EDITOR: I can respect those who exercise their freedom in this
great nation to peacefully protest the possible war with Iraq.
Fortunately, I can exercise my freedom to disagree.
EDITOR:
I can respect those who exercise their freedom in this great nation to peacefully protest the possible war with Iraq. Fortunately, I can exercise my freedom to disagree.
What follows won’t change the minds of war protesters, but will give me the opportunity to express my opinions that our nation’s policy of “speak softly but caring a big stick” is absolutely essential to protect our national interests.
There are leaders of rouge nations who support terrorism (financially or otherwise) whose policies are adopted for an ongoing assault to terrorize, blackmail, attack, maim, and kill freedom-loving people all over the world. They have the utmost disregard and disrespect for the value of human life. Our nation has adopted a “rouge nation regime change war policy” in an attempt to keep the battlefront on foreign soil. Terrorist or leaders of rouge nations who support terrorism respect and fear our nation‚s military power and our willingness to use this power.
Our world tragically changed on 9/11/2001, we are now engaged in a war with terrorist and rouge nation adversaries who have a deep-seated hatred of our democratic values, foreign policies and our economic and military power. President Bush or any American president would never put our military personnel or American citizens in harm’s way without first exhausting every reasonable diplomacy effort to prevent war. If war is averted in Iraq or with any other rouge nation its because of our military power and diplomacy efforts, not by those advocating peace at any cost.
On Sept. 11, 2001, our nation didn’t just come under attack; our individual freedom, our compassion, generosity and humanitarian values came under attack. I, as one individual American, will sacrifice what ever is required of my nation to protect our individual freedom and values. I do so in the memory and honor of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice on 9/11.
Larry L. Erickson, Santa Clara
