2002 Soap Box Archives

Reflections on 9 -11-02

My day started in Washington D.C. where I did a couple of songs
with the Washington Symphony Orchestra before flying out to Hutchinson,
Kansas for an evening concert.

The nation was on orange alert, the highest alert we’ve been on yet and
the streets of Washington were relatively empty compared to what they
are most days.

Very few people came out to the monuments and commemorative services
that morning. A free concert by the Washington Symphony Orchestra is
not something to be taken lightly, but the degree of nervousness
prevailing in the nation’s Capitol on 9 -11 was made all too evident by
the small crowd who turned out.

I know you’ve heard this before but it bears repeating. The events of
September 11, 2001 have changed our lives forever.

No longer can we take it for granted that catastrophic atrocities won’t
take place on the streets of our cities.
We have to be concerned about chemical and nuclear weapons being set off
in our beloved America.
I have heard people say that what has happened to America is our own
fault, that we have offended people with our foreign policies and
indifference to the third world countries.

Of course, that’s the biggest bunch of junk ever to spill forth from the
collective mouths of these idiots.
Check the facts, America has done more for the third world countries
than any other nation on the face of the earth. We have saved the world
from fascism, communism and myriad's of two cent dictators.
We have fed the hungry, treated the sick and given billions of dollars
to third world countries.
We are the world’s leading consumers and if America suddenly ceased to
exist the world’s economy would take a nosedive, factories would shut
down all over the industrial world and sovereign borders would be
crossed by the armies of aggression.

I do agree that some of what happened on 9-11 was our fault.
Our fault for not being vigilant. Our fault for thinking that as long
as we had a good economy all was right with the world. Our fault for
electing a do nothing president like Bill Clinton who let Saddam Hussein
kick the weapons inspectors out of Iraq.

Yes, Bill Clinton who allowed Osama Bin Ladin to slip through his
finger when he was offered custody of this murdering devil on three
separate occasions. The teflon president under who’s watch the trade
towers were bombed, along with two of our embassies overseas and the
U.S.S. Cole. And just what was his response? Firing missiles at
meaningless targets and thinking he deserved a pat on the back for his
politically correct reaction.

We should also remember that Tom Daschle and his ilk were talking about
nuclear disarmament just a few years ago and that there were some on the
left side of the aisle who wanted to disband the C.I.A.

And what about Al Gore’s statement that the internal combustion engine
was the most dangerous enemy of mankind.

Bill Clinton cut and demoralized our military, ignored our intelligence
services and let the attacks on America at home and abroad go unpunished.

Janet Reno’s F.B.I. was a joke. Not because they weren’t capable but
because their hands were tied by a corrupt justice department who used
their files to gain knowledge about their enemies and suppress
investigations of the president.

We had become fat and complacent in America. As long as it happened
somewhere else we could sit around and say how terrible it was but when
it happens on our shores it’s a totally different story.

So what can ordinary citizens do? Well first and foremost you can go
out and vote every time the poles open. Vote for whoever you want to
but at least let your voice be heard. I think our last presidential
election has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that every single vote
counts.

We can also stand up and refuse to be bullied by people like the atheist
who wanted to take “Under God” out of our Pledge of Allegiance.

We can put pressure on our elected officials for school vouchers so our
children can be told the truth and not exposed to the doctrines of
humanism and sexual permissiveness.

I know that morals cannot be legislated but I do believe that immorality
can be. And it’s happening every day in our schools and universities.
Informed people make good citizens.

It’s up to us America, we can sit back and let the flower children
turn us into an idealistic, touchy-feely nation of immoral,
undisciplined, irresponsible milksops or we can stand up and fight.
I think you all know which path I choose. I urge you to join me.

What do you think?

God Bless America

Charlie Daniels