As we pause to reflect upon this day as a

“Day of Memorial”

a day to remember and memorialize those who have paid

the dearest price to give us such a land we call “home”.�

I am compelled to address the misguided and offensive slogan

(???)� � “Peace is Patriotic”� � (???)

To remind myself, and you, to pray for those who without

thought quote or bare such shallow sound bites in protest of war.

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The United States is clearly the most free, strongest, healthiest, safest, most prosperous,

tolerant, benevolent and peaceful nation on earth and throughout human history.Â?

How is this so?Â?

I contend that this remarkable heritage is the direct result of the Grace of God

poured out upon our nation.Â? It is a blessing without question, but it is also

invokes a high responsibility of stewardship if we are to maintain such a heritage.Â?

I will restrain from dissecting all the elements which compose this inheritance in

order to limit myself to the simplest outline of the responsibility of our birthright.

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Patriotism is an umbrella term of art which universally summarizes

our individual and collective responses to our nation’s legacy.�

How deeply this patriotism infiltrates each of us varies,

and our individual expressions differ widely.Â?

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When a soldier in an act of valor lays life and limb on the line, or

when a spouse or parent keeps the home together and maintains

vigil over the soldiers return,they each express their patriotism.Â?

Yet none of them would dare say that peace in and of itself is patriotic.

Nor should we.

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When our forefathers agonized over the call to arms,

as well as our young men and women today, peace did not

precede their response, it followed their acts of patriotism.

For every pacifist or ‘peace’ activist, someone has paid the

price for their right to do nothing while enjoying peace.Â?

For every citizen who has supported the needs and necessities of conflict

and war, none would dare say that peace in and of itself is patriotic.

Nor should we.

Peace is only the fruit of patriotism!

Â? It is the outcome, the byproduct, or the results of patriotism.

The essence of patriotism is summed up in two words:

Commitment and Sacrifice.

Without commitment and sacrifice, there can be no patriotism, nor peace.

All that remains without these virtues is surrender, domination, oppression, and cowardness.

There is no freedom, no pride, no valor, no heritage, no legacy, no patriotism, no peace,

and no future for those with no commitment and sacrifice!

So the next time you see a bumper sticker that falsely claims “Peace is Patriotic”.�

Turn to someone next to you and explain:

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Peace is NOT patriotic.Â? Peace is only the fruit of Patriotism!

The essence of true Patriotism is Commitment and Sacrifice!

Or the next time you hear the misleading slogan, “Peace is Patriotic”.�

Turn to someone next to you and explain:

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Peace is NOT patriotic.Â? Peace is only the fruit of Patriotism!

The essence of true Patriotism is Commitment and Sacrifice!

In fact – on this Memorial Day – why wait?Â?

Turn to someone next to you and explain:

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Peace is NOT patriotic.Â? Peace is only the fruit of Patriotism!

The essence of true Patriotism is Commitment and Sacrifice!

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Key Terms to Contemplate – From Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

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PATRIOT’IC,Â? Full of patriotism; actuated by the love of one’s country; as a patriotic hero or statesman.

Inspired by the love of one’s country; directed to the public safety and welfare; as patriotic zeal.

PAT’RIOT,Â? [L. patria, one’s native country, form pater, father.] Â? A person who loves his country, and zealously supports and defends it and its interests. Â? Â? Â? Â? Â? Â? Â? Â? Such tears as patriots shed for dying laws.

PAT’RIOT,Â? Patriotic; devoted to the welfare of one’s country; as patriot zeal.

PAT’RIOTISM,Â? Love of one’s country; the passion which aims to serve one’s country, either in defending it from invasion, or protecting its rights and maintaining its laws and institutions in vigor and purity. Patriotism is the characteristic of a good citizen, the noblest passion that animates a man in the character of a citizen.

PEACE,Â? [L. pax, paco, to appease.] 1. In a general sense, a state of quiet or tranquility; freedom from disturbance or agitation; applicable to society, to individuals, or to the temper of the mind.Â? Â? 2. Freedom from war with a foreign nation; public quiet. Â? Freedom from internal commotion or civil war.Â? Â? Â? 3. Freedom from agitation or disturbance by the passions, as from fear, terror, anger, anxiety or the like; quietness of mind; tranquility; calmness; quiet of conscience.Â? Â? 4. Harmony; concord; a state of reconciliation between parties at variance.Â? 5. Public tranquility; that quiet, order and security which is guaranteed by the laws; as, to keep the peace; to break the peace. Â? Great peace have they that love the law. Ps.119.

Â? Â? Â? Â? Â? Â? Â? Â? Â? Â? Â? Â? Â? Â? Â? Â? To hold the peace, to be silent; to suppress one’s thoughts; not to speak.

COMMITMENT,� 1. The act of committing; even imprisonment of one’s self, property, passions or desires.

2. An order for confining in prison. But more generally we use mittimus.Â? Â? 3. The act of referring or entrusting to a others for consideration and disposition; a term of service.Â? Â? Â? 4. The act of pledging or engaging; or the act of exposing or endangering.

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SAC’RIFICE,Â? [L. sacrifico; sacer, sacred, and facio, to make.]Â? 1. To offer to God in homage or worship, by killing and consuming, as victims on an altar; to immolate, either as an atonement for sin, or to procure favor, or to express thankfulness; as, to sacrifice an ox or a lamb. 2Sam. 6.Â? Â? Â? 2. To destroy, surrender or suffer to be lost for the sake of obtaining something; Â? We should never sacrifice health to pleasure, nor integrity to fame.Â? Â? 3. To devote with loss.Â? Destruction, or loss made or incurred for gaining something of higher value, or for another.Â? Â? 4. To destroy; to kill.Â? To utterly give up that which is of value for others sake.