War on Terrorism

The Civil War began on April 12, 1861, shortly after Lincoln ascended to the presidency (prior to F.D.R.'s second election, presidential inaugurations were held in March instead of January). That war lasted four years, ending on April 9, 1865, when General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse.

During World War I, with President Woodrow Wilson in the White House, Congress declared war on April 6, 1917. That war ended a year and a half later on Armistice Day, "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month", November 11, 1918.

America, under President Franklin D. Roosevelt's leadership, entered World War II immedately after the raid on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, a "day that shall live in infamy." The U.S. emerged victorious from World War II in three years and nine months, ending on V.J. Day, August 15, 1945.

President Bush's War on Terrorism officially began on September 11, 2001. Here we are today, nearly four and a half years later, and Osama bin Laden is still roaming free and there's no end to this war anywhere in sight.

I can't help but continue to wonder who is profiting from the War on Terrorism. Billions upon billions upon billions are being spent each and every month. Who is getting rich?

I do not understand why Osama bin Laden is not dead yet. Meanwhile we continue fighting in Iraq. Originally told that war was because of WMDs, we're now told WMD stands for "We Meant Democracy" (not that anything even remotely resembling real democracy is showing up anywhere in the Islamic Middle East). Yet, more than ever, Americans and Westerners everywhere are terrorized, living in fear of retaliation from bloodthirsty Islamists who seek to impose their will on those who do not believe as they do. Today's Islamic jihadists are emboldened by appeasement and submissiveness. With each new rampage you feel as if the ideals that generations of Americans have died to defend are now being betrayed.

Can it get any worse? Today, President Bush said he will veto any congressional effort to stop a deal allowing an Arab company to take over six major U.S. seaports (this from a president who has yet to veto a single bill since he's been in office). Who wants to bet this never happens (neither the deal nor the veto)?