A Strong National Defense

In the preamble to the Constitution, it mentions that one of the chief duties of our government is to provide for the common defense. Since the end of World War II, Republicans, and conservatives in South Carolina, have been the foremost proponents of the idea of peace through strength. Throughout the Cold War, we were able to contain communism by countering the Soviet threat and encouraging freedom-loving peoples in our own hemisphere. In the 1990s, though, many people were lured into a false sense of security. The attack on the U.S.S. Cole and the events of 9/11 showed what a mistake it was to lower the strength that was built during the 1980s.

The nation is in a worldwide conflict against Islamists that have one major target – the United States. From Iraq and Afghanistan, to Indonesia and the Philippines, to other places like Iran, Pakistan, the Arabic peninsula and parts of Africa, the threats are coming from all sides. Our armed forces have and are serving admirably overseas, protecting our nation from having to deal with those threats here at home. We also call for full backing of the S.C. National Guard, many members of which not only protect us here but are also serving in active duty in the world’s most dangerous places. The Guard needs the best arms, best supplies and best training the state can give.

Making our boarders secure is a national security issue, as well. If illegal immigrants can regularly stream across the nation’s southern boarder, so can terrorists. It’s been often said that the Atlantic and Pacific oceans no longer give America the buffer it once had against the enemies of our country. We need to make sure we respect the new reality and take steps to keep the nation safe.