“War is hell” forget who said that, it is a vast understatement.

This is a condensation of my opinions on the situation we as a Nation, and a world now face. I speak for myself, for I cannot spaek for any other.

The current situation is far removed from any scenario that we as a country, or for that fact the majority of the world, have faced in the past. We have yet to grasp completely what has been started.

I have seen responses all across the spectrum, from those who want to turn the complete middle eastern area into a radioactive green glass plain to those who feel we should appease the Militant Islamic factions.

From past knowledge and experience I am of the opinion the responses should be measured to the actual threat. M1-A1 Abrahams tanks will not do much good, neither will F-16's and F-117A’s, though they will have to be used in selected actions.

The Afghani people are not the villains, nor the vast majority of Muslims in the world. Making the leap to that conclusion is akin to thinking that Jim Jones exemplifies all Christians.

This war will be fought in back alleys, isolated camps in deserts and in the financial centers of the world. It will be fought mostly with a few soldiers slipping into hostile territory and finding a specific target to eliminate. Knives and silenced guns, C-4 slipped into a secret place, single shots from a sniper, in a neat clean bank some geek will ferret out the cash flow, and stop it.

This war will be slow, it will be bloody, and some of it will be fought on American soil. It will be fought face to face with an enemy that has no regard for human life or the ideals of liberty. This war will require so much from everyone that I am not sure it can be sustained. When the body bags start coming back with unidentifiable corpses inside, will we shrink from the struggle to keep what we have and who we are? Do we have what our ancestors had? I sincerely hope so.

This new/old enemy is different, in mind-set and tactics. So many in this country and around the world don’t understand yet. They do not negotiate, they do not make deals, they have but one agenda, convert every single human being on this planet to their version of religion, or kill them. And there is but one way to stop them, remove them, before they remove us.

The one thing I fear most is this, can we keep the freedoms we have spent so many lives to obtain? That alone is enough to keep me awake at night.

This small rambling may sound as if I am only looking at tha events of the last few days with no emotion, or I am uncaring. Do not mistake me, if I was of age I would be the first in line at that post office, and the first in line at the recruiting ofice.
I see the pictures on TV, I've listened to NPR reading names.
And I cry, my chest tightens, and my anger boils over.
To die in battle, knowing the risks, having signed on for them is one thing.

To be going about my daily business, unaware that some maniac has decided I am a legitiate target simply because I am a citizen of some country, or hold a different religious ideal. That is evil incarnate.

We as free people have to respond, or we shall not be free for long.

But we must stand watch, for some will have us sacrifice those very freedoms in the name of security.

Any who would sacrifice freedom for security ...................
Ole Ben was a wise man, it would bode us well to rmember that.