Wednesday, March 19, 2003
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Wednesday, March 19, 2003 |
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'U.S. can't afford to wait for next attack' By J. FRANK LYNCH
They called it a "pro-America" rally, not a pro-war event, and so an hour-long demonstration Saturday at Heritage Park in Fayetteville was heavy on showing support for troops in the Middle East, with a passing barb at Democrats and "the media" thrown in for good measure. About 200 people braved cool, damp weather to rally for President Bush and his campaign to remove Iraqi President Saddam Hussein from power. It was one of similar gatherings held around the country Saturday, including a "Rally for America" at Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta that drew an estimated 20,000 people. The signs in abundance left no doubt to the political stand of the crowd, from "Anti-American Protestors are Saddam's Streetwalkers" to "12 Years is Long Enough" and "Let's Roll." As Saturday afternoon traffic backed up on Ga. Highway 85, the Fayetteville group sang along to patriotic tunes and heard from several speakers, including U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Jack C. Wheeler (ret.) of Fayetteville, who told them U.S. motivation against Iraq is different in the 12 years since the Persian Gulf War. "No longer can we afford to take the risk of any individual, a dictator, having weapons of mass destruction, and the risk that those weapons might find their way into the hands of terrorists," said Wheeler, a former general manager at The Citizen newspapers who recently returned to active duty part-time to help with military mobilization. "Those terrorists, we found out on 9/11, have no hesitation about coming to our shores and murdering us," he said. Removing Saddam Hussein and liberating Iraqis from years of oppressive leadership will hopefully have a side effect, Wheeler said. "It could be the start of a reshaping of the middle east as we know it today." Support for troops both at home and overseas was a high message of the day. Wheeler encouraged local residents to fly the flag, send e-mails to troops, stop by recruitment centers to thank those who keep the enlisted ranks full, and spread the word "that citizenship has an obligation: Freedom is not free." Capt. Gail Daras, whose husband Maj. Kirby Daras is serving at Camp Doha in Kuwait, said families here at home have special needs when a soldier goes off to war. "I was deployed four months after the birth of my son," she recalled. "It was very hard." "Find out who in your neighborhood is deployed and how you can help their families," Daras said. "Or find out if there are people in your neighborhood in the reserves or national guard. Get to know your neighbors." How you can help Donations of toiletry items, packaged food items (not homemade) and candy are being accepted through "Operation We Support Our Troops" at both locations of Village Paint, on Ga. Highway 54 in Peachtree City and in Hudson Plaza in Fayetteville. Here are some other ways you can help through the Internet. ·www.operationuplink.org: Donate a calling card to help keep service members in touch with their families at Operation Uplink. ·www.dearamericansoldier.com: Started by the American Family Association, this e-mail pen pal program is a way to send letters, poems or prayers to soldiers. ·www.operationdearabby.net: Send a greeting via e-mail through this service started by the advice columnist. · www.defendamerica.mil: Sign a virtual thank-you card. ·www.usometrodc.org: Donate directly to "Operation USO Care Package" ·www.va.gov.vetsday: Volunteer to work at a Veterans Administration hospital by going to this site. Make a donation to one of the relief societies serving each branch of the military: ·www.aerhq.org: Army ·www.nmers.org: Navy and Marines ·www.afas.org: Air Force ·www.cgmahq.org: Coast Guard
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