Those of us who oppose the radical left’s agenda too often respond by attacking singular issues, without regard for the greater battle being waged. If there’s one consistent beat to which the radical left marches, it is the demonization of Western civilization.
Non-leftists have failed to produce an antidote to this far more poisonous message. Schools have been brainwashing impressionable minds for decades yet, suddenly, we’re shocked at the lack of knowledge our young people have about this nation, its founding, its laws and the tremendous strides it has made for humanity.
The United States of America is portrayed — constantly — as a nation with an evil, unjustified founding. This is the bigger picture on which conservatives and all patriotic Americans need to focus.
This is what made Dinesh D’Souza’s movie “America: Imagine a World Without Her” so critical in the fight to preserve this nation. It told uplifting stories of America that the mainstream media and far-left professors don’t want the public to know about.
What Dinesh and I have in common is that we are both immigrants from second world countries: he from India, and I from Lebanon. Legal Immigrants from countries such as ours understand that perfection is not of this world, but in terms of nationality, America gets about as close to it as possible.
When I see Americans being brainwashed to believe this country is racist, uncaring or selfish, I wish I could show them the way most people live around the world. Sure, you may have taken a vacation to a Caribbean or Latin American island and stayed in an all-inclusive resort, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the world that exists outside those security guarded walls, the one to which you’re warned not to venture alone.
Look to the most dangerous countries in the world. The majority are located in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. Murder rates in many of these countries are tragically astounding. Caracas, Venezuela makes Detroit look like Beverly Hills. In these countries you will see true poverty. I’m taking about one room shacks made of clay with dirt floors, no plumbing, and no access to clean water — accommodations I am more than used to.
Meanwhile, leftists in America scream about inequality of wealth, while every American, regardless of income, has access to every basic 20th century advancements — as well as high-speed Internet and cell phones to boot.
Go to the U.S. State Department website. You’ll find travel warnings for almost every Latin American country. You’ll find explicit warnings not only about murder, kidnapping, and muggings, but also about government corruption. In the United States, bribing police officers is considered a very serious crime.
In Mexico, it’s a way of life. Rule of law is a fantasy. Drug cartels control vast amounts of territory.
In Brazil, drug traffickers have taken control of so much territory, that the military has had to patrol many cities including Rio De Janeiro.
What lessons can we take from all of this?
For one thing, having a porous border is the height of terrifying. If you knew the houses across the street from you were occupied and controlled by drug traffickers, would you leave your doors unlocked at night? I didn’t think so.
Secondly, we ought to start teaching our young people to love and respect this country and to appreciate the tremendous benefits it has provided them — benefits that so many others in this world can only dream about.
We must also teach the next generation why this nation has thrived while others have not. We must teach them about the ingenuity of the founders, and the concepts they put forth, which lit the spark that ignited and catapulted human progression into the prosperous and modern marvel we are currently living in.
I’ve said it before. I’ll say it again. Freedom is precious, not permanent. If the generations of today fail to take the necessary actions to protect and preserve their borders, culture and human rights, the American way of life will vanish into the dustbin of history.
Brigitte Gabriel is the founder of ACT for America.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of The Daily Caller.