While the World Waited, America Responded!

I’ve listened to people criticize how slowly the United States responded to an incredible catastrophic event half way around the world, “The Horrible Asian Tsunami”. These critics seem unreasonable and don't have a clue about what it takes to mobilize such a huge assistance package. America sees the horrific scenes of people swept away and our collective heart aches at the suffering. America, both our government and the people that make up America have responded in a way I could not be more proud of.

We want to help! We are helping!

America Sad

Our nation, the greatest nation to ever exist on the planet earth, the nation that proved to the world that tyranny couldn’t overcome the will of mankind during World War Two is failing to support our troops in the field. The soldiers, sailors, airman, and marines, our servicemen, we are sending in harms way are not given the best equipment that mankind can provide. We have the ability to provide the pride of America, our representatives to the world, the best equipment necessary to apply our will to our adversaries in the world, but we do not.

The world has changed. Our enemies are not clearly defined, however they exist never the less. America is at War! We have decided, as a people of the civilized world, to make war with an evil that exists in this world as great as Hitler in a previous generation. Our troops face unspeakable horror and the terror of going into battle with insufficient protection from known threats from a feeble and backward group of terrorist killers.

Who has failed our greatest American asset? All Americans must share in the shame of leaving our representatives hanging alone in a foreign land! The entire country does not adequately support these bravest of the brave who go in harms way at our behest. The White House does not espouse what the purpose of our involvement is. Our Congress does not investigate or adequately provide funds to ensure that our representatives are protected. Our industries have forgotten that it was their incredible ability to produce the goods necessary to achieve victory in World War Two. The individual American does not shout their demand that my son or daughter is at risk and I demand that they be given the tools they so clearly deserve to make them safe. Even Hollywood, a most important player in World War Two fails to confirm our commitment to one resolve to rid the world of an unspeakable evil, and has yet to speak loudly on this current evil.

As a registered republican and Viet Nam veteran I never doubt the absolute patriotism of anyone of another party. While we as Americans may differ in our opinions on various issues important in our future, our respect for those who have come before us, our respect for those who protect us now, and our tolerance for those who might differ in opinion is unwavering on both sides when it counts. On all political sides we have failed to stay focused on who the enemy is. We are not at war with one another, but a foreign enemy, who given the opportunity and ability would kill every man, woman and child of America. We must never forget the unbelievable horror of 9/11!

I was not personally in agreement with the concept of our involvement in Iraq, because it would put our young Americans at risk. However, we as a nation have decided to pursue the criminals who might put our nation at risk. Once we decided to put our service members at risk by deploying them in harms way, we as a nation must support them in any possible way to make them safe. This means making them as safe as we, the greatest nation on earth, can possibly make them. No service person should be expected to go on patrol without the absolute best protection this nation can provide. If every soldier on patrol requires a personal M-1 Abrams Tank then so be it. I as an American DEMAND that they be given whatever these most precious Americans deserve, no matter what the expense. They must not be put at risk!

The bottom line is, if our military representatives in a foreign embattled land, being our most precious resource as a nation, are to pursue our interests as a nation we must provide them our unrestricted and unbound support in whatever way we possibly can. They must not be put at any unnecessary risk that mere money or our nation’s resolve might alleviate. Either we support our most precious resource, or we recall them.

Either we as a nation provide the best protection possible for our troops in the field, be it armor platting to the maximum, or overwhelming offensive weapons, wherever it is needed, or we pull our troops out because we don’t want them there. No family should be expected to provide their children with implements to fight a war, such as flak jackets, vehicle protection, night vision goggles, etc., that America as a nation has decided to fight. We as a nation have made the decision to place our finest in harms way, and it is our responsibility as a nation to make them as safe as we possibly can.

Joseph “Joe” Noble

Proud American