Shots Across The Bow

Pvt. Adam Michael Privett Reporting for Duty

My oldest son, Adam, enlisted today in the Army as a Field Artillery Tactical Data System Specialist.(MOS 13D) I'm going to have to put in a call to Rev Sensing on this one to see exactly what my boy will be doing, but as he describes it, he'll be one of the guys setting up and operating the fire control systems for artillery batteries.

He leaves for Basic Combat Training in just a few weeks, on July 19.

As any father would be, I'm very proud of him. It wasn't an easy decision; (his girlfriend/near fiance isn't too pleased; nor is his mother) this is something he's been thinking about for many years, and now he's following through.

Also, like any father, I'm worried about him, worried about the dangers he may face in the years ahead. We live in troubled times and there's no signs that things are going to get any better anytime soon. The collapse of the Soviet Union left a huge power vacuum that the US was unwilling to fill, and the UN was incapable of filling. So now we're seeing the inevitable rush of other powers to fill the vacuum, creating tremendous strains on global stability.

Those strains are only going to get worse.

And my son will rise up with other mens' sons and daughters, and together, they will stand watch over our homes and our families and protect us from danger. They will sacrifice much to carry out this duty; some will be required to give all. As his father, I pray that he will not be called to make that ultimate sacrifice, but I am also proud that he, like his father and birth father, and their fathers, and their fathers before them, has chosen to take that risk, to stand up and commit himself to defending something bigger than himself, bigger than his family. He's defending his country; he's a patriot.

A few days ago, a singer said that she didn't understand patriotism; she didn't see the need for it.

Sadly, there are many who agree with her. They are too much in love with themselves to love anything else more. It reminds me of another singer whose song told us that "to love yourself was the greatest love of all."

What utter garbage!

I'm going to crib from a speech given in 1973 by Robert Heinlein at the US Naval Academy. He too was talking about patriotism, and he made the case that it was so important that any culture that allowed it to die out was doomed.

Loving yourself is only the first, most basic level of love. While it is vital for individual survival, it is useless for ensuring survival of the species. Love must reach out beyond ourselves if it is to have any power. It follows that love of family is the next level of love. Parents will fight and die to protect their children because of that love; the family unit is more likely to survive because of it.

The next step is the town, city, or village grouping. Larger than the family, love of your home ensures that neighbors work together to help those who need it. We see it everyday. For example, here in Knoxville, how many charities do we have operating to help those who need it? I can think of 10 or 12 right off hand.

And the next step up is love of your country, or patriotism. And let's be very clear here; we aren't just talking about territory and borders. We're talking about culture, and a way of life. We're talking about people you know, and people you'll never know; people you like, and people you can't stand. We're talking about taking the good and the bad and rolling it all together and loving it enough to defend it just like you would your kids.

That's patriotism, folks; how many of us can say we've done that? How many of us can say that we are willing to defend our way of life with our lives if necessary?

And from time to time, it is necessary. History shows us over and over again that any culture that loses the will or the ability to defend itself perishes almost immediately. And that's why patriotism is so important. If you don't love your home enough to defend it, then somebody is going to come and take it away from you.

Posted by Rich at June 21, 2006 12:01 AM | TrackBack