Honoring Our Veterans

by Gary Bauer, Contributing Author: Honoring Our Veterans - Saturday is Veterans Day. Communities across the country will honor our military veterans for their service and sacrifice.

The day originally began as Armistice Day to mark the 11 AM ceasefire on November 11, 1918, that ended World War I. Congress voted to change the name to Veterans Day in 1954 to commemorate the veterans of all our wars.

Sadly, we are living in an era of increasing hostility toward America. General John Kelly recently expressed his concern that the notion of sacrifice is becoming passé.

A false narrative has taken root on our college campuses. We are teaching our children not American history but anti-American history. We are teaching that our nation is an evil, oppressive force, founded on slavery and genocide. No wonder growing numbers of young Americans do not describe themselves as patriotic.

Increasingly, the shared values that used to unite us now divide us. Monuments to our founding fathers are under attack. Once widely-held beliefs, like the meaning of marriage, are now flash points in the culture war. Even the Pledge of Allegiance is denounced as "an instrument of white nationalism."

As millionaire football players are taking a knee in protest of the police, the national anthem, country, gender pay inequality and whatever else they can think of, it's important for all of us to make our own statements this Veterans Day.

Disabled Navy veteran John Wells made quite a statement when he refused to be used as a pawn by the New Orleans Saints. The football team allegedly wanted to honor Wells, but he declined, saying:

"The ongoing controversy with NFL players' disrespect for the national flag forces me to decline to participate in the presentation. I am unable, in good conscience, to enter an NFL stadium while this discourtesy prevails. Since this award is tainted with the dishonorable actions of the NFL and its players, I cannot accept it."

Legendary sports announcer and Navy veteran Vin Scully made a strong statement when he said, "I have overwhelming respect and admiration for anyone who puts on a uniform and goes to war. . . I will never watch another NFL game."

Here's a suggestion: Go to a cemetery this Veterans Day and take a knee in prayer for the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our freedom. As General Patton said, "Thank God that such men lived."

Use this opportunity to talk to your children and grandchildren about what happened at Concord Bridge and Gettysburg, on the beaches of Normandy and, more recently, in the deserts of Iraq and in the mountains of Afghanistan.

As Ronald Reagan once said:

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free."

To the millions who have always been there to stop the tyrant, protect the weak and preserve the peace - we have not forgotten you. A grateful nation thanks God for giving us heroes like you.
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Gary Bauer is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families

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