For a time in 1992-93, I served in Somalia in the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division. Somalia, situated on the Horn of Africa along the Indian Ocean in the east and the Gulf of Aden in the north, is slightly smaller than Texas. It had been devastated by a civil war that began with the violent ousting of President Siad Barre in January 1991.
The war left the country’s meager economic infrastructure, which was concentrated along the coastline, in shambles. The electric power grid had been destroyed, as had the telecommunications and water purification systems that had serviced only limited areas of the country.
The food distribution system had collapsed. Heavily armed bands of opposing clans fought to control what was left of the country. Food and fear were used to control the population. Making matters worse, severe flooding in the south astride the Jubba River valley in late 1992 had created a humanitarian crisis of biblical proportions. The flooding cut off entire villages, leaving many to die of starvation or disease.
My division arrived in Mogadishu just after Thanksgiving. A few days after arriving, I was assigned the civil military operations staff officer for a U.S./Belgian task force being formed to help secure the southern coastal region. My job was to interface with international relief organizations and nongovernmental organizations to assist them with planning for the security and logistical support the task force would provide.
During the ensuing weeks, our task force seized the port facility and airport, cleared the harbor of numerous scuttled naval vessels and reopened the piers, established relative security and supported the relief organizations in restoring the flow of food, water and medicine to the region.
This was a life-changing experience for me. I witnessed unforgettable scenes: Mass graves where bodies had been dumped during ethnic cleansing; villages without children or elderly inhabitants (starvation kills the weakest first); clinics where starving people too weak to recover lay dying; and displaced families huddled together in United Nations camps.
Most people desire to live in freedom, in a place where they can provide for their families’ needs and enjoy relative security.
I witnessed a lot of desperate people – former teachers, scientists, civil servants, lawyers and doctors – resort to violence and banditry in order to provide for their families. Such things occur when the social and governmental structures in a society begin to break down.
One day, I visited a feeding site run by the United Nations. Hundreds of Bantus were housed there in igloo-like huts made from sticks covered with plastic sheeting.
The Bantus were brought to Somalia as slaves in the 19th century and remain so to this day. They are a small people of different ethnicity than native Somalis. Those I saw that day were living in abject poverty.
Despite their situation, the Bantus seemed remarkably happy. When I asked a U.N. worker about the reason for the Bantus’ joy, he provided a lesson about life: “These people were once slaves, but now they’re free, well-fed and together.â€
Life, liberty and family were the things they valued most.
What a pity that so few American politicians have served in the military, where they could have learned for themselves what really matters in life.
Today, those on Capitol Hill are trying to juggle 100 balls at once. They debate the budget, bailouts, national health care, education, green energy, climate change, tax increases, fuel efficiency, banking regulations, mortgage regulations, the auto industry, missile defense, the space program, Afghanistan, North Korea and a host of other issues. They focus intensely on the next elections.
Meanwhile, they overlook the simple things that matter to most Americans – freedom, security and jobs.
When it comes to freedom, Congress is having a tremendous impact. Legislation it has drafted will reduce freedom of choice in health care options for Americans and increase their taxes. Already broke and unable to afford health insurance? Be prepared to pay fines for not having it.
Need to buy a big truck to help work your farm? You’re probably not going to buy it from Government (formerly General) Motors. It will only offer small, fuel-efficient models despite your needs.
Want to sell your house? Don’t try before bringing the windows, insulation and heating system up to green energy standards.
Are you a national security advocate? Don’t expect security as long as Congress continues to spend our country into oblivion. The debtor is slave to the lender, and U.S. foreign policy is subject to the influence of our country’s greatest lender, communist China.
Americans want jobs.
Reviving manufacturing jobs in particular will go a long way in helping to solve many of society’s most pressing problems by giving people a means to provide for their families, enabling them to choose how they will live and keeping dollars in America, where they will strengthen our economy, not someone else’s.
When it comes to religions and governments, the more complicated they become, the less effective they are. It’s time for all Americans to unite and send Washington a message about what matters most.
Creating real jobs, protecting our freedom and restoring our economic security should be foremost on congressional agendas. Our elected officials must focus on the things that matter most right now and put the rest on the back burner until we’re on the road to recovery.
Source: The Tribune-Democrat
BY ZACHARY HUBBARD
Zachary Hubbard is a freelance writer residing in Upper Yoder Township. He is a member of The Tribune-Democrat Reader Advisory Committee.
