Having listened to President Bush's State of the Union Address, watched the news on television and read several periodicals including yours, I am overwhelmed by the amount of ridicule against our president, talk of more planned anti-war protests, outright refusals to reinforce and support our troops on the battlefield and of course the incessant calls for investigations and impeachment proceedings against members of the current administration.
I immediately realized that President George W. Bush's success has surprised us all. I admit that I too never would have imagined that nearly five-and-a-half years after the horrible attacks against our country on September 11th 2001 that we would so successfully deter and prevent additional attacks on our homeland. It is a sad realization that our country's massive efforts in tracking, monitoring and arresting terrorists have been so successful that millions of our own citizens have completely forgotten the evil acts we witnessed and suffered on that September morning. So many cannot remember that day and actually argue that we are not now and never have been threatened or involved in any real war! People are so fat and happy, riding the wave of economic successes and immersed so deeply in their own individual lives that they will not open their eyes and ears to what is truly going on. I agree that our comfort is a blessing and continually pray that my children will never have to witness such violence and feel such anguish. But I still recognize that there are threats out there. There are many who would end our lives, exterminate our families and completely erase the existence of our nation if they just once had the chance.
An international coalition of nations joined in a worldwide effort to confront terrorism in the many places it grows and hides. It is a fortunate result that Al Qaeda leadership stressed the importance of preventing the success of the new Iraqi government. They called for jihad, imploring indoctrinated Muslim youth to report for duty, encouraging radical imams to admonish the faithful, and for Middle Eastern families to forgo their futures by sending forth their untrained, sandaled children to carry the fight to the infidels. While I cannot imagine that the creation of an actual front in this war was an expected outcome, I do realize that it is a benefit to my family and fellow citizens. Before you condemn me for this attitude let me make it clear that I fell strongly for the plight of the Iraqi people. This war has spawned a new head on their soil. It is bad for the Iraqi people, but undeniably positive for so many others.
We entered this conflict without the desire to employ overwhelming force and have waned in our convictions and actions over the following four years. We have refused to confront our enemies on their terms and have often employed a useless strategy more appropriate for a children's game of tag rather than an all out war. Understanding of the situation is then more diluted by spiteful politicians treating the conflict in Iraq as a political tool. Using innocent civilians and our proud fighting men and women as pawns is disgusting and shameful. Prolonging the war by refusing to use the means necessary to win it will inevitably result in greater suffering by the Iraqi hosts as well as an increased number of both civilian and military casualties.
Many non-thinking people simply repeat the ridiculous slogan that our presence in Iraq has resulted in an increase in the number of new terrorist volunteers. I challenge you that there has been no greater terrorist recruiting poster than the ubiquitous photographs of our fellow citizens plowing into the Twin Towers upon hijacked commercial aircraft.
