On September 29, 2010, SrA Mark Forester was killed in action during a firefight in the Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan. Mark was a forward Air Combat Controller stationed at FOB Cobra, embedded with an Army Green Beret unit. Mark was not compelled by any external source to join the military and volunteer for an extremely dangerous career path. Rather, he was moved by a desire to defend our fundamental individual and collective liberties. Like other fallen patriots before him, Mark believed that these liberties are worth dying for. He was a true man of honor, integrity, and courage of conviction.
I don’t personally know Sharon Angle or Harry Reid. I don’t doubt Harry Reid’s conviction, just as I don’t doubt President Obama’s conviction and belief in the sanctity of that which he is trying to sell. History is littered with examples of powerful figures faithfully committed to the wrong ideals. I don’t know all the details of what Sen. Reid may have done to exert his influence for positive effect on the State of Nevada (although the list on his website is long). But I can clearly see the negative impact his influence has had on me personally and will have on my children.
We must each ask ourselves the following question: Are the policies supported by Sen. Reid destroying our personal liberties? If so, we must each consider the relative value of these personal liberties in our lives and balance the value of those liberties against any other potential benefits Sen. Reid may be able to supply.
Personally, I can think of no positive influence that supersedes the significance of liberty deprived.
In my opinion, an ideal worth dying for is certainly worth voting a career politician out of office.
Sam Aikele
