A declaration of war: America’s newest battle

By: Kevin Joseph – Senior, Entrepreneurship

“There is a bear in the woods. For some people, the bear is easy to see, others don’t see it at all. Some people say the bear is tamed, others say it is vicious and dangerous. Since no one can really be sure who is right, isn’t it smart to be as strong as the bear… if there is a bear?” – President Reagan, 1980.

The perennial need for a resilient military has never been more prevalent than it is today. The greatest tool we have in our arsenal for preserving peace is our military. This is something that some of my well-meaning liberal friends just don’t understand. Our military is not a tool for war; it is the most effective tool we have to institute peace throughout the world. Before we go any further it is important that every American understands one thing: The cause of the United States is the cause of all men and women. This great Union was no accident. It was courageous individuals who created a free land; a land that was God blessed, united and inspired by liberty. This cause was not just for our people, but people of all worlds.

To this day, America is the last stand, the last fort, and the last beacon of liberty the world has left. We were endowed by our Creator to be soldiers for all of mankind, for those who have no voice. Our country, our land, America, must remain free from the simplest form of oppression. We owe it not only to ourselves, but to those who don’t have the courage or the tools to fight back.

That being said, America has the tools to fight back, to preserve peace, yet we utilize strategies that are not only ineffective, but also inadequate. Our president seems more concerned with protecting his legacy of ending the war on terror than actually defeating these dangerous terrorist organizations.

I once had a neighbor that I knew my whole life. She watched me grow up into the man I am today. I referred to her as “Grandma” even though she wasn’t. She told me on numerous occasions, “Kevin, there are a lot of Indians in this world, and very few chiefs. Don’t be an Indian, be a chief. Chief’s make others better, stronger, and lead them where they are afraid to go.” It was Grandma, along with my own family, who taught me that leadership wasn’t a choice, but a duty. Today, in my opinion, our president is either not equipped to lead, or he has ignored his duty to do so.

So, what are we supposed to do? What is the plan?

During the history of our country the United States has declared war 11 times, the last being World War II. With the killing of American journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has deliberately and intentionally declared war on the United States. This should come to no astonishment, as terror groups have declared the complete extermination of the United States for many years now.

They have preached that it is just and worthy to kill innocent Americans.

The time has come for a new declaration of war on ISIS and all other terror groups. The time has come for the people of the United States to say, “There is a point, which they must not cross, and there is a point which they must not advance.”

The president has laid out his current strategy for defeating ISIS and that strategy calls for limited war. Limited war can never be the solution when permanent annihilation is the end goal. History is the greatest judge of this. For to many times in our history we have tried to contain our enemy, and not destroy them.

The United States in under attack, make no question about it. Are our memories so short that we have forgotten Ambassador Chris Stevens? Are they so stunted that we have forgotten how we felt on Sept. 11, 2001. I don’t know about you, but I have not forgotten. Rather recent events have reassured me of what I had already believed; I’d rather die on my feet as a free man, than live on my knees under rule of a tyrant.