By Staff
May she always be right, but right or wrong, this is my country. Over the years those words have been repeated over and over by one generation after another. Somehow, today as our nation faces the rigors of war, truly we hope she is right, but equally true is that pledge that this is my country and we support fully and completely those boys and girls in uniform who are bearing the burden of fighting a war.
As this is being written, no one really knows how long this war will be. A leading general of the war a dozen years ago said on television a couple of nights ago that America will have things cleared out and this war will be over in three weeks. That might then be declared a quick war.
When an American citizen, enjoying the freedom of speech as one does here, comes out against a war, it does not mean that he will also be against supporting the American effort during a war.
This newspaper opposes war because we are opposed to killing. But with the USA today in war, this is our country, right or wrong, and we support Uncle Sam today to the fullest. Today, as this is written, no other course has been considered. A war indicates that our country is in trouble, and it must be taken as a symbol that this is our America.
Right now we look back over the years at the bloodshed, the tears, the pain, and the heartaches this nation has suffered in war. We read that we lost about 8,000 Marines in the battle to take Guadalcanal. We have only heard of estimates as to how many men Japan lost there, but a recent article set the figure at 30,000. Then we might go to Normandy where we might have lost as many as 15,000 boys altogether in winning that battle. We suppose that the Germans must have lost an equal number. Let us for one moment stop and realize the broken homes brought on with this battle.
Today, in this war with Iraq, peace lovers over the world must be agonizing over the refusal of Saddam to go into exile, and thus halt a war. Instead, that refusal might cost several thousand lives before peace comes.
Yes, today Americans find themselves involved in the grim struggle of killing. Both sides will lose. But regardless of all else right now, we know that every full-blooded American should stand up and with a sense of deep pride say, "I'm an American and I'm proud of it."
We say the above still opposed to war and to killing. But when the inevitable comes and the casualties mount, we need to look at that flag and feel ever so proud that we can say, "I'm an American and I'm proud of it."
Since when is it an embarrassment to say that I'm a member of this or that church, or to say that I'm a true American, and to look at that Old Glory and with deep pride proclaim that, "I'm an American and proud of it?"