Memorial Day - Thank You

This evening I saw the mother of one of the fallen soldiers from the Irq War declare "How can anyone support George Bush and company in the senseless killing?" I thought about that for a moment, moved by her loss until the vision of two towers in New York City on 9/11 came to mind.

I want to express my deepest sympathy to that mother, but I think that she dishonorsher son's memory by making that statement. It amazes me that very few people seem to be able to comrehend that the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan and the war on terror are one in the same. When the President says that our soldiers are over ther in Iraq defending freedom, he means that they are fighting the terrorists in thier land, the Middle East, not just Iraq, so that our people remain safe here in America.

If our soldiers were not "over there" the we would most like be suffering from terrorist attacks here. Taking the war to them forced the terrorists to redirest their resources to "defending" their own bases of operations, where they operate freely among many peace loving people.

Unfortunately, defending freedom and protecting the average American here in the U.S. means that our military must engage the terrorists in a foreign land and that means sending many of our best and brightest to certain death. However, as the protected, we must trust and support our govt. and our troops. Thus, it is our duty to become educated on the whys and wherefores of the goals that are of national security.

Since 9/11, there has not been a single terrorist incident on American soil, so the President must be doing something right. I don't need to defend the President, the record speaks for itself. I am certain that each soldier who has given his life didn't think that the war is "senseless." The majority of those currently serving understand the gravity of their mission and would gladly give the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the safety of their people.

Memorial Day is a day to reflect on the precious losses we have endured throughout our history and to honor their memory, but it is also a day for all of us to examine what our freedom and safety are worth. Believe me they aren't cheap. So to that mother I saw this evening...thank you, thank you, thank you for such a brave soldier.