Georgia's Red Dawn

The opening scene from Red Dawn is still vivid in my mind; teenagers sitting in class as Soviet troops parachute into their sleepy middle-American town. The invaders hit the ground shooting as students run for cover in a prophetic scene resembling the Columbine High School tragedy in 1999. A group of friends manage to escape in their pickup truck and take to the hills. From a far they watch as their town is turned into a totalitarian society run by a Russian general.

This fictional version takes place in America with Soviet troops allied with the Mexican army over-running our national defense and placing threatening Americans into internment camps. The non-fiction version actually took place in present day Georgia with the communist Soviet Union replaced by despotic Russia. Russia's goal is to intimidate its neighbors and show Western Europe it can still run the show when it needs to. Former Soviet bloc countries such as Poland, Czech Republic, Ukraine, and Georgia have seen first hand the brutal nature of totalitarian rule and have decided that freedom and democracy are worth standing up for. They're even willing to fight and die for it. This should inspire Americans to believe in their country and the values we have fought for. The Georgians have had it both ways and they chose freedom. That is inspiring!

Knowing this, I was very nearly moved to tears last week when I read Georgia's pleas for our help. Amid the Russian bombings and tank fire they were looking to America to save the day. They WANTED to see F-16's flying overhead, the massive American war machine heading their way, and the most courageous well-trained soldiers, airman, seaman, and marines on their shores. They wanted America to essentially invade their country and purge the Russians from their midst. They felt since they helped in Iraq that we should help them. That was not the reason at all. We should come to their aid because they're on the front lines of the fight America has championed for years. Israel vs. Arabia, Colombia vs. Venezuela, Colombia vs. FARC, Iraq vs. Al Qaeda, Afghanistan vs. Al Qaeda, and countless others throughout history.

America must stand for freedom when no one else can. America must stand for freedom when no one else will. But most of all, America must stand for freedom when someone else is and is being beaten down. Georgia is a nation that stands by what it believes and backs-up their words with action, America should continue to do the same.