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First, let me say that I do not approve of the news media looking over the shoulders of our US military as they do battle in foreign lands. I do not feel that the media should have a “front row box seat” view of each and every word, thought, action, gesture, and emotion that our fighting forces exhibit on the battlefield. The media should cover our troops in battle, but they should not be allowed to report on every “dot and tittle” of what goes on. Some would say that my opinion violates the First Amendment right of Freedom of the Press, that it represents censorship.

I do respect the right of the US public to know what is going on with our troops, and I feel that the media is entitled to report on daily happenings of our fighting forces. I do not, however, like cameras and microphones being poked into every private discussion and undertaking, all in the name of what the media would have you believe as being “newsworthy coverage of the war”, similar to the way the paparazzi covers celebrities.

Yes, we have a right to know about the wartime activities that our President has committed us to. But, there are things - dark things, yet necessary things - that go on during wartime that the public is better off not knowing about, for reasons of national security as well as for the honor of those serving. Consider the fear that gets struck in the hearts of families at home when they see an intense firefight on television. War is brutal. Brutal actions and operations are necessary to defeat an entrenched enemy. Wars are not fought and won with elegant words or decided over a polite game of Chess. Wars are fought with horrendous vengeance. Navy Seals, Delta Force, Rangers, Dark Ops, Snipers- you might not like them, you might not approve of their tactics - but it is likely that we would all be amazed to know how many rescues they have performed or how many lives they have saved. Yes, fellow Americans and peace lovers, like it or not, you need these people on watch when you go to sleep at night.

Jack Nicholson as General Jessup in “A Few Good Men” stated it very succinctly:

"Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who’s gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and you curse the marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago’s death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don’t want the truth because, deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said ‘thank you’ and went on your way. Otherwise I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand at post. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to."

To me there are two responsibilities of the media in their coverage of war. First, it is the responsibility of the media, above everything else, to report the absolute truth - nothing more, nothing less. Having said that, the media has a secondary responsibility to do everything within it’s power rally the public in support of our troops, whether we agree with the war effort (and the reasoning behind that effort) or not. Our military does not declare war - congress does. Our military does not send itself into battle on foreign soil - the President of the Untied States issues that order. So, whether you agree with who we are fighting and why we are fighting them, our military, whose lives are on the line, deserve our unwavering support.

The recently released photos of flag-draped coffins being transported back to the United States strike deep into the heart of the price of war. These photos demonstrate the sobering truth and tragedy of the loss of American Soldiers. Photos such as these MUST reach the public eye. They remind us of the high cost of freedom, and the honor and dignity with which our US troops serve, as stated in Toby Keith’s song, “American Soldier”:

"And I will always do my duty
no matter what the price.
I’ve counted up the cost.
I know the sacrifice.
Oh, and I don’t want to die for you,
but if dyin’s asked of me,
I’ll bare that cross with honor
’cause freedom don’t come free."

Photos such as these should serve to temper our knee-jerk reaction to “just suit up and go kick somebody’s ass because we don’t agree with how they live their lives.” The sacrifice of human life in the name of defending freedom deserves much more thought - no, thought is too light a word - it requires much more debate, discussion, soul searching before we submit our soldiers as sacrificial offerings to enemy gunfire. Human life is so very sacred to me; I dearly love this country. I served in the US Navy. I was, and still am, willing to defend her to my death. Even though casualties are expected and inevitable in war, we must never forget the value of those lives, and the families that they leave behind, as they go off to defend our soil.

The next time you see a member of our Armed Forced on the street, walk up to him and tell him “Thank You”. Let him know that you appreciate the work that he does. Let him know that you recognize the unselfish sacrifice that he makes for you. The typical enlisted men and women in our Armed Forces make less than $20,000 a year, and yet they stand ready to give their lives in order to defend yours, so that you can sleep soundly at night.

The following appeared in the Durham, NC local paper as a letter to the editor. Please forward to all on your list as this will put things in perspective:

Liberals claim President Bush shouldn’t have started this war. They complain about his prosecution of it. One liberal recently claimed President Bush was the worst president in U.S. history. Let’s clear up one point: We didn’t start the war on terror. Try to remember, it was started by terrorists BEFORE 9/11.

Let’s look at the “worst” president and mismanagement claims.

FDR led us into World War II. Germany never attacked us - Japan did. From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost, an average of 112,500 per year.

Truman finished that war and started one in Korea. North Korea never attacked us. From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost, an average of 18,333 per year.

John F. Kennedy started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam never attacked us. I think history might show Eisenhower committed the troups and Kennedy was honoring that commitment.

