LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Why we must participate for however many days

In his Nov. 28 letter, Ron Parker, obviously distraught, challenged "

... anyone to explain why we should participate for one more day in this bloodbath? Anyone at all"

Well, Mr. Parker, I'll try.

I think we all wish we hadn't gone into Iraq, including President Bush, but I feel that it's only a single battle-gone-bad in a long war against terrorism, not too different from some World War II battles that were even more tragic. And as we regrouped in WWII and pursued the enemy until victory, we'll do it again, if the brave and patriotic citizenry again prevail in support of our troops - over the fearful and faint-hearted.

Some day, we may even look back and credit the Iraq war with opening our eyes, early-on, to the gravity of the terrorism we face; to the vastness of the terrorists' worldwide structure, financing, and varied national and religious support.

I feel that the critical aspect of this war is that our nation doesn't yet fully understand the deadly psychological warfare that we face. I think Bush understands. He understands that it can't be defeated by the most deadly, state-of-the-art conventional military weaponry, and that the only defense against psychological warfare is to maintain an offensive approach, continue to build human intelligence, continue to infiltrate and destroy the leadership, on the ground, abroad, and before it reaches our shores to the tune of 500,000 dead instead of the 3,000 dead in an initial attack (estimate of Lee Hamilton vice chair of the 9/11 Commission).

In answer to, "What will you tell the parents of the last American soldier whose blood soaked Iraqi soil?":

Hopefully, I'd join in their proud commemoration of their trooper's ultimate sacrifice in a critical battle which served to launch a more determined national war effort that saved our nation from unfathomable death and devastation.

And, I would hope that those parents would wish to stand and confirm what British philosopher, John Stuart Mill had to say about war in 1865:

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feelings which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

ARMOND 'SI' SIMMONS
Pell City, Alabama