Give Me
Liberty or Give Me Death: © 1998 Joe Murray This time of year is when we reflect on the great sacrifices we have made in this nation to obtain freedom and to defend it with our lives when necessary, both at home and abroad. A few weeks ago, we honored those who died in the defense of our country. This last Saturday marked the 54th anniversary of the D-day invasion. While watching the news, I was reminded of the precarious nature of our liberty. The sunken remains of the USS Yorktown sank 56 years ago in the battle of Midway. It has been discovered and photos have been taken of the wreckage. The battle of Midway started the last week of May in 1942. At the time, America didn't look much like a dominant world power. They were still stung by the surprise attack (almost 6 months earlier) at Pearl Harbor that had nearly destroyed the US Navy in the Pacific. Things had gotten worse since then as Japan continued to quickly move toward Pacific domination. The U.S. had suffered another embarrassing defeat in the Philippines where McArthur's promise of "I shall return" sounded more like Don Quixote chasing windmills than the prophetic words of a conquering hero. The Japanese at the time had superior naval and air power. The battle of Midway proved to be a decisive turning point of the war with a great America victory. This victory was only possible because of the work of intelligence officer Lieutenant Commander Joseph Rochefort. Rochefort and his associates had been able to crack the Japanese code and, by sending a false message, were able to determine that Midway was the sight of the Japanese attack. If they had been wrong, Hawaii, the west coast of the United States and Alaska would have been wide open to a Japanese attack. Fortunately, Rochefort was correct. With the element of surprise, the US Navy was able to win a stunning victory. At three a.m. on June 5, 1942, Admiral Yamamoto had to call for the retreat. The battle cost the Japanese four carriers, one cruiser, 322 planes and the lives of 3500 soldiers. As the wreckage of the Yorktown shows, the US suffered many losses as well, but never again was Japan able to launch a major offensive. Some of the most famous words ever spoken by an American were delivered in a speech in 1774. Patrick Henry said, "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the expense of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death." These words have echoed down through time as a call to defend and preserve our precious liberty -- not just for ourselves, but throughout the world. Former President Ronald Reagan, in a speech before the Captive Nations Week Conference in Los Angeles, eloquently proclaimed the essence of the foundations of our country: "The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of these United States are covenants we have made not only with ourselves but with all mankind. Our founding documents proclaim to the world that freedom is not the sole prerogative of a chosen few. It is the universal right of all God's children." Nine years ago, on June 4, 1989, these same words rang out from young college students halfway around the world in a strange sounding place called Tiananmen Square. The world sat by and did nothing as the evil totalitarian communists sent in the tanks to silence the cries for liberty and freedom. After the slaughter of 3,000 unarmed people and countless others thrown in jail, death had won out over liberty. There was a lot of self-righteous talk, but no significant action was ever taken to defend liberty or see that justice came to the murderous regime in China, either from the United States or the rest of the world. Based on President's Clinton's shady dealing with the communist government, he is getting a lot of heat left and right about the plans for an upcoming visit to China, where the festivities formally welcoming him to the country will take place in Tiananmen Square. While I admit some of the revelations and allegations about Bill Clinton's dealings with the Chinese government make one wonder if the Manchurian candidate's premise has finally come to fruition, I think he should go to Tiananmen Square. Wang Dang, who was one of the student leaders protesting for democracy that was recently released and exiled to the United States, thinks President Clinton should go to Tiananmen Square, but should not ignore the evil that took place there. All he asks is that President Clinton "speak from the heart." In the case of Bill Clinton, who knows if that is good advice. But, as the officeholder of the Presidency, President Clinton has a historic opportunity to be a torch for liberty and freedom much like JFK and Ronald Reagan did when they visited the Berlin Wall. JFK didn't live to see the fruits of his stand for freedom, but Ronald Reagan got to see the wall come down. When he was presented with a piece of that wall in 1990, he had this to say: "Freedom is the very essence of our nation. To be sure, it not a perfect nation. But, even with our troubles, we remain the beacon for oppressed peoples everywhere. Never give up the fight for freedom -- a fight which, though it may never end, is the most ennobling known to man." Bill Clinton should echo the ancient God-given command Moses made to another totalitarian government and tell the Chinese government to let their people go. We saw in Eastern Europe what could happen with a taste for democracy. In China, there is still hope for a peaceful transition to a democratic state. Continuing to trade with them and help open free markets is essential to opening the door to freedom. However, we must stop ignoring evil and must draw a clear line that we are not going to place trade above our own national security by selling technology useful for military purposes. Some on both the left and right in this country would like to see us stop trading with China and isolate ourselves from them, but we learned the lesson long ago with World War II and the dangers of isolationism. Ronald Reagan, in commemorating the 40th Anniversary of D-Day on June 6, 1984, warned to not forget the dangers of withdrawing from the world. "We in America have learned bitter lessons from two world wars: It is better to be here ready to protect the peace than to take blind shelter across the sea, rushing to respond only after freedom is lost. We've learned that isolationism never was and never will be an acceptable response to tyrannical governments with an expansionist intent." It is difficult to determine the right or wrong course of action when dealing with another country and culture halfway around the world, but it remains essential to protecting our own freedom. It is even more important that we don't take our liberty and freedom as something preordained that we will always have. There are many signs of our apathy and ignorance leading to the erosion of freedoms in this country. If we don't want to awake someday to find the tanks coming after us and our freedoms vanished, we need to reaffirm the importance of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We must be willing to stand up and defend these God-given rights. Our great communicator of freedom, Ronald Reagan, offered this warning over 30 years ago at his inaugural address as Governor of California: "Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance. It must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom, and then lost it, have never known it again." Further information and alternative views: Clinton Renews China's Trade Status The Times: World News: Tiananmen 'not a place... The Manchurian Candidate Redux Information on recovery of Yorktown (best site) Omaha Beach, Normandy, France -June 6, 1994 Speech by President Reagan |
