Zell Spoke My Heart

As an Independent, I have admired and voted for persons of all parties. I remember WWII and my mother worrying that my father would have to go into the service. This was no small concern since with three children and living in an area of the country without extended family it would be a very hard thing to do. While worrying, no thought was ever disccussed as to how my dad could avoid service. If he had been called up at age 42, my father would have gone. I remember the slogans, the rationing, the scrap metal collections I participated in as a young school girl. I bought stamps for a booklet toward the purchase of War Bonds. America on the homefront was totally involved in the war effort. President Roosevelt had the backing of both major parties at least in public. If we needed things for our troops, we at home provided them first. Rubber was needed for the war effort, so I wore underwear without elastic. Fuel was needed for our planes, so our ability to buy gas was rationed. Foodstuffs were needed to feed our troops, so we had ration books and tokens to limit homeland consumption of those needed for our troops. Women filled jobs needed to meet our military needs. New cars, new tires, and even chewing gum were not available because our troops needed the materials used to produce these commodities. We were involved as a united country in the support of our troops. The Korean war came. We supported our troops. Complaints and fears mostly concerned the number of the military who returned home broken or in a box. Families feared that their loved ones would be drafted and lived in fear that those they loved would not come home safely. America supported the troops. Debates on the wisdom of the war occured, but America supported her troops. Then came Vietnam. We no longer had just weeks old newsreels in the local theatre. Vietnam was in our face on TV everyday. Our loses were no longer just in newsprint but in the evening news on TV. Then came John Kerry and his testimony before congress. Widely covered and convincing to those in congress. We had lost so many of our honorable troops, Americans became convinced that the war was not going to be won. America put its tail between it's legs and made plans to pull out. Kerry continued speecifying about how disgraceful American military had become. We, as a country no longer supported our troops. America went back on it's word to the South Vietnamese. We suffered shame at the hands of Kerry and his ilk. Our military came home to a country that now held our military guilty of bringing this defeat, this shame upon our nation. Despite the loss of life, the horrible wounds suffered and the honorable service by the vast majority of our troops, our returning vets were shamed, spit upon and unable to find work due to being vets. I believe that John Kerry's statements, before, during and after the Vietnam war set the stage for the current schism in our nation. He openly and loudly proclaimed that America was wrong, was brutal and that our leaders supported this brutality-the unconscionable acts he accused our military of.

Since our country was attacked on September 11,2001, there was a brief period when we stood together again as a nation. We grieved together, we prayed together and we were angered together. Our leaders began the arduous tasks that would lead to retaliating against an unusual enemy, a group of people driven by hate whose stated goals are to destroy our nation, deprive us of freedom and convert the world to a perverted form of Islam.

Soon, members of the party not in power started the campaign of hate against our government. Some of this undoubtedly is simply anger that their candidate lost the election. Some of this is probably a sense that as the one super power in the world we should show humility and shame over any mistake we may have made in the past. We should bow to the wisdom of some countries who do not agree with us. We should wait for the UN to determine our course in defense of our country. The self hate seemed to grow until our President, the man elected to lead us was vilified by our own citizens. The more of this I heard, the more I prayed for our President and his administration. The more I heard, the more I wondered what would motivate these people in the midst of the most serious conflict we have engaged in to criticize our nation and our leaders. They have no sound argument. They present no plans that would assist our leaders, they attack, attack, attack. It does not seem they want our troops to prevail. It seems they would love to see our nation fail as proof that the current administration is wrong. It would seem they feel more that their self promotion is more important than the safety fo our nation. The candidate to replace President Bush continues to say he has a plan but "will not show his cards". If he has such grand ideas to help preserve our country, why doesn't he show them? Partisan politics seems to be more important than the safety of our country. A man who trashed our military during and after the Vietnam war now wants to become Commander in Chief. Why would America, why would our military respond to such a man?
President Bush has shown nothing but courage as he made the hard decisions in defense of our country. He has shown the heart and soul needed in a leader. President Bush has demonstrated that he is not motivated by popularity and poll results. He has stated that the safety of America is more important than re-election.
He has, during a time of war, worked to bring our economy back, to improve our education. I do not agree with all of his domestic decisions, mistakes have undoubtedly occured in the prosecution of the war, we had incidents where a limited number of military did not function according to our principles. This said, I cannot think of any leader in the recent past or future that I trust more with the security of our nation, my personal safety and that of my family. President Bush has shown the steely resolve to stay the course and protect our nation. Kerry has demonstrated
his inability to take a stand and stay with it. he promises to each individual groups whatever he thinks it will take to win this groups vote. He has not supported our military by voting for needed equipment and supplies. Had his voting record prevailed, our troops would lack needed materials to be successful. Once again, Kerry would would undercut the very men and women dedicated to preserve our freedom.