"Wars are not acts of God. They are caused by man, by man-made
institutions, by the way in which man has organized his society. What man
has made, man can change."
Frederick Moore Vinson 1890-1953 Memorial Day, 1945 Arlington Cemetery
Virginia
George W. Bush is today in Normandy. For 75 days in 1944 the British
Commonwealth, the valiant American and other Allies battled and died in the
lush green fields and hedgerows of Normandy against a totalitarian dictator
who sought to shut out the light of Europe. They died so that we may live
free. The American president is using his visit to call on the French and
all Europeans to join in his Jihad. Mr. Bush the American president served
in the Texas National Guard, he never left the US in uniform. It is older
men who make wars. It is young men who die.
As Sinclairs much of our history sleeps in this region of France. The
history is not all ancient. Hundreds of men who bore the name and carried
the blood of this clan lay forever in the graveyards that dot the now
peaceful countryside between here and Berlin. These graveyards are the
litter of two great wars in the last century.
The terrorists have found the Achilles' heel of Western Civilisation, open,
free societies bound by the rule of law. We must remain bound by the rule
of law or the terrorists will have won. We will rue the day that we throw
away our light and extinguish the lamp of freedom for a temporary advantage.
We must find a way to live together, on this planet in peace. What is that
way that respects all out traditions?
Memorial Day is uniquely American. We must honour the Americans on their
Remembrance Day for their contribution to our freedom. We will honour them,
not by blindly following them but by rational acts that end the reason for
terrorism.
Sinclair
[ This is the Sinclair family discussion list, sinclair@quarterman.org
[ To get off or on the list, see http://sinclair.quarterman.org/list.html