The anniversary of the fall of the Shah of Iran and the beginning of the fanatic Islamic regime is at hand. There are going to be huge demonstrations for the Ayatollah government and from the opposition. The opposition is the majority of the civilian population. They favor a democratic society and freedom of expression.
President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should be giving them words of encouragement and the support of the American people. This should be in the forefront of their daily news conferences.
What needs to happen in the fight against Islamic terrorism is a change from within this country. They are the major exporter of arms and financial support to all surrounding countries. It would start what I call a "reverse domino" effect and spread the fight for human rights and free speech. After all, that is what our military effort has been about from the beginning. It's not about the oil. It's not about George Bush. It is about freedom from oppression and for human rights. This is what every American soldier, along with our allies, fights for and dies for every day. This is what we should all pray for every night. I challenge U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, Democrats from Minnesota, and U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, also a Democrat from Minnesota, to speak out for freedom and plead with our president to do the same.
Jerry Ferkingstad
Canyon
