<p>Aspen,</p>
<p>I hear you, big time. My heart goes out to the young man killed in Iraq that you mentioned. Next week I am attending the dedication of a local post office to the son of two of our WP Parents Club members who was killed in Iraq in 2003, one month after getting married and not much more than a year after he proudly graduated from West Point. Today one of my employees, a young lady in her early 20’s, received a call from a Lt. Col. informing her that her husband had been injured earlier today by an IED blast while he was conducting operations near Baghdad. Thankfully he was not injured severely and should fully recover. They were married a week before he left for Iraq.</p>
<p>These young men and women are putting their lives on the line because they love this country and are willing to do the hard things, regardless of all the political bull being slung around by those who do all the talking and usually little of the fighting. I contend there are no democrats or republicans, no conservatives or liberals in foxholes, or riding in humvees in Iraq. Only men and women who have devoted themselves to selfless duty for the good of our nation.</p>
<p>Rationalwar, whether you agree with the invasion of Iraq or not, the fact remains that the world is a very dangerous place. I truly believe that the majority of Americans support our military and want to see the nation rise up and defeat terrorism. Sometimes our policies make things worse, sometimes they make things better, sometimes its real hard to tell, but the reality is that America needs a strong military that can respond to the very real dangers that present themselves when we least expect them. When Aspen was talking about “waste” he wasn’t referring to my comments but those of some people that he has overheard. I too hear those comments from time to time. Usually its not out of malice but out of the inability of many Americans to understand the difference between their “political views” and the very real sense of duty that service people and their families feel in time of war, regardless of politics at home.</p>
<p>Frankly, the best and brightest have always stepped forward to lead our nation’s armed forces. Our cadet has received nothing but respect and admiration for what she is attempting to do with her life, both from our friends, acquaintences, and her teachers— and we live in very “liberal” California. The “nuts” on both ends of the spectrum are not as numerous as both ends of the media would have us believe. We have only to convince our elected leaders that America does have the backbone to do what is needed–if only they would as well.</p>