Johnson turned Vietnam into a quagmire. From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost, an average of 5,800 per year.

Clinton went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent, Bosnia never attacked us. He was offered Osama bin Laden’s head on a platter three times by Sudan and did nothing. Osama has attacked us on multiple occasions.

In the two years since terrorists attacked us, President Bush has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Lybia, Iran and North Korea without firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people. We lost 600 soldiers, an average of 300 a year in Iraq. (We lost the same number in the first 45 minutes of Iwo Jima.) Bush did all this abroad while not allowing another terrorist attack at home.

Worst President in history? Come on!

The Democrats are complaining about how long the war is taking, but…

It took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno to take the Branch Davidian compound. That was a 51 day operation.

We’ve been looking for evidence of chemical weapons in Iraq for less time than it took Hillary Clinton to find the Rose Law Firm billing records.

It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard than it took Teddy Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick.

It took less time to take Iraq than it took to count the votes in Florida!!!!

Pray for our president, his advisors, and our armed forces. It’s because of them, and those those have gone before them, that we sleep safely at night.

I’m am absolutely NOT a John Kerry fan. The more I find out about this guy, the more I dislike him. Check out these statements from Don Bendell. Don Bendell served as an officer in four Special Forces Groups, is a best-selling author with over 1,500,000 copies of his books in print worldwide, a 1995 inductee into the International Karate Hall of Fame, and owns karate schools in southern Colorado.

John Kerry, you personally derailed the Vietnam Human Rights Bill, HR2833, in 2001, after it had passed the House by a 411 to 1 vote, and thousands of pro-American Montagnard tribespeople in Vietnam died since then who could have been saved, by you. Earlier, as Chair of the Senate Select Committee on MIA/POW Affairs, you personally quashed the efforts of any and all veterans to report sightings of living POW?s, when you held those reins in Congress. You have fought tooth and nail to push for the US to normalize relations with Vietnam for years. Why, Mr. Kerry? Simple, your first cousin C. Stewart Forbes, CEO, of Colliers International, recently signed a contract with Hanoi, worth BILLIONS of dollars for Collier?s International to become the exclusive real estate representative for the country of Vietnam.

The hardcore America-hating, Israel-hating, jihad-spouting Muslim clerics in the mideast are very excited and passing around a front page newspaper story from the very anti-American TEHRAN TIMES in Iran. In the country that is home of the world?s toughest theocratic dictatorship, an e-mail from Democratic Presidential nominee, you, John Forbes Kerry, sent to the paper by your campaign committee, although they deny sending it, was printed word-for-word on the front page of Iran?s main newspaper. Your message states emphatically that, if elected President, you, John Kerry plan to, within 100 days, not only end the War on Terror, but travel to the mideast and elsewhere and apologize for our actions and the actions of President Bush in the War on Terror. It says that you plan to apologize to friends and foes alike. That is right, folks. John Kerry will say he is sorry, and in his mind, all those jihad extremists, who have vowed to kill all Americans wherever we are, will simply forgive us, hold hands with Kerry, start singing ?Kumbaya,? and all will be right in the world. This is insane!

Senior writer Kenneth R. Timmerman in the March 1st edition of INSIGHT, tells about the massive campaign contributions to the Kerry-for-President campaign by three Iranian businessmen living in the US, who are lobbying for the US lifting of sanctions on Iran and accepting the anti-Christian, anti-Jewish, anti-American Tehran regime and the close ties of one to the chairman of Mobil Oil.

Pro-democracy dissidents in Iran are shocked and appalled at your remarks, and have reported that in Iran and other Mideastern countries, that all the extremists and anti-west mullahs who strongly supported the attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon, USS Cole, Marine Barracks, and anyplace Americans congregate, want you to become our President, but they are scared to death of George W. Bush. Just think, The Democratic candidate for President, you, John Forbes Kerry, is endorsed by the Al Q?Aida, Hezbollah, PLF, and Hamas.

You convinced TV reporters Chris Wallace on Fox and NBC?s Tim Russert that a photograph circulating the web and news showing you a few rows away from Jane Fonda at a September, 1970 Anti-War Rally at Valley Forge, was simply a coincidence and that you and Hanoi Jane barely knew each other. But, in fact, Senator, there were only 8 speakers that day, including Fonda, Donald Southerland, and Bella Abzug, and Hanoi Jane funded that rally, and the keynote speaker was you, John Forbes Kerry, executive committee member of Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

The above comments are quoted from Don Bendell’s website.