We all know the stories of America's fight for freedom from the British. The Americans out gunned and out numbered survived on perseverance and determination to win our Independence. The blood of Patriots who tempered the US Constitution is legendary. It is often overlooked and taken for granted but, we could have adopted a US Monarchy or Despotism at wars end. Many thought George Washington would become king.
This is the reason we owe so much to those responsible for writing the US Constitution. The government "Of the People, By the People, For the People " was a Constitutional Democracy never tried before. They settled for a more perfect union, as agreeing on the perfect union was found to be impossible. That same debate never finished, carries on today.
Four score and seven years later we found ourselves at war again. At the center of this war was the very same debate. Blue vs Grey and Americans fighting each other. Fifty Thousand men killed and wounded at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in three days. 620,000 dead in the US Civil War is more than all American Wars combined to date. The horrific battles could have been fought anywhere and many battles were fought. The one most remembered was Gettysburg and the third day of fighting as 12,500 Confederates known as Pickets Charge marched across open fields and farmland into history. The deaths of so many Americans fighting hand to hand was the inspiration for the Famous Eulogy of our sixteenth President Abraham Lincoln and the first President of all people in America.
I never met Abraham Lincoln but I'm sure he'd gladly share his credit for those words in his famous address with those who died. The message carried by the Union was That Slavery must be abolished in all United States. Hundreds of thousands died to determine the fate of 500,000 African Slaves.
Sadly, African Americans today rarely focus on those who died for their freedom. African Americans today focus entirely on all Americans as the elite plantation slave owners of the South. Their history is flawed. More Americans died in the Civil War (620,000) than slaves were emancipated (500,000) The Blue and Grey were largely white caucasian soldiers. After the surrender of Lee 5,000,ooo Americans returned home to start over again
The message is what won the war and it truly made no difference where the battle was fought. The Message is more important than either the Battle of Gettysburg or Abraham Lincoln's Address. Those who died never heard the words of the Address at Gettysburg but, it is they who wrote them.
In World Wars One and Two Americans prevailed again because they carried a message from "We The People" They marched through Africa, Asia, Pacific Islands and Europe far from Gettysburg with the message from the American People. Your tyranny shall be avenged and your tyrants will be vanquished. The message written and hand delivered by 600,000 now dead US men and women of the United States Armed Forces to the Axis of Europe and the Empire of Japan. Those who died at Normandy and The Pacific Theatre never saw the school they built the electricity everywhere they fought and the hearts and lives of future generations they touched.
"We The People" failed to deliver the right message in Korea and Vietnam. Our soldier's fought just as bravely and died in the same valor of those in Gettysburg, Bunker Hill, Iwo Jima and Battle of the Bulge. It was the wrong message delivered in spite of an out cry from "We the People" we lost our voice and our elected leader's foolishly ignored our Message.
I heard the cry from Egypt this year as they tossed out Mubarak. The hard work in Egypt is just begining as they choose their message. If their message is true they will prosper. If not, they fail.
The message from Libya is not clear and I'm certain the Libyan People will fail. They lack perseverance and determination and the message is mute. They run back and forth across the same desert of George Patton, Rommel and Montgomery. The Libyan death toll is likely less than Americans killed in yearly Auto accidents. Democracy is not for everyone although, none are denied
My concern is for America and the Message of "We the People".
Are you being heard?
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