Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
I must admit I wasn't really gung-ho about the idea of going to war with Iraq.
I even went so far as to say we shouldn't go forward without U.N. approval.
All along I have thought that the diplomacy of the W administration was a bit clumsy.
I had hoped the whole world would be on our side. I was disappointed when it didn't work out that way.
And I just generally don't like the idea of innocent people dying for any reason. That always seems to happen in wars, no matter how hard the combatants try to avoid it.
I really can't explain why, but since the events of the past couple days unfolded, I am feeling a sense of relief.
I have this guarded optimism that finally - finally - the problem of Iraq might actually go away.
I know there are plenty of people around the world who think we're big bullies and we're overstepping our authority and there is no justification for our actions.
But I just keep asking myself one simple question. Would the world be a better place without the likes of Saddam running a country and having big bombs?
The answer, of course, is yes.
And I believe the U.S. will be successful in removing Saddam from power.
Another thing I'm feeling these days is pride.
I am really proud of the job our troops are doing.
Can you imagine the level of difficulty of their job? Remember, after all, it is their job. It's a job they chose.
When they chose it, they knew they faced the prospect of being shipped halfway around the world to some godforsaken location.
And they also knew they could die. And some of them will.
Frankly, it's amazing to me that casualties in the 1991 Gulf War were as limited as they were.
Any time you have large numbers of humans working around big, explosive, fast-moving and high-flying machines, there is a high probability of life-threatening accidents.
This is above and beyond the obvious danger posed by an enemy who has a weapon and wants you dead.
So I really am proud of our troops. And I really am glad they are willing to lay their lives on the line to make the world a better place.
On Thursday, the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division's artillery opened fire on Iraqi troops.
According to Associated Press, "White light glowed in the sky above the cannons as dozens of artillery shells were fired. Explosions inside Iraq could be heard.
"Infantrymen who were between the howitzers and the Iraqi border cheered as the shells screamed overhead."
I have a mental image of those cheering infantrymen. At that moment they were feeling a level of camaraderie, patriotism and pride in their country that few of the rest of us could ever hope to know.
It's not hard for me to be proud of our troops and amazed at the might and proficiency of the U.S. military.
And it's not hard for me to be proud to be an American.
That's why it is hard for me to understand some of the stuff I hear some people saying.
Especially celebrities.
Like actress Jessica Lange, who told a crowd in Spain that she hates President Bush and is embarrassed to be an American.
I think that's sad.
The singer for the Dixie Chicks made some anti-American comment during a concert.
Now radio stations all over the country are opting not to play her bands' songs.
What a tragedy, eh?
Of course the Dixie Chicks chick issued an apology.
Too little, too late. We all know what you think about America. And lots of us don't like it.
Then there's Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders. She told an interviewer she hopes we lose the war so we learn our lesson and never do it again.
Classic Rock station DJs are foregoing any Pretender offerings these days, but that's not a really big deal. It's not like the Pretenders have anyÊcurrent hits.
I certainly defend and fully support these entertainers' right to say whatever they want. They have a right to freedom of speech.
And speak they do. There's a fairly long list of celebrity types who are into Bush and America bashing these days.
Barbra Streisand (hey, Barbra, buy a vowel, will ya?) Cher, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Ed Asner, George Clooney, et. al. There are legions more.
You know the types. They're always in front of the camera blathering on. (Well, not always. They didn't blather much when Iraq was bombed in 1998 or when 18 troops died when the helicopter got shot down in Somalia or that pharmaceutical factory got bombed or Bosnia got bombed. They don't whine when a Democrat bombs stuff.)
Well, I have the right of free speech, too, so here's what I think.
They can all put a bag on it. They present themselves as worldly, intelligent and well-versed on foreign policy.
Nonsense.
What qualifies them as experts on foreign policy - proximity to a TV camera and a microphone?
Want to put their educational resumes up against those of W, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, Tom Ridge or Condoleezza Rice?
Yet they get in front of a camera and make it sound like they know more about the Iraq situation than W and his cabinet.
W and his cabinet are briefed hourly about the war on terror. They get info from all over the planet about Hamas, al-Qaida and every other terror group and country in the Mideast.
They get info from the CIA, FBI, U.N. NATO and military intelligence-gathering. They get info from the intelligence-gathering agencies of all the countries of the world that are friendly to us.
But the stars know more, right?
I hear them using words like "moronic," "idiotic" and "stupid" to describe our leaders.
Sad thing is, Americans listen to them as if they speak with some level of authority.
Why? Because they're insanely rich and watch CNN? Because they made a fortune singing or pretending to be somebody else? The average Joe probably knows as much about foreign policy as they do.
Don't get me wrong.
I fully respect and defend their right to prattle on about whatever they please.
I hope they respect and defend my right to ignore them. And my right to refuse to patronize any movie or song they're involved with.
