By Capt Jim Tulley, US Navy ret, USNA ’69

During the Second Virginia Convention on March 23, 1775, at St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia, Patrick Henry gave a speech in which he said, “Give me liberty or give me death.” History has recorded countless patriots who have given their lives for the preservation of liberty.

While the final words of our national anthem proclaim, “The land of the free and the home of the brave,” it has also been said that we are, “The land of the free because of the brave.”

We continue to ask ourselves, what is it about freedom and liberty that makes citizens of a free society willing to die for it? It happens all over the world, be it Hong Kong, Tiananmen Square, 1956 Hungary, colonial India, and now even Cuba. What led these people and many others during such historic times and events, to be willing to die for freedom?

The only logical answer is that such feelings are enshrined in the human spirit. The only logical answer is that Thomas Jefferson was right, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, … that we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Now we are engaged in a war of words with two prominent, Marxist-based philosophies, Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Critical Race Theory (CRT). BLM was founded by two self-proclaimed Marxists and has among its seven demands, to “launch a full investigation into the ties between white supremacy and the Capitol Police, law enforcement, and the military.”

Of all the institutions in America, why has BLM picked out the military for investigation or worse? Might it be because our military and the veterans who served, are the last line of defense in a cultural takeover of this country. If our military becomes one more social justice organization, then who will join? Who will be willing to put their lives on the line for freedom and liberty?

The BLM website states, “Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Inc. is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and  vigilantes.” Violence inflicted on black communities, really? Numerous commentators have called attention to the fact that BLM has shown no concern for black-on-black crime in our inner cities where violence has become the norm.

On Feb 6, 2021, the New York Post reported, “Last year saw the largest year-to-year increase in homicides ever recorded in US history… Victims of these homicides are disproportionately African American. At least 8,600 black lives were lost to homicide in 2020, an increase of more than 1,000 compared to 2019.” Do these lives not matter and when will we see a BLM investigation related to how to reduce such violence that is plaguing our cities?

I do not recall hearing of a single person stand up and say he is willing to give his life for Black Lives Matter. Most of what we hear is about their desire to take lives, especially white lives in the cause of Marxism. Where is the heroism in such a philosophy and is there anything for which they are willing to give their lives?

To make matters worse, we now see CRT and its “woke” philosophy infiltrating our educational institutions and our society. There can be little doubt that CRT has its origins in Marxism, and it is now metastasizing through our culture, even into the military and all three service academies. If this continues, how will future leaders be adequately trained to defend America, when CRT is telling them that we are an intrinsically white-supremacist country, worthy only of hate and condemnation?

CRT is even more dangerous because it can be far less obvious. It is a covert tactic with the same freedom-destructive strategy. It is an insidious philosophy which countless educators have insisted they do not teach at their institution. They are usually correct in that nowhere have we found a CRT-101 course in any curriculum.

The other often-proposed argument is that in any military organization, it is important to understand the methodology of the enemy. To that we would agree, but there is still a big difference between teaching and preaching. CRT is a “Virus of the Mind” [Richard Brodie book] that can infect without recognition.

BLM and CRT comprise a double-edged sword that will destroy us from within if we allow it. As both are related to Marxism, it is important to have a clear picture of how and why they have the effects we see. One might say that BLM is the hammer that pounds our compassionate sensibilities because who can be against lives that matter?

The argument is compelling and memorable. Meanwhile, CRT is the sickle that cuts away at the very fibers of our institutions and all that we as a nation have held dear for 245 years. The cancer is here and must be removed.

So, the next time you hear someone say that Black Lives Matter, stand firm and reply, “Yes they do, because all lives matter, but liberty matters more!”

LIBERTY MATTERS MORE!

About the Author:

Capt. Jim Tulley is a Naval Academy graduate, former Navy pilot, Naval Engineer and Mayor. He is working with a group of concerned individuals to change the focus of our military and specifically our Service Academies.