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North
Korean missile launch ridiculous
The
Fourth of July is, for most Americans,
a time to honor the freedoms inherent
in living in the United States and the
people who bravely fought for them.
Regardless of party affiliation or qualms with the current administration,
most people living in the United States are proud of the ideals upon which
our country was founded, and the Fourth of July has become a time for Americans
to put aside diverging political goals and celebrate freedom, democracy and
all the other wonderful things our nation stands for.
It is because of these reasons that the actions taken by North Korea on July
4 were not only foolish, but ineffective. According to an article in the July
5 issue of the New York Times, on July 4 North Koreans launched six unarmed,
long-range missiles capable of reaching as far as Alaska both early in the
morning of July 4 and 12 hours later in the afternoon.
The Fourth of July is a time that not only brings unity to our often-divided
nation, but also instills within us a sense of strength and superiority that
is often otherwise lacking.
Too frequently, we are filled with fear as our leaders in government talk of
the impending doom and extreme threat terrorists and other nations pose. Yet
July 4 is a time when we reflect on our past victories and gather to celebrate
them.
If evoking fear within the American public was their goal, North Korea really
should have chosen a different day.
Not only was the launch poorly timed, but it was also a failure. According
to the article in the N.Y. Times, one of the missiles failed within the first
40 seconds of its launch.
Such an event only reinforces the overwhelming patriotism, even chauvinism,
present on a national holiday.
Aside from the obvious blunders, few Americans were even watching the news
on the Fourth of July. Other than barbecuing, relaxing on the beach and watching
fireworks, few other things are preoccupying the American conscious on a day
of celebration, especially when national security seems like a given and people
feel safest.
While White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said the launch may have been an
attempt to draw attention away from nuclear development in Iran, much to the
chagrin of the government in North Korea, few people were paying any attention
at all.
Although national holidays have become notorious for overt jingoism, there
is a reason many people take pride in our nation.
Most Americans live much safer than people living in other countries and have
freedoms few people in the world have. We have much to be thankful for and
even something as imposing as a missile test can’t take that away from
us.
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