Where were you on Veterans Day?

I would like prick our local conscience with some soul-searching thoughts regarding the significance of Veterans Day. I realize that day is now a week in the past, and for the most part we have moved on to bigger and better things, as my family and I observed the day down at the Veterans Memorial Wall, it seems to me there is a serious lack of patriotism.

Seven days after a presidential election and scarcely more than 150 people could be found. I cannot lie and pretend this is a regular custom for me, but after the election results, I made up my mind that my support for our veterans would be clear and visible this year.

To prick our consciences, therefore, I would like to put forth two questions. The first I will answer and give my opinion. The second question, however, is yours to answer.

Why does America have veterans?

The first reason that America has veterans is that America has enemies. To be honest, having enemies does not bother me. Long ago I realized it is impossible to be everybody’s friend. Not because I don’t want to be, but because I stand for and against some things that I am unwilling to compromise on. What most Americans today seem to want is a spirit of tolerance, but since God will not tolerate evil, neither do I.

On the same token, it does not bother me for America to have enemies. The sooner our politicians get over the idea that we have to be everybody’s friend, the better off we will be. The sooner the politicians realize these enemies don’t even want to be our friends because they hate what we stand for, the sooner they will realize those ememies are bent on our destruction.

Secondly, America has veterans because America is a country worth defending. When I say “worth defending,” it is in contrast to the only other alternative, that of just giving up. I am glad that when I was born our national language was not Japanese, which it most certainly would have been by the end of the second world war, at least for the Western seaboard.

And let me also say that I am glad that I have not been forced to change my religion. On Sept. 11, 2001, our nation was attacked by those of another religion. Call them what you will, the fact of the matter is that those hijackers were from Muslim countries who have little to no tolerance for other religions.

And for the record, let me say for all those “separation of church and state” people out there that Independent Baptists have never murdered those who refused to convert to our denomination. Instead, we collectively raise millions of dollars yearly and send missionaries to offer the gospel with no strings attached. As a denomination, we hail from those of old called Anabaptists, a lineage that was fiercely persecuted for some 1,700 years by church-state governments. And guess what? If it weren’t for 18th century Baptists, America would have continued her church-state traditions from colonial days.

The second question is simply, “Where were you?”

My family and I were at the Veterans Memorial Wall well before 11 a.m. for the ceremonial bell ringing. My wife told me there would be a crowd, so we parked a little ways off so others could park closer up. We stood in the back so others could take the seats, but most of those seats went empty.

I looked for the politicians, but few seemed to be there. The only one who I knew for sure was Rep. Carl Gatto, and the reason was because of the wreath he placed at the wall. It occurs to me that there is more than one local politician who should have done the same.

I looked for the Scouts, but only boys seemed to be there. Many of these troops and dens placed wreaths at the wall, but I cannot recollect any girls. Please forgive me if I remembered wrong.

I looked for the students, but only the home-schooled seemed to be there. While I understand all the pressures our educational mandates have placed on our schools, I still remember the end of the year flurry of field trips not long ago when I was a bus driver. Perhaps patriotism is not important anymore.

Last of all, I looked for the churches. While there may have been more represented, I only saw three represented by pastors, myself included. In a valley where so many complain about how many churches there are, where were they now?

I don’t know where you were, but next year, I’ll be there. If I am on my deathbed, I’ll be there. And my church will stand in line with the Scouts and place a wreath. We’ll be there.

What about you?

Ron Hamman is pastor for Independent Baptist Church of Wasilla. Contact him

at 357-4229.