Daily Protests
Are Infuriating

I am writing this letter after a weekend of packing and moving our house into storage. I am saddened and infuriated by the daily protests to a war with Iraq.

Of course, no one WANTS a war, but not every situation can be settled peacefully.

Instead of looking at the President, our Commander in Chief, as a money-hungry, war-fiend, look at the simple actions that could prevent this conflict. If President Saddam Hussein were to leave Iraq, we would not be forced to take this route. But, only hours after our President made his address to the nation, President Hussein has made it clear he will not surrender. He has lost possession and the ball is now back in our court.

As an Army veteran and an Army spouse, I have several points to make.

First of all, since a war with Iraq is imminent, we must now shift our focus … shift away from trying to prevent a war that is hours away from beginning and shift towards supporting the men and women who will fight this war for us.

They are the ones who will leave or have already left their jobs, their homes, and their families. They are the ones who, like my husband, have their living rooms full of military gear. As I sit and feed our son, my husband is packing everything he will need to survive for at least three months with no resupply. No Cumberland Farms to run to for soda, no CVS to run to for shaving cream. As you sit around and complain about gas prices rising, my husband is preparing his flak jacket and chemical gear.

Secondly, President Bush, no matter what political party you vote for, is our president, our commander in chief. He deserves the utmost respect and support. You may not agree with the decisions he has made, but we must support him. If you do not, you may as well say you support President Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi regime, and burn your American flag. Express your opinions on his decisions, but don’t ever disrespect the President, this country or its flag.

Lastly, on a weekly basis I log on the Internet and read the Times Argus and the Herald of Randolph from my computer in Colorado Springs. As a Randolph native who is an Army wife, this is my way of keeping up with news in Vermont. But so far this year, the most interesting section to read is the letters and opinions … and I am shocked! There are so many letters against a war with Iraq and only today have I seen any letters to support our troops, our President and our country.

As the President delivered his address to the nation Monday night, I sat in a room with two soldiers and one other Army wife. Every single one of us in that room cheered and cheered as the President spoke, and I can guarantee that thousands more out there cheered too. We stand behind him and our military no matter what, but I guess you’d have to be a soldier or a spouse to understand that’s what a true American is! God bless America!

Rachel Adams

Randolph, Vt. &

Fort Carson, Colo.

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