TO THE EDITOR:

In response to Mr. Walzís letter to the editor of Aug. 24. 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, unbelievably 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 enlisted in our countryís military.

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 - it was probably more unbearable.

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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