"Nuts!"

On or around December 22, 1944, Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe, artillery commander of the 101st Airborne Division, sent a one-word response--"Nuts!"--to the surrender ultimatum that was hand-delivered to him by the Germans, whose armored units had completely encircled the American forces at Bastogne.

On December 23, 1776, General George Washington met in secret conclave in Pennsylvania with his staff officers. In that meeting he laid out his plan that they would cross the Delaware River and effect an assault on Trenton, New Jersey, against 1200 Hessian troops that were barracked there—the same troops that had slaughtered a large number of Washington’s soldiers in Brooklyn. Upon hearing this proposal to traverse the ice-bound river on Christmas morning, one officer, General Gates, told Washington in no uncertain terms that the idea was futile and hopeless. He insisted they surrender to the British, who were chasing them, because troop strength of the Continental Army had shrunk to a little over 2,000 from 20,000. Gates also accused the General of being unfit for command—in today’s vernacular: Nuts.

In these particular instances, which coincidentally occurred at Christmastime, defeat appeared undeniable. But defeat underestimated the relentless faith of Generals Washington and McAuliffe, both of whom held strong to a deep-rooted belief that victory would somehow be theirs: As difficult as it must have been, the Delaware River crossing was successful, as was the Continental Army’s assault on the Hessians; and the 101st Airborne retaliated, sending the Germans running back to the Fatherland. The 101st then went on to fight in Bavaria, Austria and the Rhineland.

Events like these are at the apex with some of the finest moments in American history. Such conviction and steadfast devotion to liberty and democracy is the basis of the committed struggle for better and non-violent tomorrows, which is desired and prayed for by Americans and all freedom-starved peoples everywhere.

It is now December 2006, and the rules of engagement have drastically changed. The musket, the BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) and bayonet have been replaced with nuclear armament, brazen suicide bombers, and terror reprisals threatened against Americans on American soil. At the time of this writing, a news bulletin appeared on the Internet issued by Fox News which read [verbatim]: The FBI has sent a bulletin to state and local law enforcement warning of possible terrorist reprisals as the health of an incarcerated terror mastermind [blind Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, the alleged architect of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing] fails, FOX News has learned.

America and the free world presently exist in a state of emotional siege, yet spiritually penniless politicians who hold Christmas and American traditions in contempt are pushing for a humiliating withdrawal of our troops from Iraq. Just like General Gates, they want to surrender. Democrats seem to possess a morbid fascination with failure, as long as it’s not their own.

There is universal agreement that war is not a gracious pastime; it is abominable. Today, however, it is a fearful necessity, because the enemy we face and their progeny are dedicated and determined to spill their blood in exchange for the lives of Americans and the devastation of the United States.

Crimes by Islamic terrorists have been carried out in nearly every corner of the globe, and continue each minute of every day. They must be stopped. If not, their random slaughter of innocent people will never end. Quoting the words of Leo Tolstoy: “If we don’t stop them now, the crime will be perpetrated, if not today, then tomorrow.”

If the Democrats are able to cause a pull-out of our troops from Iraq and submit to threats by Iran and others, then General Washington’s resolve and General McAuliffe’s stand of strength, along with every sacrifice by every American from the Revolutionary War to present day to keep America durable and free, will have all been a tragic exercise in futility.

It would be nuts.