Political people in US

As the writer, Voltaire, wrote – "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." Not being a particularly brave person myself I can't say that I'd defend to the death your right to say anything but I will certainly defend your right to free speech as well as I can.

This brings me to my take on the Bong Hits 4 Jesus debacle which is now taking place in our country, in Alaska to be precise. Apparently a senior student at Juneau-Douglas High School, one Joseph Frederick, took it upon himself to make and display a large banner at a school function proclaiming the nonsensical headline "Bong Hits 4 Jesus."

It must be argued fairly in Mr. Frederick's favor, that his banner was not being displayed ON school grounds although it could definitely be seen while standing on the school campus. Mr. Frederick asserts that the banner is not pro drug (although I fail to see his logic when the banner clearly states "4" as in "Bong Hits For Jesus").

The school's position is that the banner was being shown during a school sponsored function, albeit off of school property.

This scenario unfolded during an Olympic Torch Relay in 2002. It is just now coming to the attention of the national media thanks to former Whitewater special counsel Kenneth Starr who has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to take up Alaska's Bong Hits 4 Jesus case. Starr filed the petition recently on behalf of the Juneau School District in response to a March ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The appeals court sided with the student, stating that former Juneau-Douglas High School principal, Deborah Morse, violated former student Joseph Frederick's free speech rights.

Frederick was suspended for violating the school's policy of promoting illegal substances at a school-sanctioned event. "The principal's actions were so outrageous, basically leaving school grounds and punishing a student for a message that is not damaging to the school," said his attorney, Doug Mertz.

Superintendent Peggy Cowan said clarification is needed on the rights of administrators when it comes to disciplinary action of students who break the district's drug message policy.

This situation is definitely a sticky wicket. How do we proclaim the right of all our citizens having free speech, yet deny our students this same right?

Yes, as a parent who has lost a child to the disease of addiction, I am offended whenever I see signs or hear songs or read anything extolling the virtue of drug abuse. But we cannot give up our rights, so valiantly fought for so many years ago, just because someone is saying something that we don't like or with which we disagree.

Voltaire was spot on. I like to think that if he were alive today he would still defend another's right to free speech. As repulsive as the pro drug abuse issue is to me, the thought of losing our right to free speech is even more repulsive.

All the World leaders and leaders of America that cared about the USA were in agreement that Iraq should be attack and now four years later we are in the middle of a civil war that no one could have imagined. A Civil war has erupted because the leader of the Muslim world by the name of Muhammad died so suddenly that there was confusion as to who would be the next ruler of the Islamic state. To this day, the Islamic world is divided because of this issue (Shia vs. Sunni). President Pelosi now has to decide to cut and run or stay in Iraq and finish the job of bringing freedom to the 75 percent of the Iraqis that desire freedom.

It does not matter how many peaceful Muslims there may be, they are no protection from the terrorist Muslim leaders and what they are fanatically bent on doing - by their own pronouncements - killing all of us "infidels." the peaceful Muslims are afraid to lend a hand. What would you do if the choice was shut up or die? In countries without freedom you will be killed.

So who are we at war with? There is no way we can honestly respond that it is anyone other than the Muslim terrorist Trying to be politically correct and avoid verbalizing this conclusion can well be fatal. There is no way to win if you do not clearly recognize and articulate who you are fighting. We can definitely lose this war, and as anomalous as it may sound, the major reason we can lose is that so many of us simply do not fathom the answer to the second question: What does losing mean? It would appear that a great many of us think that losing the war means hanging our heads, bringing the troops home and going on about our business, like post Vietnam.

This is as far from the truth as one can get. What losing really means is: We would no longer be the premier country in the world. The attacks will not subside, but rather will steadily increase. Remember, the terrorist want us dead, not just quiet. If they had just wanted us quiet, they would not have produced an increasing series of attacks against us over the past 18 years. The plan is clearly for terrorists to attack us, until we are neutered and submissive to them. If we lose the war, our production, income, exports and way of life will all vanish as we know it. The Muslim terrorist fully know what is riding on this war, and therefore are completely committed to winning, at any cost. We'd better know it too, and be likewise committed to winning at any cost!! Thank you President Pelosi and our great Soldiers, I am so proud that "DEFEAT" is one word that you and I do not use. I AM WITH YOU ALL THE WAY EVEN IF YOUR LAST NAME WERE BUSH OR KERRY OR MRS. CLINTON.