THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume III, Issue 6, September 28, 2001
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor>
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, PART II:
CONFRONTING THE REAL ENEMY
By J. J. Johnson
We are at war. Some of you are tired of hearing it, and I'm tired of saying it. But I've never said that we're going to war, or that we should avoid war. We are at war--part of a war that has been ongoing and, like it or not, we have to face it. What appears to be troubling most people is something few are willing to admit--fear. Let's take a look directly in its face.
Do we fear that we are in the end times? Do we fear that this is the beginning of World War Three? Do we fear that we will see more heavy loss of American life on our shores? If your answer is "yes" to any of this, it's okay. You are not alone.
I'm scared too. But we can't let that hold us back from what must be done. In fact, that fear should compel us to do what needs to be done. Look at Flight 93. Look at the most recent AAL Flight 1238 on Monday.
Americans are dealing with their fears in different ways. Some are holding peace marches. Some blame the government, the Arabs, the Jews, or all three. Some are just frantically buying survival gear. Some are spending the time screaming about our rights being taken away. And some are simply still in denial over what happened on September 11, 2001. No matter how the reactions manifest themselves, it all boils down to onr common denominator--fear.
If we remain trapped in this fear. we shall lose. If we do not accept this fear, we shall lose. You see America, we don't have a choice in the matter. The enemy in this war is, in fact, fear. Either we defeat it, or it will defeat us.
I suspect much of this fear is based on what we are told to rally around--our own government. They caused this, some say. They let it happen. Their own foreign policy got us into this mess. They needed a war for the economy. This is part of some grand scheme. They are using this as an excuse to take away our rights and lead us into Globalism.
Does any of that really make a difference now? Does making or agreeing with these statements cause you to feel better? Does any of this change what has happened? Is this the message we want to send to the world? Is this the way millions of fearful Americans should deal with the reality they are facing?
Here's reality: The people in government may be SOBs, but right now, they are our SOBs, and they are the only government we've got until something or someone better comes along (as my Bible predicts). Unless you're got a spaceship in your backyard (and somwwhere else to go in it), deal with it.
Here's more reality: We've been attacked by a foreign invader. It's the first time this has happened on our soil since 1812. More threats were made after our military response, and they are being taken seriously. Outside of the Bible. we don't have a playbook. We don't have written instructions on how to deal with this, and no counseling can make us understand it. This happened at a time when, no matter who we are, we thought we were doing everything right.
Well, we were wrong. And we, as Americans, not just the government, have to fix this problem.
Our problem with government today is its inability to work with the citizenry. After we have contacted many people, we have had little or no return handshake from those we are told to rally around. We receive from our government more reasons to fear the unknown every day, but little information on how to defend against the unknown.
Perhaps this the true nature of some of that fear.
Or perhaps the fact is that a point will come where all we may have for support is each other and not the government. Our lives have to awitch to a defensive and preparation posture--meaning that what we thought was normal living has vanished forever--and we ourselves must change.
What Was Important to Us:
During the first few hours of the attack, many of us learned that family, friends, and neighbors are more important than a lot of other things. We are seeing divorce rates drop, while gun and survival gear sales go up. We are seeing people actually talk to their neighbors again. We are seeing a Spiritual Awakening at Houses of Worship across the country. We are seeing America become very cognizant of its own need for personal defense. And we are seeing the "Age of Tolerance" fade in the sunset, while the "Age of Reality" is being born again. The question is: Is this part of the War, part of the positive things that are happening? Can we sustain it, or will we close our eyes again and spend another 40 years wandering the deserts of our own minds?
What We Must Do:
Many reading this are among the people who, years ago, took personal oaths to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. There were many others who placed negative labels on such people. They were too busy being told what to think and do. But that's all changing now. There are millions of people out there looking for answers. They want to know what they should do, and they haven't heard a thing about it in the media. They are turning to the people who have those answers, at least in part.
That's where all of us come in. There are those of us who, in some degree and for a long time, have prepared ourselves for possible war on American soil, hoping it would never happen. Well, it's here. And I believe the best thing we can do right now is lead by example. This is the best chance Real America may ever have to protect and help defend this Constitution of ours. Let's not squander it away by proselytizing old obsessions or engaging in grand speculations.
Communications may be interrupted at any time. Let us make sure everything we do from this point forward helps our fellow Americans, rather than confusing them. To be blunt, some of you need to put your disgust with past government behavior aside and focus on helping your fellow Americans, who need your insight now more than ever.
This is not to say that we can't speak our minds, only that we must be careful not to jeopardize national security, of course. But we must keep in mind that, while this ship is taking on water, we can't waste time blaming the captain for not steering away from the iceberg, when we should be busily bailing the water.
I can't make it clearer thna that. This is where our focus must be now. Blaming the whole mess on the Bush family, the Trilateral Commission, the Illuminati, the Council of Rome, the Committee of 300, the International Bankers, the New World Order, Ayn Rand, Dan Rather, Peter Jennings, Tom Brokaw, or Osama bin Laden won't solve the problem. Waiting for answers from the same won't solve it either. Whatever the problem is with them, we are under attack and we must defend ourselves.
Remember: As I write this, whoever that enemy is, their weapon of choice is fear.
On Sunday, Nevada's two U.S. Senators held a press conference asking (read: pleading) for people to get on with their lives, to try to get back to normal. Again, no instructions on what to do. I'm not blaming them, as it's really not their job. It's our job. Don't look to them to do it for you.
Each day, I wake up praying not to see more bad news. I sit with a nervous heart, and with shaking fingers at this keyboard, fighting off my own fear to do what I feel needs to be done. We can't run in the face of fear. If we do, they will win. We must face it head on. We must take the actions necessary for survival of our loved ones and stop thinking this is just a Hollywood video.
At any time, we may begin to see a mass exodus from metropolitan areas, followed by a social meltdown. There is no government contingency plan for that. We must be there to pick up the pieces if that happens.
Most important! We must man our stations and stay vigilant. Let us take the lead in planning and preparing for all contingencies. The government should be allowed to do their constitutional duties, while we work on the common defense of the nation. This will not be an easy task, and we may have to make more sacrifices down the road. But that is what has always made us who we are as Americans--people making the hard choices, doing the hard tasks, and pushing on in the face of adversity and fear. It is the duty of us, as Americans, not the government or the media, to keep the torch of Liberty burning here at home.
I'm counting on you, Real Americans. America is counting on you.
Let's Roll!
Go to Rules of Engagement, Part III
LINKS TO RELATED TOPICS:
Islamism & Jihadism -- The Threat of Radical Islam
Page Three
Page Two
Page One
War & Peace in the Real World
Page Two
Page One
Islamist Terrorist Attacks on the U.S.A.
Terrorism & Homeland Security
Osama bin Laden & the Islamist Declaration of War
Against the U.S.A. & Western Civilization
Islamist International Terrorism &
U.S. Intelligence Agencies
U.S. National Security Strategy
J.J. Johnson is Editor and Chief of the SIERRA TIMES
.
Copyright 2001 SierraTimes.com
Reprinted with Permission from SierraTimes.com
September 27, 2001
SierraTimes.com
URL:
http://www.SierraTimes.com
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