History (Bill Whittle - absolutely must read!)

ejectejecteject weblog ^ | March 29, 2003 | Bill Whittle

[Lando Lincoln]

HISTORY

Life during wartime.

There’s nothing I can say about the parade of still pictures, the faces on the television – except, perhaps, that they all seemed to share a fierce pride in their eyes, photographed for the first time in their Marine Dress Blues. Surely their families are proud of them. I certainly am, and I never got to know any of them. And now, I never will.

Names scroll in little yellow letters across the bottom of our glowing screens: Sergeants, and Captains, and Privates. These men have died for us. More will follow. You may be against this war, but even if you are, the fact remains: these kids died for all of us. We asked them to go, and they went.

All across this nation -- here and there, sparkling across the map like fireflies on a summer night – sedans are slowly rolling to a stop outside of small, modest homes. Men in uniform emerge, straighten their tunics, and walk slowly up driveways. Doorbells are rung. Maybe here and there smiles will evaporate in shock and surprise as doors are opened, but more likely the face will be one full of stunned realization that the very worst thing in the whole world has happened. And children will be sent to their rooms. And the men will speak in somber, respectful tones. And sons and mothers and fathers and wives will be told that the one thing they love more than anything in this world has been taken away from them, that their sons and daughters will not be coming home, that their fathers or mothers have gone away and will never come back, not ever.

Why do we do this? What could possibly be worth this?

[Lando Lincoln]

Thanks for the follow-up! The almost-rant is understandable!! ;>) Never doubt anything from Bill Whittle. He writes some of the most inspiring, pro-American essays around. He is publishing a compilation of his essays in book form in the coming months.

[reformed_democrat]

Wow!

Its going to take a while to absorb all that . . .
Thanks for posting this.

[Interesting Times]

We fight wars not to have peace, but to have a peace worth having. Slavery is peace. Tyranny is peace. For that matter, genocide is peace when you get right down to it. The historical consequences of a philosophy predicated on the notion of no war at any cost are families flying to the Super Bowl accompanied by three or four trusted slaves and a Europe devoid of a single living Jew.

It would be nice if there were a way around this. History, not merely my opinion, shows us that there is not. If all you are willing to do is think happy thoughts, then those are the consequences. If you want justice, and freedom, and safety, and prosperity, then sometimes you have to fight for them.

Whittle is a clear thinker whose words carry the crack of a whip.

[HanneyBean]

I am sitting here all alone at my computer terminal. I finished reading this editorial over 5 minutes ago, but I couldn't type a reply until now because I've been crying uncontrollably over this piece.
Bar none, this is the finest thing I've read yet on why we are fighting this war. It should be mandatory reading.
I'd encourage any freepers with family/friends in the military to print this out and mail it with your next care package.

[nmh]

I stopped here too:

"This war is an abject and utter failure. What everyone thought would be a quick, decisive victory has turned into an embarrassing series of reversals. The enemy, -- a ragtag, badly-fed collection of hotheads and fanatics – has failed to be shocked and awed by the most magnificent military machine ever fielded. Their dogged resistance has shown us the futility of the idea that a nation of millions could ever be subjugated and administered, no matter what obscene price we are willing to pay in blood and money."

I'll take your word for it that it is a decent article. That paragraph and ones below it turned me off.

[alfa6]

I would humbly suggest that you need to read the whole article. It will be worth it. IMHO. I too was wondering a bit until I got into it a page or two.

Also go to his web page and check out some of the archives, especially "Courage", possibly the best thing written on the shuttle loss I've read.

http://www.ejectejecteject.com

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[alfa6]

Aye, I have been there and have hard copies of most of the essays.
Thanks again for posting this essay.

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[sarasmom]

If you have not read this already,please do.

[Lando Lincoln]

I'll take your word for it that it is a decent article.

I hope you take the time to read this essay. It is immensely inspiring and pro-American.

[Henk]

He was talking about what the Amreican press said about the civil war.

[andysandmikesmom]

A long article to read, but oh, so worth it...I am printing it out, as I want to be able to pick it up and read it whenever I wish....

Not only are the thoughts and ideas spot on, but his use of the language is amazing....you can read it slowly and just savor the writing....

I was especially taken, by the part about Chamberlain...I remember watching the movie 'Gettysburg' and clearly remember the part of the movie, that Bill Whittle is talking about...and should I view the movie again, I will watch with even more interest, and take even greater note of the importance of the 'Battle of Little Round Top'

Thanks for providing the link to this most remarkable article...

[bart99]

without tightening up our borders and allowing millions of illegal immigrants to stay while allowing millions more to come here as "students" (for a while), and others for flight schools -

I'm sorry..... this nation is changing already. Pre-emptive policies have little to do with it.

[bart99]

Wow - just read the entire piece. What a powerful story...... and sharp rebuke to Sharon Sarran too. *s*

[BraveMan]

Truely an amazing piece. If you read one article this week, let this be the one . . .

[Landru]

"Truely an amazing piece. If you read one article this week, let this be the one..."

I totally agree.
Thanks for the ping.

FBD?
The man who wrote this understands something we spoke of recently; the power of perspective.

joanie, any thoughts?

Happy1, an *inspired* writer "Alert."

Scholar, sultan??

...have at it, people. ;^)

[Happygal]

Thanks so much for pinging me to this Dan. It seems that the most intransigent kernel of American Society remains it's liberal press ;-) In other words, some things just never change! *S*

Ivan, read this...it's one of the 'must, must's'.

[listenhillary]

Bill's intro piece points out the fact that many freepers need to heed. Read the whole post/article before you go off half cocked.

That being said I was stunned until I got to the line that said "so spoke the American press"

My wife was trying not to cry after finishing reading this. Bill Whittle needs to replace W's speechwriters.

[Happygal]

I did read the whole thing. I was making the point that the press of the 1800's doesn't seem to differ too much from today's.

[nutmeg]

bump - read later

[MattinNJ]

Must read ping and BTT.