The second photo needs just a little more description.
It was taken from Liberty State Park near the historic train station in Jersey City. The wooden structures in the foreground were the remnants of devices used to permit people and cargo to safely transit from awaiting ferries. These devices are largely unchanged from when Ellis Island, in the background, was operating at its peak. Countless thousands of people stepped foot on mainland USA and took in a view not far removed from this one. It is this view that makes the US special.
As an aside, 24 years ago, an intrepid group of Israeli commandoes successfully liberated over 100 hostages from an airfield in Africa. The raid on Entebbe came on the 4th of July, and once again showed that the best and only way to deal with terrorists is to kill them. Negotiate with terrorists? Not back then. Back then, Israel did what had to be done to rescue innocent civilians from Palestinian terrorists whose intentions were to kill the passengers. As Michael Freund wrote in 2003:
Unlike today, however, the Israel of back then was not in the habit of yielding to terrorist blackmail. No international summits were convened at Aqaba, no road maps were drawn up and no negotiations with the terrorists were countenanced.
Instead Israel reacted as it should have - by launching a stunning military raid on July 4, 1976, freeing virtually all the captives and bringing the affair to a sudden and dramatic end.
The heroic rescue symbolized the State of Israel's unique role as the sovereign protector of Jews everywhere, and inspired a generation to believe that the Jewish people were intent on defending themselves, regardless of the consequences.
ENTEBBE WAS also a powerful symbol for the entire free world. It showed that with a little courage and determination, the scourge of international terror could be fought and even defeated.
Looking back, it is hard to believe how much has changed since then. In less than three decades Israel has gone from being a country that frees hostages to one that releases terrorists. Those who murder and maim Jewish children are no longer hunted down by the government of Israel. Instead they are hailed as "negotiating partners" and offered parts of the Land of Israel to place under their control.
Happy 4th of July and remember that freedom isn't free. It takes work, determination, and the blood, sweat, and tears of patriots to keep us free from tyranny. As we've seen over the past few years, democracy is something that should be experienced not only by the privileged few here in the US, but everyone around the world.
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