“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.” –– President Teddy Roosevelt
The sun came up slow, washing the heartland in gold. Fields stretched wide and silent, the kind of silence that held weight. It wasn’t peace. It was absence. The kind that whispers the names of kids who once ran barefoot through these fields. Kids now lying in foreign graves.
- True Cost of War: Beyond the $14 trillion spent since 2001, wars have stolen lives, broken families, and devastated communities.
- Call for Accountability: Leaders eager to send others to war should first offer their own children, ensuring they feel the true weight of those decisions.
- Vision for America: Prioritize protecting borders, strengthening communities, and honoring the sacrifices of veterans by avoiding unnecessary foreign conflicts.
America’s wars were supposed to end when the guns of World War I fell quiet. But they didn’t. The fighting dragged on, each battle further from home. Ancient feuds, faraway lands, wars that weren’t ours. Time and again, we bled for causes that didn’t belong to us. Politicians talked big, sent young men and women off to “make the world safe,” and cashed in the cost. The powerful always did just fine. The rest of us? Not so much.
Fourteen trillion dollars since 2001. That’s the price tag for our Middle East wars. But money is just numbers. The real cost is written in empty chairs at family tables. In soldiers who came home with scars you can’t see—and some who didn’t come home at all. Towns gutted, communities grieving, while men in suits smiled for cameras and toasted their fortunes.
We’ve fought in the heat of deserts, in the frost of mountains. Year after year. No clear wins. No clear end. Promises of safety, freedom, democracy—just words that faded with the smoke. Meanwhile, the rich kept getting richer. And the rest? Families shattered. Dreams buried. A nurse from Alabama, a farmer from Kansas, a factory worker from Ohio. All paying the price.
Enough is enough. Wars should be the last resort, not the first reflex. If the leaders in Washington are so quick to send others to die, maybe they should send their own kids first. Let them taste the weight of those decisions. Ukraine sends its people, young and old, to fight for their survival. If our wars are truly that vital, shouldn’t our leaders step up?
America First. That’s what we’re told. But what does it mean? It should mean protecting our borders. Keeping our people safe. Putting their futures ahead of foreign fights. The Founders warned us about getting tangled up in overseas conflicts. They knew what they were talking about. War is supposed to be Congress’s call, not a single person’s whim.
We wish peace for every nation. We really do. But our first duty is here. To our people. To our families. To those who bled for this country. No more sending them to die for someone else’s cause. No more empty chairs. No more broken hearts.
It’s time to bring them all home. Heal what’s been broken. Build a future worth fighting for. A future that honors the sacrifices of the brave men and women who gave everything. A future where no one’s blood is spilled to pad a billionaire’s bank account.
Let’s make this America what it’s supposed to be. Strong. Safe. Proud. For every soldier who fought. For every family left behind. For every life lost. We owe them that much—and so much more.
The Morning Muster
