November 1979... that alarm has been ringing for years. If I did my math > > correctly, 862 people (mostly military) were killed without us lifting a > > finger. > > > > AMERICA NEEDS TO WAKE UP! > > > > That's what we think we heard on the 11th of September 2001 (When more >than > > 3,000 Americans were killed-AD) and maybe it was, but I think it should >have > > been "Get Out of Bed!" In fact, I think the alarm clock has been buzzing > > since 1979 and we have continued to hit the snooze button and roll over >for > > a few more minutes of peaceful sleep since then. > > > > It was a cool fall day in November 1979 in a country going through a > > religious and political upheaval when a group of Iranian students attacked > > and seized the American Embassy in Tehran. This seizure was an outright > > attack on American soil; it was an attack that held the world's most > > powerful country hostage and paralyzed a Presidency. The attack on this > > sovereign U. S. embassy set the stage for events to follow for the next 25 > > years. America was still reeling from the aftermath of the Vietnam > > experience and had a serious threat from the Soviet Union when then > > president, President Carter, had to do something. He chose to conduct a > > clandestine raid in the desert. The ill-fated mission ended in ruin, but > > stood as a symbol of America's inability to deal with terrorism. America's > > military had been decimated and down sized/right sized since the end of >the > > Vietnam War. A poorly trained, poorly equipped and poorly organized >military > > was called on to execute a complex mission that was doomed from the start. > > Shortly after the Tehran experience, Americans began to be kidnapped and > > killed throughout the Middle East. America could do little to protect her > > citizens living and working abroad. The attacks against US soil continued. > > > > In April of 1983 a large vehicle packed with high explosives was driven >into > > the US Embassy compound in Beirut. When it exploded, it killed 63 people. > > The alarm went off again and America hit the Snooze Button once more. > > Then just six short months later a large truck heavily laden down with >over > > 2500 pounds of TNT smashed through the main gate of the US Marine Corps > > headquarters in Beirut and 241 US servicemen were killed. America mourned > > her dead and hit the Snooze Button once more. Two months later in December > > 1983, another truck loaded with explosives was driven into the US Embassy >in > > Kuwait. Still America continued her slumber. > > > > The following year, in September 1984, another van was driven into the >gate > > of the US Embassy in Beirut and America slept. > > Soon the terrorism spread to Europe. In April 1985 a bomb exploded in a > > restaurant frequented by US soldiers in Madrid. > > Then in August a Volkswagen loaded with explosives is driven into the main > > gate of the US Air Force Base at Rhein-Main, 22 are killed and the snooze > > alarm is buzzing louder and louder as US interests are continually >attacked. > > Fifty-nine days later a cruise ship, the Achille Lauro is hijacked and we > > watched as an American in a wheelchair is singled out of the passenger >list > > and executed. The terrorists then shift their tactics to bombing civilian > > airliners when they bombed TWA Flight 840 in April of 1986 that killed 4 >and > > the most tragic bombing, Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in >1988, > > killing 259. > > The wake up alarm is getting louder and louder. > > > > The terrorists decide to bring the fight to America. In January 1993, two > > CIA agents are shot and killed as they enter CIA headquarters in Langley, > > Virginia. The following month, February 1993, a group of terrorists are > > arrested after a rented van packed with explosives is driven into the > > underground parking garage of the World Trade Center in New York City. Six > > people are killed and over 1000 are injured. Still this is a crime and not > > an act of war? The Snooze alarm is depressed again. > > > > Then in November 1995 a car bomb explodes at a US military complex in > > Riyadh, Saudi Arabia killing seven service men and women. A few months >later > > in June of 1996, another truck bomb explodes only 35 yards from the US > > military compound in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. It destroys the Khobar Towers, >a > > US Air Force barracks, killing 19 and injuring over 500. The terrorists >are > > getting braver and smarter as they see that America does not respond > > decisively. They move to coordinate their attacks in a simultaneous attack > > on two US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. These attacks were planned > > with precision. They kill 224. America responds with cruise missile >attacks > > and goes back to sleep. > > > > The USS Cole was docked in the port of Aden, Yemen for refueling on 12 > > October 2000, when a small craft pulled along side the ship and exploded, > > killing 17 US Navy Sailors. Attacking a US War Ship is an act of war, but >we > > sent the FBI to investigate the crime and went back to sleep. > > > > And of course you know the events of 11 September 2001. Most Americans >think > > this was the first attack against US soil or in America. How wrong they >are. > > America has been under a constant attack since 1979 and we chose to hit >the > > snooze alarm and roll over and go back to sleep. > > > > In the news lately we have seen lots of finger pointing from every high > > officials in government over what they knew and what they didn't know. But > > if you've read the papers and paid a little attention I think you can see > > exactly what they knew. You don't have to be in the FBI or CIA or on the > > National Security Council to see the pattern that has been developing >since > > 1979. The President is right on when he says we are engaged in a war. I > > think we have been in a war for the past 25 years and it will continue >until > > we as a people decide enough is enough. America needs to "Get out of Bed" > > and act decisively now. America has been changed forever. We have to be > > ready to pay the price and make the sacrifice to ensure our way of life > > continues. We cannot afford to keep hitting the snooze button again and > > again and roll over and go back to sleep. > > > > After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Admiral Yamamoto said "... it seems all >we > > have done is awakened a sleeping giant." This is the message we need to > > disseminate to terrorists around the world. Support Our President for >having > > the courage, political or militarily, to address what so many who preceded > > him didn't have the backbone to do both Democrat and Republican.

