The rich folks who inhabit the Hamptons — the types portrayed by F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby — still have their exclusive parties there. They are generally derisive of the need for men to protect them, but a recent article, announcing a new counter-terrorist force armed with M-4 rifles and other gear is being created to protect their parties and horse shows.

I’m sure there are a few of the good citizens of Southampton who have served in the military. But all of them choose to, to paraphrase George Orwell, party hardy and then sleep soundly in their beds in safety because rough men stand ready to do violence in their behalf.

There are still too many in our country who deride the idea of manhood and seek to protect our kids from that idea. They would be the first to condemn the fact that men and women dedicated to their protection have any value to society.