Never in recent history has the US been involved in a war so vital to American interests. As citizens take sides on whether President Donald Trump should have taken on Iran, the stark lack of allegiance to a country that symbolizes democracy is sadly evident.
Around 2,500 US Marines and an equal number of supporting Navy personnel are en route to the Persian Gulf and are putting their lives on the line, as America’s largest aircraft carriers and naval assets are stationed in the region to help free the world of a regime that holds the global oil industry hostage while advancing toward nuclear weapons capability across vast and mountainous terrain.
Meanwhile, US strikes on military targets on Kharg Island, the beating heart of Iran’s petroleum industry, could mark a turning point in a war many do not relate to, except through rising oil prices.
A country’s strength comes from unity, something witnessed during World War II, when ads supporting the war effort appeared in newspapers, newsreels flashed across screens in movie theaters, and children learned what love of country meant. It was a method of encouraging contribution to the war, but it also projected allegiance to the mother country. Whether you were for the war or not, patriotism was everywhere.
Today, the bitter fighting along party lines is tearing this country apart. World powers have dangerous motives, and the fact that the Iranian regime was moving steadily toward a nuclear weapon should be reason enough for every US citizen to understand why this country entered a war of deterrence.
Then add to the mix Iran and its proxies, from Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping to Iran’s threats to the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil flows, along with attacks on US bases and the killing and kidnapping of American citizens.
Recent antisemitic attacks and threats have added to fears of spillover violence, and some recent incidents have involved suspects tied to Iran and its proxies or loyal to ISIS.
Today’s world is interconnected at breathtaking speed, but so too is the network of terror.
Even so, Israel, the smaller partner in this huge operation to halt the brutal Iranian regime, has shown an extraordinary sense of loyalty to its country and its service members.
A day before Operations Epic Fury and Roaring Lion began, bickering and division filled the halls of parliament over national and domestic politics.
By the next day, the country was more united. Opposition Leader Yair Lapid put down his partisanship for the moment, because country matters. Most Israelis serve, many have fought, and the national ideal still calls citizens to place the survival of the Jewish state above political division. They understand that they have no other Jewish homeland, and the world still reminds them of this daily.
America’s pride barometer has slipped over the last 25 years, especially among the younger generation. A Gallup poll from June 2025 pointed to a drop from 2018, when less than 10% of US adults said they had little or no national pride. Today, that number sadly stands at 20%.
Republicans and Democrats are camped on opposite sides and are even divided within their own parties, over a war that will change the Middle East and affect the world.
American service members have lost their lives in this conflict. Take a moment and reflect on the families who lost someone brave.
For decades, Iranian leaders have never stopped wishing death to America and death to Israel.
No one is saying Americans do not have a constitutional right to dissent. They absolutely do, and that right is part of what makes this country worth defending. But when the US is facing an enemy that has declared “death to America” for nearly half a century and is pressing ahead toward the means to build and deliver nuclear weapons, this is not the moment for reflexive division.
Everyone living in the free world, and in the home of the brave, should show respect for the fallen and stand by their leader and their country. In this moment, President Trump has made one of the boldest decisions of his presidency, one that will not please everyone and one that will have implications for decades to come.
I have heard many say that the president did not explain clearly to the people why he went to war, what the goals are, or how long it will last.
President Trump has spoken frequently about this war. He may not have put it in the terms some want to hear, but clear messaging remains essential.
That is not a reason to put petty politics front and center. We need to recapture the soul of the American people.
Democrats and Republicans need to embrace country first, together.
Clergy should be uniting America in a time of danger, and teachers should be educating students to understand why America went to war and why its valiant men and women are in harm’s way.
This is a time to stand by the American flag as one. Fly your flags proudly. It makes America stronger.
This piece first appeared in The Epoch Times.
This piece first appeared in The Epoch Times.
