Broken Levees

    The liberal levees are broken and have swamped the country with venomous sewage for far too long. The constant odious attacks and vitriolic screeds levied against President Bush and the federal government, immediately following Hurricane Katrina’s devastation, are filled with poisonous political winds containing few weight baring facts. Hot-hate-filled air bags of filth have replaced hardened levees of integrity, making liberals sound more ignorant than they probably are. In either case, perhaps they should seek the truth before blaming the federal government for all that went wrong in New Orleans. Like many (if not most) Americans, I have had it with disgusting, race baiting, character voided, do-nothing liberals who root against America and our nation’s success – both at home and abroad.

    The hundreds of flooded and unused buses in a New Orleans parking lot are the perfect pathetic symbols for the Democratic Party’s demise – sadly stranded, uselessly incompetent and filled with toxic waste. I despise liberal attempts to turn tragedy into political capital, pity their hate filled hearts and celebrate every day that their party is out of power. The stench of previous liberal governance and media dominance are slowly receding, but some stains and national disasters take time to cleanse. Liberals don't need to thank those of us in the military, first responders and average Americans who are keeping our country strong and helping those in need, but at least stop urinating in the drinking water -- there is still much work to be done.

    If liberals really want to help, they can send money to the American Red Cross, take-in a displaced American citizen or grab a shovel. If they need help, then they should start by educating themselves on the facts as they really are, not the loathsome lies they wish to circulate. The federal government can only do so much, especially when blocked by state and local incompetence. It appears that extremism, liberalism or global warming has melted liberal’s ability to think clearly, act decisively and behave honorably. Ignorant hate filled, dishonest finger pointing and disgusting race baiting tactics are tickets to nowhere that could drown us all. It is time for liberals, Democrats and the elite media to evacuate their abhorrent ways, abandon their stalled buses and seek higher ground. Put America First!

Michael Tetrick -- Chicago, Illinois

Lt. Col. USAF Fighter Pilot (Retired)

Lost in Translation

Elite media outlets, partisan pundits and political hacks can’t have it both ways. By pointing one finger at the Bush administration suggesting they should have been more aggressive against terrorist prior to 9-11, while pointing another finger at the Bush administration saying they were too aggressive (Iraq war) after 9-11, they are jeopardizing our future safety and security. Honest debate is healthy, but playing the blame game with national security is harmful, bordering on treason. Everyone in the Bush administration has been extremely careful not to blame the Clinton administration for their failures to respond to previous terrorist attacks during their 8 years in office (the World Trade Center bombing 2/26/93 -- killing 6, injuring 1,000, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia bombing 11/13/95—killing 7, injuring 37, embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania 8/07/00 – killing over 200 and injuring over 4,500, USS Cole bombing 10/12/00 – killing 17, injuring 39), to name a few. The war was waged, yet we were not engaged in spite of all these savage warnings that should have put ALL of us on war footing to defeat our enemies, but it didn’t.

Let’s be clear and intellectually honest, the terrorist attacks on 9-11 changed the world in which we live and our understanding of the threats we face. After 9-11 President Bush declared war against the terrorist and those who harbor them. Since 9-11 President Bush and his administration have aggressively taken the offensive to win the global war against terrorism. Unfortunately, it took the assassination of 3,000 of our citizens to awaken all of us to the hatred and murderous intentions of our enemies. I implore everyone (particularly members of the media) to close your eyes and remember the horror of 9-11 as aircraft crashed into the Pentagon, World Trade Center towers and a lone field in Pennsylvania. After doing this, please open your eyes and point your fingers of blame directly at the perpetrators of these crimes, not those who have labored on both sides of the political aisle to protect and defend our freedoms and our citizens.

The war in Afghanistan was waged to prosecute murderers, destroy their training camps and to eliminate state sponsored terrorism. The war in Iraq is not a war about oil, as some would suggest, it is about ridding the world of an evil dictator who used WMD against his own people and posed a “gathering threat against the United States.” In fact the only real evidence that the Iraq war was about oil are recent revelations that France, Germany, Russia and the United Nations opposed the war to protect their self interest and exposed theft of billions of dollars swindled from the Oil for Food Program. The war in Iraq is not another Viet Nam, as Ted Kennedy, Robert Bird and militant Shiite cleric (and murderer) Moqtada Sadr would have us believe. We lost 58,000 soldiers in Viet Nam in a war that was ultimately lost because of failed policies and a lack of support at home. The death of nearly 3,000 soldiers who have bravely lost their lives in the war against terrorism must not be compromised or cheapened at the expense of partisan politics. The war in Iraq is not a quagmire, but an offensive war against terrorist and those who harbor them. We did not start this war, but it is a war that must be won. Failure is not an option.

Fifty million people have been liberated in Afghanistan and Iraq, and if we are going to win the hearts and minds of others we must first defeat the heartless and mindless murderers who wish us harm. Freedom is a magical potion that creates passion and hope, and once inhaled -- like oxygen, it can never be lived without. The people of Afghanistan and Iraq are discovering the meaning and virtue of Patrick Henry’s proclamation, “Give me liberty, or give me death.” As Dr. Rice recently testified before the 9-11 commission, if we learn nothing else from the events of this awful day, it is that we must win this war against terrorist or face the loss of both liberty and life. Our anger, rage and finger of blame should forever be pointed at the throats of terrorist and those who harbor them. God Bless our troops and save us all if you -- the elite media, the 9-11 commission, partisan pundits or the world community ascribes blame or condemnation elsewhere.

