Posted by
Charlie on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 2:38:21 PM
In 1776 when the American Army was freezing and dying at Valley Forge, Thomas Paine wrote these inspirational words:
"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot, will in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."
The House of Representatives is, at this very moment, debating a non-binding resolution condemning the sending of more troops to Iraq in an effort to smash the Islamo-Fascists and stabilize not only Iraq but the entire Middle East.
The "summer soldiers" voted overwhelmingly to give President Bush the authority to invade Iraq, although even then they didn't have guts enough to issue a formal declaration of war. Now that the going has gotten tough the "sunshine patriots" , for purely political reasons want to cut and run.
These politicians who are stabbing our soldiers in the back should take a look at the consequences of surrendering to tyrants. Keeping in mind that we have suffered just over three thousand killed in three and a half years in Iraq.
In 1942 the United States in it's first offensive action of World War II invaded the island of Guadalcanal. Six months later, not three and a half years, after sustaining over seven thousand killed we finally won that battle and were on our way to victory.
The sunshine patriots, at the low point of the battle, when the Marines were just holding on by sheer determination, would have called for withdrawal. Japan would have become the dominant power in the Pacific. Negotiations would have led to a temporary peace. There would most assuredly would have been another war. The question is: could we have beaten a Japan which had consolidated it's conquests and had unlimited raw materials at it's disposal?
In 1944 Germany launched a surprise attack which has since been known as the Battle of the Bulge. Seven weeks later the battle was won by the Allies. In those seven weeks American forces suffered over 89,000 casualties including over 19,000 killed. Surely, the sunshine patriots would have called for a halt to the war. Hitler's Germany would have become the strongest power in Europe. When the next war broke out, as it inevitably would, we would have to confront a Germany much stronger than it was at the beginning of World War II.
If we withdraw from Iraq the consequences will be catastrophic for our country. The "summer soldiers and sunshine patriots" don't seem to care about that. Their only concern is their lust for political power. They care most for the good of their party and very little for the good of their country.
Those who grow faint hearted when the going gets a little tough don't deserve to be in leadership positions in our government.
Paine also wrote:
"Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph."
Congressmen considering this resolution should keep in mind that it does nothing constructive. It is harmful to the war effort and injurious to the morale of our troops. Please reconsider, congressmen, and vote against this unpatriotic resolution.
This makes me FURIOUS!!!!