A Liberal and A Conservative In A Cage?
by Morris Heldt
Oct. 27, 2001
Recently my wife discovered a wild cat in our neighborhood that had just given birth to four kittens. My wife, being the compassionate person she is, along with an equally caring neighbor, placed food and water out for the mother cat and her kittens. My wife, and neighbor, then called the appropriate agencies to try to find the cat and kittens a home, however, all the agencies had the same response: wild cats only live a couple of years, generally accompanied with a miserable existence. These agencies informed my wife and neighbor they would not pick up the cat and her kittens unless they were caught and put into cages. At that point the agencies would attempt to domesticate them so they could find homes for them. If unable to, they would destroy them--which they are convinced is a better and more humane way than letting them live on their own in the wild. Although the mother cat and kittens continue to eat the food they would not be caught, and would scatter with fear every time they were approached. In watching these cats react reminded me of what is presently happening to our country. As a country if we don't stop this terrorism now, we must decide to either live like these wild cats, accompanied with the constant fear of terrorism, or be caged and then changed to fit into another structured society.
"Wait a minute! This is not America's way," is the faint diehard radical cry from the left I'm beginning to hear. Although the voice is still weak, I fear it will grow in its intensity as this nation fights, what I feel is truly a battle for its existence. My growing concern is that there is a portion of this society, that just doesn't get it. They feel it is perfectly okay allowing a cat to roam around a neighborhood depending on people to provide food for it, then having one cat after another . . . and often times breeding with its own kittens. In my opinion, democracy can no longer be carte blanche for everyone's philosophy on how to conduct a war. I realize not many people will read this, but as an independent American, not a radical Left Wing Liberal, or Right Wing Conservative, but just a plain American, I had to express myself to honor the thousands of men and women who gave their lives so I could.
When this country received its 9-11 wakeup call I wondered how long it would take for the national patriotism that exploded, to be interpreted by the far left as a threat to their way of life. Somehow, the displaying of our American Flag in numbers often scares a portion of our society. I have experienced such patriotism in this country before, and then watched it dwindle when the far left, or the far right, would start bellowing out their propaganda for their own personal agenda and ideology of how this country should react. Most of the time I am the first to say that diversity is what this country is predicated on, has been since its creation and set forth in our Constitution. All men are created equal is not just a statement but a belief that is held in the highest regard by most of us who live in this country. Our forefathers gave us a guide so we could keep our individuality, but coexist as a country of one. And, for over two hundred years this country has endured wars, (attacks by other countries), defending bully invasions by larger countries on smaller ones. Remember The Civil War, the bloody fight pitting brother against brother for the emancipation of a group of our citizens. Then there was one small, maniacal, evil little ex-paper hanger who felt he could control the world, and he alone had the formula for a superior life.
In my opinion, trying to lead the way of Democracy for the world, as a country, we have entered into hostile actions where we did not belong. Nevertheless, as a nation we survived, and with the balance of liberalism and conservatism saw the end, and eventually achieved it. However, now we are faced with a foe that can only be described as evil. Perhaps even more evil that Hitler himself.
This foe, has no country, no doctrine to govern its body of people. The simple quest for this foe is to destroy opposing thoughts, religions and belief that we all are God's children. Their mission is to eliminate, not to control, not to convince us of a better way--simply to destroy us because we are alive, and not like them. And with that they will do anything to accomplish their objectives. Anything! They have bred generations of hate of the Western World, as well as anyone's belief, that is different than theirs. To promote their evil acts they affectedly hide behind their God, (disgracing it), as one whom has directed them to do this.
For all you people that think that I am a right wing Conservative, and this is my spin, you are wrong. I am neither right, nor left, in the political spectrum. I am simply an independent American that believes if we lose this war on terrorism . . . and give in to these Middle Eastern radicals that believe we are truly a country of infidels, we lose everything we believe in. Never before in history has this country been faced with such a dilemma. In some ways we must become everything we hate, to defeat this evil. Because of their cowardliness, hiding behind blameless people, we must kill innocent men, women and children, that is coldly known as collateral casualties. However, when you fight evil you must confront it face-to-face. Although I have nothing but respect and admiration for the great passive leaders in our past, I feel in this war with evil they would be greatly appreciated by the aggressors.
What we must quickly realize as a collective nation of one is there will not be a radical left wing liberal nor right wing conservative, if these evil people win this war of terrorism. There will be nothing but a cage for us, not unlike the mother cat and her kittens. And, if we don't adapt to their way of life we will be eliminated. I do not believe you can overestimate evil reasoning--simply because they will do anything. There is no act too heinous to perform to get what they want. Now, more than ever, it is time to stand tall, with your individual beliefs and accept the fact that all things are not nice in this world. With freedom comes a price, and in today's war on terrorism that price is democracy as we used to know it. Everyone, and I mean every one, that believes in America should come to understand that the only solution is to destroy evil, before evil destroys us. It is not complicated, and certainly not intellectually satisfying. However, if you want to continue to debate the right and wrong of our society, I remind you that it is a prerequisite that we have one. For as cliché as it sounds, we have reached a point in our history that: United We Stand, Divided We Will Fall!
(c) 2001 Mopam Publishing
and Morris Heldt
If you want to comment send me an e-mail
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