Yesterday's Heroes and Today's Commander-in-Chief by Jeffrey Folks over at American Thinker
James Donovan's recent book, Blood of Heroes (New York, 2012), is an extraordinarily moving account of the men who died at the Alamo in 1836. Donovan's book records the determination of those who joined Col. William Travis, Davy Crockett, and Jim Bowie to defend their way of life, even in the face of almost certain death. Their dedication set the stage for Texas independence and for its later admission to the United States. One can only marvel at the devotion to the idea of liberty shared by this ragged band of brothers.
One is also struck by the contrast with the less than heroic political leaders on today's national stage. In the weeks before the final assault on the Alamo by Santa Anna's forces, Col. Travis issued a number of appeals for assistance. Several relief parties were eventually organized, but they came too late to save the Alamo defenders, all of whom died when the Mexican army overran the fort on March 6, 1836. In each of these appeals, Travis made clear his determination to remain at his post until the bitter end. He understood that his forces were all that stood between Santa Anna and the Anglo settlements to the east, and that if his small contingent did not halt or at least delay the Mexican advance, those poorly defended settlements would face rape, pillage, and murder. As he stated in one appeal after another, Travis was determined to defend his people, with absolutely no regard for his own self-interest.
Barack Obama is no Col. Travis, as is obvious from his willingness to pander to every special interest that controls votes, including those interests, such as illegal aliens, that are injurious to the United States.
Unlike Travis, who faced an enemy more than 100 times the strength of his forces and made a conscious decision to sacrifice all in defense of his people, our current president is not even willing to enforce the existing law on illegal immigration or to demonstrate leadership on deficit reduction, energy independence, and a host of other issues. He sits in his comfortable quarters in the White House -- when not vacationing in Hawaii or playing golf -- and there he plots a re-election campaign that divides Americans, setting one group against another.
When news of the Alamo massacre reached the Anglo settlements to the east and the broader audience of American citizens who supported Texas independence, the cry "Remember the Alamo" went up almost immediately. That cry united the hastily formed regiments under Sam Houston that soon defeated Santa Anna at San Jacinto and achieved independence. It also inspired thousands of Americans to immigrate or send aid to the newly independent nation. In other words, it united all who supported Texas independence, inspiring them to make sacrifices of their own on behalf of liberty.
