lms
06-01-2004, 11:40 AM
Powerful Thoughts
>
>
> I sat in a movie theater watching "Schindler's List,"
> asked myself, "Why didn't the Jews fight back?"
> Now I know why.
>
> I sat in a movie theater, watching "Pearl Harbor" and
> asked myself, "Why weren't we prepared?"
>
> Now I know why.
>
> Civilized people cannot fathom, much less predict, the
> actions of evil people.
>
> On September 11, dozens of capable airplane passengers
> allowed themselves to be overpowered by a handful of
> poorly armed terrorists because they did not
> comprehend the depth of hatred that motivated their
> captors.
>
> On September 11, thousands of innocent people were
> murdered because too many Americans naively reject the
> reality that some nations are dedicated to the
> dominance of others. Many political pundits,
> pacifists and media personnel want us to forget the
> carnage. They say we must focus on the bravery of the
> rescuers and ignore the cowardice of the killers. They
> implore us to understand the motivation of the
> perpetrators. Major television stations have
> announced they will assist the healing process by not
> replaying devastating footage of the planes crashing
> into the TwinTowers.
>
> I will not be manipulated.
>
> I will not pretend to understand.
>
> I will not forget.
>
> I will not forget the liberal media who abused freedom
> of the press to kick our country when it was
> vulnerable and hurting.
>
> I will not forget that CBS anchor Dan Rather preceded
> President Bush's address to the nation with the snide
> remark, "No matter how you feel about him, he is still
> our president."
>
> I will not forget that ABC TV anchor Peter Jennings
> questioned President Bush's motives for not returning
> immediately to Washington, DC and commented, "We're
> all pretty skeptical and cynical about Washington."
>
> And I will not forget that ABC's Mark Halperin warned
> if reporters weren't informed of every little detail
> of this war, they aren't "likely -- nor should they be
> expected -- to show deference."
>
> I will not isolate myself from my fellow Americans by
> pretending an attack on the USS Cole in Yemen was not
> an attack on the United States of America.
>
> I will not forget the Clinton administration equipped
> Islamic terrorists and their supporters with the
> world's most sophisticated telecommunications
> equipment and encryption technology, thereby
> compromising America's ability to trace terrorist
> radio, cell phone, land lines, faxes and modem
> communications.
>
> I will not be appeased with pointless, quick
> retaliatory strikes like those perfected by the
> previous administration.
>
> I will not be comforted by "feel-good, do nothing"
> regulations like the silly, "Have your bags been under
> your control?" question at the airport.
>
> I will not be influenced by so called,"antiwar
> demonstrators" who exploit the right of ____expression
> to chant anti-American obscenities.
>
> I will not forget the moral victory handed the North
> Vietnamese by American war protesters who reviled and
> spat upon the returning soldiers, airmen, sailors and
> marines.
>
> I will not be softened by the wishful thinking of
> pacifists who chose reassurance over reality.
>
> I will embrace the wise words of Prime Minister Tony
> Blair who told the Labor Party conference, "They have
> no moral inhibition on the slaughter of the innocent.
> If they could have murdered not 7,000 but 70,000, does
> anyone doubt they would have done so and rejoiced in
> it?
>
> There is no compromise possible with such people, no
> meeting of minds, no point of understanding with such
> terror. Just a choice: defeat it or be defeated by
> it. And defeat it we must!"
>
> I will force myself to:
>
> -hear the weeping
> -feel the helplessness
> -imagine the terror
> -sense the panic
> -smell the burning flesh
> -experience the loss
> -remember the hatred.
>
> I sat in a movie theater, watching "Private Ryan" and
> asked myself, "Where did they find the courage?"
>
> Now I know.
>
> We have no choice. Living without liberty is not
> living.
>
> -- Ed Evans, MGySgt., USMC (Ret.)
> Not as lean, Not as mean, But still a Marine.
