President Bush's Commencement Address

"Now, many critics compare the battle in Iraq to the situation we faced in Vietnam. There are many differences between the two conflicts, but one stands out above all: The enemy in Vietnam had neither the intent nor the capability to strike our homeland. The enemy in Iraq does. Nine-eleven taught us that to protect the American people, we must fight the terrorists where they live so that we don't have to fight them where we live." -President Bush in the commencement address at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.

Mr. President, if the enemy in Vietnam had neither the intent nor the capability to strike our homeland, why were we there? Our leaders kept telling us Communism was going to take over the world. Now they are telling us Islam is going to do the same. Were we in Vietnam out of fear, or just the chest thumping alpha male egos of our leaders, the same as today? Like the middle east, we did not know friend or foe in Vietnam. The Vietnamese could have carried out a "terrorist" attack if they desired, and rest assured, had we been meddling in Vietnam as long as we have in the Middle East, and if we had defeated their huge army, and were still there, we would be attacked by Vietnamese terrorists. One thing that is the same, you avoided serving in Vietnam, and you and your children avoid the Iraq war.

When we pulled out of Vietnam they did not follow us here as we feared. Instead many Vietnamese came here and became very productive capitalists. The same will happen with the Muslims if we pull our troops out of the Middle East and stop supporting Israel. They will want to come here, not to bomb us, but to become entrepreneurs like the Vietnamese.

The enemy in Vietnam had an air force and army. They had the huge resources of the Chinese and Russian communists. Millions of men under arms. Compare that to al-Qaida, a rag tag group of zealots who will disappear like other cults if left alone. Yet you say these rag tags with no air force or navy will follow us here!

There are two differences in Vietnam and Iraq you failed to mention. The first is Vietnam was not an enemy of Israel. The Vietnamese did not follow the dictates of con men like Moses and Muhammad.

Another difference in Vietnam and Iraq is Vietnam does not sit on one of the world's largest oil reserves.

Stop fighting Israel's religious wars for them. Bring the troops home, all of them, to do what they are supposed to do, defend America. The Defense Department used to be named the War Department. With the current U. S. foreign policy we should change the name back to the "War Department" because that is what it does best, make war. It is no longer a "Defense" Department.

Charles Tolleson