Protesting for a Cause, or Protesting Just Because?

Twice in the last seven or eight days there have been protestors outside the Vandenberg Air Force Base main gate. Having paid their $50 for a ride on the Green Tortoise bus from San Francisco, or secured some other mode of transportation, they stood and displayed large banners stating, "End nuclear weapons testing," and, "PEACE." Being a member of the military, I do not harbor any bad feelings toward those who would express their opinions openly - after all, freedom of speech is one of the cherished privileges I serve to protect. However, I do take exception at the fact that these particular "activists" were either ill informed or fair weather protestors. Either of which is entirely unacceptable. If you believe strongly enough in something to organize a protest against it then you should make sure you get your facts straight.

First, the United States has not tested (detonated) a nuclear weapon since 1993. On the other hand, North Korea claimed to have tested a nuclear bomb as recently as May 2009. So if you would really like to protest nuclear weapons testing, you could secure passage to their happy corner of the Earth and bombard Kim Jong II with signs that have snappy sayings like, "Give up Nukes or we're gonna Puke," or "Stop trying to destroy the world... think of the kittens!" Yep, that would probably do the trick.

Second, Vandenberg Air Force Base does not have a nuclear mission. I repeat, there are no nuclear weapons at Vandenberg Air Force Base. If you would like to protest land-based nuclear weapons, please get out your gas card and cold weather gear and ride the Green Tortoise out to Great Falls, Montana, Cheyenne Wyoming, or better yet, Minot North Dakota. For the full experience, you should go in January or February when you can stand outside the gate in the negative 50 degree Fahrenheit weather waving "PEACE" signs at the Airmen traveling out to the missile complex for another 1-3 day tour at a remote Missile Alert Facility. That would show true devotion to the cause - especially if you manage to get frostbite and subsequently attract media attention to your cause. However, don't expect much sympathy from the citizens up north who know and understand the importance of our deterrent mission.

Any protestors reading this might also be interested to learn that since 1958 "Peace is our Profession" has been the official motto of the nuclear deterrent force. On the other hand, perhaps you already know that and the "PEACE" sign is actually in support of our mission and serves as a thank you, not a protest. Well, in that case. Thanks - it's always nice to be appreciated.

Finally, while peace is something for which we may strive, it is not our most valued interest. Some people naively believe peace and freedom are synonymous. Nothing could be further from the truth! On rare occasions, the two may coexist for a time in one place or another, but they are in no way integrally linked. The Declaration of Independence states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men..." You see, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - these are our prized values. Unfortunately, they do not occur on their own. No, it is not the natural state of things. This is why just governments and militaries are established - to try and proffer these goods to the citizenry at large. They are products often paid for in blood at the price of peace. Even then, we only lease them for a short time until the next payment comes due.

There are those willing to help shoulder this burden and cover the cost, and there are always others eager to take their portion and in the name of freedom and liberty demand peace as well. They do not refer to inner peace, which is achievable under any given circumstance, but peace as defined by the lack of external conflict. Well, the only way to guarantee peace of this sort is to give up your hold on anything and everything else you value. If you are not willing to fight for your liberty, your God, your Country, your family, your life, your character or anything else - then you may rest assured that you will be removed from place to place by those who are willing to fight for what they believe in until you are eventually removed from this existence entirely. For so long as even one person remains on this earth who values him or herself above another, conflict will be an inevitable reality.

So go ahead and wave your signs demanding peace. I'll keep doing my best to ensure that you and your friends remain free to do so, just as I do my best to ensure my children can grow up in a country where we value life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness above peace.