i guess it's possible the wording could have been couched well enough to legally bypass the law....but i don't think so......

i agree with him in principle....but what he is NOT mentioning is that this war has been being won on a DAILY basis since Ron Reagan got our hostages back....

making the point that we should not be hashing this out in an election?????
there is NO OTHER time time to hash it out....

is he suggsting that we should all just shutup and do whatever Bush says?????

i'm hearing way too much of this talk......

give up your rights now so your kids can have theem????? SICK!!!!!!

Or rights as defined by the Constitution and Bill Of Rights have been screwed up since just about the first time another law was passed.

Have ya read the constitution lately?
http://www.allstocks.com/html/us_constitution.html

every law does abridge them....

it's been a few years since i read it...

quote:

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Originally posted by glassman:
you are absolutely correct Bob....

every law does abridge them....

it's been a few years since i read it...

my experience in the military taught me that active military personnel have NO rights (to free speech or anything else).....

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I am not a military person, and do feel for the loses experienced by any family and injured personel. However I also realize that our ALL VOLUNTEER military (todays army) is compromised of adult men and women who have the full capacity to realize that if this country goes to war, they will be involved. I feel pain for the families of lost service men and women, however I think it is an injustice to claim they were forced into their death. In the military, as I understand it, there exists a chain of comand. It is that very chain of command that the troops are trained to follow. It is this exact principle, that has lead us into battle for virtuous reasons, that people have died for in order to allow me to be sitting here typing this very post out. Lose of freedom? I don't see it that way. I feel what the chain of command represents is a method to preserve our way of life. That alone is just and right. This war more than ever must be supported. Unlike other wars, if we appear divided on the homefront, that will be exploited. It has been. The fact that these men and women have marched into iraq, says that they have enough faith in our country to have signed up for this very war, or any other combat that they may be called upon for. Their right to "fight the system", is void (or should be) as long as they are active. Don't forget that these same people have signed up for this war (you can not sign up for a military and expect to get paid to sit in poolroom somewhere out west), once the war is over and their duty is fullfilled let them say whatever they want. But their being in the military allows them no freedom to question the mission publicaly. I agree with the the aspect that our President should be fully supported in this effort. I agree that it was time to act, and I agree this was the correct action to take. This is why he should be supported.
War is a terrible thing, and I think it unfortunate that it had to happen. However I do feel that the sooner the "sleeping giant" wakes up, the sooner there will be peace. This process will take years, Our President understands that, and from what I have seen, states it. How can any person try and make people think there is an option to leave? If this country sends a message that it is divided, that will be exploited time and time again, just causing the prolonging of this war on terror.