Posted by
Tim Busovsky on Tuesday, April 24, 2007 8:37:44 PM
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. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.
-Thomas Paine, The Crisis
In recent days, I had the pleasure of stumbling across a letter written by Cpl. Tyler Rock who is currently serving in Iraq in the 1st battalion of the 6th Marines. The most striking thing about the letter is that it's far from formal. Rather, it contains the words from a Marine who has lived through hell to tell about it. It's entirely void of the political correction that is constantly being spewed across the news which allows him to be honest, real, and simply gritty.
The United States' current conflicts regarding terrorism seem to be old news. September 11th seems so distant, even though six years have not yet passed. As the conflict continues, it is only natural for citizens to lose faith in the government, military, and ideologies, in spite of realities of the war. I find it troubling that only the negatives of the war in Afghanistan and Iraq are published. This is because there truly are good things that are happening in the Middle East as a result of the United States' military campaigns. The e-mail from Cpl. Rock is an example of this. There are good people doing good work in a dangerous and evil environment. These men and women are to be commended for their work; servicemen as well as all Iraqis standing up for their freedoms and their rights. The moment citizens allow their government to reach beyond their jurisdiction and do not take a stand is the moment that true freedom is lost. No matter how much one contemplates the true beauties of freedom and all it has to offer, until thought is converted into action, liberty is merely a word; a concept. It takes those brave enough and loving enough among us to recognize that freedom is a right worthy of pain and even death.
For whatever reason, this basic concept, which was understood incredibly well by our forefathers who laid their lives down for the advancement and realization of the reality of freedom, does not flow through the veins and heart of America. And Iraq is a perfect example of this. By observing Saddam's former regime and its current state, it is entirely unreasonable to allow Saddam's atrocities to resume. Perhaps the Bush administration did skew evidence regarding Iraq's state of weapons prior to the invasion of the nation. However, would this invalidate the importance of democracy in the Middle East?
The truth, particularly in Iraq's case, is that the best way to defeat terrorism is through opposites. Instead of oppressing groups of people, support their differences and allow them to flourish. Instead of adopting interpretations of a religious book as moral law, let us form a community and agree to moral and ethical standards we all can respect and abide by. The true poison of terrorism is liberty, which is why democracy in the Middle East is necessary for the suffocation of Islamic extremism. This can observed by the nature and goals of terrorism. Terrorism exists for the sole purpose of forcing a society to adopt the principles of a particularly group through fear. Terrorism is fueled by force through fear. Forcing any kind of belief upon another individual is inherently the antithesis of democracy and liberty. As long as mankind has the ability to make decisions for itself and not be ruled by fear and oppression, terrorism is no more important to the world than Sheryl Crow's proposal for paper management. Terrorism is a spark to the sun of liberty. Liberty will eventually engulf terrorism because of its power and because of its nature.
In the context of Iraq, liberty is an extremely valuable ally to the entire free world. When Iraq stabilizes, it will be the Middle East's shining city upon the hill; the proof that freedom can be found behind the mask of oppression; that good can be found in the heart of evil; that opportunity only need to be sought and grasped. The letter written by Cpl. Rock is a reminder that in times of darkness; in times of trial, hope is ever present. Perhaps it is found not in those buildings ruined by terrorists but rather, in the hands and hearts of those people rebuilding. Perhaps the glimmer of hope in freedom will create a shining beacon signaling a new era of liberty. An era ruled not by IED's, fear, and oppression but rather, by opportunity, courage, and liberty.