>
> Keep this going until every living American has read
> it and memorized it so we don't make the same mistake
> again
>
>
> I sat in a movie theater watching "Schindler's List,"
> asked myself, "Why didn't the Jews fight back?"
> Now I know why.
>
> I sat in a movie theater, watching "Pearl Harbor" and
> asked myself, "Why weren't we prepared?"
>
> Now I know why.
>
> Civilized people cannot fathom, much less predict, the
> actions of evil people.
>
> On September 11, dozens of capable airplane passengers
> allowed themselves to be overpowered by a handful of
> poorly armed terrorists because they did not
> comprehend the depth of hatred that motivated their
> captors.
>
> On September 11, thousands of innocent people were
> murdered because too many Americans naively reject the
> reality that some nations are dedicated to the
> dominance of others. Many political pundits,
> pacifists and media personnel want us to forget the
> carnage. They say we must focus on the bravery of the
> rescuers and ignore the cowardice of the killers. They
> implore us to understand the motivation of the
> perpetrators. Major television stations have
> announced they will assist the healing process by not
> replaying devastating footage of the planes crashing
> into the TwinTowers.
>
> I will not be manipulated.
>
> I will not pretend to understand.
>
> I will not forget.
>
> I will not forget the liberal media who abused freedom
> of the press to kick our country when it was
> vulnerable and hurting.
>
> I will not forget that CBS anchor Dan Rather preceded
> President Bush's address to the nation with the snide
> remark, "No matter how you feel about him, he is still
> our president."
>
> I will not forget that ABC TV anchor Peter Jennings
> questioned President Bush's motives for not returning
> immediately to Washington, DC and commented, "We're
> all pretty skeptical and cynical about Washington."
>
> And I will not forget that ABC's Mark Halperin warned
> if reporters weren't informed of every little detail
> of this war, they aren't "likely -- nor should they be
> expected -- to show deference."
>
> I will not isolate myself from my fellow Americans by
> pretending an attack on the USS Cole in Yemen was not
> an attack on the United States of America.
>
> I will not forget the Clinton administration equipped
> Islamic terrorists and their supporters with the
> world's most sophisticated telecommunications
> equipment and encryption technology, thereby
> compromising America's ability to trace terrorist
> radio, cell phone, land lines, faxes and modem
> communications.
>
> I will not be appeased with pointless, quick
> retaliatory strikes like those perfected by the
> previous administration.
>
> I will not be comforted by "feel-good, do nothing"
> regulations like the silly, "Have your bags been under
> your control?" question at the airport.
>
> I will not be influenced by so called,"antiwar
> demonstrators" who exploit the right of ____expression
> to chant anti-American obscenities.
>
> I will not forget the moral victory handed the North
> Vietnamese by American war protesters who reviled and
> spat upon the returning soldiers, airmen, sailors and
> marines.
>
> I will not be softened by the wishful thinking of
> pacifists who chose reassurance over reality.
>
> I will embrace the wise words of Prime Minister Tony
> Blair who told the Labor Party conference, "They have
> no moral inhibition on the slaughter of the innocent.
> If they could have murdered not 7,000 but 70,000, does
> anyone doubt they would have done so and rejoiced in
> it?
>
> There is no compromise possible with such people, no
> meeting of minds, no point of understanding with such
> terror. Just a choice: defeat it or be defeated by
> it. And defeat it we must!"
>
> I will force myself to:
>
> -hear the weeping
> -feel the helplessness
> -imagine the terror
> -sense the panic
> -smell the burning flesh
> -experience the loss
> -remember the hatred.
>
> I sat in a movie theater, watching "Private Ryan" and
> asked myself, "Where did they find the courage?"
>
> Now I know.
>
> We have no choice. Living without liberty is not
> living.
>
> -- Ed Evans, MGySgt., USMC (Ret.)
> Not as lean, Not as mean, But still a Marine.
>
> Keep this going until every living American has read
> it and memorized it so we don't make the same mistake
> again