President George W. Bush's Greatest Mistake: Too Successful?

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.

Somebody Save the Democratic Party!!!

The American public cannot be expected to truly support Democratic candidates until the party unifies behind a solid, respectable platform. Double speak and double standards are a sure sign of weakness, confusion and overwhelming disorganization. We cannot demand equal treatment for gays, then turn around and accuse Republican candidates and officials of being closeted homosexuals. We cannot claim that disadvantaged black Americans are capable of excelling provided access to opportunity, then publicly and maliciously deride some of our most educated and successful examples as "Uncle Toms", "Sell-Outs" and "House Negros".

We cannot use select terms both respectably and derogatively at our choosing. What kind of message does such behavior truly display? These mixed messages are conflicting, confusing and disrespectful to all. Democrats claim to support both diversity and equality. Well.....which is it?

Why must the modern Democratic Party be perpetually negative? We are more likely to succeed if we choose to compete honestly and by directly confronting the issues. The Democratic Party must cease the practice of passively allowing the most radically left mouth pieces be their only public representatives.

The Democratic Party must do better. Whining complaints can be substituted with serious solutions. Name-calling can be dropped to make room for open, informed debate of critical issues. We need a viable two party political system. America deserves better.

Published in the Miami Herald on October 18, 2006.

Supporting President Bush and "His Boys"

In a letter published in the South Flroida Sun-Sentinel newspaper on October 9th, "Anti-terrorist boast," the writer states: "Let's not give [President] Bush and his boys credit for no terror attack since 9-11."

I cannot help but feel an extreme desire as well as responsibility to clarify his obvious confusion. As a proud U.S. veteran, I guess I should first establish my position as most likely qualifying as one of "his boys."

Although I cannot attest that this result was intentional, I certainly do believe that we are very fortunate that the Islamic terrorists have selected to focus their efforts on confronting our well-prepared military in Iraq and Afghanistan rather than pursuing innocent civilian targets here on our own soil. Claims that our successful efforts in the war on terror should not be applauded, but rather chalked up to the strategic mastery of terrorists themselves are both ridiculous and illogical.

While the terrorists have concentrated much of their energies on harassing our allies and military targets in Iraq and Afghanistan, they have not forsaken hopes of hitting us in the homeland. Our nation's intelligence and law enforcement operations have successfully thwarted several attacks. I have no doubt that additional plots are being planned and will be attempted by these evil forces.

War is not a pretty thing and no war has ever been scheduled to begin and end with the timing of some sporting event. War is sometimes necessary and usually unpredictable. We cannot abandon our efforts to battle this ideology that threatens us. Don't become overwhelmed by the sound bites and distractions continually tossed out by struggling politicians. Invest some time into researching the facts and actually developing your own, well-informed opinions.

God bless President Bush and all of "his boys."

Published in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel on October 28, 2006.

Pick Up An Issue And RUN!!!

Once again the Republican Party has sprung a successful October Surprise. The timing of former Congressman Foley's outing and resignation has completely distracted the Democrats from anything resembling an important or critical issue. Swallowing the hook, their most prominent babblers have responded with flailing accusations and ridiculous demands for the removal of any and all additional Republicans.

Why are Democratic leaders so easily led astray? Why do they fear and avoid the head-on addressing of serious issues? Even when Republican errors and other circumstances seem to deliver loaded weapons to their feet, most Democrats are wholly incapable of picking it up and responding the way you would expect. Certainly our nation faces enough threats and challenges that the Democrats can select a couple of prominent issues and attempt to address them directly. It is time to come to the American people with a solution rather than continually tossing forth only arguments and complaints that ultimately serve no useful purpose and only promote confusion, misunderstanding, distrust and even hate.

How can our country survive and progress with half of our representatives failing to truly represent? Simply working to preserve their own political viability and prolonging what should most probably be a short-term position actually provides no benefit to our nation, no representation for our citizens and, not surprisingly, ultimately disenfranchises constituents.

I Was Against Iraq Before I Was For Iraq

I used to oppose Iraq. I despised the politics of it. I had no faith in it's government. The propaganda was abhorrent. The torture, violence and murder were overwhelming. The bombings, gassings, imprisonment and torture of innocents. The random violence, destruction and mass murders of men, women and children.

It openly served as a save-haven for terrorists who murdered Americans and for those who worked fervently to develop chemical, biological and nuclear weapons of mass destruction. As an American, I feared the turmoil would continue to cause regional unrest, and that this may eventually reach our own shores.

I took every threat against our nation, our people, our way of life and our leaders very seriously. I despised the secret under-the-table dealings that enriched Saddam Hussein and his cohorts. It was, after all, all about the big money and oil. Just ask Saddam, Chirac, Schroeder, Putin and Kofi Annan.

