On the evening of Sept. 11, 2001, my family and I gathered to watch the unending news reports and the searing images of our homeland under attack. At one point, my wife, Geri, turned to me and quietly said, “You’re going to have to go over there, aren’t you?”
Since that horrific day I have gone over there – twice, in fact; first Afghanistan and then to Iraq. The combat tours I served with the 76th Infantry Brigade were my first exposure to the reality of war. A real war bears no relationship to any book or movie. Real war is about human suffering and loss for all involved. My family and I have endured months of painful separation. I had to hold my youngest son Wyatt while he sobbed, wracked with grief, when I left for Afghanistan. But we have also been blessed when, by the grace of God, we shared the exhilaration of two joyous homecomings.
I have seen the cruelty and insanity of war. I have shivered in the icy blast of the winds of an Afghan winter. I have roasted in the blazing heat of Iraq while on patrol in nameless and forgotten villages. I have heard the whine of incoming rockets and felt the explosion of mortars. I have mourned the loss of fellow soldiers. I have struggled, like countless thousands of other soldiers, with loneliness and boredom.
However, those memories are not what I dwell upon 10 years after 9/11. I think instead of the remarkable resiliency and outstanding patriotism of the young Americans who are fighting our first war of the 21st century. I bear witness to the extraordinary sacrifice, dedication and courage of the American soldier. The young men and women with whom I have been honored to serve proudly carry forward the heritage of democracy, the heritage of freedom, and the heritage of unbounding determination in the face of a cruel and vicious enemy. It is the American fighting man and woman who has confronted and defeated the jihadists who have sworn death to Western science, culture, and civilization. We must never forget that the forces of darkness which our troops fight are fueled by blind dogmatism and a narrow religious fundamentalism that seeks to enslave humanity in the ignorance, superstition, and barbarity of the 9th century.
We who wear our country’s uniform give our all in the defense of our liberty and our republic. I wish every American could see and experience the extraordinary dedication to duty that our sons and daughters overseas put forth every day. Americans today moan and whine and complain about taxes, the government, and politics. The talking-head doomsayers and the cable-TV pundits speak about an America in decline. Too many Americans believe, speak and act as though all is lost and that we should simply surrender. My observations and experiences in two wars have convinced me that while we have problems, they can be conquered if all Americans believed, spoke, and acted like their sons and daughters in uniform.
Rather than bickering, we should unite on the common principles that bind us together as a nation. Instead of scrambling for more money and the illusion of happiness through material gain, we should rediscover the joys of caring for each other and contentment that comes from a simpler life. In place of the pursuit of wild fantasies and conspiracy theories about who is to blame we must realize that we are all to blame to the extent that we have demanded too much from America and given so little in return.
I have seen much, experienced much, and learned much in the last 10 years. But the most profound lesson I have learned is that this war is not a war of Christian against Muslim. In both Iraq and Afghanistan I carried with me on patrol an English translation of the Quran. I took time to read it, and to seriously study Islam and the people who call themselves Muslim. I am convinced that there is more that unites us than divides us. I have yet to read any passage of the Quran that, standing alone, would justify me killing a Muslim. After all, the word “Muslim” simply means “one who submits to the will of God.” Is there any Christian who could take offense to that simple idea?
The jihadists are not Muslims; they do not submit to the will of God. They submit to hate, intolerance, rage, and the black recesses of the human heart. The jihadists have killed far more Muslims than they have killed Christians. All Americans need to know that we have countless Muslim allies in the struggle against the perverted jihad of the suicide terrorists. Thousands of Muslim soldiers, policemen, and civilians have fought alongside and died with their American comrades in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have come to know well and call friend many of these brave and noble Muslims.
I often think about my translator in Iraq, a young Shia Muslim named Michael. His command of English was superb. We often talked about Iraq and America, the war, his family, and what he wanted for his nation. He was an Iraqi patriot who loved his country. He was also a devout Muslim of the Shia Twelver sect. He knew that by working with American troops he became a target for assassination. His hopes were actually quite simple. Like all of us, he wanted to be left alone in peace, to raise a family, and live a life of dignity and humanity. He told me of his admiration for America, not an admiration for our technological and military power, but who we were as individuals and the ideals of liberty and the rights of man that we embody as a nation.
Michael stands for me as a symbol of the potential for Muslim and Christian to live together in peace. Our faiths are complementary, not antagonistic. I did not try to convert him, and he did not try to convert me. We respected each other too much to engage in such trivialities. Michael helped me to understand that the people of Iraq want for Iraq what we Americans want for America. We are really not that different. Through the strange circumstances of war, I came to call Michael my friend. It is that friendship that gives me hope for the future.
Hal Johnston is chief deputy prosecutor in Knox County and a resident of Terre Haute.
Flashpoint
FLASHPOINT: Seeking understanding from insanity of war
- Flashpoint
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FLASHPOINT: A legislative session of missed opportunities
Given the nature of politicians, grand claims of accomplishments and overblown rhetoric about “historic” efforts are to be expected at the close of any legislative session.
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FLASHPOINT: Again in 2013 General Assembly, middle class generally ignored
Last year, the people of Indiana entrusted the Republican Party with some of their most precious possessions.
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FLASHPOINT: Indiana lawmakers reinforced school safety mechanisms
Nothing is more important to me than the safety of my children. Every parent has felt that instant, apprehensive rush when their child plays too close to the street or falls down while playing soccer and it is our responsibility as parents to implement every safety mechanism we can muster to protect our kids.
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FLASHPOINT: Lessons from the legacy media — get it right, first
Enough mistakes and maybe we’ll learn: When in doubt, leave it out.
