Weekly Columns
The Oklahoman - By Senator James Inhofe and Congressman Tom Cole
As one of America’s premier military installations, Fort Sill continuously accepts and trains hundreds of new U.S. Army recruits. After graduating from Fort Sill’s 10-week basic training course, these soldiers go on to help keep the nation safe and freedoms secure — all with skills they learned in Oklahoma. But in June, new neighbors arrived on the post.
While it initially went unnoticed, there is now a very apparent crisis at our borders. Instigated by the failed policy of the Administration, thousands of unaccompanied illegal minors are swarming our borders at the hands of cartels, crossing into our country, overwhelming our facilities and then rarely being returned to their countries of origin. Unless the president enforces our existing immigration laws, the situation will only worsen.
Every year on the Fourth of July, we are reminded of those brave patriots who came before us to establish and preserve liberty. Those precious freedoms that we now enjoy were paid for at a high price by thousands who believed in a better, brighter future for all generations of Americans.
Freedom is not free or easily attained. The brainchild of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin and Robert Livingston, the Declaration of Independence was just the beginning of a long, dangerous road to building and establishing the America we live in today.
Americans trust that their freedom of speech and religion as outlined and promised in the United States Constitution will be protected. When threatened, Americans also expect and trust those responsible for threatening these rights will be held accountable and that justice will be served. Unfortunately, in this scandal-plagued Administration, such attacks on our First Amendment rights are more likely to be covered up.
True patriotism is embodied in the lives of those who volunteered to defend and protect our nation, and their remarkable, selfless acts of service must never be taken for granted. We are forever indebted to them for their service, and they deserve the utmost support and appreciation every day of the year. Not only should they receive our continuous gratitude, but just as they answered the dangerous call of duty, we have the duty to take care of them when they return home from the battlefield.
With recent events and remembering D-Day 70 years ago, we are grateful for the men and women who courageously volunteer their service in our military to preserve and defend freedom. Whether serving on our own soil or directly in harm’s way overseas, the lives of our military are irreplaceable.
During our country’s beginnings, our founders recognized the importance of establishing, protecting and preserving certain rights for all Americans. For generations, the unique liberties in our Bill of Rights have been the bedrock of our country and given assurance and peace of mind to every citizen.
While conflicting opinions and beliefs have and always will be inevitable, one of the reasons our nation remains the greatest in the world rests on the freedoms imagined and secured long ago by our forefathers.
The Oklahoman - By Congressmen Tom Cole (OK-04) and Jim Bridenstine (OK-01)
Driven by shrinking budgets across all areas of government, most noticeably to the Department of Defense, President Barack Obama’s recent budget proposal reveals cuts that will reshape the U.S. military for the remainder of the decade and far beyond.
Throughout our more than 237-year history, countless men and women have selflessly answered the call of duty to preserve liberty by serving in our military. Now each day we wake up in a country with freedoms that are coveted, studied and admired across the world. There is no nation greater than the United States of America—a status maintained because of the extraordinary service of those who volunteered to protect our nation.
As we look back on the tornadoes that devastated Oklahoma last May, we still mourn the precious lives taken, neighborhoods destroyed and communities shaken. Despite a heartbreaking tragedy, especially for those living in my hometown of Moore, Oklahomans proved their resilience and the rest of the nation supported us every step of the way.
A year later, our state is stronger and recovery continues to look better each day, but this would not be possible without those who navigated the tragedy, responding immediately and with great urgency during the critical first hours.