"Supporting the troops should also be backing our mission"

Most Americans say, “I support the troops.” “Supporting the troops” is far more than sending a care package, or shaking a service member’s hand, or tying a ribbon on their lapel. Supporting the troops should also be backing our mission.

People back home may not realize how effective this enemy is using the media as a weapon. Every time some talking head gets on the TV and shouts anything negative about this war, it motivates our enemy, who interprets dissent as weakness and who uses our free press against us. That is exactly how “the terrorists” win. For the Terrorist does not have to defeat us, he just has to outlast us.

I am disappointed in the way the American people in general seem to have lost their resolve since 9-11. When I hear that over half of America’s citizens believe this war is a lost cause, I think that is a tragedy. Less than 2/100ths of 1 percent of our own citizens have ever served in the armed forces, which means most Americans don’t have a clue about our military.

The media does not tell all the good things happening in Iraq. They rarely, if ever, report the successes of our Armed Forces. This causes our citizens, most of whom will never cross an ocean in their life, let alone fight in this or any war, to think we are losing and to believe we can’t win. This war is much like the 3 rednecks in the story above. It will take time. We CAN win, and we WILL win, but I worry that the American people have lost their patience and their support will dry up before we get the job done.

I hear the concern about America’s sons and daughters being killed and I know the media drum rolls the daily death toll. There have been more than 3,000 service members who have died fighting this war. And every one of those deaths is a tragedy. I, myself have lost a close friend. Contrary to the media reports, this war should be gauged by what is at stake if we lose. I believe the stakes of this war are even higher than those we faced together in both World Wars combined. In the words of Darryl Worley, “I say there are some things worth fighting for. Our freedom and the piece of ground we call The United States of America.” Don’t think for a second that terrorists will stop attacking Americans and our way of life just because we pull out of Iraq.
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Amen to all of that.