I Fear We Are Remembering a Country That Died in the Line of Duty

It is Memorial Day, and most of us will hit the pause button on our busy lives to remember and celebrate those who gave their lives so that we could remain the greatest country on the face of the Earth. We stop and say a prayer for the men and women who, over our 250 years, have put on the uniform and died defending the flag that adorns their battle attire. We give our condolences to all who were touched by each loss, and thank them for their sacrifice. Miraculously, I have not been touched directly by a loss of a loved one in the service of our country, which is all the more reason that I should give thanks and prayers to those who did.

No loss of life is insignificant, and we thank every person who took their last breath defending us. I fear that this year, which is a special one for America as we celebrate her 250th birthday, we are recognizing a greater loss. I fear that we are also remembering the loss of our great country as we knew her. She may have passed because of those incredible rights and freedoms that men and women have fought and died to defend. Because of the greatness of our country, it has become a magnet attracting those from around the world who aspire to a better life within its borders. That same greatness has placed a target on its flag for those who want to tear it down. Because of the freedoms we afford, we have let in those who want to do us harm, and instead of taking advantage of the opportunities America affords, they wish to tear her down from within. I see it bending, cracking, and being brought to its knees under the weight of the relentless hits it has taken, and barely resembling the great beacon on the hill it once was. At 250 years old, America is still a young country compared to the countries our ancestors left behind to come to America’s shores. Still, I hope we are not marking its final year, as it is replaced by a country far removed from the one envisioned by our forefathers.

The same Constitution and Bill of Rights that built America are giving those who wish to harm it the opportunity to live among us while working hard to bring us down. They have come to our doors, where we welcomed them in with the hope they would assimilate into our society and culture, and instead, they have come to annihilate them and us. We have been complicit in this massive and complex plan to destroy us by being lazy and complacent and not making the course corrections needed to get America back on track. Instead of protecting our sovereignty, we tore down our walls and ceased to examine those who violated our rules for a peaceful coexistence. They took those rights and bastardized them against us. At the same time, many people in power chose not to fight back, but to protect these people and offer them sanctuary from accountability for their nefarious deeds.

There may still be time to resuscitate America, but it will require its citizens to grow a backbone and funnel the same energy and courage we pause today to celebrate in those we lost into confronting those who choose to do us harm. It will take casting aside our complacency, getting off our butts, grabbing a neighbor’s hand, and uniting in the cause to save the greatest experiment and country in the history of mankind. She is worth the effort, and the future of our children and grandchildren depends on it. Let’s ensure that 250 does not mark the end but only a stepping stone to many more to come. God bless those souls we celebrate today, and God save America and us.

Author’s note: Graphic created by GROK AI