June 24 , 2005

Cool the Rhetoric, Support Our Troops How Quickly Some Forget  

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R-Upper Arlington) today released the following opinion letter:

“In just over a week we will celebrate a great national holiday – the Fourth of July. On that date 229 years ago, our country first declared its independence from the empire of Great Britain. During those fateful years of 1775-1781, from the Battle at Bunker Hill, through the winter at Valley Forge and the British surrender at Yorktown, approximately 25,000 brave soldiers paid the ultimate sacrifice to secure our liberty. And in the years hence, more than one million American soldiers have fought and died to defend that freedom.

Today, we are fighting yet another war -- a war on terror. It is a war we are fighting abroad in the mountains of Afghanistan and the desert of Iraq so that we never again suffer the incomprehensible loss of 9/11 here in our homeland. And, once again, courageous young Americans are answering the call to defend their nation and provide for the safety and security of their fellow citizens so we can enjoy peace and freedom.

Viewed through the lens of 9/11, it should be crystal clear who our heroes are and who the enemy is, but recent rhetoric in Washington suggests otherwise. Some have called our troops in Iraq “an occupying force,” and deemed operation Iraqi Freedom “unwinnable.” Guantanimo Bay has been compared to Russian gulags and German concentration camps; our military cast in the light of the Pol Pot regime. Those who use such charged rhetoric are satisfied to besmirch the honored reputation of our troops to promote the interests of terror-camp detainees. Where is their outrage for the ethnic cleansing by Saddam, the murders by Al Qaeda, and the evil of Osama bin laden?

When they’re not criticizing our troops, armchair quarterbacks in Washington are calling for us to cut-and-run from Iraq, just two years into the transformation of that country. While insurgent attacks continue and we recognize that every soldier lost is one too many, we must keep the mission in perspective. The Iraqi government is just getting on its feet. We’re now training Iraqi soldiers to take over the security of their country. Some of our soldiers’ main responsibilities these days are rebuilding infrastructure, repairing buildings and supplying schools and hospitals. Do the critics need to be reminded that our War for Independence took six years to win, and another eight years before the government was in place? Should they re-read their history books to find that World War II lasted six years and the post-war rebuilding of Germany took several additional years?

What happened to supporting our troops and putting America first? While our men and women in uniform put their lives on the line each day to defend our safety and to protect our freedoms, the least they should expect is the backing and the support of their leaders at home.

As we prepare to celebrate our nation's independence, let us put into perspective the war we are waging to protect our homeland from those who seek to destroy the very ideals that are at the foundation of our freedom. While we enjoy our freedom here at home, let us honor those who provide the security we require to enjoy it.”