D-Day reflections on liberty

D-Day 2009

It is interesting to ponder what the U.S. and Europe would be like today if the brave American soldier didn’t face the barrage 65 years ago. From the rain and blood soaked beaches in Normandy, freedom has blossomed.

I am reminded of the poignant words offered by President Ronald Reagan 20 years ago at Point du Hoc. He began, “We’re here to mark that day in history when the Allied armies joined in battle to reclaim this continent to liberty… Here in Normandy the rescue began. Here the Allies stood and fought against tyranny in a giant undertaking unparalleled in human history.” Reagan continued, “Behind me is a memorial that symbolizes the Ranger daggers that were thrust into the top of these cliffs. And before me are the men who put them there. These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war… You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One’s country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it’s the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you.”

I love those words. I hope we all appreciate D-Day and the victory over tyranny and the fight for freedom that began that day. I also love D-Day because my daughter was born on this historic day 10 years ago. We named her Liberty. She is everything to me (Ok, that’s not true; I have 4 other children and a wonderful wife). My family is my life. So I am grateful for the boys of Point du Hoc. I am grateful for liberty. I wish I can be a hero for the cause of liberty.

I get very reflective on this day; in fact, maybe more so than on July 4 or Memorial Day. I think it was more than just freedom that was carved out of the sand and the rock and the blood along the beaches of Normandy. I think that the liberty and the freedom that was fought for has brought great prosperity. Prosperity and happiness is the dream of all who seek freedom.

But how does freedom look today? Freedom is more than just living under a democracy; freedom requires the ability to determine your future through ambition, risk, and commerce. These tenants of all free-loving societies are under attack today by those who pursue narrow political gain. These attacks are subtle and perhaps not as deadly to life but they are deadly to freedom and prosperity.

I speak of apathy, fiscal irresponsibility, selfishness, greed, corruption, the rush towards socialism, the abandonment of personal responsibility, and the lack of respect for others including the Founding Fathers and the Constitution.

How does liberty and freedom look for my daughter Liberty and for her children when:
· Dennis Cauchon, USA TODAY In all, government spending on benefits will top $2 trillion in 2009 — an average of $17,000 provided to each U.S. household, federal data show. Benefits rose at a 19% annual rate in the first quarter compared to the last three months of 2008.
· June 1 and June 2, 2009, editions of The Gartman Letter. Mr. Geithner is in Beijing this week to explain that further investment in the US is in China's best interest… outlining the benefits of investment in US Treasury securities…It is, instead, in China's interest to secure the raw materials it needs to foster further economic growth... Mr. Geithner's is a lonely and embarrassing job it seems. His "product," debt securities, have lost their luster, and the things he cannot sell… copper, steel, coal, wheat, soybeans, cotton, crude et al… have seen their luster enhanced. His is an embarrassing job at the moment.
· June 3 Bloomberg -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said large U.S. budget deficits threaten financial stability and the government can’t continue indefinitely to borrow at the current rate to finance the shortfall. “Unless we demonstrate a strong commitment to fiscal sustainability in the longer term, we will have neither financial stability nor healthy economic growth,” Bernanke said in testimony to lawmakers today. “Maintaining the confidence of the financial markets requires that we, as a nation, begin planning now for the restoration of fiscal balance.”
· Benefits, such as Social Security, food stamps, unemployment insurance and health care, accounted for 16.2% of personal income in the first quarter of 2009, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reports. That's the highest percentage since the government began compiling records in 1929.

Where are modern-day champions who understand that some things are worth dying for? Freedom is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for. I invite all who love liberty to fight tyranny today, just like the men of Point du Hoc did 65 years ago.