Yeah, thought that would get your attention!

In our local Moore County newspaper, The Pilot, J.D. Zumwalt is a regular contributor to the opinion pages. Usually, his opinion is that "Bush is right", "Bush is a good President", "give Bush a break" and most often, "every time you protest the war in Iraq, you are giving aid and comfort to the enemy".

Today's article is no different...

In their hatred for him, the president's critics spray spittle as they accuse him of being a liar. I am still looking for anyone who can tell me what lie the president told. Members of Congress were briefed. They had the exact information the president had. It was provided by the same agencies that provided it to the president.

Does this sound like a challenge for BlueNC? Oh yeah, I know a couple here who can rip him a new one.

Oh, and let's not forget that Clinton and Kerry are at fault here too. Remember the Republican mantra, "never take the blame when you can accuse Clinton".

Quotes from leaders like former President Clinton and current Sen. Kerry, stating that we need to do something about the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, are easy to find. They are easy to find for anyone seeking the truth. Unfortunately there is a large group that is not interested in the truth.

Not interested in the truth? Pot? Kettle? BTW Mr. Zumwalt, neither Clinton, nor Kerry declared war on a country while ignoring UN sanctions and then ignoring the UN! If you can stomach it, read his mad tirade on the "cut and run" Democrats. (Apparently Zumwalt is a dues paying member of the "stay and die" or "stay and pray" Republican party!)

The war in Iraq is one part of America's war on terror. Do we imagine that if we pack up and leave, all will be well? Those who would have us run like to point to lessons learned in past wars. I would like to point to a lesson we can refer to: Somalia and the battle at Mogadishu. American soldiers fought a horrendous battle there. Lives were lost, and men were horribly injured.

When it was over, the men who had fought wanted to stay and continue with their mission. They were not allowed to. Instead, our politicians buckled under the pressure of public opinion and pulled our forces out. What did the bad guys learn from this? They learned that if they can kill enough Americans, the good people of the United States will demand that we pull out.

Am I wrong here or were the politicians who bucklend under at the time....REPUBLICANS? Oops, guess he conveniently forgets this.

Now, in his opinion, Bush should take time to listen to Cindy Sheehan. Not to offer sympathy, not to let her know how much he appreciated the sacrifice, oh no. He submits that Bush should give Sheehan an audience to get her out of the news and to stop her from aiding the enemy. Zumwalt then goes on to backhandedly chastise Sheehan for her stance on the war, after all, many families have lost loved ones in this war and they don't make a big stink over it!

I do have some criticism for our current president and our other political leaders. My criticism is that they are not doing enough to respond to their critics. Cindy Sheehan is a household name. She has a right to speak. However, I know something that she does not. Every single time she manages to grab a headline, she is telling the bad guys that they are accomplishing their goal and that they need to keep killing. They know that if they kill enough, people like Cindy Sheehan will convince us to leave.

I grieve for her loss, but she is not the only person in America who has lost a loved one. She should not be the only one speaking. There are other parents out there who cannot draw a breath without thinking of the loss they have suffered.

These parents are jerked awake in the middle of the night by memories of their loss. They are tortured by the memory of the child they raised and the horrors of losing that child in war.

But they speak through tears and anguish to say how proud they are of that son or daughter. They speak of how much they believe in what that sacrifice means to this country and how much they hope it was not in vain. The fact that they are not grabbing headlines does not lessen their loss.

Last, (thank God!) he finishes his rant with why men and women join the military and how they won wars with the support of the people back home. Seems like he forgets the fact that America use to be a shining beacon to the world of all things Democratic. That it is truly American to be able to speak out when we don't think our leaders are on the right path.

This country was built by men and women who were willing to go to war and by those who stood strong and supported them. In all of our wars, including the war for independence and World War II, there have been other well-meaning individuals who have spoken loudly against our participation. The war on terror is no different.

If people want to oppose this war, that is obviously their right. I think we can agree that we all have an obligation to research the truth objectively. We have an obligation not to go along blindly with every wild accusation made by either party. We also have an obligation to show some backbone and not blink when things get tough -- just because they are tough.

We all have an obligation to research the truth objectively, sound advice, too bad he doesn't follow it! Show a backbone, don't blink...Do those last lines sound like they were pilfered from the Democrat's talking points?

So what do you say BlueNCers, are you up for a challenge?