Hearts flutter roughly against their chest as though it is a hummingbird’s wings. Eyes settle on the endless lens of the camera. Cracked lips are parted slightly, breathing in the sandy air. Lips move, speaking words that are forced to be spoken. Pain makes them both wince. Prayers are said in their head, begging someone out there to stop this cruelty, to end this excruciating pain. As quick as it happens, it ends. Now the whole world knows. The whole world knows of the cruelty of the ISIS and the beheading of two innocent Americans, through a graphic video revealing the gruesome scene. Two innocent lives have already been taken with the slashing of a knife and I believe that if nothing is done about this matter, a third life may be stolen.
The first video was posted on August 19. The contents of this video is extremely descriptive, revealing the beheading of a man by the name of James Foley, 40. Foley was an American journalist, who was captured by the ISIS in Syria and used as a quick murder to send a “message” to America. In the video, Foley is forced to say, “I wish I had more time. I wish I could have the hope for freedom to see my family once again.”
As I read various articles and watched the news in the morning, I caught myself thinking: why was nothing done when the first video was posted? When a group of people, who hate America as much as they do, takes the effort of recording the beheading of an American man, and posts it on YouTube, they mean serious business. They weren’t trying to say, “I killed this man, Obama. Let’s be friends.” No. There were more like trying to say, “I killed this man, Obama. You’re next.”
Later, on September 2, the gruesome video was posted, showing the beheading of Steven Sotloff, 30. In the video, the executioner of Sotloff says, “I’m back, Obama.” And when this man says he’s back, he doesn’t mean he’s back for styling advice from Obama. He means he’s back for more killing. “I’m back because of your arrogant foreign policy towards the Islamic State. Just as your missiles continue to strike our people, our knife will continue to strike the necks of your people.”
With the second video being published, the government realized how serious this problem truly is. Obama said that the United States “will not be intimidated” by the people murdering Americans, but that doesn’t solve the fact of what is going on. “Those who make the mistake of harming Americans will learn that we will not forget… that our reach is long and that justice will be served.”
And then I think again: What is Obama doing? We are the American people, strong and free. We fought for our freedom from the British Empire during the American Revolution in 1765. Why is Obama allowing ISIS to believe that they have power over us? Why does Obama think that if we only speak of justice, this will end the beheadings altogether? We are a country with much history, a country that has fought for what it believes in. If we allow ISIS to murder our people, then what does that show about us?
Justice should be served for what is happening, but saying it is not the same of doing it. The second video has been published for at least a week now and nothing has been done. I don’t want a war. That is something that none of us want, but what I want is Obama to act as our leader. I want Obama to stand tall and find a way to stop innocent people from dying.
“We don’t have a strategy yet,” our president says. How can you not have a strategy? The more time that is wasted on Obama trying to think of a strategy, more people are going to be killed. Obama needs to act for this reason.
We need to show ISIS wrong. At this moment, ISIS is thinking that we will do nothing. After all, through the years we have been known to be extremely reluctant when it comes to war, and with good reason. ISIS also believes that we are afraid to fight back. Because of this, they will continue to send messages to us. I firmly believe that we must show ISIS that we are not going to be afraid of them, that we will fight back. “Our objective is clear,” Obama says. “That is to degrade and destroy (ISIS) so it’s no longer a threat,” he said. “We can accomplish that. It’s going to take some time, it’s going to take some effort.” It is not just going to take effort. It will also take bravery. The thing about Obama, is that he often speaks of things that we should do as a nation; however, he never succeeds in putting them into action.
I can imagine someone saying to me, “You want us to go into war and be trapped in it.” No, war is something that I don’t want. I don’t think any of us want war, but we have to fight back in some war. If there is another method to get through to ISIS, I am all for it. However, I also don’t want more people to die, because of the ISIS people. Obama is our leader and with being our leader, he needs to show that we are strong. I applaud the U.S. Military heading out to Syria several months back, trying find the American hostages; however, ISIS was one step ahead of us, knowing that America was going to look for the American hostages and moved. We need to be one step ahead of them. We always need to be one step ahead and that should be something Obama has on his to do list.
Someone could also say, “Why would we go into war, because two Americans were beheaded?” I like to think of America as a family united. I agree with Obama when he says, “We will not forget” I agree with him. We won’t forget. That is something that we need to keep in mind. We shouldn’t forget about these ISIS attacks, because only two Americans were attacked. These two Americans are each and every one of us. They are like you and me. Together, we stand united and so when there is victory, we celebrate together, and when there is downfall, we all feel the pain. Imagine if you were either Steven Sotloff or James Foley. Wouldn’t you want someone to fight for you, especially when you were beheaded at the hands of ISIS? Don’t you think it is morally right to come together and defend Sotloff and Foley, along with every single American out there. When we fight for a few people, we are showing that we are team.
We as Americans, know the risks it is to fight with the ISIS, but I think that is what makes the Americans unique. Obama should do something, because he is our leader. He is to show the strengths of the Americans. Recently though, with the ISIS attacks raising on, Obama is failing. I am losing my trust in him and that is something an American shouldn’t feel with their leader. Obama can show that he is meant to be our leader, but the only way to show that is through action. Obama needs to be one step ahead of ISIS. Obama needs to realize that sometimes we just can’t wait for things to settle down. Sometimes nothing will happen if there is no action taken apart of it. We are the country of the free. We are brave. We are smart. We are together as one. We must show that to the ISIS. We will be waiting for the day when Obama wakes up and comes to the rescue. I’ll be waiting for the day when ISIS is finally stopped from its cruelty. I leave each of you with the words of Theodore Roosevelt, words that Obama should read each and everyday of his life: “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.”