Engage with powerful stories and historical anecdotes that capture the essence of American patriotism. From vivid accounts of World War II veterans to the stirring narratives of diplomats abroad, this episode of The Crawford Stand highlights the enduring spirit of liberty that defines the United States. As we reflect on our founding documents and the unyielding courage of past generations, listeners are inspired to embrace their role as protectors of democracy, ensuring that the American dream continues to thrive for future generations.
The Crawford Stand. This week we celebrate the birthday of the longest surviving constitutional democracy, the United States of America, with the president of Crawford Broadcasting Company, Don Crawford.
SPEAKER 03 :
We are, we are, America is the home, the land, the land of the brave and the free. We are lovers of freedom. Freedom, you could say, is in our genes. We inherited that love of freedom from those who founded our great country, fought against the oppressors more than two centuries ago, and built the foundation for the freedoms we now enjoy today. Give us, we Americans say, with that great statesman and our forefather Patrick Henry, give us that liberty, or if that is taken away from us, give us death, for there really is no life without freedom. For us, America is in fact exceptional. Exceptional. no matter the indifferent attitude of Barack Hussein Obama, who thinks that America is no more exceptional than any other country. Wrong. But all of America and we the people are exceptional. We are. In so many ways. Not better, but exceptional. And that includes our way of life and our lifestyle. And so we champion our great flag, and we wear the American flag pin proudly, especially in the world of academia, which unfortunately thinks that the American flag is a symbol for racism and xenophobia rather than exceptionalism. Isn’t that something? And now, my friends, we should take quality time to honor the founding documents which made us great, namely our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, and our Declaration of Independence. We should honor these incredible documents by reading them, studying their content, understanding the values therein, and resolving, as the authors of these documents did, to protect and defend the freedoms they offered. And we should honor our forefathers who provided them for us, recommitting to them and the world at large that we, the American people, will protect and preserve and defend the freedoms contained therein, even to the laying down of our lives. Would you do that? In this day, there are so many who would change what we have, or even more radically so, eliminate it. There seems to be an ever-growing number of those in our very own country with little or no respect for our great founding documents, our freedoms, the principles by which we have lived and built this great society, and especially what America has been, our glorious history. They, the un-Americans, wish to eliminate or erode so many of our freedoms and move this great country toward socialism. Socialism. They are the enemy inside, and they must be stopped, in my opinion. We the people, true constitutional Americans, energized and emboldened by our founding documents and our founding fathers, must make certain we do what is right. for our great country, and as true patriots, protect and defend our freedoms as never before. We should do everything humanly possible to prevent socialism. Again, prevent socialism of any kind, whether in thought or deed. We should remember the words of that great statesman, a founding father himself, Benjamin Franklin, who said, when asked, that he and his fellow revolutionaries have given us, Americans then and now, a republic, not a democracy, but a republic. Franklin went on to warn us then and now that this republic was fragile and needed at all times to be protected with vigilance, vigor, and valor. that this republic of the combined united states could never be taken for granted never nor could any citizen assume it would go on and on ad infinitum for freedom for ben franklin and the fathers was a precious right that could only be sustained by watchful involved and proactive citizens are you one we who would live in this free country and enjoy its immense freedoms must at all times be Watch men and watch women on the walls. Not talk, not debate or discussion, but action. Actively working to protect our freedoms and our way of life. Again, willing to die in the fray if necessary. Are you? Would you be willing to die? I mean, really think about it. Would you? To lay all on the altar in the cause of freedom? What would you do if ISIS or jihadists attacked America and threatened harm to your family and you? What would you do? Our forefathers never gave the matter a second thought. They, in Second Amendment fashion, took up arms to defend their country, their freedoms, and their family. Would you do that? In fact, we Americans should be so proud of our country and our freedoms that we as a nation should be ready at all times to help others in the cause of freedom. We gave the lives of millions of our young American men and women to others in the cause of freedom. Witness World War II. Some 50 million people died. One Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman, 83 years young, arrived in Paris by airplane. And at French customs, it took him several minutes to locate his passport. The customs officer, with sarcasm and typical French disdain, asked Mr. Whiting, You have been to France before, monsieur? Mr. Whiting answered, Yes, he had. And the smart aleck French official replied pompously, Well, then you should know enough to have your passport ready. Mr. Whiting then stared this official in the eye and said the following, The last time I was here, I didn’t have to show my passport, to which the French customs official replied, Impossible! Americans always have to show passports on arrival in France. Mr. Whiting gave this arrogant Frenchman a long, hard look, and he proudly stated, Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country, I couldn’t find a single Frenchman to show a passport to. How about that? Well said, Mr. Whiting. Well said. Thank you for standing up for America and for protecting its freedoms, even in the Second World War. You are one good man. And yet another instance of a proud American at work, proud