Hello again, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to another episode of Freedom's Creed. Today is December seventh, twenty twenty one. Exactly eighty years ago today, the attack on Pearl Harbor took place. I will be devoting this short episode today, remembering that attack on our country, that unprovoked attack, I might add, that actually, according to Pearl Harbor.org, killed 2,335 military personnel and 68 civilians for a total of 2,403, and also wounded 1,143, and in the process, a total of 55 Japanese soldiers lost their lives as well. I want to read an excerpt from President Roosevelt's statement the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. His message was addressed to Congress to ask for a declaration of war, but really the message went to all of the American people, which obviously in 1941, the availability of that speech was only through radio and no other way to listen to it. So if he didn't have a radio, you weren't going to hear the speech by the president. Anyway, he had this to say, and I quote, yesterday, December 7th, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. The United States was at peace with that nation and at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its emperor, looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack. It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu. Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya. Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night Japanese forces attacked Wake Island. And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island. Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation. As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us. Truly, december seventh, nineteen forty one has been a date that has lived in infamy. Eighty years later we certainly live in different times compared to nineteen forty one. But that does not, nor should it ever diminish the attack on our country on december seventh, nineteen forty one. Until september eleventh, two thousand and one, the attack at Pearl Harbor was the most devastating and outrageous attack that we had ever experienced. But if I was to try to identify the most positive thing that came out of the attacks at Pearl Harbor, I'd have to say that it was the recognition, the character of the greatest generation, men and women, and many of them very young. But they rose to the challenge, they defended our way of life, they willingly gave their lives and the subsequent involvement of the United States in World War II. And had that not happened, and had we not been victorious in that war, who knows what the character of the country or the way that things would be in the United States today had those wonderful people in that generation not rose to the challenge. A few days ago, I was talking with a friend of mine, and we were talking about the news and how bad news sells and good news doesn't. Now, I don't know why that is, but it does seem to be the case nowadays. It is troubling, to say the least, to think that unless it's bad news, unless it's sensational, if you will, good news is just not going to sell. Frankly, ladies and gentlemen, we need to do something to change that. I don't know what can be done, how we can have a paradigm shift when it comes to the way that news is reported. Obviously one of the biggest stumbling blocks in all of this is the fact that news companies or companies that own news outlets have an agenda. We all know this. And whatever agenda we want to hear, that's usually the news that we tune into. And that's just the wrong way to go about it. And we need to do something that actually changes that dynamic. Good news needs to be taken from the sort of ho-hum status that it's in now to the sensational part of the news. In other words, like I said, we need to do a paradigm shift. We need to have a role reversal of good news and bad news. We need to relegate bad news to a very minuscule part of the news and elevate that which is good and uplifting. But the mere fact that I just said those words made me stop and think, wow, did I just say that? But that's the kind of change that needs to take place when it comes to the news. Plain and simple. I believe, and perhaps I'm naive, so what? But I believe that the only way to change the course in 2021 that we're on now is to extol the virtues of brotherhood and sisterhood. If we don't, we'll end up in worse shape than Pearl Harbor and 9-11 2001 combined, and I don't think any of us want that. I will most definitely devote time to this subject of the news, good and bad, and how we can change the way things are reported in this country, the way that things are presented to the masses. Right now, the way that it's being done is it's despicable if you ask me. Let me end this memorial or tribute to those who suffered at Pearl Harbor and in the subsequent war that followed. With this short quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, he said this quote, violence is immoral because it profits from hatred. It destroys the unity and makes the brotherhood, and I would add sisterhood, between people impossible. So, ladies and gentlemen, if you can think it, you can plan it. If you can plan it, you can do it.