IF YOU ARE KILLING TO PRESERVE FREEDOM, YOU ARE FIGHTING ON THE RIGHT SIDE.

IF YOU ARE KILLING TO PRESERVE FREEDOM, YOU ARE FIGHTING ON THE RIGHT SIDE.

Verne Strickland  September 2, 2015

I was surprised – and hurt, to be honest – to be accused, by someone I liked and admired, of being “negative, mean, and destructive” in my comments in the internet.

Know something? He was right on many levels. I tried to dig a little deeper, to find out exactly what he meant, and why he said it.

“It’s your style,” he said. “You just complain and criticize. But you never have any solutions.”

The young man – bright, idealistic, patriotic – had decided that he was going to cast his lot with the U.S. Army, probably the infantry, where he could fight enemies of America.

Honorable goal.

“My style,” I told him, “is pretty much like yours -- U.S. Army style. I locate a target and I tear the hell out of  it. Rip it to shreds verbally. No quarter given. That’s my style. And I’m good at it, feel passionately what I express. I’ve done it for a long time, and tore the armor off of a lot of liberals. Not many get the best of me.

I used this modus operandi in hard-ball campaigns for Jesse Helms, Ilario Pantano, and Thom Tillis. I don’t think anyone else unloaded so much negative – but accurate and damaging – attacks against the opponents – Jim Hunt, Mike McIntyre,  Will Breazeale, Dr. Gregory Brannon, Kay Hagan.    

Negative attacks work – if they are based on factual information. Mine were. There will be other opportunities for me in the future.

“You also charge that I don’t work toward ‘solutions’. Well, let’s check out your plans -- what you are going to do. You are joining the military – basic at Fort Jackson, Advanced Infantry after that, I would guess, OCS, Airborne. Rangers.

“For what?  You are going to be trained to kill people and break things. Just like me. You are not going into the diplomatic corps, or train to be a chaplain, are you? You’ll be trained to kill people and break things. There’s a need for that. What am I doing that is any different from what you want to do?”

I reminded him of American history. We didn’t beg Japan for an apology after Pearl Harbor. We blew their cities to hell with incendiary and atomic bombs. They surrendered. An estimated one million lives of Americans in uniform were spared as a land assault was avoided.

And now in 2015, we’re not appealing to the good will of the murderous Islamists whose jihadist strategies took down the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. No, we went after them tooth and nail and fought like hell.

And that has been one of the most productive “solutions” America has found for dealing with mass murderers, international scoundrels, despots, and hate-mongers. That’s the kind of outfit he is preparing to join.

“You’ll make a great soldier,” I said. “Somewhere along the line you'll face the Russians. But you won’t try to win over the enemy with good arguments. They’ll kill you if you do. They may kill you anyway. Isn’t that the main convincer that we have with our heroic fighting forces?”

So he doesn’t like my “style”? As a columnist I’m a brawler. I want to take down liberals. Make them cry. That’s my “style”! Make them pay. They need and deserve that. That’s how I get their attention. And I’ve had a lot of success with inflicting pain on Marxist Democrat dopes.

“If you don’t like Verne’s ‘style’,” I said, “and feel that my way solves nothing, then you need to be grooming yourself for a career in the U.S. State Department, or maybe the United Nations. They don’t fight.  They talk. And they have given away the farm many times over because they are ‘doves’  – pacifists to the core. Like Obama, and Kerry. I’m not. I don’t think you are either.”

There are some effective diplomats, but not many. John Bolton is my pick of the litter. I don’t recall his ever hitting anybody, but those who try to intimidate the United States learn soon enough that they are picking on the wrong guy, and the wrong country. And Donald Trump. He’s a one-man wrecking crew. He doesn’t even know how to spell “PC”. New supporters are flocking to his side every day.

I don’t know if I got through to the future soldier. But I said I’m not changing my game plan in order to be “liked”. That’s for wimps on the internet. God gave me certain talents, and I am using them as He directs me – kicking liberal, atheistic, communist, jihadist, anti-American butt whenever I get in range.

Several times a week I offer up what I call the “Writer’s Prayer” to Jesus Christ our Savior:  “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be always acceptable in thy sight – O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer.” It really inspires me. I know I’m in tune with the Master.

Well, go get ‘em,  soldier. You have a great future ahead of you. I have a great future in my past. You’re gonna make us all proud. Be a fighter. And a killer. If you are killing for people who need freedom – and we all do – then you’re on the right side.

Stay in touch, young man. If you ever need help, I’m there. Your pal and fan, Verne Strickland.