World War Me: Yesterday's Sacrifice For Today's Ego's
It's Not About The Environment, Social Justice, Or The Children. It's About Me.
Jack Lucas was not a selfish person.
After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, killing 2,471 servicemembers and civilians, hoards of Americans hustled to their local recruiting stations.
Unfortunately for Jack, he was only 14 years old.
So he forged his mother’s signature and joined the Marines.
It took the Corps a year, but they eventually figured out they’d been had by the young lad.
Still, rather than throwing Jack in the brig or sending him home, they re-assigned him as a truck driver in Hawaii.
But Jack wasn’t done.
For his next trick, he hid aboard a transport ship, where he blended in with the 5th Marines.
A ship headed for Iwo Jima, where thousands of Marines and Japanese would perish.
On his second day in combat, two enemy grenades rolled into Jack’s fighting position he shared with several teammates.
Without thinking, he threw himself onto the explosives to protect his buddies, absorbing hundreds of pieces of hot shrapnel.
But to everyone’s surprise, he survived.
After years of mending, Jack later trained to fight in Vietnam.
Unfortunately, his parachute failed during Airborne school.
Yet, he survived once again.
Check out his book Indestructible for the whole story.
It appears Jack Lucas was among the last of a dying breed.
Today, it’s all about ‘me.’
Patriotism
On July 21st, the US women's soccer team played Vietnam in New Zealand.
Before the match, as usual, each team stood for their country’s national anthem.
Not surprisingly, only half of the US team could be bothered to put their hands over their hearts or sing, with the exception of Julie Ertz, Alyssa Naeher, and Lindsey Horan.
Yet the Vietnamese team proudly recited Tiến Quân Ca, or Song of A Marching Army, their national anthem.
All players.
On August 1st, Portugal's team shed tears during their anthem.
The crowd joined as well.
And here’s Germany. Again, everyone participated.
Of course, given America’s past, it would be inappropriate to honor our country.
Didn’t the People’s Army of Vietnam and Viet Cong kill about a quarter million people between 1954 and 1975?
Didn’t the Vietnamese violently conquer lands via colonial expansion in the 18th century via superior weapons and technology? Have I heard that elsewhere?
What about Portugal?
Didn’t the government torture and kill countless citizens during Antonio de Oliveira Salazar’s authoritarian rule, declaring three days of national mourning after Hitler’s death?
As for Germany, ‘nuff said.
Other countries know that patriotism isn’t about endorsing your government’s previous wrongdoings.
But these spoiled brats on the US team know nothing of dictatorships or what it’s like to lose your freedom and rights or go hungry.
They haven’t even been to the bathroom without their phones.
But they know when that camera pans to their face, they’ll get internet points.
It’s not about those that died for our freedom.
It’s about me.
Climate Change
Commuting is inconvenient enough as it is.
But drivers in the UK have to deal with “eco-activists” in addition to standard holdups these days.
Over the past few years, “Just Stop Oil” operatives have been everything between public nuisances and outright criminals, jamming traffic and vandalizing precious art.
Most people agree that there are cleaner ways to produce energy than traditional means.
But why do we see so much criticism for energy production in Western societies and so little for places like China that open a new coal plant weekly?
And why focus so much on oil production in general?
Where’s the outrage for Kuwait burning millions of tires?
How many of these activists spend the morning making people late for work and then leave the grocery store with nine plastic bags?
Plastic bags that may outnumber the ocean’s fish population by 2050?
Because spraying orange paint on a Van Gogh gets views, not bringing a reusable bag to the grocery store.
And picking up trash in the park, planting trees, openly criticizing non-western countries, or drawing attention to the Ohio chemical spill means fewer internet points.
People like Bill Gates and John Kerry want us to limit our carbon footprints while they travel the world in their private jets.
It’s not about the environment. It’s about me.
Education
Lebron James has a lot of money.
So when he founded “I Promise” in 2018, a school that sought to provide underprivileged children with quality education, the man received international praise.
But a few weeks ago, 8th graders were reported not to have passed a math test for the past three years.
Is Lebron James, an outspoken supporter of shady organizations like BLM, really interested in teaching kids valuable skills?
Or is it a stunt for attention?
Like when he publicly “reads” Malcolm X.
Legend has it he’s still staring at page one.
And Kamala Harris recently attacked Florida’s 2023 State Academic Standards for political gain.
Because she and educators don’t want kids to know all countries and people participated in slavery on both ends at some point in history.
Or that there are more slaves in captivity today than were ever in chains in the United States.
But Lebron, Kamala, and many teachers and parents don’t care about the kids.
And parents pushing transgenderism on their children only seek attention, as Jazz Jennings's mother flaunts her child on national television.
It’s not about “gender-affirming care,” health, equality, or truth.
It's about me.
Are We Out Of Jack’s?
When Jack Lucas left the recruiting station with a date to ship to boot camp, there would be no selfie to post online.
And when he snuck aboard that transport ship, there would be no video to post on YouTube.
And as those Japanese grenades ripped his body apart, that last thing on Jack's mind was the notion of ‘me.’
While President Truman recognized this American hero with the Medal of Honor, Jack and people like him made sacrifices because they believed in something bigger than themselves.
But today, it’s about me.
Winston Churchill said, “We sleep soundly at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us."
Lately, we haven't been sleeping so well.