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Letter to the editor
I attended a talk-radio lunch yesterday and met some very interesting people. Mr Cothran is continually trying to get his letters published in the local paper. They will never publish anything like the following. I asked him for his permission to post one of his letters here:
"We Don't Mess Around
President Theodore Roosevelt once said: “Speak softly, but carry a big stick”. The diplomats and politicians can do the speaking softly, but with authority, as long as they are backed up by a Big Stick, which is the United States Military might.
No country in the world is considered a powerful, leading nation unless it has a military force to enforce what is negotiated. Negotiation must always be accomplished with the understanding that if we are threatened, we will react, and that reaction will be in force and complete. Anything that diminishes the fear that is instilled by a powerful military force, is detrimental to the safety and security of the American people, and borders on Sedition and Treason. Attempting to use the wrong-doings of a few to say the whole is corrupt diminishes that inherent fear of the military force and causes the people to foster ill-will and doubt in the abilities of our military. Criticizing the strategic planning of those who exercise control over our military, can result in planting seeds of doubt into the military serving in the conflict, and one bit of doubt can cost the lives of those serving around the doubters. Misrepresenting the truth and telling half truths about what is happening in a war and failing to report the good things being accomplished is detrimental to the good morale and discipline, which must be present within any military unit. This stuff may sell papers or raise the ratings, but it does nothing but harm the military effort, and those who practice it are more interested in selling papers or raising ratings than they are in the safety and security of you, me, or the men and women serving in harms way.
Never in the history of the Presidency has a Commander-in-Chief been held in higher esteem by the military, than is President George W. Bush at this time. The military sees him as a leader who will not falter and will not quit until our enemy, International Terrorism, is defeated completely. They know, and he knows that the loss of life will be great and every man and woman serving realize that they may be the next to go, but they persevere, and answer the bugle call each day. They are wounded, time and time again and still express their desire to return to their unit and finish what they started. Even those who are medically evacuated back to this country, beg to return to their comrades as soon as they are able. Actions such as this demonstrate their total trust and respect for the Commander-in-Chief who leads and inspires them. But, the war goes on and will go on for a long time to come. It is a war we must win and it must be won on the ground, and not at the negotiation table. We cannot afford to bring into our alliance any nation who wants to settle it by appeasement , negotiation or surrender. We cannot afford to bring into the leadership of our nation a man who favors the subjugation of our military forces to any world organization, where our very security would be dependent upon the whims of nations who have shown us nothing but hatred.
George W. Bush may not be the most diplomatic, the best orator, or even the most handsome, but he has a characteristic that few men have. He is a leader! He has the ability to influence people in such a way that they will carry out his commands in his absence as well as if he were present on that battlefield. In these times of peril, we cannot afford to abandon our strongest asset, our Commander-in-Chief, George W. Bush.
LTC Paul E. Cothran US Army Retired "
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