Remembering D-Day, 76 years later

Given the current painful state of affairs in America, it would be easy to overlook a historical anniversary, even an important one that helped shape the world as we know it. And yet the anniversary of D-Day is a great time to examine what we as Americans stand for. 

Before we start, let's not forget what the Nazis believed: their superior race should dominate while all others should be subservient. Their crazed leadership pushed that agenda through systematic brainwashing, using force, brutality, and sheer terror to ride herd over the sanctity of life. A nation's sovereignty and its citizens individual liberties were irrelevant to them. 

By 1944, the Nazi regime's borders had expanded through most of Europe, and France had fallen. Britain stood alone as the last European holdout against Nazi occupation. Only the English Channel and a strong RAF stood between England and Hitler's forces. 

General Eisenhower and the other Allied commanders knew they couldn't let England fall to the Nazis. So on June 6, 1944 over 160K Allied troops landed along a stretch of coastline in the Normandy region of France. Their purpose: to push against the heavily-fortified German forces and regain France. 

Over 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft were involved in delivering and supporting the soldiers as they began the push inland along 50 miles of coastline. More than 9,000 Allied soldiers were killed or wounded, many in that first wave. 

As we know now, the end result of this incredible effort was the ultimate defeat of Hitler and his regime. Of course, the soldiers involved couldn't know that at the time. 

All they knew was that they were fighting against an evil that held one type of person as dominant over another. They were fighting to ensure that the people of Europe would have what we Americans purport to believe: that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator certain unalienable rights. 

Yep, this is a good time to remind us of what the writers of the Declaration of Independence said are 'self-evident.' We are indeed all created equal. 

  

Did you attend worship this weekend? Kudos!

Our country is proud of its freedoms. As every elementary student learns, freedom of religion was the very reason the Pilgrims fled England and came to live on these shores.

Yet here we are over 300 years later, and as the Pittsburgh synagogue shootings clearly show, some of our citizens are targeted for their religion. How do we move forward? 

Our reaction might be to hide our faith under a rock, to worship our God in the privacy of our own homes, and to keep the outward symbols of our faith hidden from public view. 

That would give evil power over us. We can't let that happen. We won't. 

As the synagogue's rabbi said, we move forward in love. We respect one another. We hold true to who we are. 

If you wear symbols of your faith, speak your faith, or in any other way live out your faith in God, well done. 

If you attended a worship service this weekend, you demonstrated courage in the face of evil. Well done. 

Every day, millions of Americans and billions of people around the world give thanks to the higher power that connects us all. May it continue to be so.

  

Quotes from the Founding Fathers

I recently took in the traveling National Archives exhibit on the Bill of Rights on its stop at the Lancaster Historical Society. A fascinating exhibit, highly recommended by the way. While there, I picked up a booklet on the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the other Amendments. I have been perusing the booklet ever since.

I'm particularly struck by a number of quotes regarding the Constitution and its Bill of Rights. At politically divisive times like these, the Founding Fathers' words might remind us of who we Americans are supposed to be. I share them here as food for thought.

Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters. - Benjamin Franklin

We in America do not have government by the majority - we have government by the majority who participate... All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent. - Thomas Jefferson

Say whether peace is best preserved by giving energy to the government or information to the people. This last is the most certain and legitimate engine of government. Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty. - Thomas Jefferson  

...the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions... There are men in all ages... who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be kind masters, but they mean to be masters... They think there need be but little restraint upon themselves... - Daniel Webster 

The italics are not mine, the quotes were printed that way in the National Archives
booklet. I do not know how those words were emphasized in the original writings.