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By Ray Hanania

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It annoys me immensely when we learn that some politicians served in the militaries of foreign countries, either full-time or as a volunteer, but not in the U.S. military to defend this country.

Military service should be an essential requirement to qualify to hold public office and also demonstrate of your love for America.

Obviously, not everyone can serve, such as older immigrants, but the nation should create a military service equivalent for them.

Ray Hanania

Being an American was important to my immigrant father, uncle and family members. When the country faced international threats, they didn’t hesitate to serve.

My father, George, and his brother, Moses, both came to this country in the 1920s. Despite the racism they faced, which was more about unfamiliarity rather than hate, both immediately and proudly enlisted in the military when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

They committed themselves to America in other ways, including making English their first language. They never asked that American society showcase their native Arabic language as an equivalent alternative to English. But they were proud of being Palestinian and of their Arab culture and language.

They stood proudly to sing the National Anthem. Being American really meant something then.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t mean much to a lot of people in this country who are more concerned with controlling what you see, hear and think. They want everyone to enter America freely without vetting or requirement.

One problem is the growing censorship that only targets certain political views. It is anti-American to censor anyone, even the most extremist.

If you silence extremists, you force them under the radar screen where they can cause greater harm. A healthy debate, even over the most extreme views, helps to educate the public. Censorship is one reason why this world is so polarized by people who insist they know better than you do. They block your views if they disagree.

Opinion is opinion, a reflection of what a person believes based on what they know. It is ignorant for some to demonize those they disagree with by claiming they know more or better, and then censor you.

I was looking up details on my preferred presidential candidate, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and noticed how the media skewers him at every turn. They attack him but deny him the chance to respond.

Wikipedia, a politically-driven “information” source, describes him as “an American politician, environmental lawyer and activist who promotes anti-vaccine misinformation and public health conspiracy theories.” Wikipedia is more about political misinformation and clearly supports censorship. They don’t believe anyone has a right to challenge the mishandling and screw-ups that dominated the pandemic. It’s censorship of the worst kind and it is un-American.

Frankly, I applaud RFK Jr. for challenging much of the BS about COVID-19 and the vaccinations.

It’s not much different in the major mainstream news media, which has become a system of dictatorships. They want to dictate what you can see, hear or discuss.

Social media is even worse, like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and that worthless advertising platform, NextDoor.

They don’t permit you, for example, to criticize the Biden administration’s policies of “migrants.” Worse is they follow the biased media’s restrictions and give you no opportunity to challenge their decisions. That is the precise definition of a dictatorship.

It is a fact that a “migrant” is a “homeless” person, and homeless people should not be dumped off on the street in a twisted national political battle over America’s failed border system.

Anyone can enter this country without being vetted for security. Do they have criminal records? Or for intent, do they want to be Americans or are they simply trying to convert this country into a satellite of their own culture and national identity?

I wonder what Mexico would do if I went there on vacation or visit without going through their corrupt border security system? They would jail me, not give me a driver’s license, healthcare, food, clothing, place to live or money.

The only way to change this crumbling American freedom experiment is to start at the top. We can’t do much about this election where none of the candidates served.

But we can figure out which candidates support free speech, love America more, and believe in putting the interests of American citizens above those of politically valued foreigners.

Biden is the worst. Trump is a challenge and can’t control his pettiness. But for now, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is probably America’s best choice.

They are doing everything they can to block him in order to save Biden.

Ray Hanania is a former Chicago City Hall reporter and award-winning columnist. Visit hanania.com for more opinion.