Yeah, I used to be against Iraq before I was for Iraq.

But today, I am totally pro-Iraq.

I support the newly elected government with representatives of all major and minor sects and factions of the Iraqi people, and look forward to the next major step in only two weeks. I am overwhelmingly proud of the Iraqi people who go out to vote, apply for new jobs, and volunteer to serve their country in the military and police forces.

I am glad that we can add Iraq to our growing list of allied nations in that region of the world. And I am so very proud of the great part my country, the USA, has performed in this major change. The incredible work and the selfless sacrifices made by our US armed forces have certainly contributed to the coalition's part in aiding the positive growth in the new Iraq.

It is a wonderful thing to be a part of such a major event in world history. I now proclaim happily that I am for Iraq.

Political Correctness is a Sham

Political Correctness has been successfully sold as a way to assist us all in getting along, when actually it is a bar on free speech. Rather than lead us into some false harmony, it actually creates a greater divide by making any viewpoint other than the most extremely liberal one seem as hate-filled intolerance. The Political Correctness sham has been created by the most extremely liberal left as a way to restrict the freedom of speech and seal the lips of right-thinking, conservative Americans. For all the whining about freedom of speech it is absolutely amazing that they have so capably instituted these false barriers on both the media and private citizens.

With all the miserable failures suffered by the Democratic Party over the past forty years, I must concede that they have achieved an overwhelming victory in this particular battle. We are living in a time where amazingly, anything contradictory spoken or written about the liberal agenda actually falls under this new classification and is now considered racist, hateful, closed-minded, bigoted and intolerant. "Honest speak" has been publicly silenced by this rhetorical takeover of semantics.

I get so tired of blaming the media for their overwhelmingly left-leaning bias, but they have certainly played a role here. But they are by no means alone; I place the largest portion of blame on the conservative media and for every conservative person who has quietly allowed this to happen.

The Democrats have effectively made free speech inconvenient and uncomfortable. Some people fear open expression of even obvious realities. The left wing has cornered the market on acceptable speech, by restricting the free flow of ideas and opinions; even to the point of making the most simple statement fall under the category of cultural blasphemy.

We are now faced with explicit sex education being taught to our children in public schools. This includes condom application exercises, guest speakers promoting abortion, and theater groups performing plays to teach our youngsters the benefits of homosexuality. Our kids are forbidden to discuss or display any religious ideas or beliefs on campus, yet the alternate view is being strongly preached to them.

You cannot possibly consider anything to be equal and fair when only one side is allowed to share or even promote their point of view, while all other views are labeled extremist, intolerant and ultimately, politically incorrect.

London Terror Attacks

On the morning after the horrible terrorist attacks in London, I was sitting in front of the news with my 10-year-old neice. I asked what she thought of these latest terror attacks in London. She responded by asking "What did London do to Iraq?" I explained to her that the terrorist's ideology of hate meant that they did not attack in retaliation for any act, but only because they felt that they should attempt to destroy the people that they didn't like. She of course asked why they don't like the people in London. I proceeded to tell her that it wasn't really about the people in London in all. I watched her wide-eyed gaze as I explained that these evil, uncivilized people were educated only to hate everyone that was different from them, and that they did not attempt to declare a conventional war, but rather sought to kill and maim innocent commuters and children. She then told me, "that sounds crazy." To which I responded "yes, you are right, it really is crazy." By this time her ten-year-old mind was moving on to other thoughts as she toyed with the small stuffed teddy bear she held in her little hands. That was fine because while I do think we should give our children an opportunity to express their feelings on this subject, I don't think we should force them to dwell on it.

I couldn't help but think how so many adults exhibit a similarly youthful underdeveloped mentality when it comes to the subject of terrorism. Certainly spending excessive time thinking on the subject can create a fear in many people, and if this develops into an overwhelming fear which actually obstructs the conducting of usual daily activities, then it is very unhealthy and can be marked up as a cleanr win for the terrorists.

All British and American citizens, as well as civilized persons from around the globe must understand that acts of terror must be responded to. History has shown that ignoring them does not work and of course the method of cooperating or appeasing them employed by several of the Old-Europe nations has only led to fueling the flames of terror and perpetuating the growth of additional organizations. We must remain united and completely focused if we can ever hope to diminish the threat of outlaw groups.

Great Britain has experienced domestic terrorism for decades. Fortunately their law enforcement, emergency response and public service organizations are more uniquely and appropriately prepared to respond to such events. While the United States has been targeted by terrorists for many decades, it has only suffered few incidents of domestic attacks. These attacks are not isolated incidents and will not simply stop. It is imperative that we unite and show an undivided force of support for our government, allied nation's and international organizations.