Dastardly deeds

Let us pause in our holiday preparations to recall the lightning strike by the Japanese navy on Pearl Harbor, what Franklin D. Roosevelt called “a dastardly attack” 75 years ago today. His speech is worth a watch and listen:

Every year, fewer and fewer frail old men make the pilgrimage back there to honor their comrades lost on that day. Two thousand, four hundred and three dead that day, 1177 of them on the USS Arizona. If you look closely at these old ones, you can see the 20-year-olds of 75 years ago, who were shocked out of their Sunday morning somnolence by the dastardly attack. Who grabbed cannon, machine guns and rifles in a desperate attempt to defend against the fighters and bombers that filled the skies over Oahu.

And you should look very closely indeed. There are 20-year-old men and women across the country and in outposts around the world who are standing watch in our behalf. Will they be coming back to some place of mass sacrifice in 50, 60 and 70 years because of policies set in place over the next few years?