Dick Cheney - A Noble Giant of American Leadership

America has lost one of its great lions of democracy. Dick Cheney, the forty-sixth Vice President of the United States, passed away at eighty-four. With his passing, our nation closes a chapter defined by strength, conviction, and an unyielding belief in the American ideal.

The Cheney family said it best. "Dick Cheney was a great and good man who taught his children and grandchildren to love our country, and to live lives of courage, honor, love, kindness and fly-fishing. We are grateful beyond measure for all Dick Cheney did for our country. And we are blessed beyond measure to have loved and been loved by this noble giant of a man." That statement captures the heart of the man. He was a true patriot in every sense of the word.

Dick Cheney once said, "It is easy to take liberty for granted when you have never had it taken from you." He never took liberty for granted. He understood that freedom is precious, fragile, and worth defending with every ounce of strength America can summon. He believed deeply in American exceptionalism, saying, "We are, as a matter of empirical fact and undeniable history, the greatest force for good the world has ever known." That was not rhetorical to him. It was a principle. He lived it every day of his public life.

When our nation was attacked on September 11, 2001, Cheney was a steady hand at the center of the storm. He never flinched in the face of chaos. He believed that America must act with clarity and resolve, not with hesitation or appeasement. As he said, "If history teaches anything, it teaches that simple-minded appeasement or wishful thinking about our adversaries is folly. It means the betrayal of our past, the squandering of our freedom." Those were not mere words. They were the creed by which he governed.

His decisive leadership after 9/11 shaped a generation of American foreign policy. He defended freedom with firmness and foresight. "I believe very deeply in the proposition that what we did in Iraq was the right thing to do. It was hard to do. It took a long time. There were significant costs involved. But we got rid of one of the worst dictators of the twentieth century." That statement sums up his realism and his resolve. He never ran from responsibility. He never chased popularity. He believed in doing what was right for America, no matter how difficult or controversial.

In a world full of politicians who trim their sails to the political wind, Dick Cheney stood like a mountain. His principles did not shift. Whether you agreed with him or not, you always knew where he stood. He understood that leadership is not about applause. It is about decisions. It is about courage. It is about service.

Even his critics recognized his influence. He reshaped the modern vice presidency, transforming it from a ceremonial office into a center of strategic power. His counsel to President George W. Bush guided the nation through some of its darkest days. He believed that peace is preserved only when America is strong, and he made sure America stayed strong.

In his later years, Cheney spoke out on matters of conscience. His words about Donald Trump made headlines, but they should not overshadow a lifetime of service. He had the courage to speak his mind, just as he had the courage to defend his country. He never bowed to pressure from any side. He believed that history would judge his intentions fairly, and history will.

Those who knew him best describe him as a man of great decency and humor, devoted to his family, faithful to his friends, and fiercely loyal to his country. The family's final tribute says it all. "We are grateful beyond measure for all Dick Cheney did for our country. And we are blessed beyond measure to have loved and been loved by this noble giant of a man."

Dick Cheney was indeed a noble giant. His life reminds us that freedom depends on vigilance, that strength deters tyranny, and that America's role as the world's greatest force for good must never be surrendered. We can honor his memory best by standing as firmly for our country as he did.

May God bless the Cheney family, and may God bless the United States of America, the nation Dick Cheney loved, defended, and served with all his heart.

Perry O. Hooper Jr. is a former state representative, a current member of the Alabama Republican Executive Committee, the 2016 Trump Victory Chair, and a widely published columnist.

Opinions expressed are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Alabama Gazette staff or publishers.