On Nov. 3, All Saints Parish, in Mesa, AZ, will hold a “Red, White, and Blue Mass.”

“’We’re having the Mass to celebrate our veterans, those who have served and those who are serving,’ Deacon Scott said. ‘It’s also to pray for the deceased veterans, those who have given their lives or have been wounded so we can enjoy these freedoms that we have today.’‘Red, White and Blue’ Mass to honor veterans | The Catholic Sun

A display of uniforms worn by various members of the American military greeted guests who attended a reception following the first Red, White and Blue Mass in 2011. Photo credit: Ambria Hammel, Catholic Sun

How has invading countries on the other side of the world for the past ten years helped protect our freedoms here at home? It hasn’t. A quick read through the Bill of Rights would tell anyone with a modicum of awareness of current affairs that our freedoms are being steadily, if not aggressively, eroded. Take the First Amendment for example:

1. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…

Archbishop William Lori, Chairman of the USCCB Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, said of the Fortnight for Freedom: “We must stand firm and be emboldened by the strength of our religiously-held convictions not just two weeks a year, but always, for the threats continue to come.” I don’t think he was talking about threats from Islamic jihadists. Our own government poses a far bigger threat to our freedoms than people living in Iraq and Afghanistan. If there is an actual terrorist threat, it is only exacerbated by our military presence overseas. Moral issues of war aside, even on a practical level and even if you accept the reason for the wars at face value, the soldiers are doing more harm than good, as their actions create more terrorists. What they are doing overseas is making all of us more unsafe.