By Steve William Sanson-President of Veterans In Politics

Las Vegas, Nevada-Democratic United States Senator Harry Reid of Nevada stated recently that “This war is lost.” I placed a phone call to Senator Reid's Press Agent in Washington, DC on April 23rd and followed up with an e-mail on April 24th, but to date I have still received no response to these attempts for an interview.

Since President Bush announced the start of the Iraqi war on March 19, 2003, we have lost over 3,334 American Troops over four years. Every American life that is lost is a great loss to this nation, but still, we cannot turn and run!

Let us look back at history:

During the Revolutionary War it was the French that helped us gain our Independence from the British Royal Army. In the fight for Democracy and the end of slavery we lost over 618,000 Americans lives.

During World War II we dropped the Atomic Bomb on the Japanese City of Hiroshima which took over 200,000 Japanese civilians in a single day. It took a second Atomic Bomb three days later on the Japanese City of Nagasaki taken and 140,144 more civilian lives before Japan finally surrendered.

During the battle for a small Japanese Island of Iowa Jima we lost 6,800 American Troops in 27 days.

We lost more than 58,168 servicemen over 11 years by the end of the Vietnam War. We lost the Vietnam War, one in which we instituted the draft, largely because we did not have the support of the American people.

Let me tell you something. We’re smarter since the Vietnam War. Our troops have the most advanced weaponry, their training is superb, and their leadership will not give in to terrorist.

In a single day in New York City we lost 2,792 lives when two aircraft rammed into the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.

What I am saying is the following: the loss of American lives in Iraq is low, compared to other conflicts in American History. It is a tragedy to lose one life, but we are at war.

A Dictator is gone. Saddam was tried and hung by his own people and Iraq is now a democratic country. Freedom is never free. President Bush has not faltered or failed.

Iraq, under the United States lead control, has come further in six months than Germany did in seven years or Japan did in nine following WWII. Military deaths from fanatic Nazi's and Japanese numbered in the thousands and continued for over three years after W.W.II victory was declared.

Let's not forget that during the Carter Administration our American Embassy in Tehran, Iran was taken hostage. 52 Americans were held in captivity for 444 days. Had former President Jimmy Carter did his job and declared war on Iran, we would have had a foot hold in the Middle East and the Gulf War would have never come to fruition.

During the Clinton Administration Iraq repeatedly disregarded the no fly zone. American Embassies in African Countries were destroyed, the American Battleship, the USS Cole, was blown up in Yemen, and there was an attack on the World Trade Center.

Where does it stop? Someone show me the backbone of Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Former President Carter and Clinton seem to take the safe route, which in the long run puts America in more jeopardy. Sadly, it appears Senator Reid went to the same school the Carters and Clinton's did.

We finally have a President now that takes the fight straight to the terrorists and stands up for ours and others freedoms. We have a President that has a backbone.

Again, let us pray for all of our fallen troops. Despite what US Senator Harry Reid said, our troops need a positive outlook. Senator Reid never wore a uniform therefore he must not realize that his words affect the brave men and woman that are fighting and dying for our freedoms today. What we need now is to build moral amongst our troops, not knock it down.

They are the ones out there fighting for us. Let’s support those troops and our United States President.

E-mail: SteveWSanson@cs.com phone 702 283 8088
Website: www.VeteransInPolitics.com.