EDITORIAL: Our Military’s Precarious Position

By State Representative Dave Belton (R-Buckhead), Chairman of the House Military Affairs Study Committee
(725 words)

National defense is our government’s greatest responsibility, which is why I am grateful the new study committee I Chair is bringing together members of congress, state legislators and local leaders across the state to study how we can improve the military value of all nine of Georgia’s bases. Continue reading “EDITORIAL: Our Military’s Precarious Position”

EDITORIAL: It’s Our Turn to Defend Georgia’s Warfighters

By State Representative Dave Belton (R-Buckhead), Chairman of the House Military Affairs Study Committee
(526 words)

The state of Georgia has been blessed with many pivotal military champions. The Russell Senate Office Building, one of only six legislative offices buildings in our nation’s capital, is named after a Winder native who was a military advocate of historic importance. Milledgeville’s Carl Vinson , or the “Father of the Two-Ocean Navy,” is one of only two non-presidents to have an aircraft carrier named after him. Sam Nunn is a living legend and has been a dominant voice for our military for decades. President Jimmy Carter was a graduate of the Naval Academy and a submarine officer who greatly expanded Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. Newt Gingrich was Speaker of the House and continues to be a champion for our distinguished military. Due to the efforts of these past giants, Georgia has the fifth largest military population in the U.S., with an economic impact that is estimated at more than $20 billion per year. Continue reading “EDITORIAL: It’s Our Turn to Defend Georgia’s Warfighters”

EDITORIAL: What a Horrible Week for Western Civilization

By State Representative Dave Belton (R-Buckhead) 

Eight years after we elected the president who was going to “heal the nation” and bring us “hope and change,” little has changed that isn’t for the worse. The most recent attack, which seems to happen nearly weekly at this point, is especially poignant since it occurred in France, who is our oldest ally and a country which has suffered three substantial massacres in the past year. Days later, there’s a coup in Turkey mere months after another attack on the Ataturk Airport in Istanbul. Thanks to our mishandling of the “Arab Spring,” Egypt is no longer an ally and we all know what happened in Benghazi, Libya. Millions of Syrians are pouring into Europe and America, and Iraq is facing more bloodshed than ever. The world is literally unraveling before our eyes because of the lack of American leadership. Continue reading “EDITORIAL: What a Horrible Week for Western Civilization”