The Call of our Generation - Jeff Bailey

Like Dicky, I was also brought into this conversation late and feel the
need to offer my thoughts on this topic. It is amazing to me that here we
are, just a few days removed from the 5th anniversary of one of the most
horrific and barbaric attacks on our nation, and yet we cannot unite as a
country in this war against terrorism. We don’t really want to remember the pain
of that terrible day; planes flying into buildings, innocent people
jumping to their deaths. We’re not really committed to rallying around the cause
of freedom and destroying terrorists wherever they live. Instead, it
seems more convenient and fashionable for individuals to come together in
professing their hatred of George W. Bush; “Bush is a liar, Bush is
dumb and a loser, Bush is a terrorist, Bush is Hitler.” We’ve heard it a
thousand times. What does this kind of rhetoric accomplish and wouldn’t this
vitriol and rage be better spent if directed toward the actual enemies of the
United States? Disdain for Bush is not a solution to the danger we face as a
country. There is nothing wrong with dissent and healthy criticism of
the policies of this administration but continually attacking our President
in a time of war can only hurt our efforts around the world.

Call it what you will, WWIII, The War on Terror, a clash of civilizations, but make no
mistake, this is the call of our generation; to stand up and beat back
the forces of evil. I fear for my little boy what this world will look
like if we fail or give up this fight. I’ve had my questions about the war in
Iraq and disagreements with how this war should be fought. It is almost as
if we have adopted the philosophy of John Kerry in fighting “a more sensitive
war” while calling on our allies to show restraint in prosecuting just wars
of their own. The other day, our Air Force had a band of terrorists in
their site, a clear shot, yet they were commanded to disengage the enemy,(men
who fly planes into buildings and chop off the heads of reporters in the
name of God) because this large gathering was taking place at a funeral.
Disagreements and different solutions to problems are healthy and what
we should be focused on.

Our President is a decent and sincere man and a symbol of a nation which is
trying to do what is right in Iraq and in other fronts in this war on terror.
Retreating is not a solution. Do we want to return to the policies of appeasement
and prosecution of those who wish death and destruction on republicans and
democrats alike? Remember, terrorists were hijacking planes before Bush, they
bombed embassies, hit the world trade center in the 90s, killed some of our men
in the U.S.S. Cole bombing, Saddam was using WMDs on his own people, giving
safe haven to those wishing death to America, with the funding and capability of
carrying out their heinous plans. We should rededicate ourselves to winning this
war and never lose sight of the real enemy we face. “The only thing necessary for evil to
triumph is for good men to do nothing.”

Jeff