If hot chocolate, popcorn, and movies are part of your holiday break activities, please consider watching some war movies. This might seem an odd thing to say considering all the fun and engaging holiday movies you will have to choose from but please hear me out, okay?

Today is Pearl Harbor Day. “The attack - famously described by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a ‘date which will live in infamy’ - - propelled America into World War II, a conflict which claimed the lives of some 400,000 U.S. soldiers.”

“Attacks” like this one, the current ones and let’s not forget Germany happen because those attacking hate so much that their primary goal is to kill and destroy. These governments raise their little ones to hate and hate, they do. So much so they are willing to sacrifice their own lives to destroy those they hate. It is their honor to do so.

It’s so hard to imagine that others hate us so much they would willingly sacrifice their own lives to see us or others destroyed. But just because it’s hard to imagine doesn’t make it any less a reality. This kind of hate is pure evil, and evil does unimaginable things.

We are 82 years past Pearl Harbor. And, in those 82 years, it’s easy to forget the hatred that came after us that day. It’s easy to forget that it took the whole country coming together to fight to preserve our American way of life.

But we should not forget. Never should we forget. That’s why I’m suggesting you pull up some war movies. Yes, there will be violence and yes there will be gore and yes there might be some language, but you and I need to be reminded of what those who fought for our freedom endured.

When we stand to sing the National Anthem, we need to put our hands over our hearts because there are men and women who endured the unimaginable and fought for our freedom. We stand in honor because others died gory deaths to preserve our American way of life. We honor our flag because we are grateful. Grateful for our way of life and for those who went without food, water, sleep, dry clothes, and any comforts for us. How could we ever forget?

We have forgotten and that’s why I am suggesting we watch some war movies and remind ourselves of who we are. Americans first. We fight to protect our way of life against those who fight because they hate. They hate us. They hate others. We don’t fight because we hate. We fight because we love. We love our families, and we love our country.

Patriotism must be taught for if we have no patriots, it means we have no one willing to fight against the evil that seeks to kill and destroy us right now, right here. Watch the movies. Let history remind and teach us that we must remain vigilant. It’s also a perfect tie into Christmas… The One who came into this evil world to seek and save. The ultimate sacrifice.