As I walked into the newsroom last Tuesday to finish my column, I saw on television the horror on the East Coast. It was an attack on America worse than Pearl Harbor. Thinking of Pearl Harbor reminded me of my grandfather who fought in World War II as a second gunner’s mate. I wondered if he felt the way that I do now.

Now that Bush has declared we are at war, will the draft be started and will I be sent off? I am unsure of that but I do know that the members of the National Guard will be. Many of those Guard members are also students at Iowa State.

My second roommate my freshman year is a member of the Guard. So are some other friends from my floor. It’s a little unsettling to me to know that I may not see my college friends ever again. But they are doing their duty to God and country and making whoever is responsible for the horrendous actions against our nation responsible.

Yes, I am in favor of punishing Mr. bin Laden or whoever planned the attacks. I do not think we should drop nuclear warheads all over Afganhistan because then we would be just like the terrorists. We need to send out troops to do a “Dirty Dozen” type mission to bring the terrorists in and to punish them.

Even though some people think we should bring him to trial, right now I feel we should put the terrorists through all sorts of hell so that they can know what the people buried in the ruins of the World Trade Center feel like.

There are also all of the rescue workers who were trapped and killed doing their duty. Like the soldiers, they are bands of brothers who do their job to help others in need. The office workers in the trade center and the Pentagon are the ones we must remember. It is for them that we must not let this attack against our great nation be unanswered.

There is some good to see around America now. Everyone is donating their blood, money and time to help out in this tragedy. Old Glory is waving in this time of crisis when we need to stick together and stand tall. For every time I see the planes crashing, I see flags flying with pride. Marquees on restaurants no longer advertise specials, they promote patriotism with “God Bless America.”

Maybe it’s the cowboy in me that wants to solve the problem the old fashioned way. If a predator like a cougar or wolf attacks my cattle herd, I kill it and solve the problem. All Bush is wanting to do is solve the problem the way I think it should be. The terrorists were nothing but predators on our country and I think they should be taken care of in the three S’s way, “shoot it, shovel it and shut up about it.”

I might seem radical and I may not know the terrors of war, but I know that the men who piloted those planes attacked our country to destroy our way of life. I have no connection to those who died after the attacks except like them I am an American. I hold no grudge against any visitors to our country and just because someone is from the Middle East or anywhere else doesn’t mean we should punish them. We should punish those who were responsible and with great vengeance.

If the terrorists are brought to trial, do you think they will actually survive in prison? When Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald, Oswald did not make it to trial because he was shot by Jack Ruby. Now the members of our prison system may not be upstanding members of the community, but I would bet that there are some who wouldn’t mind a few more years to rid the world of evil men who prey on the innocent.

When I saw the flag raised over the side of the Pentagon, I was reminded of a speech a rodeo announcer gave about the flag. “It’s like your brand and you’ll do anything to protect it.” So like others, I am ready to stand up and fight for my flag and to believe what I learned from the Bible in Ezekiel 25:17 – “The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers.”

You see, the terrorists are evil men and now it is America who will strike down with vengeance upon those who have attempted to destroy our brothers.

It was not just Americans who died, but those from all over the world. It is time for the evil men to pay for the wrong they have done. To all the firemen and soldiers, do your duty with pride and come back safely. To the rest of America, remember our liberty and our rights we must maintain.

Wesley Griffin is a senior in agricultural education from Grand River.