Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Earning freedom

What have you done to earn the freedom and rights you enjoy? These are questions I asked myself during the Fourth of July holiday.

I spent the day thinking about the millions of American men and women who gave their lives so we can enjoy the lifestyle we have today. The answer I came up with was sobering to say the least, and not pleasant, because I realized I have done little to earn my freedom and rights.

In part, this idea came from the book "Flags of our Fathers." It's about the six men in the photograph of the flag raising on Iwo Jima. The book detailed the lives of those six young men, only three of whom returned to the U.S. after the war.

I'm not ashamed to admit there were tears in my eyes as I read what the Marines who invaded Iwo Jima went through  the sacrifices they made  to prevent fascism and Japanese Imperialism from taking over the world. More than 25,000 American men were slaughtered at Iwo, and yes, slaughtered is the right word for what happened as the Japanese had dug tunnels into the body of the island to prevent American planes from being able to bomb them effectively.

The Japanese set up their defenses to catch the Marines in crossfire to more effectively wipe them out, and those soldiers who were captured were mutilated as an example to the rest. Of course, Marines being Marines, the mutilations did not have the desired effect. Instead, they killed almost every Jap on the island.

In reading this, though, I could only imagine the absolute hell those men went through  the price they paid for our freedom.

My own past includes a short sting in the USAF, where I was discharged for having a lower back problem. The USAF decided it was easier to get rid of me instead of working to correct the problem. I've also served two terms as a Justice of the Peace in another county and done volunteer and service work.

But, it's not enough. Nothing I, or most of us, can do, will ever be enough to repay those who have died in service to this nation for our freedom. However, there are things we can do to make sure those men and women did not sacrifice their lives in vain.

First of all, everyone 18 and older can register to vote and cast their ballot in all elections. This is an important aspect of American life, as the nation was founded on the right to elect our leaders.

Next, we can fight to protect the Constitution of these United States of America. We, as citizens, take stands against our own government when it attempts to circumvent the Constitution. It also means we make those we elect to represent us in Congress and the White House do the job they were elected to do  represent the people of the United States and not worry about protecting their jobs first and foremost.

Another thing we can do, is work to improve our communities. By this is meant keeping our communities neat and clean, volunteering in the various activities, joining civic clubs and leadership groups.

Most important, though, we cannot give in to fear. In light of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack, many wanted to "turn turtle" and hide in their shell. This can't be allowed. We must stand tall and show the world what American's are made of, and how we'll react when attacked.

Remember Suribachi.