There is an ever-present threat of terrorism at home, coupled with the ominous potential for war in Iraq and Korea. Friends and family members alike are being called up with their Reserve or National Guard units to join the ever-increasing numbers of regular armed forces who prepare to go to war or who stand ready to bolster those forces already committed in the defense of freedom now enjoyed by the people of South Korea and other democracies around the world. Should Saddam Hussein refuse to comply with United Nation’s resolutions and bring war upon this nation and those whose charter it is to enforce the edict of free nations, the potential for grief will be too awesome to simply set aside in a mad dash to war. The tremendous sacrifice that will be asked of those who fight the good fight, coupled with the enormous tragedy that any war brings to those on either side who are listed in the somewhat euphemistic, but nonetheless disastrous, category of “collateral damage” must be taken into consideration before any nation takes precipitous action on its own.

Perhaps we should consider a better option than war and do what we can to persuade our leaders to use sanity and not pride in military muscle to decide the correct course of action.

Each and every one of us who treasure the freedom we now enjoy and who honor our heritage as defenders of freedom, a badge of honor we have earned in many hard fought wars and through often-time great sacrifices on the home front, must continue to demand of our leaders in Congress and in the White House the utmost in courage, honor and integrity.

As American citizens, we must also have the courage to let our President, who has but limited authority to send our men and women into battle, and our Congress, that elected body that has the power to declare war and thereby commit our entire nation to a struggle for victory over evil, know that we should not be the ones to start a war. Without the mandate of our people brought about by another nation attacking our right to exist as a democracy, or the resolution of the United Nations to go as an entity against an evil nation, we should continue to defend freedom but not perpetrate war.

In the conclusion of Part 21 we will look into what it is that makes individual courage a key ingredient to an honorable and responsive government. I will point out specific instances of where and when our elected leaders in Congress, the Executive Offices and the White House have ignored the pleas of reputable and well qualified persons who have attempted to provide some valuable insight into activities that could have an incalculable affect on the war against terrorism.