Of Patriots and Heroes

This time of year I'm continually reminded of how blessed we are as a country, as a people, as a free and liberty loving citizenry. There are men and women in our United States military who are serving abroad, holding a weapon, sleeping under the stars and eating cold MRE's while we complain about long lines at Wal-mart chasing down that perfect gift for someone's Christmas stocking. It's really about the materialism in this Country. It's really about me, me, me. It's about not wanting to be inconvenienced when challenged to do so. It's about giving up and not forging ahead. Families should be huddled around the fireplace drinking eggnog instead of sowing the seeds of liberty to those who've never tasted freedom in their lifetimes, right?

Some of my favorite quotes from the days when public education placed a premium on History instead of half-baked standardized tests conjured up by state level bureaucrats and teachers' unions are listed below. See how many you can accurately attribute to their original author.

• A) I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.

• B) We hold these truths to be self evident.

• C) I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine that would attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming but I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours, to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the alter of Freedom.

• D) You ask what is our policy?...It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us...That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim?...Victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be...

• E) My ardent desire is, and my aim has been, to comply strictly with all our engagements, foreign and domestic; but to keep the United States free from political connections with every other country, to see them independent of all and under the influence of none.

• F) Soldiers, sailors, and airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you...Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely...

• G) He that lives upon hope will die fasting.

• H) The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against the tyranny in government.

• I) Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have...The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases.

• J) America does not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well- wisher to freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vidicator only of her own.

• K) There, I guess King George will be able to read that.

• L) Among the natural rights of the colonists are these: first, a right to life; secondly, to liberty; thirdly to property; together with the right to support and defend them in the best manner they can.

• M) I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.

• N) Give me liberty or give me death!

• O) Guard against the postures of pretended patriotism.

• P) The beauty of the second amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it.

• Q) Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.

These statements stand as a testimony to those who prefer tempestuous seas in the name of liberty, freedom and justice. They are in stark contrast to the complacency - those who prefer warm hideouts in buildings of marble and glass constructed by real patriots - of those who pretend to know the difference and who are accustomed to retreat and unwilling to hold the sabre.

Fight on brave warriors!