Home Owners Association goes overboard

Proud to be an American

200 years ago Islamic Pirates attacked ships off the world’s coast lines. They captured crews and ships and held them for ransom. It was then and seems to be now the policy of most of the world’s nations to pay the ransom and move on. Let’s face it, it is cheaper than confronting them, but it does nothing to stop the problem.

When the Islamic Pirates tried the same thing with a newly formed nation of the world, they found something different. At first the new nation tried to negotiate. In 1786 Thomas Jefferson and John Adams tried to negotiate with a representative of the terrorist. They were told, “It was written in their Koran, that all nations which had not acknowledged the Prophet were sinners, whom it was the right and duty of the faithful to plunder and enslave; and that every muslim who was slain in this warfare was sure to go to paradise” by Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja.

This didn’t set well with the new nation and they responded in a way that the Islamic Pirates didn’t figure. The young nation sent its Navy to take on the pirates. On August 1^st, 1801 the frigate USS Enterprise engaged and defeated an Islamic Pirate ship in the Mediterranean that had been attacking US shipping. It was the first time that a nation had stood up to the Islamic terrorist. For the next few years the US Navy patrolled the Mediterranean defeating the terrorist on the high seas and US Marines attacked on shore. The battle of Tripoli, Libya is remembered in the Marine Hymn as one if the first overseas battle of the US Marines and it was against the Islamic Terrorist.

Fast forward almost 200 years and Palestinian Terrorist capture the Italian cruise liner Achille Lauro On October 7, 1985. They single out a defiant American in a wheel chair, Leon Klinghoffer, shoot him and throw him overboard. Islamic terrorist are extremely brave. After local authorities negotiated with the terrorist they were allowed to fly to Tunisia as had happened many times in the past with terrorist. This time it was a little different as couple US Navy F-14 Tomcats showed up and forced the plain to land in Italy. Again we don’t react like the rest of the world.

September 11, 2001 America was attacked by terrorist, but once again Americans reacted differently. On Flight 93 with knowledge of what was going on Americans took the initiative and attacked their highjackers. Unfortunately they lost their lives, but they stopped further deaths in Washington. The terrorist never expected Americans to fight back, but they should have.

Off the coast of Somalia, like 200 years before, Islamic Pirates attacked a US cargo ship. They expect the crew to acquiesce like other nations, but true to form the American crew fought back. The captain Richard Phillips allowed himself to be taken hostage to protect his crew and the ship was retaken by its crew. The captain now a hostage escapes only to be recaptured, but the second time he escapes the US Navy, like 200 years before is ready. With Captain Phillips in the water the Navy finished the negotiations for his release with hot lead. Not a result the Islamic Pirates expected.

Problem is, they should have expected it and the rest world should expect it. For more than 230 years we have been reacting the same way, starting with our revolution when a bunch of farmers took on the most powerful military in the world to overthrow tyranny. We believe in freedom and whether we are in the military or not we will defend our freedom. We don’t wait for help to arrive we take the initiative.

I have always been proud to be an American, but today I stand a little taller, walk a little prouder and see the colors of the flag a little brighter. I am not the rest of the world. I am an American.

Warriors are the Peacemakers

Times-News had a letter to the editor in the Monday addition by Dave Crockett. In the letter he is complaining that we honor the warriors that keep us free with memorials. He states by doing this we glorify war and its profits, and ignore the peacemakers. This couldn't be further from the truth. I come from a family that served in our nations armed forces from the beginning; the Revolution, the Civil War, World War I & II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and conflicts unnamed. They did not fight for glory, they fought for freedom and peace.

Ronald Reagan on the 40th Anniversary of D-Day at Omaha Beach said, " We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we may always be free." Through memorials we do not honor war, we honor the warrior peacemaker. We honor the sacrifices that our young men and women make to insure we have peace.

Crockett spoke of Ellen McDaniel-Weissler, and Craig Etchison. These people do not advocate peace, they rail against war. They offer no solution to the dictator that wants to take away peace and freedom through force of arms. Dwight D. Eisenhower said, "History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak, or the timid."

These memorials we erect honor the real peacemakers the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines that defend this nation in times of war and peace. Mr. Crockett is free to speak his mind because a solider stood his ground at Bunkerhill. He is free to speak his mind because another solider made a charge a Gettysburg. He is free because a Marine went over the top at Belleau Wood, because a sailor stayed at his gun at Pearl Harbor, and because an airman flew his B-17 to Berlin.

Nobody longs for peace more than the soldier, and nobody will secure peace but the solider. When you sleep safe in your bed tonight, thank.. no... honor the soldier that is thousands of miles away from his family in a place he doesn't want to be, for he is the true peacemaker.