LT. COL. TERRY LAKIN: THE SELFLESS COURAGE OF AN AMERICAN HERO
By
CJ Graham
April 12, 2010
NewsWithViews.com
On March 30th, 2010, Lt Col Terry Lakin publicly released a video expressing his commitment to protect and defend our Constitution. Despite what may be great personal cost, he is refusing all orders given until ‘President’ Obama proves his eligibility to hold office, by producing his long form birth certificate.
He has also released a letter to ‘President’ Obama which you can read here.
(Excerpt)
[The United States is an example to the rest of the world of a stable, civilized democratic government where all men are created equal and the rule of law is cherished and obeyed. The U.S. military teaches and promotes the rule of law and civilian control of the military to many other nations and militaries around the world. Every soldier learns what constitutes a lawful order and is encouraged to stand up and object to unlawful orders. My officer's oath of office requires that I swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.]
If you have already watched the Lt. Col. Terry Lakin Video, I would encourage you to spend three minutes more to watch again, paying particular attention to the last few seconds. While I was struck by his words, it was the look he made just before signing off that filled me with both admiration and compassion.
I have seen that look before. It is the look of a man who did not advance enthusiastically to a fight, but did not shirk his responsibility, when the fight was brought to him. The measure of a hero is seen in his resolve. It is the look of a man who was eager to serve out the rest of his career and retire with dignity, having served his nation with honor.
It was the look of a man who knows he has just risked everything he is, all he has stood for, worked for and loved, for his country. A man resolved to the fight, resigned that it must be him, and though he did not seek it out, he would not waver.
These are the actions of a man of honor, courage and patriotism. These are the makings of a true American hero.
By standing on his principles, Lt Col Lakin risks his freedom, reputation, career and future but his integrity will not allow him to coast into retirement pretending everything is fine. His character has compelled him to take a stand. And in his selfless sacrifice, he draws attention to an issue, which has been maligned, scoffed at, hindered and obfuscated by our politicians, our media and some of our less well informed citizens.
And so, with only the slightest tightening of his lips, the smallest, almost unperceivable nod of his head, he signals acceptance of his duty, and his resolve to see it through, to the end. He will stand up and be counted, no matter the consequences.
How many times have we asked our military to lay down their lives around the world? How many of our young men and woman have sacrificed their lives in an effort to spread democracy and secure, for other nations, democratic elections.
Recently, I watched the Iraqi elections, the culmination of years of strife, the death and wounding of thousands of our bravest men and women, the depletion of our treasury, and the loss of harmony between our citizens. It was not lost to me, while watching excited Iraqis holding up ink stained fingers, that our system of elections is sadly corrupted.
I voted in the last election, without being required to show any form of ID. Ballot machines malfunction and are compromised. Registrations are fraudulent. Now, the greatest potential political disaster ever facing our nation has occurred with a ‘President’ who refuses to release his Hawaii Long Form Birth Certificate and so many other documents that have been requested, since he began his run for office.
Still unreleased, his full medical file, his school records from Kindergarten through Harvard Law School, any thesis he may have written, his passport or Secret Service records. Why? Why is the MSM so intent on ignoring these incredibly telling actions, by first a candidate, and now a sitting ‘president’?
The standard response to anyone questioning the eligibility of the ‘President’ is to deride them as “birthers” with sneering contempt. This ridicule is meant to demean and demoralize anyone asking perfectly legitimate questions.
Anyone labeled a “birther” is then perceived as either an ignorant conspiracy theorist or a miserable racist who fears having a black man in the White House. In truest Saul Alinski style, ridicule is used to control, silence and defame. But the overuse of ridicule seems to be losing its effectiveness, as Americans of all classes, races, and levels of education, embrace the deeper truth.
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He, who has nothing to hide, hides nothing.
It appears to me that ‘President’ Obama displays what is known as ‘guilty demeanor.’ By his actions, he displays his guilt. This, of course, is just my opinion, since we simply do not know enough about him to know either way. That, of course, is the problem.
Is Lt Col Terrence Lakin just another ‘right wing, racist, uneducated, birther’? Surely his impeccable reputation and qualifications give credibility to his stance.
From the Safeguard Our Constitution website
[Lieutenant Colonel Terrence ("Terry") Lakin serves as Chief of Primary Care and Flight Surgeon for the Pentagon's DiLorenzo TRICARE Health Clinic. He is the lead Flight Surgeon charged with caring for Army Chief of Staff General Casey's pilots and air crew. LTC Lakin, selected for promotion to Colonel, is a native of Colorado, whose residency is Tennessee.
LTC Lakin's numerous awards and decorations include the Army Flight Surgeon Badge, Combat Medical Badge, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Achievement Medal with one Oak Leaf Clusters, the National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Service Star, the Armed Forces Expedition Medal, the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon sixth award and the NATO service medal. He has served previously in Honduras, Bosnia, El Salvador, Korea, and Afghanistan.]
What would compel a man with 18 years of honorable service and an impeccable record, to risk everything for which he has spent a lifetime working? Just imagine what his friends, family and peers must have said to him. Imagine what his own sense of self preservation must have whispered, in his soul, during the quiet, dark hours of night, when the weary spirited contemplate unknown futures.
Although I do not know him, I feel safe in saying he must have done some serious soul searching, before inviting his own court martial. I am sure he took every avenue available; until it became clear there was no resolution without significant action.
From
the Safeguard
Our Constitution website
[For well over a year, LTC Lakin has asked through his chain of command
and his Congressional delegation for proof that President Obama is constitutionally
eligible to serve as his Commander-in-Chief. He has explained to his
superiors that he cannot understand how his Oath of Office to protect
and defend the Constitution does not allow military officers to pursue
this proof of eligibility.]
What is this man willing to sacrifice personally, in order to protect our country and our Constitution? It would appear that this action will cost him dearly. What he hopes to gain is justice for our nation and for all of her citizens.
What has President Obama to sacrifice by providing a simple document? One would think a Commander in Chief would see the benefit of a faithful and trusting military. Why refuse to ease the mind of so many of our citizens and our military, whom he has asked go into harm’s way? Is it really too much to ask that he unseal his birth certificate for the sake of the nation?
One can only assume that he is so arrogant and stubborn that he will not bend, no matter the consequences. If that is the case, it is a dangerous character flaw.
Or one must believe he has something to hide, which is of such magnitude, he would risk the constant onslaught of lawsuits, the distrust of military members, and the speculation of the masses of Americans who simple cannot reconcile his position. This would also be quite a dangerous possibility.
To those in government who know why this situation has occurred, or suspect there is fire, where so much smoke rises, but haven’t the courage to demand this issue be resolved, may God forgive you your moral cowardice.
I continue to hope that just one member of the media, one decent journalist with integrity, will begin the process of vetting this ‘president’ finally. The media will have to live with the consequences of their blind devotion to this president. Americans have lost faith in journalists, as well they should. Perhaps one day, a journalist will give this matter fair airing and let the chips fall where they may.
May God bless and keep Lt Col Terry Lakin. May the American people recognize his dignity, integrity, sacrifice and bravery.
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May President Obama be compelled to do the decent and honorable thing by providing critical documentation to a weary, worried, stressed nation and military.
May the Military justice system respect the faithfulness that Lt Col Lakin has shown, to his oath, and our Constitution.
May God Bless America and protect her in this time of great uncertainty and strife.
� 2010 CJ Graham - All Rights Reserved
