Iraq war has kept terrorists away
To the editor:
In response to the March 17th printing of the “Stand and be counted for peace” article from the “group” that likes to protest the war on the bridge in Presque Isle. You do have the right to protest on the bridge and you do have the right to send your opinion to the editor, thanks to our military and their efforts to keep the peace the best they are trained to do. That being said, again, you point out the numbers killed since the war started (which they started by killing how many people in one day?! 2,966 victims!) 5,395 very brave men and women. I feel pain for their families but I am also very grateful to them because they paid the most unselfish sacrifice anyone could ever make: protecting our freedom!
The war has been going on for far longer than eight years. They have tried to harm Americans for a long time in different attacks. You ask “What have we purchased with our blood?” Well, let me tell you what I think. I think we have been safe from being attacked again since then! Let me ask you a question: If we hadn’t gone to war and defended our very nation against terrible people called terrorists and we were attacked again (and we would have been; vulnerability is a terrible weakness) would you be defending the “peace movement” or would you be criticizing our government for not doing more to keep us safe? Because eventually the terrorists will attack again and it may directly affect one of you. How will you feel then?
We have to do all we can and learn by the past to try and prevent these things from happening. If we ignore and shy away because we are afraid to hurt someone’s feelings then that leaves us like a wide open target. I believe we are better off today than eight years ago, because we have not been attacked again. What more can we ask for. We have been safe so far and I am grateful for that.
We are not perfect by any means but we need to do all we can to protect our great nation! As far as us finding a more productive way to spend a trillion dollars, well I don’t know but President Obama has been in the White House for a little over a year and has gotten us into a pretty deep debt that is growing every day due to out-of-control spending with money we don’t have! If we are going to spend money we don’t have, I would rather it go to the safety of the American people because if we don’t and we get attacked again, well, if we are all blown to “smitherines” what good is having anything because we won’t be here enjoy it!?
Well, on Friday the 19th I am sorry but I won’t be joining you on the bridge because I will be spending my birthday at my church with my children watching a movie that teaches them about choices. But I will pray for you because I don’t consider the efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan a waste. People are fighting for your freedom and I don’t consider protecting the country that we all share a waste!
Washburn
