My Granddaughter’s Granddaughter’s world.
We have a way of viewing our country’s history through the eyes of our own individual experience. While schools attempt to teach us our nation’s history, it is hard to imagine Jamestown, the Pilgrim’s landing and their struggle, the rise of discontent and the Revolution, the razing of the Whitehouse during the War of 1812, the Gold Rush, discoveries of Lewis and Clark, the Civil War, my Grandmother’s birth, World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, Korea, sputnik, polio, Alan Shepard, my Grandmother’ death, the assassination of the Kennedy’s, Munich Olympics, Vietnam, Leon Klinghoffer, Wars against Israel, rise of Islamofacism, Gulf War I, Somalia, The Cole, Gulf War II, the Democrat’s declare defeat and surrender to the terrorists in Iraq, and, finally, today.
My Grandmother way born in 1881. She was a tiny woman, barely reaching 5 feet tall. She seemed small standing next to her husband Bill, 6 feet two in the old family black and white photos. The only images of her with him are from the early 40’s. Both have that tough as nails look of the times - farmers, raising a large family with war about them. Their second war, having lived through the first. Neither was directly involved but their daughters Gerri and Madeline married pilots in WWII, Victor winning the DFC. Bill passed before the war ended, grandma moved into town. Another war – Korea. Big changes – kerosene lamps to electricity, radio to TV, horses to autos, aircraft, spacecraft. She wanted the best for her kids and was willing to do whatever it took to make sure they had their shot. She was firm, direct, tough and loving, kind and cheerful. Everything a grandma should be. My daughter is her great granddaughter. She has seen the advent of the PC, satellite TV and radio, she’s the daughter of a Vietnam Vet, has seen the rise of terrorism, Gulf War I, 9/11 and now Gulf War II. My granddaughter, Adeline was born just a year ago, my Grandmother’s, grandson’s, granddaughter. And so 125 years of history is tied together in my memory, 57 years of which I myself have experienced.
And it happened so fast, those 125 years. Given this timeline, what will Adeline’s granddaughter’s world look like? The year would be around 2075. What would Adeline’s world look like if her great great grandmother’s world would have sat out WWI? What would it look like if D-Day casualties would have prompted the US to decide to let Europe fall to Hitler? What if the battles of Iwo Jima, Corrigadore, Midway, the Philippines would have been too much for them to bear? What if McArthur would have said “To hell with it, I’m not coming back!”? What if they would have abandoned France the way we abandoned Vietnam? There is a price that must be paid by each generation to insure that we stay free. It is not a debt that can be passed to the next generation nor is it an obligation that can be differed. If we are to survive as a free nation, we must be willing to stand against evil, fight and be willing to do so until we win – or all that was brought about on this land that is known as the United States will simply cease.
The question for the Democrat party is this – what legacy are you going to leave Adeline’s granddaughter? Will she be a free woman or a slave of the veil? Will she live in an open and vibrant society or will she be little more than an Islamofacist’s chattel? Will she look back on history and be proud her ancestors stood against an evil enemy at the gate, or will she be subjugated because they opened the gate? Will her country be strong, free and growing, or a heap of nuclear slag?
As the Democrat party marches us gleefully towards defeat, I would ask that they look beyond 2008 to 2075 and into the eyes of my Adeline’s granddaughter. What fate are you bestowing on her in your reckless quest for power?
