Win or lose, the Ron Paul campaign will have a lingering effect that will affect not just our assessment and inclinations on the federal reserve banking system, but also on foreign policy. In a recent visit with a dear friend who I considered marrying and who was a Vietnam War Veteran with shrapnel still in his chest, I asked, why were we there and was the war worth it? Without pause he articulated the mission to stop communism.
And then, he wavered on whether it was worth it noting that in his battalion alone were two of his black classmates and while in Vietnam he ran into about six men who were in his segregated high school.
He and I then agreed that the best line of the 2012 New Hampshire Republican debate was when Newt Gingrich tried to ‘professorally’ respond to Ron Paul’s accusation that he was a “Chicken Hawk.” Gingrich hid behind the shield of having a wife and children to which Paul’s rejoinder was so did he, but he served.
In my high school senior class, 10% went to the military for the impact of the draft was felt. I was distressed that one of the young men whom I loved was one of the first to die. The wavering from my friend was about the sacrifice of our children that our black communities made while the children of the rich and famous too often went to college, think tanks and job offers, some developing public policies destined to send more to war. My friend said he couldn’t marry me when we were together more than 25 years ago for he was still messed up and believed I was going somewhere and didn’t need him holding me back.
The take away from youth is they no longer want to fight wars in ill defined missions on behalf of a nation whose Congress lets the battles begin without being willing to sign their names in formally declaring a war, defining our mission and insuring a viable exit strategy. Paul is right about the previous impact of wars on the economically distressed and minorities who sacrificed much and returned home battled and broken to find no jobs, limited support and insufficient health care. And his message had best be heeded by conservatives in reference to youth who Paul attracts in abundance.
Though many of us may feel his views aren’t main stream, Paul is articulating what a lot of our children's beliefs about not getting into wars where the national interest is questionable.
Iran, the instability of Israel and its neighbors, China’s meddling with economies and Russia’s hidden hand in Middle East nuclear escalations, up the ante for war in the near future. As I weekly visit the VA Salisbury cemetery about a mile from my house and pray for those who sacrificed so much that we might be free, I can’t help but wonder who will fight on our behalf if our children continue to so disengage?
Dr. Ada M. Fisher is a PHYSICIAN, licensed teacher for secondary education in mathematics and science, previously elected school board member, AUTHOR and IS THE nc rEPUBLICAN nATIONAL cOMMITTEEWOMAN. Contact her at P. O. Box 777; Salisbury, NC 28145; DrFisher@DrAdaMFisher.COM
Pending Publication, Fisher’s book Common Sense Conservative PRescriptions solutions for what ails us, book 1 published by Amazon.com
should be available in the near future between Febraury and March 2012.
