EDITOR: I am writing this letter because I am so heartsick with
the anti-American comments and sentiments that fill our news that I
can no longer sit quiet. I am going to share an analogy that I hope
will enlighten some of you who somehow have the idea that to be in
favor of the war means that you love or at least like the idea of
war.
EDITOR:
I am writing this letter because I am so heartsick with the anti-American comments and sentiments that fill our news that I can no longer sit quiet. I am going to share an analogy that I hope will enlighten some of you who somehow have the idea that to be in favor of the war means that you love or at least like the idea of war.
When someone finds out they have cancer they are immediately told that they need to have surgery to remove the tumor or tumors before they spread and endanger the life of the entire body. No one at that point jumps up and down and responds, “oh good I get to have surgery.”
Surgery is necessary evil to protect the life of the body. When the doctor goes in and removes the tumor some good cells are always removed with it. We don’t belittle the doctor for killing some good cells, because we understand that is necessary to protect the life of the remainder of the body.
In many ways war is the same procedure. To allow Saddam or any other militant leader to continue to grow his regime, is the same as leaving the cancer – thinking because you can’t see it, it is causing no harm.
I am not speaking as one who has never felt the intense pain of war. Our oldest son Jeff is named after my brother Jeff who was killed in a war. When 9/11 happened Jeff was in his senior year at CalPoly and as I thought of the potential of war I said to him on the phone, “maybe you ought to go ahead and get your master’s degree.” He asked what made me feel that way and I replied “you don’t get called to war if you’re in school.”
His response put things in perspective for me. He replied, “Mom, I would rather die fighting for freedom than live and try to raise a family in the fear of terrorism.” That was a wake-up call and a soul-searching call for me. I realized at that point I could no longer ignore the cancer thinking it would go away.
I am grateful for a president that has the courage to fight the cancer instead of feed the cancer. I am grateful for the men and women who are willing to put their lives on the line to protect the freedoms we in America take so for granted.
To those of you who enjoy the luxuries, blessings and freedoms of this wonderful country but have nothing good to say about it, our flag or our president, I would ask you to exercise one of our greatest freedoms, the right to leave. If I lived in a city I didn’t like I could only blame myself for staying. Maybe if you moved you would find the discontent you feel is not in your president or in your country, it’s in yourself.
For the rest of you who feel as I do, realize that though you don’t hear about it, the majority of America feels this way.
And to all of you who are fighting for our freedom, and to our president, may God protect you and bless you and may you feel the unbelievable support and gratefulness of those who stand behind you with the utmost of respect
Nancy Becknall, Morgan Hill
