Things Change?

“Why the soldiers, sailors and marines were not given some sort of official goodbye does not matter now. It was probably due, in great measure, to the apathy of our citizens. Nothing, not even a war affects certain of our populate. The recent election, admittedly one of the most important duty of all Americans at any time but more particularly in time of war, only drew a comparatively few to the polls.” Not the best grammar but taken from the Peoria Star, May 2, 1942.

“We have more than five million of our youths and stoutness of middle age, who are now away from the city streets, farms and hamlets where they grew up. Now that the war is over, they can’t all come home. It is easy to understand why mothers and fathers want their sons and husbands back. But it can’t happen that way if we want to win an all out war.” By Grantland Rice, April 13, 1945 published in the Peoria Star. (Rice was one of the great writers of his time).

Too bad that we have become so wrapped up in our own self esteem that we have forgotten how many sacrifices were made by the those who have given us the freedoms we enjoy. Have some black people forgotten or ever knew that over 360,000 Union soldiers died to free their ancestors from slavery? Have they forgotten that slave trade was a fact of life in many countries including Africa and Brazil long before slavery reached our shores? (By 1820, nearly 8.7 million slaves had departed from Africa for the New World, the vast majority to the West Indies and Brazil. Only about 6% were sold to buyers in British North America). Do they know that many people live under human bondage and slavery TODAY in some parts of Asia and even some parts of Africa?? My source? “Inhuman Bondage” by David Brion Davis and my own knowledge.

In WW2, more than 20 million (some 40 MILLION overall) people died from deaths caused from incineration, gas chambers, executions, to death on the battlefield. Many civilians died, starved, bombed, or slain in their own cities. These sacrifices were made to stop efforts by people trying to enslave or “cleanse” free people. Ever since WW2, these freedoms now taken by many to be an “entitlement”. Hundreds of thousands of American died to save the world from the terror of Nazi Germany, Japan and Italy. How dare the “chatterers” and left leaning liberals compare any losses of today with the far greater losses in freedom battles of yester years?

We do not overlook the sacrifices being made in our noble fight against radical Islamic terrorists; or any terrorists, for that matter. These actions today, some actions poorly conceived and executed by our leadership, will and have caused deaths and misery but are far smaller than the known 300,000 plus Iraqi people, mainly Shiites and Kurds, who, in many cases had “small disagreements” with the Sunni regime and were killed. These dead were often buried in mass graves or gassed and many were just taken away in broad daylight or the dead of the night and slain by order of the dictator, Saddam Hussein and his ilk. Many Iraqi’s disappeared and have never been heard of or found by their families and friends. And some wonder why it is going to be a long and hard task to ever have a relatively free Iraq?

I believe we all hate any war. The great majority of us deeply respect those who continue to sacrifice to keep us free. Freedom has never come without human sacrifice and misery. Read your history going back to the start of time.

“Character building is not made with losing ball clubs. It is only made with boys who won’t be licked.” (Coach and later a columnist, I believe, Ed McKeever, April 1942 published in the Peoria Star)

On the lighter side in 1942, comic strips back in those days that were published locally were Nancy, Mandrake, Jane Eider, Cranberry Boggs, The Nebbs, Mutt and Jeff, Abbie and Slats, Joe Palooka and Li’l Abner. They were and are still; great reads. Unfortunately some of these old comic strips would not be politically correct today. I believe most of these old comic strips touched on social issues of the day, but today some of our comics are blatantly political and most all are “politically correct”. Some are not really comic strips that you can read and laugh at the characters and their actions while at the same time laughing at yourself.

A few of you read me and laugh at me and attack me. Don’t think you are original. I have always been able to criticize myself and laugh at myself too. And, of course, likewise.

So read and reflect. But before you speak to try and convince someone else, be sure you know about all sides of the issue on which you express your opinion. Otherwise, it is just that, your opinion, and not a justifiable conviction.

Thanks to all of you who write or tell me you appreciate my efforts. I still mostly enjoy doing what I do so it’s gratifying to hear some compliments. (Even from the JSEB, even though rather like a grudgingly admission that maybe they were wrong in 2000).

“The man (person) who never makes a mistake always takes orders from one who does. No man or woman who tries to pursue an ideal in his or her own way is without enemies.” (Daisy Bates)??