Military spending is necessary

Tony Magliano’s “Genuine patriotism for the Fourth of July” (CR, July 2) was off base in a number of ways. Perhaps most flawed is Magliano’s statement that we as Americans are obsessed with our military. We honor the armed forces (as well as police and firefighters and other emergency personnel) in a special way because they do something unlike any others in our community who serve us. In their chosen line of work, they place the value of their families and all of us and our families above their own bodily safety. This is a very Christ-like way of living life, though we are all sinners. In the same vein, preparation for war and significant military spending is always necessary if we are to remain a free people and a nation that is allowed to worship God. No matter what our level of spending or our military preparation, there will always be those who go to great lengths to do us harm. Thus we must match and exceed the might of those evils to ensure our basic liberties. Magliano insists that lessening military spending could help eliminate poverty, but this is very often not the case. Many world hunger situations are in fact primarily caused by unchecked warlords and dictators who abuse and restrain their people.