of our country and its freedoms. Once, when in England at a fairly large conference, Secretary of State Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if America’s plans for Iraq were simply a rationalization for empire building or land grabbing by George Bush as American soldiers went to war. Secretary Powell simply answered by saying, The United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those who did not return. And all attending that conference were deadly silent. Well said, Mr. Powell, loyal American. Well said, and there was once a conference in France when a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. One of the French engineers said the following, Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intend to do, bomb them? Those in attendance snickered and jeered. A lot of people did at George Bush in those days. That is, until an engineer from the Boeing company in America stood up and proudly stated about the country he loved, our aircraft carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people. They are nuclear-powered, and they can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities. They have three cafeterias with a capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day. These aircraft carriers can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from seawater every day. They carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and the injured to and from their flight deck. We have 11 such aircraft carriers. How many does France have? You could have heard a pin drop. Well said, proud American. Well said. Thank you for standing up for America. May I ask you, my fellow Americans, to stand up for America and say what is right about her, the finest nation in all the world? Stand up for America. And again, the United States Naval Admiral was attending a naval conference that included admirals from the United States, England, Canada, Australia, and France. Everyone in attendance was conversing in English. Suddenly, a French admiral complained that the Europeans had learned many languages, but Americans learned only English. This French admiral arrogantly and pompously said, Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French? The American United States Naval Admiral stood up proudly and replied, Maybe it’s because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies, and Americans arranged it so that you would not have to speak German. Isn’t that great? How about that? The room was deadly silent. God bless America. Thank you, Naval Admiral, sir. for standing up proudly for America. I urge you to do the same. So whether here at home or anywhere abroad, anywhere in the world, it is our privilege, my fellow Americans, our duty, our duty, and it should be our passion. to protect freedom and a return that freedom means for us and all in the world the fundamental rights the god-given rights to all of us to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness it is our right to live free with maximum freedom maximum this government of ours is intent upon eroding those freedoms stop it it is our right to live and champion liberty everywhere and it is our right to pursue happiness as we define that as free individuals, to pursue life legally and lovingly as we choose. You can’t have a more fundamental or better right than that, my fellow Americans. May it always be so. But it can only be if we are willing to do anything possible to protect those freedoms. Anything. Are you? So now, this Independence Week, culminating in the great day July 4, Independence Day, let us honor America. Why? There was the action of the American Broadcasting Company, ABC, which banned the wearing of the American flag. Can you believe that? Banned it as a lapel pin or otherwise in clothing because the flag, in their view, was controversial. Wow. And represented the causes of certain conservatives. Wow again. How tragic, ABC. How ridiculous, how un-American the American Broadcasting Company was in the actions they took. And there are times even when our president, our Congress, our leading citizens simply do not wear or honor the flag or any other symbol of all great things American. We the people should find all such conduct unacceptable, and we should protest. The greatest form of protest is to protect, preserve, and defend our freedoms and the symbol of those freedoms, the great American flag, the perfect symbol of our independence, and the finest possible expression of freedom on that great day, July 4, Independence Day. Do just that, loudly and proudly, my fellow citizens. God bless America. to petition, to print in press or on the Internet. You’re guaranteed those rights. You are guaranteed the right to bear arms, to purchase, own, and use them for pleasure or in self-defense. You are guaranteed the right against governmental illegal search and seizure. You are guaranteed the right to a trial by a jury of your peers, rather than to be summarily convicted by any government agency. You are guaranteed the right to counsel if you cannot afford one when charged with a crime. You are guaranteed the right to vote. You are guaranteed the right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness as you wish. You are guaranteed by your Constitution and our Bill of Rights the highest and best form of living and lifestyle the world has ever known. You should give thanks for America, for all that it was, for all that it is, and all that it should be as you protect and defend it. We should, as Benjamin Franklin so well said, stand up and do everything possible to keep America the great experiment in freedom it is. That’s what our founding fathers intended, and we should carry on that vision. Please join with me this Independence Week, this Freedom Week, and especially on the day set aside for Freedom Celebration, namely July 4, so that we together can pledge once again our allegiance to this great country. Please join me in these great words which honor America. I pledge allegiance. to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all, under God. I ask humbly and lovingly that God bless America, and I ask humbly as well that God bless you and your family, this Independence Week and always. There is only one America. Please keep it that way.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plains. America, America, God shed his grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.
