They need a united country

I was overwhelmed with a mixture of emotions within me this morning as I read the news that 5000 additional troops are being sent to Baghdad to augment the forces already in place. On the one had, I fully understood the reasoning behind the movement and I have total faith in the men and women in our military, their training, weaponry, leadership and support. I have total faith in the ability of our troops to overcome all odds and to prevail in the coming months and I will support them with every fiber of my being.

On the other hand though I was hit with tremendous uncertainty for the future of our country, as it was all too déjà vu to me having served during the Viet Nam era of our history. It brought a sense of foreboding, of the coming troubled times that are sure to manifest within our country as many more citizens begin protesting a war many do not understand or grasp the meaning behind. In addition, the knowledge of the overall physiological affect these protest will have on our troops as they strive to insure their individual and overall unit’s mission’s success.

I have written many times that our country needs to support the men and women of our Armed Forces, that we need to stand behind their actions, supporting each man and woman as if they were our own family members and praying for their safe returns. Some people, including many politicians, celebrities and high profile individuals openly state they do not support the war, but support the men and women in uniform, when in fact this is the furthest from the truth. We have all witnessed or read of incidents, which have shown these statements to be total fabrications by these individuals meant to bolster their public image.

We need a nation united in our goals and speaking in one voice of that common support of the men and women of the military and we need it now more than ever. We need to put our differences and opinions of the war on terrorism behind us and openly support the actions of our armed forces. They need our united support and prayers and they need to have this feeling instilled deeply within them as they face the uncertainty of their future. They need a media openly supporting them in their actions, not working diligently to uncover perceived illegal activities or hidden agendas, but honestly and openly supporting them.

Yes, my thoughts and prayers are with the men and women of our military, but they are also with our nation as their overall actions are what will dictate whether they achieve success or not. Their support will make the difference as these troops face the unknown and put their lives on the line