Posted on 05/02/2004 8:02:23 PM PDT by FairOpinion
Hello everyone, I am taking time to ask you all for your help. First off, I’d like to say that this is not a political message. I’m not concerned about domestic politics right now. We have much bigger things to deal with and we need your help.
It seems that despite the tremendous and heroic efforts of the men and women serving here in Iraq to bring much-needed peace and stability to this region, we are losing the war of perception with the media and American people.
Our enemy has learned that the key to defeating the mighty American military is by swaying public opinion at home and abroad. We are a people who cherish the democratic system of government and therefore hold the will of the people in the highest regard. We love to criticize ourselves almost to an endless degree, because we care what others think. Our enemies see this as a weakness and are trying to exploit it.
When we ask ourselves questions like "Why do they hate us?" or "What did we do wrong?" we are playing into our enemies’ hands. Our natural tendency to question ourselves is being used against us to undermine our effort to do good in the world.
How far would we have gotten if after the surprise attacks on Dec. 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor, we would have asked, "Why do the Japanese hate us so much?" or "How can we change ourselves so that they won’t do that again?"
Here in Iraq the enemy is trying very hard to portray our efforts as failing and fruitless. They kill innocents and desecrate their bodies in hopes that the people back home will lose the will to fight for liberty. They are betting on our perceived weakness as a thoughtful, considerate people.
Unfortunately, our media only serves to further their cause. In an industry that feeds on ratings and bad news, a failure in Iraq would be a gold mine. When our so-called "trusted" American media takes a quote from an Iraqi doctor as the gospel truth over that of the men and women who are daily fighting to protect the right to freedom of the press, you know something is wrong. That doctor claimed that of the 600 Iraqis who were casualties of the fighting in Fallujah, the vast majority of them were women, children and the elderly. This is totally absurd. In the history of man, no one has spent more time and effort, often to the detriment of our own mission, to be more discriminate in our targeting of the enemy than the American military. The Marines and soldiers serving in Iraq have gone through extensive training to avoid shedding innocent blood.
Yet, despite all of this, our media consistently side with those who openly lie and directly challenge the honor of our brave heroes fighting for liberty and peace. What we have to remember is that peace is not defined as an absence of war. It is the presence of liberty, stability and prosperity. In the face of the horrendous tyranny of the former Iraqi regime, the only way true peace was able to come to this region was through force. That is what the American Revolution was all about. Have we forgotten?
Freedom is not free, and "peace" without principle is not peace. The peace that so-called "peace advocates" support can only be brought to Iraq through the military. And we are doing it, if only the world will let us.
If the American people believe we are failing, even if we are not, then we will ultimately fail. That is why I am asking for your support. Become a voice of truth in your community. Wherever you are, fight the enemy’s lies. Don’t buy into pessimism and apathy and say that it is hopeless, that they hate us too much, that this part of the world is just too messed up and it is our fault anyway, that we are to blame.
Whether you’re in middle school, working a 9-to-5 job, retired or a stay-at-home mom, you can make a huge difference. There is nothing more powerful than the truth. So when you watch the news and see doomsday predictions and spiteful opinions about our efforts over here, you can refute them by knowing that we are doing a tremendous amount of good. Spread the word. No one is poised to make such an amazing contribution to the everyday lives of Iraqis and the rest of the Arab world than the American Armed Forces. by making this a place where liberty can finally grow, we are making the whole world safer.
Your efforts at home are directly tied to our success. You are the soldiers at home fighting the war of perception. So I’m asking you as fellow soldiers to do your duty; stop the attempts of the enemy wherever you are. You are a mighty force for good, because truth is on your side.
Together we will win this fight and ensure a better world for the future.
Robert L. Nofsinger is a first lieutenant in the Marines. He’s from Overland Park, Kan., and is the nephew of Roberta Houston of Aptos.
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