It is incredible the emotional feelings that flow through your body and mind when you read the words and see the photos of one of your own children standing in a room full of rubble and contemplating what his next assignment will be. Mike's words cause me to reflect to 1972-73 and my impressions of the political and media arena that tossed our servicemen and women around like a bunch of checker pieces. It causes me to remember the emotions we had when he was in Afghanistan and the tyrants of the same arena at that time. I drive to work daily and read the degrading comments made by individuals whom I do not know. They speak their minds and argue their points and threaten to take away the life-sustaining elements of battle that allow our men and women to do the job they were sent there to do. The hot potato is tossed back and forth from party to party with little resolution to backing the efforts of the commanders "over there". I was quite unimpressed with the seething questioning by some of the congressional elements as they pounded the troop's commander with their idealogical thoughts. War is war. It is about survival. Not only for today, or this year, but for the future. This fly isn't going to go away, but it needs to be pushed back into its black hole. Will it come out again? Certainly. Will our grandsons and beyond have to go to war to beat it down? Certainly. This is not a utopian world. It is full of people who really dislike others. It is not a world of love and peace. It just is not that. It isn't going to be that. Until this world comes to its final end, whenever that is, there will be battles fought on every front. People basking in Bali will still have their rented condos blown apart by someone who does not like the country they represent. These yahoos don't care if your are a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian or any other party in the United States. However, if you side with their goals, then consider yourself part of the problem. Remember 911. Remember those who have died for what we are trying to do. Try to immerse yourself and your thoughts into that room in Iraq, in Mike's photo, and ask yourself, "should I not support the troops and allow them to do their jobs"? Should I assist the Jihad in its desire to destroy what we all live for here. Get out of your air conditioned homes, plant your body in the middle of Arizona during one of those 120 degree days, with your full suit and tie and get a small realization of how it feels to be running around the streets "over there". Let's just get the job done and let them get home. But, don't take away the instruments and people they need to survive and get home safely. Kenn