WHAT DOES THE WORD ‘FIGHT’ REALLY MEAN?

Social crusaders like to say they “fight” for change, justice, equality, peace, etc., but moist, if not all, have never fought an enemy that is shooting at them, dropping mortar rounds on them and planting IEDs in their path

By Lee Lawrence

Ideological zealots, social crusaders, left-wing radicals, political activists – call them what you will – all love to use the word “fight.” They like to say “fight for change, fight for justice, fight for equality, fight for peace, fight for transparency, fight for ______” – you fill in the blank. The reality is none of them have any concept whatsoever what it truly means to “fight.”

Most, if not all, have never fought for anything in their life, neither metaphorically nor actually, having never been in any semblance of a physical confrontation or even anything resembling a struggle. Nor have they had to “fight” for an education, a place to live, their next meal, their next paycheck, most of them being pampered, wealthy, highly-educated intellectual elitists who, maybe once, had to “fight” for a parking spot near their next class on campus.

They have certainly never fought for their country or their freedom, never worn a uniform of any kind, never carried a weapon and been willing to give their life or take another’s for a cause greater than their own. During the Vietnam War those social crusaders fled to Canada and Sweden or cursed and spit on the soldiers coming back home. They are thankless and ungrateful, depending on others to fight in their place for the very rights they exercise regularly to promote their chosen cause and to condemn those who disagree.

They have never stood a post in some frozen, god-forsaken place in the middle of the night, crawling with others wanting to kill them, merely because they exist, and fought to stay awake because the lives of thirty or more of their brethren depend on them being ready to fight in the blink of any eye. They’ve never fought to fall asleep at night, wondering if the next rocket or mortar round was going to come through the roof of their tent and land on their cot. They have never walked along a path fearing that their next step will set off an IED. Nor have they gazed out into a crowd and wondered which one is wearing a suicide vest, which one is going to blow themselves and all of us into tiny, unrecognizable pieces?

Nor have they found themselves on the wet, cold, muddy ground beneath another human being, who is many times bigger and stronger than they, bent on taking their weapon and killing them with it, merely because as police officers they represent authority and stand between them and doing what they will. No, they have never experienced that terror, or anything like it.

The truth is, when confronted with a deadly threat, when the wolf’s hot breath is on their face, be it a homicidal-suicidal active shooter who sees them merely as a convenient target and their next victim, or someone willing to take their life for the change in their pocket or those Air Jordan shoes on their feet, they will, most likely, expect the very ones they despise and reject to fight for them, to take the bullet meant for them instead. They will, almost invariably, cry out to the God they also deny and reject to save them. They will be the sheep, and at that moment, will pray for the intervention of a sheep dog.

John Moynihan, a Boston police officer, was shot point-blank in the face on March 27. Shot without provocation, he never had a chance to draw his weapon. Although he is recovering, his life will never be the same.

Moynihan has dedicated his life to service, as have many others, he being an Army Ranger who survived a combat tour of duty in Iraq, only to come home and be critically wounded in an unprovoked attack by a convicted felon, free out on the streets, with a history of violence and weapon violations. Moynihan was also named Police Officer of the Year for his role in the fire fight with Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of the Boston bombing terror suspects. Now, he fights again, this time for his life.

Officer John Moynihan happens to be white and Angelo West, who shot Moynihan, happens to be black. I mention this only because had it been reversed with Moynihan shooting West, our President, our Attorney General and the Reverend Al Sharpton would be calling for the officer’s career and his freedom. And yes, some of the above described zealots would join in and call for his very life – and all this before any of the facts are even known, readily passing judgment based on lies and speculations. Barrack, Eric, Al – where are you now??

So, the next time you or someone you know throws the word “fight” out there, take a moment to reflect on what it really means.
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Lee Lawrence is a sergeant with the Houston Police Department. Lee is also a U.S. Army Ranger. He took two military leaves of absence from HPD to fight with his Reserve Unit, first in Iraq, and later in Afghanistan.