On killing...

I am many things. I am a Christian, an American, a father, son, husband, and Soldier. These things have shaped my values, views, and beliefs. To many, I am the flag waving American that they can't stand; I'm sure many in the list I identify with abhor who and what I am.

I was challenged to write about my beliefs on our current war and my general disapproval of misguided leaders, like Ron Paul. For those that don't know, Ron Paul believes that the American military should not be defending our freedoms outside the borders of America. He believes that we are terrorists and justifies the killing of American troops because we are the "occupiers." He also believes that we should allow Iran to have nuclear weapons. This is not the man I would want running the country, because I don't think he's putting America's best interest first.

To change directions, for a moment, one asks how I, a Christian, could fight in a war. Well, for me, I think that there is one right and one wrong. I still believe in good vs. evil, and although I don't think we're perfect, I think the U.S. fighting terrorism is a perfect example of good vs. evil. If you've read much of the Old Testament, you can see how God has used war as an instrument to stamp out evil. In most cases, God used his chosen people, Israel, to kick the tail of godless evildoers. Going to the New Testament, in Romans 13, we see that God uses governing authorities to carry out judgement on those that break the law. On a side note, the United States Constitution gives the power to the people and we are the authority.

So, with all that said, I don't know how anyone could think terrorists, who want the whole world to be under Islamic rule and will kill anyone who stands in their way, are anything but evil. Obviously, I can't forget the many times that Islamic terrorists have attacked peaceful Americans throughout history. I also think it would be ridiculously ignorant and stupid not to defend ourselves against these terrorists. I am a strong believer that if you don't fight them over there, you will very quickly be fighting them over here (or should I say "fighting them more over here?")

The U.S. has been the envy of the world for many reasons, and one of those is the fact that we have the best defenses on the globe. Other countries also know that we will be there in time of need to protect innocent life.

I want freedom in America to remain. I want freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan to remain. If that actually continues to improve is another topic, but I believe it's a worthy cause. Some say fighting terrorism is not a war you can win, but is it worth giving up on? If crime will always be around, is that a reason not to fight against it in order to protect yourself and others?

This person who challenged me brought up the fact that over 100,000 have been killed because of "our occupation." What he continues to bundle and distort is that this number includes those who were killed by terrorist bombings and attacks, and the fact that these reports can be grossly inaccurate. For the instance I mentioned about the kill cam, almost all of the evidence that proved one's "guiltiness" was on a classified system, and for many reasons cannot be shown to the public.

All in all, I could continue to write for hours, but in this case, is it really going to change this challenger's mind? No, I didn't think so.