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Sunday, March 02, 2003 Page: 3B
IMAGINE THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO: PRESIDENT BUSH ANNOUNCES TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE AND THEN TO THE WORLD THROUGH THE UNITED NATIONS, THAT AS OF APRIL 15,
2003, HE WILL BE ORDERING ALL OF OUR MILITARY PERSONNEL STATIONED THROUGHOUT
THE WORLD BACK TO THE UNITED STATES. THIS RECALL, TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN 60
DAYS, WILL INCLUDE THOSE MILITARY PERSONNEL IN THE VICINITY OF IRAQ, AS WELL
AS IN GERMANY, SOUTH KOREA, ENGLAND, ITALY, BOSNIA, TURKEY AND THE 25 OR MORE
OTHER NATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. CONCURRENTLY, ALL OF OUR WARSHIPS WILL
LIKEWISE BE ORDERED BACK TO OUR TERRITORIAL WATERS. IN ADDITION, BY 2005, OUR
ACTIVE ARMED FORCES WILL BE REDUCED TO 20 PERCENT OR LESS OF ITS NUMBERS AS
EXISTED PRE-9/11. I WONDER, IF THE ABOVE SCENARIO WERE TO TAKE PLACE, WOULD
THIS REALLY: 1. USHER IN AN ERA OF WORLD PEACE, NEGATING IN AMERICA THE NEED
FOR A HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT AND PERMITTING ALL THE WORLD OVER, TO FEEL
SECURE FROM THE AMBITIONS OF THE LIKE OF SADDAM HUSSEIN AND KIM JONG IL. 2.
RESTORE THE RESPECT AND ADMIRATION OF ALL PEOPLES OF THE WORLD FOR THE UNITED
STATES? 3. PERMIT ALL OF US IN AMERICA TO CONTINUE TO WORSHIP OUR GOD AS WE
AND OUR FOREFATHERS HAVE DONE SO SINCE JULY 3, 1776; WITHOUT FEAR THAT THE
MUSLIMS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD WILL TRY TO FULFILL THEIR COMMITMENT TO CONVERT
THE WORLD TO THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEF? 4. BRING PROSPERITY TO THE REST OF THE
WORLD SUCH AS WE IN AMERICA HAVE; AND WOULD THIS NEW WORLD PROSPERITY BE DONE
WITHOUT LOWERING OUR STANDARD OF LIVING? 5. ALLEVIATE SUFFERING BY THE
INHABITANTS OF THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF IRAQ, NORTH KOREA AND ISRAEL AND
THEIR NEIGHBORS? 6. ENGENDER, IN AMERICA, HARMONY BETWEEN THE VARIOUS FACTIONS
IN OUR GREAT LAND, ESPECIALLY REPUBLICAN “CONSERVATIVES” AND DEMOCRATIC
“LIBERALS”? 7. ERASE THE DIVISION THAT IS BEING FOSTERED BETWEEN THE
DESCENDANTS OF THOSE WHO “CAME OVER ON THE MAYFLOWER” AND THOSE WHOSE
ANCESTORS WERE BROUGHT FROM AFRICA, OR THOSE WHO CAME ACROSS OUR SOUTHERN
BORDER (JUST TO ENUMERATE A FEW GROUPS)? 8. ENHANCE ALL OF OUR LIVES? 9. SAVE
THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN LIVES AND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES OF OTHERS
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD? 10. BRING COUNTLESS BENEFITS TO THE WORLD FAR BEYOND
THOSE THAT WE CAN NOW ENVISION? IT IS PROBABLY OBVIOUS THAT I AM NOT THAT
NAIVE TO BELIEVE THAT ANY OF THE ABOVE DESIRABLE OUTCOMES WOULD RESULT FROM
THIS PULLING BACK OF OUR TROOPS, ETC. QUITE THE OPPOSITE, I BELIEVE THAT THE
WORLD WOULD QUICKLY TURN CHAOTIC. I SINCERELY BELIEVE THE WORLD WILL CONTINUE
TO BE BETTER OFF IF AMERICA CONTINUES TO REMAIN THE MOST POWERFUL NATION ON
EARTH — IS THERE ANOTHER NATION, GROUP OF NATIONS OR ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU
WOULD TRUST AND PREFER TO ASSUME THAT POSITION? BEFORE ANYONE ASKS WHETHER I
WOULD RISK MY LIFE LIKE WE ARE ASKING OUR YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN, LET ME NOTE
THAT I VOLUNTARILY ENLISTED AND SERVED DURING WORLD WAR II (1943-1945), A WAR
IN WHICH THE CHANCE OF INJURY OR DEATH WAS AS GREAT AS ANY PRESENT DAY WAR. I
AGAIN VOLUNTARILY ENLISTED DURING THE KOREAN WAR (1951) BUT WAS NOT CALLED TO
ACTIVE DUTY. HOWEVER, I DID SERVE 18 YEARS IN THE NAVAL RESERVE AND IT WAS
TRUE THEN AS IT IS NOW, RESERVISTS CAN AND ARE BEING CALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY AT
A MOMENT’S NOTICE. WE SHOULD ALL BE THANKFUL FOR OUR REGULARS AND OUR
RESERVISTS. WE PRAY THAT OUR GOD WILL GUIDE OUR PRESIDENT AND WILL CONTINUE
TO BLESS AMERICA! George W. Pyle
Dallas