Editor:

All those bombings, firefights, and civil tensions costing hundreds of civilians and soldiers lives in October don't speak to real effective occupation in Afghanistan and Iraq. So the headlines are beginning to read, "What is Obama going to do, and why is he dragging his feet?"

Interestingly enough, it amazes me how quickly the American public forgets that the egotistical, greedy, and deceitful prior administration got us in this situation, but for some reason Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and crew escape any blame, scrutiny, or accountability. How is this possible, and why do we as loyal Americans chastise a president focused on strengthening domestic issues and cleaning up foreign messes that the prior corrupt, gullible, and untrustworthy Bush administration botched up?

Let's wake up and see what is really going on here. Let us rally as Americans and begin to take action and support hopeful efforts today. I feel we need to support a complete revamping of military involvement due to the fact that we are engaged in a battle that cannot be won, because this occupation is based on the lies about weapons of mass destruction and fear that fattened the bank accounts of Halliburton and Blackwater fat cats, while innocent military families suffer the loss of life, companionship, and family time.

I am no military expert, but I am assured that throwing billions more dollars at the eradication of the Taliban and al-Qaida will not pay out in the long run. Why? Because our domestic quagmire needs a smidgen of the allocated military budget to be invested in education so our youth can survive an increasingly competitive world market. Our communities need their soldiers home to be spouses, parents, and community members fostering the hope of revitalizing this great nation through hard work and investment in movements for a greener economy, wellness programs, supportive families, and workshops on how to balance our budgets and not borrow Chinese Renminbi or from the already depleted Social Security "trust fund."

We need to be Americans, and to me this suggests that we believe in our passionate Nobel winning leader, harness his hope, and do something for our country and do it today. What are you going to do today to enhance this country? Great, I cannot wait to hear about it!

BRYON LEE, Sheridan