Virgie Bell's View

I am not at all surprised that our military men and women who stand between us and the enemy, those who would happily destroy us, are overwhelmingly in favor of the president’s strategy to send 21,000 more troops to Iraq. These are the brave men and women who realize that if they do not fight this evil there, they will fight it here on American soil. The cost of the war? What about the cost of no war?

We were living in a world where we thought we had peace when the events of 9/11 occurred. If Flight 94 had not been taken down, we would more than likely be fighting it on this soil anyway. We sustained a blow that nearly crippled us as it was. Only the American spirit and genuine love of our country prevailed. I can not help but notice that if anything happens to a country that has no natural resources but only poor hungry people, that most of the rest of the world is gung ho for the United States to intervene, even though that country has no sustaining power or hope until the next war-lord or tribal feud takes over again. Give the United States a hopeless and thankless mission, then the rest of the world expects, nay demands our military jump in, and yet we never seem to be anything but hated by a world that would jump in and take us down in a heartbeat. Long ago we became a bully nation. That had nothing to do with this administration. In fact it has nothing to do with the last few administrations. If you win wars and become a mighty super-power, you are hated. Power is just like property and thieves and terrorists are also the same. One can lock up property, but the only thing you can do with power is fight to protect it.

I consider myself very lucky to have been raised by parents that taught me as they did. My dad said on several occasions, "The only way you can whip a bully is to whip his ass." When my youngest daughter was in the fourth grade she came home in tears most days after school. There was a small gang of girls who met up when school was out to bully her. I tried everything and it just kept going on and getting worse until one day I had a gut full. I set my daughter down and told her what I had been taught by my dad. He told his children, "First Blood Wins,” Go on the offense.

I told Lisa the next time it happens, “Don't scratch and pull hair, double up your fist and hit as hard as you can in the face.” Well the very next day, sure enough, it happened and that was the end of that.

I had a phone call later from the girl’s mother; she was appalled that her daughter had been in a fight. “We don't allow our daughter to fight, she said.

"Then teach her to shut-up because I allow mine to fight," was my simple reply.

We are a bully nation. It was forced on us long ago when we became survivors and achievers. We will never achieve peace unless we pursue it. It is not done with talks and hair pulls and threats. Not in a world that uses us and hates us. What insanity. I value my career as a wife and mother very much, and have tried to instill in my children with good skills in the art of living, but they were never taught that they would be bullied. I hate the fact that we live in a world that is not peaceful. I value peace above anything in life, but I am no fool. I’m sure that it will come as no surprise in my family that my grand-daughter was given the same advice by her Granny.

I am glad the facts are coming out about Jimmy Carter. He is having people quit his foundation and has been using false facts (catchy huh?) and stealing other people’s words, and showing an extreme bias toward a group of people who are our enemies. He is a holder of many awards including the Nobel Peace Prize. The thing about it is that we were so very fooled as a nation. The Jim and Tammy Faye Baker thing should be no more disdained than the ex-president. In fact, I should think even less so. The religious sector is where we can be forgiven. The Bible is the success story for the world but it is the hardest book in the world to read. If you don't learn it on the knee of your parents, you are pretty much going to miss it. It’s always surprising to me to meet one upon whose heart it is tattooed. The best lesson in the world comes from them. Amazingly enough, the Bible is not hard to live, just hard to understand, but it is a wonderful truth. Faith is in the heart. The very seat of all our emotions.

How many nations and factions are against us at this very moment, and want to go nuclear to boot? If we allow them to succeed, we will only be committing suicide as a nation. I am gratified that when sixteen prisoners were released from Guantonimo and shipped back to their home countries, they were held as prisoners in Saudi Arabia. It behooves other nations to follow the same actions. We always have another Evil dictator ready to have a go at us. Cindy Sheehan kissed him on the cheek and called the United States terrorists and called insurgents freedom fighters. Yet we have a majority of the people who now support her words. We really need a troop build-up in Iraq. We need to win that battle as fast as possible, because we have Iran and North Korea ready take a shot at us, along with Venezuela who is headed that way as fast as possible.

Japan woke-up a sleeping giant back in World War II. We dare not let that giant become crippled. I am sorry but we have got to have oil. We are not allowed to drill for it here or fight to protect a vital strategic supply elsewhere. If that remains the fact, we will eventually have nothing to defend. SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!