TO THE EDITOR:

Response to Walz, von Lange and Hult letters.

Of course, there is the obvious correlation between the untimely and unfortunate death of two young people ñ his beloved child and that of a young soldier or marine overseas. Most of us agree that it seems cruelly unfair when a child leaves this world before their parents, but this is where, I believe, the similarity ends. The death of Mr. Walzís beautiful daughter (and it sounds like she was a beautiful person in every sense of the word) was a tragic accident. The injuries and deaths the parents of our war casualties must endure are coming about almost daily at times, because, unbelievable to some people, we have young people in this country who choose to serve.

They provide this service to the ideals this country was founded on (so others in this world can seek life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in a country free of a terrorist dictator) and they provide it to all of our countryís citizens, whether they appreciate it or not. Sure, many of them may have had other motives when they first enlisted in our countryís military. There is the lure of travel and adventure away from small towns and parents, the promise of money for college and other veteranís benefits, or an interest in job training skills for future employment, etc.

But when reality hits ñ when they are deployed into a war zone thousands of miles away from family and friends, freezing or boiling in desert conditions, hungry, dirty, lonely and probably saddened and depressed by what they have seen or had to participate in, maybe feeling a little forgotten by friends or their country ñ the true character of these young people comes through.

The vast majority do not desert or feign an excuse to get out of the military ñ they persevere in their commitment ìto do their duty,î the job our President has asked of them ñ helping to protect America from terrorism (and other countries, too, in the long run) by not just sitting idle, waiting for the next big strike against our country and helping give Iraq a chance at democracy and freedom.

This is proving to be more costly in lives and resources than many people thought at the beginning of the war and the picture the media promotes appears to show that so many people are not appreciative of our efforts, but just because a job is more difficult or painful than expected, doesnít mean it should be abandoned. Gratefully, there are young men and women who are dedicated and motivated enough to persevere and ìstay the courseî to get a difficult and worthwhile job done, if at all possible, in that turbulent area of the world.

As the mother of a Marine that served in Iraq and luckily was able to return safely to his country and family, I am thankful and proud of his efforts, whatever the final outcome in Iraq may be. Some may argue that I would feel differently if he had come home in a body bag or disabled for life, but I hope not.

The parents of these casualties are the ones really ìin it for the long haul, too.î
As a person with a Christian background, the analogy comes to mind of the pain and suffering Jesus must have experienced hanging on the cross and the pain his mother must have endured watching him suffer there ñ it was probably more unbearable than he had anticipated, but he did not abandon his task (to do his Fatherís will) and go home ñ he endured for the greater good, he saw ìthe big picture,î the long-term goal.

I am thankful for his sacrifice for us and the sacrifices made daily by our troops. Christ was also sought out by men who intended him harm as they didnít understand or appreciate his purpose and mission on earth, as our troops are overseas.

No, I am not trying to compare President Bush to God, our troops to Jesus or imply that our goals in Iraq are as honorable and loving as Christís were ñ it is just an analogy that helps me understand how our leaders through the centuries have been able to stay the course in conflicts they believed needed to be waged, even when the going got terribly rough, the price seemed higher than they should pay and they may not have been 100 percent sure they had done the right thing.
Another example would be the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

No one today can look back at that time in our countryís history and say it was easy, people may have thought the price paid for trying to change peopleís opinions and lives was too high ñ there were protests, violence, riots and death (of the common man, black and white, and some special leaders) - another unfathomable example of manís inhumanity to man.

But many people believed in the cause and persisted in their efforts to promote positive change in peopleís lives and the world. No one knew at the time if their sacrifices and efforts would be ìworth itî in the long run ñ if effective and positive change could even be accomplished on a permanent basis.

Only when the history books are written years from now, will we know if our countryís efforts made a difference in Iraq and the world. I donít pretend to be sure of the final outcome either way. I just pray, too, that it is ìworth the price.î

Please remember our President, our troops, our veterans, the civilian workers, the families of this warís casualties and the Iraqi people in your thoughts and prayers. Minnesotaís citizens can find concrete ways to show their support and appreciation for the troops by checking out www.thankmntroops.org.

I have never written a letter to the editor before and probably never will again, but this time I felt too strongly to remain silent. How lucky we are to have freedom of speech and freedom of the press in this country.

Rosanne M. Johnson,
a MOM (Mother of a Marine),
Harris

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