Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Fatal Decision


[from Ron St. Laurent]
 
 
Was back in the forties we entered The War.
When Japanese aircraft hurled bombs at our shore.
Pearl Harbor was blazing, our Navy dismissed.
In less than two hours, it ceased to exist.

In Europe the Germans, grew ever so bold.
Crushed Poland and France then, toward Russia they rolled.
 So we strapped up our boots, sent men Over There.
Told Nazis and Fascists, they’d better beware.

We fought in the deserts and perilous seas.
And died on the beaches that are Normandy.
On islands like Midway and Guadalcanal.
At Luzon and Iwo, with strength we prevailed.

Then came that sweet morning, the sun brightly shone.
When Johnny at last, came marching home.
There were far fewer Johnnies, than left us that day. 
For those who returned not, we wept and we prayed. 

After that came Korea, a frozen landscape.
From cold and from suffering there was no escape.
Then on to Cambodia and North Vietnam.
We burned up the jungles, with shells of napalm. 

We moved on to Iraq, they called “Desert Storm”.
Afghanistan next, our mission took form.
September Eleven, were threatened once more.
So we rushed into battle, its blood and its gore. 

To Syria now, they ask us to go.
Al Qaeda, Jihadists, our help to bestow.
How much more can we give, of our youth and our sons?
To save people, who Christians, they loathe and they shun? 
We offer our pleas, with the hopes they won’t ask us
To send more dear children, down the Road to Damascus.
Let “Johnny” stay home, safe from history’s page.
Have him raise a fine family and live to old age.

Secretary Kerry, on one thing you’re right.
No child should be poisoned or shot in the night.
But Middle East politics are savage at best.
Leave Middle East countries, to quell their unrest.
 
 
I am an old man.  I wrote this poem because I have grown weary of watching our most precious commodity, our youth, going into battle and spilling their blood to protect people who despise us as Christians and Jews.  We are not the police of this planet.  It’s time we pulled in our borders and have Americans protect America!

Ron St. Laurent 

8 comments:

Ira Glickstein said...

THANKS Ron for this touching poem that expresses your respect for those brave souls who have sacrificed so much that the USA remains free.

Yes, we need to think twice and then think again before we spill the blood of young Americans. However, deep down, we know that "freedom is not free" and it must be paid for in each generation.

It seems to me that we have no strategic interests in what goes on in Syria - they have neither oil nor any other critical resource - yet, when innocent thousands are gassed or otherwise killed by their own leaders, can we turn away and refuse to help?

I'd be interested in other opinions on this issue.

Ira Glickstein

Carole Michaels said...

Hi Ira, I loved reading Ron's poem, Fatal Decision, on your blog. They say war to man is like motherhood to women...maybe both necessary. Carole Michaels

Anonymous said...

I agree with the poem, however I do not know how to ask ourselves do we allow people to kill women and children. Then I say war is a nasty business, when you are truly at war you need to be clear that your mission includes killing men woman and children, perhaps that is why it is so terrible. Perhaps we need to focus on home, take care of our own house and get her in order. For if we cannot have congress that functions correctly , not that I have to agree with all that they do but knowingly believe that they have made the best decision that reflects the best for the nation then we cannot continue as the best nation in the world, or a world leader. For where is a leader who can deny paying their bills, deny laws and not fund them. WE need to remember we are all Americans, black white, brown, north south, stand proud together and do things for the good of the people, all the people. So fix your home first ...they help others ....

Anonymous said...

I agree completely with the sentiments expressed in Ron’s poem. I endured the futility of protesting the Vietnam Conflict and the carnage that continued under ideological titles that were meant to soften reality. The United States is neither an omnipresent revengeful deity nor the salvation for the problems of the world. Wars reincarnate continually with only different names and locations. The time has come to value our soldier’s lives above politics.

Gerry Curtin said...

I totally agree with the sentiments expressed in Ron's poem. We have so much unrest and problems here in our own country that we need to resolve. I had a son who served in the US Army. Too many of our young men have died already. Don't send any more to other countries to die when it is not our war. It's time for our government to take care of their own.

Gerry Curtin

Charlotte said...

What a great poem Ron, agree with you 100%. Anyone with a heart has to agonize over the atrocities that have been inflicted on the poor people of Syria, but how can we in good conscience send our young heroes off to fight their religious battles. Some never to return home to their families and others returning home with severe brain injuries, lost limbs, and deep psychological scarring. Isn’t this the atrocity that should be our priority? If I didn’t feel so strongly that war is embraced by politicians, pollsters and talk show hosts, as their personal pawn to get votes and ratings, I might think differently. We say Freedom is not free, and I agree. If all the money that has been spent the last eleven years on war was a)spent to train special forces, ie Navy Seals to target and eliminate only those individuals and groups that have brought harm to this country and/or to citizens of their countries, b) spent to make sure we have the most sophisticated security systems for buildings, airports, cities etc., and c) spent to provide more humanitarian aid to victims of the atrocities, I think then we would be a lot closer to achieving world peace then we are now jumping around trying to put out religiously fueled fires. I believe our involvement the past eleven years has generated more hatred towards us and has made us more vulnerable. However, what troubles me just as much is that those that are bringing us into war are the same individuals that will not be responsible enough, or hate to say, intelligent enough, to sit down and solve our domestic problems. If their salaries, pensions and health care packages were tied into their performance, then they too would be shut down. I think we would see a very quick solution to the problems we are presently facing. What a sad time for America, and the World if this is not resolved soon.

Ron said...

Ira… Syria is a country in crisis, they deserve our pity and our sympathy. Our government is now strongly advocating military help to the Rebels and the initial targets have already been identified. Before that decision is made they should consider some conspicuous and critical facts. For instance, within the Syrian Rebel forces, are large numbers of Al Qaeda and factions of the Muslim Brotherhood. These warlike groups take the writings of the Quran (8:12) literally - “I will cast terror into the hearts who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them.” Fighting alongside these religious extremists would present a truly precarious predicament. Ron

Ron said...

Carole,…I think the quote you gave about war being necessary, while accurate, is unfortunately the perverse conviction of too many. Herodotus said: “In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons.”
If Secretary Kerry has his way, the US will initiate military operations in Syria. Soldiers will go and soldiers will die, on a desolate stretch of desert sand or in some obscure town the name of which, no one will remember six months from now. And when the guns go silent and the smoke clears, we will be not one inch closer to a military solution.