in vain. 

So today I am taking a stand, and I am writing this post.  I know it will offend some, and to be honest, I’m okay with that.  I am friends with some of the people whom I have disagreed with over this subject, and I respect those men and women, but I passionately believe in my stance, also, and I passionately believe in those serving our country, past and present.  

Our service men, be them active duty, retired, national guard or reserve, are men who, at one point in their lives, wrote a blank check made payable to " The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life."  Too many people in this country no longer understand that or appreciate the sacrifices made for them.  Do you even think about that?  When we make or hear comments about our Armed Forces and what they stand for, do we stop and think?

They are the reason why we, the free American people, are able to rest our heads at night without fear.  They are the reason you are free to worship God openly.  In fact, they are the reason you are able to even make comments about whether you believe self defense and the fight for freedom is right or wrong.  It is all because of them.  You can speak openly and freely because of them.  You can write blog posts because of them!

To those who view the sacrifices of these men without thankfulness, and who feel that their willingness to go through the horrors of war for you is wrong, I want to quote Ronal Reagan.  He said,

“The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead or the next. It was the deep knowledge — and pray to God we have not lost it — that there is a profound moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest .”

Amen.  You know, the American people have always fought for liberation, be that for ourselves or others, not for conquest.  It has been to preserve our unalienable rights given to us by God.  And yet we act as if that is a bad thing.  As if fighting for what is right is something we should be ashamed of.  Well, I stand today and say I am not ashamed.  I’m not.  And more than that, I am grateful.

I am grateful that while I crowd into my family’s car, our troops step into a Humvee and enter combat zones so that I have the ability to go where I please.

I am grateful that as I enjoy a Christmas dinner here before we know it, there are men who have made the sacrifice to spend their Christmas eating a MRE on the battlefield.

I’m grateful that I am not separated from my siblings and held in concentration camps, that I am able to kiss my little sister whenever I want, while the men who make that possible are having to blow kisses to their loved ones through a computer screen.

Our freedom is a high price, guys.  It is so high, in fact, that only one percent of the American population is willing to fight for it.  One percent of Americans are willing to part from their families and place themselves in harm’s way for you and yours.  So the next time the conversation of war, freedom, self defense, or our military come up, remember that.

In my family, we have a tradition of saying what we are thankful for at Thanksgiving over our holiday meal.  This year, I already know what I will be saying I’m thankful for.

So, for all those serving our families and our Nation, be it past service or present, I want to say thank you.  You have not been forgotten by all, and your service is still held dear in the hearts of many.  I am proud to be an American, where I know I am free, and I won’t forget the men who died, and gave that right to me.  And I’m going to stand up for the truth.  I pray for the safe return of our loved ones across the waters.  I pray for those who have already lost, and I pray for those who have to live with the cost of freedom every day, be it memories of past battles or memories of a loved one taken.  I pray for the families, all the Armed Forces brats who understand the difficulties faced by our military.  Who have made their own sacrifices by being willing to support and give up parents and siblings for this nation, if called upon.  And I pray for those unborn children who will never know their Fathers, but have been given a legacy of Honor and heroism.  And I pray for the spouses. 

God Bless our Marine Corps, our Army, our Navy, our Air Force, and our Coast Guards.  And God bless our servicemen who defend us here at home.  Our Firemen and Police Officers.  Thank you, for your stand.

This is Freedom:

The red is for the blood that flows, in places we’ve forgotten
The white resembles innocence, in some ways we’ve been lost in
The blue it stands for vigilance and holding fast to righteousness or have we lost our way?
The stars are for the memory, the glory and the victory where proudly we can say
Oh, this is freedom
This is freedom

Where strength and confidence collide, along the straight and narrow
When peace is found in sacrifice, by patriots and heroes
Where grace abounds and evil dies, truth resounds above the lies,
It’s only found one way and here we are today
This is freedom
Freedom
Oh

This rock we stand upon,
One nation under God,
This truth we can’t ignore
This is freedom

A home that speaks of liberty, beyond our institutions
If this is a reality, then where are the solutions?
A place that we can stand and sing, the worship of our risen king without regret or shame
The hope of life eternally, we hold a light for all to see without a guilt or blame
It’s what we claim, oh
This is freedom
This is freedom
This is freedom, this is freedom

Even though the fight is long, the enemy may wound us
The stripes are for the rays of hope, that never cease to lead us
Guide us home, this is freedom 

Go see Last Ounce of Courage, guys.  Wear red on Friday.  Send a letter to the troops overseas this Christmas.  Defend those who are unable to defend themselves because they are serving their country and defending you and your freedom.