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Good morning you two kooky kids! I found this on one of my cyber travels...

DO NOT FORGET

I sat in a movie theatre watching "Schindler's List," and asked myself, "Why didn't the Jews fight back?"

I sat in a movie theatre watching "Pearl Harbor," and asked myself, "Why weren't we prepared?"

Now I know why.

Civilized people cannot fathom, much less predict, the actions of evil people.

On September 11, thousands of innocent people were murdered because too many Americans naively rejected the reality that some nations are dedicated to the dominance of others.

Many political pundits, pacifists and media personnel want us to forget the carnage. They say we must focus on the bravery of the rescuers and ignore the cowardice of the killers. They implore us to understand the motivation of the perpetrators...

I will not be manipulated.
I will not pretend to understand.
I will not forget.

I will not forget the liberal media who abused freedom of the press to kick our country when it was vulnerable and hurting.

I will not forget that CBS news anchor Dan Rather preceded President Bush's address to the nation with the snide remark, "No matter how you feel about him, he is still our president."

And I will not forget that ABC's Mark Halperin warned if reporters weren't informed of every little detail of this war, they aren't likely --nor should they be expected-- to show deference."

I will not forget the attack on the USS Cole...

I will not be appeased with pointless, quick retaliatory strikes like those perfected by the previous administration.

I will not be comforted by "feel-good, do nothing" regulations like the silly, "Have your bags been under your control?" question at the airport.

I will not be influenced by so called, "anti-war demonstrators" who exploit the right of expression to chant anti-American obscenities.

I will not forget the moral victory handed the North Vietnamese by American war protesters who reviled and spat upon the returning soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines.

I will not be softened by the wishful thinking of pacifists who chose reassurance over reality.

I will embrace the wise words of Prime Minister Tony Blair who told the Labor Party conference, "They have no moral inhibition on the slaughter of the innocent. If they could have murdered not 7,000 but 70,000, does anyone doubt they would have done so and rejoiced in it?

There is no compromise possible with such people, no meeting of minds, no point of understanding with such terror. Just a choice; defeat it or be defeated. And defeat it we must!"

I will force myself to: hear the weeping.
feel the helplessness.
sense the panic.
experience the loss.
remember the hatred.

I sat in a movie theatre, watching "Saving Private Ryan," and asked myself, "Where did they find the courage?"

Now I know.

We have no choice.

Living without liberty is not living.

--Ed Evans, MGySgt., USMC (Ret.)