The most important question facing our nation is not who is to blame for failures to prevent the 9-11 attacks, but what are we currently doing to avert future murderous acts against our citizens? Failure to translate the lessons of 9-11 into offensive action toward winning the war on terrorism will lead to, in the words of the terrorist, “something very, very, very, very, very, very, very BIG.” And that’s bad, very bad. We are at war against an evil enemy and it is time for every American to recall the horrors of 9-11, pick sides and ask, “What am I doing to support our troops and to help win the war on terrorism?” Pointing fingers, loosing our resolve and blaming America first is the only “silver bullet” that could possibly lead to our defeat. Let me translate -- We are at war and we must win! We are doing the right thing and we are going to win, and it is time for the liberal, biased, partisan elite media to “knock-it-off!” Freedom is not free.

Michael Tetrick

Lt. Col. (Retired) Fighter Pilot

Outrageous Journalism!

    The headline in Sunday’s Chicago Tribune’s PERSPECTIVE section screams out, “U.S troops have been accused of committing atrocities in Iraq. America should care. WHERE’S THE OUTRAGE?” Well I could not agree more, I am completely and totally outraged, but not at our troops, at such an egregious disregard for fairness, due process and (the new oxymoron) -- responsible journalism. The hatchet job, accompanied with a body bag photo of dead Iraqi civilians supposedly murdered by U.S. Marines, goes on to cite all t he liberal buzz words spewed by the far left: Abu Ghraib atrocities, My Lai Mass acre comparisons, John Murtha says “innocent civilians killed in cold blood” and any other unproven and false accusation that can be splattered upon the tremendous heroes of our military who are fighting for our survival against evil head-chopping Islamo-fascist murders who want us all destroyed.

    The deepest cut against our all voluntary military comes when the author, William Neikirk, quotes Boston psychiatrist Jonathon Shay, “If the mainstream of our society refuses to serve, it shouldn’t be surprising that you get soldiers that are not qualified to serve.” Not qualified to serve….. My God, what 60’s rock did they drag this draft dodging expert from to make such a false and unsubstantiated claim? I served twenty years in the military with these people and they are simply stated, the finest men and women to ever serve our country; they are not the convicted baby-killers, torturers and murderers the media wants us to believe. Our all-volunteer military come in all sizes, segments and social classes of our society and they are fighting to keep us safe, protect our freedoms and to defend our wonderful country aga inst all enemies, foreign and domestic! Unlike the media, the American military will police its own; the few bad apples will be prosecuted and justice will prevail. What a shame the same can’t be said for our American media.

    It takes a very blunt instrument and an extremely dim bulb to condemn so many without evidence, without trial and without all the facts. Such stupidity should not be held against everyone in the media, just as possible criminal behavior by a few soldiers should not blemish the majority of heroes courageously serving our country. But if Mr. Niekirka and the Chicago Tribune want outrage, then you better believe that America should be outraged by such horrific and irresponsible journalism!

Michael Tetrick

Lt Col. USAF, Retired

Chicago, IL. 60657

(#1) Yap-Yap Democrats

How convenient that President George W. Bush can be portrayed by Democrats and media pundits as the most ignorant leader in our nation’s history, unable to construct a sentence, fight a “smart war” or to prevent Katrina’s devastation, yet suddenly Bush is a genius when it comes to his influence over Prime Minister Tony Blair. According to Ray Mosley, the Chicago Tribune’s European correspondent, George Bush is a majestic Dog Whisper, able to control every utterance from Mr. Blair, “Bush’s Poodle.” Such ignorant whining from the mindless media would be funny if the security, safety and survival of the free world didn’t hang in the balance. Thank God, Tony Blair and George Bush have the character, courage and conviction to fight back and wage war against Islamo-fascist murderers who will chop heads, torture civilians and kill innocents in their efforts to wage Jihad agai nst civilized nations.

Meanwhile, back home Harry, Howard, Hillary, Nancy, the John’s and all the other “regain power at any cost” Democrats bark incessantly at leaders Bush and Blair who are doing all they can to protect our homeland. If anyone is acting like a tail-between-the-legs French poodle, it is these same power starved Democrats, who are all bark and no bite, when it comes to explaining their plans for protecting America. Do we really want to unleash this group of whimpering pups to defend our nation against future attacks?

Yap-yapping poodles with wagging tails will not stop killers, assassins and dirty bombs from reaching our shores. If the media really wishes to endorse reckless, feckless, howl at the moon liberals to serve as newly elected guard dogs this fall, they better find ones that won’t run for cover, pee on the carpet and lick the enemy’s boots at the first sign of trouble. Voting for World War III, before voting against it is not leadership. WE are at war, whether we like it or not, and failure is not an option. Great moments in history have required strong leadership from Great Britain and the United States, and this is the call, obligation and destiny accepted by President Bush and Prime Minister Blair. Please, stop the “whimpering-whisper c ampaign of defeatism” and let’s come together to defeat our common enemies.

Michael Tetrick

Lt. Col. USAF – Fighter Pilot (Retired)

Chicago, IL. 60657