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I have the opportunity to challenge a young college age friend to think. We have been e-mailing our thoughts and politics for some time. He sent me a piece written by Howard Zinn. His choice of using Zinn was predictable in that it showed my friend's immaturity because Zinn is another equally predictable socialist/liberal who says nothing different, such as yourself Mr. Perlstein. I will use my letter to my misguided friend as a response to you:

I really appreciate your comments. I do, indeed, have a tremendous amount of passion for our country based primarily upon our need to protect the Constitution. Having lost many ancestors in the Revolutionary war who fought so bravely for our freedoms that we enjoy now, I feel a sense of duty to their sacrifices. I am equally concerned about what freedoms we will leave for other generations. So I guess it is fair to say I am a "passioniate Constitutionalist." The laws of this nation put forth by our forebearers have served us well. They have guided us through tumultous times, wars, the Great Depression, political upheaval, and past and current threats from different shores. These laws must be protected at all cost or we will fail as a Democracy. Be assured that there are forces on this planet that are intent upon destroying America and these forces do not always use missiles, guns and hand grenades. They use words to undermine our society. If you have any doubt, take the time to read the infamous Communist Manifesto written by the equally infamous but evil Karl Marx. Marx distinctly spelled out how we would be overcome in the Manifesto.

The questions is simple. If America does not fight for the freedom and protection of others in different nations as well as the safety of our own, who will? France? No, their cowardice has been historical for centuries. Germany? This is a country who still revels in elitism and many people of Germany secretly enjoy the doctrine of Adolph Hitler. Spain? Lighweights who ran the minute they lost 200 people. China? They are still a Communist inspired country who continually stiffles their citizens, we should not forget the student uprising and massacre at Tinnamen Square as late as 1989. How about North Korea? George Bush nailed it when he included this violent country and it's psychotic leader in the "Axis of Evil." Moscow? They are riding a fence and could fall either way but I think it is important to note that leopards do not change their spots. Then there are the third world countries who are ruled by dictators fed by the United Nations which ironically we are now finding is the most corrupt organization in the world, i.e, the the scandalous "Food for Oil Program, which allowed people and children to starve while tyrannts such as Saddam Hussein were lining their pockets. As I see it, the biggest obstacle liberals must get over is that George Bush is our President, elected by the people through the laws of this Nation. Haliburton Oil has employed people worldwide and brought prosperity to many. Tell me what is wrong with OIL? The liberal mantra, "big oil, big business" is a tactic used by liberals to "piss-off" society. Big business has given jobs, healthcare, research, money, industry and prosperity to the world over. Tell me, where would we be without capitalism (probably captured somewhere in that idealic fantasty land of a song called "Imagine" written by Lennon, spelled differently from his predecessor) and while you are at it, remind me what "big business" did to deserve such hatred. Then explain the vast, vast wealth of John Forbes Kerry, over one billion dollars and his puppet boy Edwards who is nothing more than one of those thugs in suits Mr. Zinn refers to, known as a trial attorney. They do not have a clue what it is to understand the common man and don't be tricked.

Finally, occupation of other countries. Every country we have rescued and "occupied" has flourished and to shorten my lengthy response I will simply use one country as an example, Japan. I personally do not care about a handful of American soldiers who allegedley "abused" some Iraqi prisoners. They have been investigated, court-martialed and will be dealt with accordingly. The media has shamefully spent day after day diminishing our success with this silly non-story. There are so many more important issues yet, the media is stuck and can not move ahead. One would think that this is the only outcome of our recent and successful occupation of Iraq and hopefully the entire violent Middle East.

I do not wish to change anyone's political idealism, but I will take every opportunity to give balance to those who give too much credibility to a predictable Howard Zinn with an agenda. Catch phrases such as "a President who was not elected," "thugs in suits who do not care about the earth," "land taken from Mexico in 1848, (how far back does one have to go to incite?) all seem a wee bit hysterical and frankly grasping for a cause. Zinn's rhetoric and agenda is obvious in that he does not include Bosnia (we are still there) and Kosovo in his rant, very telling since those were war crimes committed by William Jefferson Clinton. Names and words he uses such as Haliburton, Bechtel, occupiers, social change, Viet Nam, and more,
all used in the same article tell me that the author is a radical socialist who despises this country and everything it stands for. He is one of those forces I mentioned earlier with a desire to disrupt our democracy with pitiful irrelevant issues used as code to tell our young such as yourself that we are an evil empire. I prefer to dwell on the vast good that America has brought to this world because of a basic need of "freedom for all," and unfortunately it comes with a cost. Conservatively and respectfully yours,