John Stevens, Veteran
Posted by
John Stevens
|
May 14, 2012
MERRITT ISLAND, FL When I was a young man, I once proudly stood amongst my Annapolis classmates and took a solemn oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foriegn and domestic..." I took that oath as seriously as anything I had ever done; as seriously as anything I have done in all the years since; and today I continue to live by the oath I took as a young officer serving in the defense of our proud nation.
The safety and wellbeing of our nation is today at risk; as great a risk as at any time in our history. We are beset by a diverse and global enemy that struck in the heart of our nation on 9-11-01. That enemy has been kept successfully at bay through the sacrifice of the dedicated men and women who serve in defense of America. That enemy has suffered defeat on many battlefields, but it has dispersed, not fallen.
On other fronts, we are challenged by emerging threats and potential foes.
Repeatedly throughout our history, when our dreams and hopes led us to believe that peace was finally at hand, we have relaxed our defenses, reduced our strength, and diminished our military capabilities prematurely and unwisely, only to learn that our enemies were heartened by what they saw as our weakness.
As a small business owner working in defense of our nation, defense cuts are likely to hurt my business and my family. But more importantly, such cuts as have been envisioned this year as a result of "sequestration" will seriously damage our nation's ability to defend the routes of international commerce, to keep open the essential sea lanes, and to protect American borders and citizens from unprovoked aggression.
That Must Not Happen! It is time for all patriots to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foriegn and domestic...," including those who would weaken our nation for the sake of "panem et circenses (bread and circuses)" to appease those who are incapable or unwilling to recognize the threats we face.
