KB
07-12-2005, 10:56 PM
Independence Day Is About More Than War
By Ralf W. Zimmermann
The 4th of July 2005 came and went, just like one of those fancy fireworks rockets. Maybe it's just me, or the times we live in – but somehow it just didn't feel right this year. Everywhere you turned, America's birthday had been hijacked to promote war and the military.
As a twenty-year combat arms vet, I think it's appropriate to honor our troops who stand guard for our democratic principles in the Global War on Terror. At the same time, it disturbs me a bit to see a trend that turns every national holiday into a military holiday. There seems now very little distinction between the 4th, Memorial Day and Veterans Day. And isn't there also an Armed Forces Day?
Most people interviewed about the meaning of Independence Day on local radio or TV immediately connected it with the war on terror 9/11, our soldiers and celebrating veterans. Rarely did anyone mention the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Most who did were older souls – of the World War II and Korean War generations.
The trend to trivialize our most important holiday became especially evident when even pop stars Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey pulled a semi-sincere "Tour of Duty," to support the troops in Iraq – from a safe stage in Ramstein, Germany. Jessica and Nick's shallow, "Wow, it's so awesome to be here and to tell you how much we love you," almost made me throw up and wish for an expeditious resurrection of Bob Hope. And no, Jessica, the insurgent war in Iraq isn't some kind of adventure theme park – it's an ugly and bloody slugfest.
Maybe Independence Day should consider war as a factor in America's birth. But it was one that our founding fathers were reluctant to enter. When they ultimately did, it was with great political foresight and by combining conventional military operations with plain and simple guerilla warfare. With the help of other nations, especially the dreaded and revolutionary French, America put into reality a triumvirate of ideas and principles, unique in the world – still today:
* The Declaration of Independence
* The Constitution
* The Bill of Rights
To ensure that these documents remained valid as uniting instruments for all Americans, we fought a bloody Civil War. Later, America sacrificed for freedom during two World Wars. Both times, we followed the founding fathers' legal principle of declaring war in compliance with the Constitution. At the end of WWII, America had become the most powerful nation on earth.
But something often snaps, especially in extremely powerful nations, when power and money become more important than the principles you swore to live by. We began to forget how to declare war as described by the Constitution, that our Constitution guarantees certain liberties, and that it isn't an open catalog for adding trivial special interest concerns.
If Americans don't want to lose their democracy, it is time to reacquaint everyone with the 4th of July as more than fireworks, hot dogs and war movies. The Fourth is about who we are as Americans and what unites us as such. It's about celebrating the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Instead of talking only about war, we should again honor the people who, as the revolutionaries of their time, took an idea and transformed it into a marvelous reality for all of us – to be able to live under a government that exists for its people.
If any of the founding fathers were alive today, they'd remind us of our responsibility to guard against government that keeps its promises primarily to the ones with power and money.
And that gets me back to the connection with war, the military, veterans and our liberties. I know that our men and women in uniform are doing what generations before them did – and I appreciate their sacrifice for our freedoms.
But as someone who regards the U.S. military as a precious resource and sacred instrument of the American people, I want them only to sacrifice if the majority of our nation is willing to do so with them. This includes sending the children of Senators, congressmen and the money elites to war with the rest of us – as proof that they truly hold our democratic principles dear.
Privilege comes with moral obligations.
DefenseWatch Senior Military Correspondent Lt. Col. Ralf W. Zimmermann, USA (Ret.) is a decorated Desert Storm veteran and former tank battalion commander. His recent novel, "Brotherhood of Iron," deals with the German soldier in World War II. It is directly available from www.iUniverse.com and through most major book dealers. Zimm can be reached at r6zimm@earthlink.net or via his website at www.home.earthlink.net/~r6zimm. © 2005 LandserUSA.
www.sftt.org
By Ralf W. Zimmermann
The 4th of July 2005 came and went, just like one of those fancy fireworks rockets. Maybe it's just me, or the times we live in – but somehow it just didn't feel right this year. Everywhere you turned, America's birthday had been hijacked to promote war and the military.
As a twenty-year combat arms vet, I think it's appropriate to honor our troops who stand guard for our democratic principles in the Global War on Terror. At the same time, it disturbs me a bit to see a trend that turns every national holiday into a military holiday. There seems now very little distinction between the 4th, Memorial Day and Veterans Day. And isn't there also an Armed Forces Day?
Most people interviewed about the meaning of Independence Day on local radio or TV immediately connected it with the war on terror 9/11, our soldiers and celebrating veterans. Rarely did anyone mention the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Most who did were older souls – of the World War II and Korean War generations.
The trend to trivialize our most important holiday became especially evident when even pop stars Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey pulled a semi-sincere "Tour of Duty," to support the troops in Iraq – from a safe stage in Ramstein, Germany. Jessica and Nick's shallow, "Wow, it's so awesome to be here and to tell you how much we love you," almost made me throw up and wish for an expeditious resurrection of Bob Hope. And no, Jessica, the insurgent war in Iraq isn't some kind of adventure theme park – it's an ugly and bloody slugfest.
Maybe Independence Day should consider war as a factor in America's birth. But it was one that our founding fathers were reluctant to enter. When they ultimately did, it was with great political foresight and by combining conventional military operations with plain and simple guerilla warfare. With the help of other nations, especially the dreaded and revolutionary French, America put into reality a triumvirate of ideas and principles, unique in the world – still today:
* The Declaration of Independence
* The Constitution
* The Bill of Rights
To ensure that these documents remained valid as uniting instruments for all Americans, we fought a bloody Civil War. Later, America sacrificed for freedom during two World Wars. Both times, we followed the founding fathers' legal principle of declaring war in compliance with the Constitution. At the end of WWII, America had become the most powerful nation on earth.
But something often snaps, especially in extremely powerful nations, when power and money become more important than the principles you swore to live by. We began to forget how to declare war as described by the Constitution, that our Constitution guarantees certain liberties, and that it isn't an open catalog for adding trivial special interest concerns.
If Americans don't want to lose their democracy, it is time to reacquaint everyone with the 4th of July as more than fireworks, hot dogs and war movies. The Fourth is about who we are as Americans and what unites us as such. It's about celebrating the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Instead of talking only about war, we should again honor the people who, as the revolutionaries of their time, took an idea and transformed it into a marvelous reality for all of us – to be able to live under a government that exists for its people.
If any of the founding fathers were alive today, they'd remind us of our responsibility to guard against government that keeps its promises primarily to the ones with power and money.
And that gets me back to the connection with war, the military, veterans and our liberties. I know that our men and women in uniform are doing what generations before them did – and I appreciate their sacrifice for our freedoms.
But as someone who regards the U.S. military as a precious resource and sacred instrument of the American people, I want them only to sacrifice if the majority of our nation is willing to do so with them. This includes sending the children of Senators, congressmen and the money elites to war with the rest of us – as proof that they truly hold our democratic principles dear.
Privilege comes with moral obligations.
DefenseWatch Senior Military Correspondent Lt. Col. Ralf W. Zimmermann, USA (Ret.) is a decorated Desert Storm veteran and former tank battalion commander. His recent novel, "Brotherhood of Iron," deals with the German soldier in World War II. It is directly available from www.iUniverse.com and through most major book dealers. Zimm can be reached at r6zimm@earthlink.net or via his website at www.home.earthlink.net/~r6zimm. © 2005 LandserUSA.
www.sftt.org