Dear Source,
This is in response to Malik Sekou's opinion. Mr. Sekou, although I'm not a professor such as yourself and I agree partly in what you say as to our government, I think you're a little off base. Although our government is far from perfect, there is no such thing as a perfect government; anyone who lives in the Virgin Islands knows this all too well. I do believe our government tries to do what's best for the overall good of the USA.
Mr. Sekou, if you have ever lived abroad, you know how bad it is in some other countries: In some places you would have been jailed, or worse, for the comments you made. But that's what sets America apart from everywhere else.
In most of those Muslim countries, the controlling government has terrorist factions trying to kill them and take over. They're using Islam in a perverted way to influence young and old to do terrible things, just like many of the evangelists and religious leaders here in America.
[Congresswoman Barbara] Lee, in my opinion, is just trying to get attention, and she knew that vote would get her in the news. I doubt that, if someone came up to her and assaulted her on the street, she would try to blame herself. No, Mr. Sekou, she would defend herself. We must defend ourselves from this monstrous group of rebels — because, if we don't, they will strike again, even if it takes 10 years, and it will be much worse. The world together should rid itself of these terrorists. The reason so many other nations are joining the cause is that they know that right now we are the enemy of the terrorist, but in 10-20 years they could be next.
Every time something like this happens, out comes the "Blame America First Group," which is absurd. Mr. Sekou, if your adult child cut someone off in traffic one day, and late that same night the man he cut off in traffic attacked your family and yourself for what your child did, would you defend your home and family? Yes, you would, with all your might, even though your child was wrong for the traffic violation, and the man who attacked your family was wrong in attacking your family. You must defend them. You must defend them, even if your child is wrong; I don't know a parent who wouldn't. We must defend ourselves, and, since they run and hide only to attack again, we must go and find them.
We may not agree with what our leaders do, but in times of crisis, we must support them. If we don't, we become divided, and then America will fall, and then, Mr. Sekou, I can guarantee you won't have the same freedom as you do now.
Jim Richardson
Philadelphia, Pa.
Editor's note: We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to source@viaccess.net.