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FLASHPOINT: Hoosiers got steady hand in recent session
As the General Assembly began its work last November, as Speaker of the House, I pledged a renewed spirit of bipartisanship with legislators working together to solve our state’s most pressing challenges. As this year’s legislative session concludes, representatives from throughout the state — Republican and Democrat — have joined together to address those issues at the forefront of Hoosier minds: maintaining our state’s fiscal integrity, spurring job creation and expanding education opportunities for every Hoosier family.
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FLASHPOINT: Time has arrived for overhaul of TV news
Former FCC Chairman Alfred Sikes gave an address in 1992 in which he claimed television news was too superficial and too focused on visuals.
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FLASHPOINT: Fiscal cliff, Obamacare have already raised taxes enough
Our history is rich with stories of people who have immigrated to the United States for a chance at the American Dream. The American Dream, in its truest form, is the opportunity to achieve success by working hard and playing by the rules; to make it on your own and to say, “I earned this.”
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FLASHPOINT: Expanding Medicaid coverage makes sense for Indiana
Since last summer’s U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act effectively gave states the option to expand Medicaid, policymakers across the country have debated if and how to extend health programs to millions of uninsured Americans.
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FLASHPOINT: Improve public education, stop experimenting with it
In January, the four of us who serve as the Democrats on the House Education Committee outlined our hopes for the 2013 session of the Indiana General Assembly, particularly in joining with Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz to offer common sense solutions to improve the quality of education for our children. With the halfway point of this session past us, we remain optimistic that positive steps can be taken … but that optimism is tempered by the reality that education policies are being directed by a legislative majority that has a radically different agenda.
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Healthcare law anniversary no reason for celebration
March 23 marked three years since the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law, yet this is not an anniversary that deserves celebration.
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FLASHPOINT: Defending state’s authority is attorney general’s obligation
The law of the land recognizes the authority of states to license marriage.
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FLASHPOINT: Stability key for state’s future
Hoosiers have the unique luxury of being the fiscal envy of the nation due to the sound fiscal policies of the last eight years.
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FLASHPOINT: House budget offers Medicaid solution for Indiana
This week, my U.S. House Budget Committee colleagues and I introduced a federal budget resolution for fiscal year 2014. Our budget is a responsible plan that stops spending money and balances in 10 years — largely through making key reforms to drivers of our debt like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
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FLASHPOINT: Problem gambling in Indiana: A new understanding of community concern
The week of March 3 was designated as National Problem Gambling Awareness Week.
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FLASHPOINT: Eastern time in Indiana defies common sense
Nobody complains more than Hoosiers about changing their clocks. And there’s a valid reason — daylight-savings time in Indiana’s Eastern Time Zone is painful.
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Praying for civil resolution to debate over gun control
Guns are lively ammunition for passionate debate these days.
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FLASHPOINT: It’s not too late to expand health services
This week, state leaders euthanized the biggest, boldest Hoosier jobs proposal of the 2013 session of the Indiana General Assembly.
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FLASHPOINT: You can’t go back again — and that’s OK
Our progressive colleagues have been telling us for years that the 1950s were a horrid time.
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FLASHPOINT: The fierce urgency of now — nation needs to protect youth
The alcohol-fueled alleged serial rape of a 16-year-old Ohio girl by two of her similarly impaired classmates — not to mention the drunken videotaped commentary of others — points yet again to the imperative that adult America renews its commitment to address as a true national community those issues that most threaten the health, safety and forward development of youth.
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FLASHPOINT: A pastor speaks out against Sullivan’s ‘traditional prom’
I am a pastor in Sullivan, Ind., and I am outraged.
Recently, two young students applied to walk the Grand March together in the school prom in Sullivan. -
FLASHPOINT: 0wning firearms is a First Amendment exercise, too
Following the hysteria generated by gun prohibitionists in the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy, a nationwide rush on gun stores began as citizens bought semiautomatic modern sporting rifles, handguns and ammunition, in effect “making a political statement” about proposals to ban such firearms.
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FLASHPOINT: Maintaining the priority
Recently a newspaper article has been written about a change in the by-laws of the Indiana High School Athletic Association which speaks directly to attempted undue influence exerted upon students below the level of grade nine and their parents.
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FLASHPOINT: The fairness of marriage
What is the current Indiana law concerning marriage? Our state defines marriage in a singular way — between a man and a woman.
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FLASHPOINT: We ask state legislators to abide by their oath of office
All of us relish giving unsolicited advice to our elected representatives.
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FLASHPOINT: Mentoring is having major impact on public education
While managing local utility services, Mike Martin found a new way to energize his community, and students are starting to benefit.
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FLASHPOINT: Common Core standards should be common sense
Years ago, when state officials and education experts came together to create new model standards for schools, they probably never expected it to be controversial.
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FLASHPOINT: Milestone year for Rose-Hulman
The Rose-Hulman campus traditionally quiets down this time of year, yet for me I sense a renewed energy from the phenomenal year just closing.
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FLASHPOINT: ISU’s reasoning flawed in flight school planning
ISU and the taxpayers of Indiana and Vigo County are being led down a path of deception once again.
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FLASHPOINT: Incessant attacks on Christianity by the ACLU
It is obviously apparent that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is continuing its onslaught against religious freedom in the United States.
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FLASHPOINT: Americans deserve more value for their tax dollars
While traveling the 8th District and listening to fellow Hoosiers during my first term in Congress, I have reached the conclusion that many constituents do not believe they are getting value for the tax dollars that come out of their paychecks and are sent to Washington, D.C.
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