As the new year has begun, there are more than fireworks blazing in the moonlight. President Donald Trump ordered a drone airstrike attack on Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, a known terrorist who has threatened America and killed hundreds of American service members. Former CIA officer John Maguire told The New Yorker in 2013 that Soleimani was “the single most powerful operative in the Middle East.” Not any more.

The Pentagon explained its position to exterminate Soleimani. The focus was not just on his past activities but also present threats, as well as to serve as a “deterrent.” General Soleimani, according to the Pentagon statement, was “actively developing plans to attack US diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.”

In a 2018 tweet, President Trump spoke these words: “To Iranian President Rouhani: NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE. WE ARE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE & DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS!”

Soleimani replied to our president: “Let me tell you, Mr. Trump the gambler… Let me tell you… Know that we are near you, in places that don’t come to your mind. We are near you in places that you can’t even imagine. We are a nation of martyrdom,” he said. He added: “You may start the war, but we will be the ones to determine its end.”

After the airstrike, Mark Almond, director of the Crisis Research Institute in Oxford, wrote for The Daily Mail that “historians may well trace the moment Qassem Soleimani signed his own death warrant.”

In 20/20 hindsight, I agree.

However, those are just some of the preeminent details of the execution. The other side of this coin is that on American soil we have sympathizers for a general who had “U.S. blood on his hands.”

Enter the sympathizers — or shall I call them the Three SIMPateers: Shaun King, T.I., and, yet again, Colin Kaepernick.

Shaun King tweeted: Just learned that the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani was carried out by a drone. The Obama administration bears responsibility for the massive development of a drone assassination program that it widely & regularly used without express Congressional approval.“

T.I. tweeted: "Ain’t no Iranian never called me no N!$$#*, infested our communities wit dope & then locked us up for it, allowed the police to pull us over & gun us down with no accountability, or enslaved us and tried to act like da s—t ain’t happen. So… as I pray for our soldiers… I’m also gon be praying for theirs. THIS AINT OUR WAR CHAMP!!!

Lastly, Kaepernick tweeted: "There is nothing new about American terrorist attacks against Black and Brown people for the expansion of American imperialism.”

What do these three individuals have in common? They are steadfastly against “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” These simple-minded males believe in painting narratives around race and ethnicity to strong-arm their naive audiences into believing they are victims of imperialism, capitalism, and the greatest “ism” of all — racism. It is awfully convenient to speak against America while benefiting from this republic. However, if they really want to put their machismo where their mouth is, they should become Iranian citizens. Live amongst the very people who cry out “Death to America!”

Soleimani was evil in his terroristic power and was under frequent surveillance by the U.S. intelligence community, according to a senior administration official. Counterintelligence monitored his activities while gathering information around the region on who he was consulting with.

I am satisfied that our troops carried on the strike prefaced by our commander-in-chief to maintain a safer world to live in.

In Matthew 24:6, Jesus prophesied, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.” Stay tuned. Be brave.