Remember Richard Somers and America’s First War on Terror

To the Editor:
On September 4, 1804, Richard Somers of Somers Point was killed during a daring attack on Islamic terrorists in Tripoli.
This Saturday, September 13, at 1 p.m., journalist/scholar Chipp Reid and locals like me will tell his story at the Richard Somers Monument at 803 Shore Road in Somers Point. The event is free and open to public.
At one time, Somers was celebrated in popular novels, plays and songs and taught in our schools. He grew up when George Washington was president. There were no public schools. But like most Americans, Somers at age 16 was better at reading, writing, math and science than most who graduate college today.
By age 18, Somers like most Americans, mastered a trade by sailing ships over open ocean between New York and Philadelphia. He was about to do what so many young men did in the coastal towns of New Jersey. They stuffed ships with American lumber, fish, grain, bog iron and tobacco, and sold them in Europe for triple what they paid. Then they filled their empty ships with European goods to sell in America.
Getting rich then was easy. Taxes were almost non-existent. Anyone was free to go into almost any business without having to pay for a license or permit. We did not even have an army or navy. These Americans did not conquer, exploit or enslave anyone.
Meanwhile, across the ocean, a vast Muslim “caliphate” led by the Turkish Empire had been at war with most of Christian Europe for roughly 300 years. Its sea-fighters from North Africa raided ships and coastal villages as far away as Iceland and captured and sold more than a million Christian Europeans as slaves.
When they captured Americans, Congress paid huge sums as tribute and ransom to free them. But in 1798, Americans had enough. We said, “Millions for defense. Not one cent for tribute,” and we built a navy. Somers was one of the first to join at age 20.
In 1801, President Thomas Jefferson sent that navy overseas. Within a few years, it astonished the world, and ended Muslim attacks on the West for nearly 200 years.
This story proves that while America was never perfect, our country brought more wealth, opportunity and justice to more people than any other nation in history. That is why “progressives” systematically removed the story of Somers from our schools and popular culture during the past 60 years.