How quickly we’ve forgotten 9/11

Dear Editor,
Dina Campeau was pondering in her Friday column about the lack of debate regarding the conflict in Iraq and the tragic loss of her cousin.
I offer my condolences and appreciation for the ultimate sacrifice her cousin made in service to his country. This soldier paid the price for our freedom as so many others have in years past. As his loved ones mourn their loss, they join the ranks of thousands of New Yorkers who do the same for the ones they lost on 9/11.
These innocent victims hadn’t the slightest notion that they were involved in a war. They were merely going to work that infamous day in September. Have we forgotten so soon? The battlefield against the Islamist radicals was chosen to be in Iraq. The “precious resources, both financial and human'” have been deployed there so that we wouldn’t have to be threatened here. Our investment has been repaid to this point with a society that has experienced a successful “free” election and is well on the way to the first democratic government (save Israel) in that troubled region’s history.
A free Iraq will continue to have a dramatic political effect upon the rest of the Middle East in the coming years. The battle has been won. The aftermath is messy. Our forces are now dealing with desperate villains who have no appreciation for the Geneva, or any other civilized accords. They are making their stand in Iraq and we must fight them there. Do you really want to fight a war on the streets of Gilroy?
If you think that is an exaggeration, maybe you need to consult New Yorkers. They might give you a more intimate perspective. As we celebrate our country’s independence, we must again and again remind ourselves that our freedom is not free. It has been bought and paid for by our “precious resources” from 1776 to the present.
Michael Allen, Gilroy
The Golden Quill is awarded occasionally for a well-written letter.