American patriot: Barry Goldwater

Much has been written about how Goldwater never gave a damn for the perquisites of high office or for the blandishments of public relations specialists who sometimes seem to have seized control of American politics. But no one ever mistook Barry's self-confidence for an absence of concern for America. From his dedicated and just service to Native Americans while serving on the Indian Affairs Committee to his special care for our national heritage, exemplified by his authorship of the Grand Canyon Park Enlargement Act, Barry Goldwater gave a damn about his country, not just for his sake, but for ours.This nation never had a more ardent defender of liberty than Barry Goldwater. Simply put, he was in love with freedom. He could never abide any restriction on the exercise of freedom as long as that exercise did not interfere with someone else's freedom. No matter the prevailing political sensibilities, no matter the personal risk to his career, no political gain was so important to Barry that it was worth infringing on another American's freedom.Americans conceive of freedom in many ways: the freedom to be left alone or to join with others in a common purpose; the freedom to prosper or to waste; the freedom to worship God in whatever way we choose or not to worship at all; the freedom to say whatever we like or to remain silent; the freedom to succeed or to fail; the freedom to be brave or cowardly; the freedom to be generous or selfish; to be prideful or humble; to be good or not.Barry defended freedom in all its manifestations because he saw what freedom conferred on America – the distinction of being the last, best hope of humanity, the haven and advocate for all who believe in the God-given dignity of the human being. Barry loved his country because freedom is America's honor.His outspoken defense of liberty at home was equaled by the care he took in protecting our security abroad. Perhaps his most lasting legislative achievement was the Goldwater-Nichols Defense Reorganization Act. Only Barry had the stature and resolve to undertake the systemic reform of the military. And, as we observed the splendid performance of our military in the Persian Gulf War, notably free of the chain-of-command and service-rivalry problems of the past, and saw the extraordinary effectiveness of their weapons, from the Patriot Missile to the M1 tank, we witnessed the great contribution Barry Goldwater made to the defense of our freedoms. It is no exaggeration to say that today's American armed forces, which have no equal, are the armed forces Barry Goldwater created.