Obama’s Legacy of Retreat, Shame, and Betrayal
Feb. 2, 2015 10:00am
Billy and Karen Vaughn - Gold Star Family
Billy and Karen Vaughn
Billy and Karen Vaughn are the parents of fallen Navy SEAL, Aaron Carson Vaughn (SEAL Team VI). On August 6, 2011, Aaron was killed in action in Afghanistan when a helicopter carrying 30 Americans was shot down. The day Aaron’s life ended Billy and Karen’s began again. Through the lens of hope and grave personal loss, their message is inspired by the belief that a Representative Republic is the noblest form of government ever devised by man and therefore, demands protection. Billy has authored the book "Betrayed: The Shocking True Story of Extortion 17" and Karen serves as Senior Military Families Advisor for Concerned Veterans for America. They are the founders ForOurSon, which is dedicated to preserving our Republic.
Three American contractors are dead. Slain in a Taliban terrorist attack in Kabul last week—just one day after our administration explained to us simpletons, that the Taliban “are not terrorists.”
In the wake of this tragic event, Americans are left questioning yet again how our president can remain so completely detached from the real threat of Islam, not only abroad but also at home.
Our son Aaron was a U.S. Navy SEAL. He’d seen the enemy our president refuses to acknowledge face-to-face. His heart had been seared by the blackness of those who exist solely to discharge the terror of jihad not only on America, but the entire globe.
After returning from a deployment in 2010, he uttered hauntingly clear words to his father, “Dad, they hate us but they fear us. Brute, lethal force is all they respect.”
In August 2011 Aaron drew his last breath shoving the full weight of his brute, lethal force down the throats of those terrorists. He died a hero. In return for that courage, ultimate sacrifice, and willed determination to defeat evil at any cost, he was made a promise – that his actions would mean something.
As they placed that folded flag in my arms, they promised me it would mean something – that my son’s death would be avenged and his enemies defeated.
Instead, this administration promptly launched a gut-piercing era of retreat, shame, apologies, and betrayal. And the saga continues.
President Barack Obama has boldly claimed that “in Iraq and Syria, American leadership – including our military power – is stopping ISIL’s advance.” In reality Islamic State controls more territory in Iraq and Syria today than ever before.
He touted ending the 14 year-long war in Afghanistan. But “ending” is different than “winning.” Men and women didn’t offer their lives so that a war would “end.” They offered themselves for victory, security, and American prosperity. Ending conflicts before they’re resolved creates power vacuums that leave America more vulnerable.
And by the way, maybe we should ask the 10,000 plus American service members still in Afghanistan if they believe the war is over. Better yet, ask their loved ones.
Instead of securing the threat of Islamic State, the Middle East is now littered with top-notch recruiting areas for the “JV squad” our president thought so little of only a year ago.
As former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld once said, “Weakness is provocative.”
The jihadists laughed as we elected this president not once, but twice, while he assured us there were no real threats to our nation. Can you imagine how they mocked us as his vice president explained, in a December 2011 Newsweek interview, “The Taliban, per se, is not our enemy”?
As noted in our book, “Betrayed,” then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton didn’t bother naming the Haqqani network an official terrorist organization until September 2012. However, military testimony given in August 2011 described the network as the most lethal, most resolute, and resilient of the insurgent elements on the battlefield.
But hey, what difference, at this point, does it make?
This downward spiral of impotence in the face of threat makes us appear weak. And when America is weak, the world is in chaos.
On January 11, in the absence of American leadership, France stepped onto the world stage in a brazen act of defiance and solidarity to rally against the barbarism of Islamic jihadists who had carried out horrific attacks across Paris.
France. Let that sink in.
As dignitaries from 40 nations joined over 3.7 million citizens, America was a no-show. Our president decided to stay home. After all, he was busy (probably giddy) with plans to entertain the 2014 NBA champions in the East Room of the White House…after, of course, delivering a powerful Monday afternoon message on…wait for it…identity theft.
Fiddling…while Rome burned.
If that wasn’t embarrassing enough, days later our State Department deployed a folk singer, James Taylor, to France, in order to tidy up our fractured relationship. Nothing a soulful rendition of “You’ve Got a Friend” couldn’t fix, right?
Are we trapped in an episode of “The Twilight Zone”? What’s next, Peaches and Herb on tour in Afghanistan singing “Reunited?”
It would all be funny if it weren’t so serious…so costly.
Acknowledged or not, terror stands at our doorstep once again, America. And like before, it dares us to defend ourselves. We’re taunted almost daily with threats of additional “lone wolf” attacks. For God’s sake, did we ever dream we’d see a woman decapitated in her place of work…in America? Or a broad-daylight hatchet attack on police officers?
Our enemy has always understood—better than we—that our greatest weakness seems to be our lack of will to acknowledge evil—our desire to bury our heads in the sand and pretend we’re safe. We need to prove to this enemy, to this administration, and to ourselves, that America is awake.
We must send a message that we are…still…not only the land of the free, but the home of the brave. A message that though we may be led—at least in part—by cowards, we are fearless. A message that we the people will honor the sacrifices made on our behalf, will live our lives with tenacity and power, and will not be decimated by terror and fear.
We need to make a promise to ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren that we will preserve for those who come after us the liberties handed to us by the generations which came before and those still fighting today.
And last but not least, we must continue pounding out our anthem in the ballot box—as we did this past November—that those leaders asleep at the wheel will be replaced…so help us God.
Billy Vaughn has authored the book “Betrayed: The Shocking True Story of Extortion 17″ and Karen serves as Senior Military Families Advisor for Concerned Veterans for America. They are the founders
www.ForOurSon.us dedicated to preserving our Republic.
http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/obamas-legacy-of-retreat-shame-and-betrayal/
