Just one more of the “disadvantages of living in America” is radical people, usually vilified as “conservatives,” who believe America has a right to exist and that legitimate steps should be taken to secure that right.
The founders were so convinced they fought a war to secure our right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Americans have believed in that concept not only for ourselves but for nations around the world. According to several sources, almost 2.8 million Americans have died fighting to secure these rights for ourselves and our allies.
Even more telling, except in the case of wars to defend ourselves and our allies, we have refrained from invading and imposing our moral values and concepts on other nations. America has, however, been in the forefront of the values train ensuring that prisoners of war and the conquered nations were treated humanely and with dignity.
As a member of the U.S. Armed Forces for over a decade, who spent most of my time overseas, I know firsthand of the restraints (and punishments) imposed on American servicemen who violated these rules on foreign soil. We were taught we were there not as conquerors, but as ambassadors of the U.S. Serious disciplinary actions were taken against those who violated these rules, which included prohibitions against rape or other physical violence against civilians. Even when captured in battle, Germans who committed unspeakable atrocities against Jews were granted humane treatment when captured by the U.S. and her Allies.
Such atrocities as were practiced by the Japanese, Russians, Germans and Middle Eastern nations were unheard of in American prison camps or in those nations occupied by U.S. troops. As anyone who is even remotely familiar with some of the reportage that reached us from Germany after the Russians invaded in World War II, such was most definitely not the case: “The Red Army’s orgy of rape in the dying days of Nazi Germany was conducted on a much greater scale than previously suspected … advancing Soviet troops raped large numbers of Russian and Polish women held in concentration camps, as well as millions of Germans.”
So Kinchlow, what’s your point?
For those who may be willingly ignorant of the facts, militant Islam is at war with the West and the one mounted on the white horse at the head of the column in the West is the United States. Western Judeo-Christian values are, for the most part, antithetical to radical Islamist values. For some who may have forgotten, the date Sept. 11 is just 96 days behind us and for others, who may also have become willingly ignorant, we have not had another attack of such magnitude on American soil since. There is a reason, and it is not because there has been a revival of appreciation for America in the Middle East. It is because we have taken positive steps since Sept. 11 to ensure the safety of American citizens. Do the ACLU and the liberal media approve of all the steps taken to ensure our safety? I doubt it. But then, on the other hand, those selfsame entities, ala Islam, are doing all they can to impose their values on those with whom they disagree.
Speaking of the imposition of values, how would you like to live “freely” in Algeria, Syria or perhaps with one of our Middle East allies – say Saudi Arabia – which has publicly beheaded more than 28 of its own citizens?
Maybe you would prefer living in Sinai (near Israel) where four people were recently beheaded “on suspicion of being Israeli spies.”
I wonder if the U.N. is outraged over the recent beheading in Iraq of four children (under 15) who would not convert from Christianity to Islam, or if it will condemn ISIS, which publicly beheads journalists and/or Christians and shows the videos on the Internet. Somehow I missed the outpouring of outrage and condemnation of said actions by human rights advocates, the U.N. and the international media. (Perhaps you can include a link in your comments.)
Obviously, some don’t like the protective measures taken by the United States to protect its citizens, but criticisms to the contrary, as of this writing, the attacks by radical Islamists on Americans have been relatively few and far between and, thankfully, nothing even remotely resembling Sept. 11.
We might also be mindful of the fact that their definition of “torture” differs radically from the Western version. The release of this CIA “report” will only “give Islamic extremists an excuse” to accelerate and upgrade their attacks on Americans, civilian and military.
There is much recent criticism of the methods of interrogation of the terrorists held in Gitmo, but apparently they have been successful in preventing additional acts of terror. Just one more thought to consider: To the best of my knowledge, I am not aware of any occasions where someone who intends to murder or commit a violent crime has voluntarily come forth and confessed prior to the crime. Even children who have told a fib seldom confess of their own accord.
Just one more disadvantage of living in America – innocent until proven guilty.
Media wishing to interview Ben Kinchlow, please contact [email protected].
|
