America: Worth Living and Dying For

They claim America is evil, America is immoral, America is the Great Satan, America is the nation of sex, drugs, and rock n' roll.

At first glance, many of the Islamic terrorist's charges against America seem credible.

As a mother I am all too aware of the evils in my country's culture.I often feel powerless in protecting my son from the toxic influences in American culture that wish to destroy his innocence. But I must accept that no matter what I do I will never be able to completely shield him from these influences.

Pornography, abortion, secularism, and homosexuality are not only tolerated in America, but also accepted, and often times promoted.

However, despite all this, there is no other country in the entire world which I would rather raise my son, Jonathan. I am confident that Jonathan will have a better life in America than he would anywhere else. I do not mean that he will necessarily be better off, or have an easier life, but I mean to say that his life will have more meaning and more fulfillments in America.

You see, the Islamic terrorists are missing one vital fact when they determine themselves as morally superior to Americans: the fact that morality is dependent on, and inseparable from freedom.

When Muslim women wear a veil on there head in order to not be beaten, is that modesty?

When Muslim women remain faithful to their husbands in order to not be stoned to death, is that virtue?

Of course it is not. It is compulsion. There is no virtue in compulsion.

Freedom, by definition, must include the freedom to do good and the freedom to do evil.

Thus, in a free society, there will always be a significant amount evil. For that reason, those Americans who have opted to do good when evil was also an option, deserve our admiration and respect. For they have exhibited true virtue.

America does not promise Jonathan a life of virtue, or a life of happiness. But it does provide him the opportunity to pursue both.

I have no respect for Islamic terrorist. They are morally inferior to Americans.

Only in a free society can true virtue exist. Despite the evils rampant in American culture, America is still, as author Dinesh D'souza writes, "the greatest, freest, most decent country in existence."

America is a country I cherish, a country we should fight to preserve, and a country worth living and dying for.