I thought someone should pose the question to Ramsey Tesdell about whether these poor extremists that he wants to get along with share his sentiments. Maybe he should find the video of Paul Johnson’s murder on the Internet. Watch as they saw his head off with a knife, while they chant to Allah and play religious music.

This was an American in Iraq who was there to help rebuild it. These people that we are fighting do not think that we can all just get along.

Tesdell’s argument baffles me. He claims to have been deeply moved by the attacks on Sept. 11, yet says that revenge is unwarranted. If anything, a stiffer response is necessary. Bin Laden’s tactics have been to attack American interests and America itself every few years and with increasing force. So now is not the time to go soft on this issue.

And interestingly enough, Tesdell uses a term I’ve never heard with regards to the Spanish people caving in to the terrorists and electing a government based solely on its stance of withdrawal. He calls it justice. How is this taking a tough stand with the terrorists as you claim? Actually, it further proved to the terrorists that they could get what they wanted by using the worst tactics available.

Everyone needs to wake up and realize that this conflict is not about to end; it is not going to go away and will take some effort and sacrifice to overcome. It should be realized that a series of military and law enforcement campaigns are likely to be necessary to solve this problem, including beyond Iraq and Afghanistan.

If the thinking turns to being that we can solve this problem with diplomacy and feel-good rhetoric, then we will face horrifying consequences.

I wish that a message of peace and understanding would work with these people, but it will result in a position of weakness that opens the doors to further carnage.

Dan Turnbull

Senior

Marketing