To the editor:

This is in response to the diatribe about President George W. Bush from Megan Miller (LJW, April 2). It is evident; she doesn’t understand history or the history of conflict. One of our founding fathers and former President Thomas Jefferson said about conflict and war, “In defense of our persons and properties under actual violation, we took up arms. When that violation shall be removed, when hostilities shall cease on the part of the aggressors, hostilities shall cease on our part also.” This is the moral high ground she is talking about. Another great president, Ronald Reagan, said “to sit back hoping that some day, some way, someone will make things right is to go on feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last but eat you he will.”

Our founding fathers understood the ideal of being able to stand alone when you are in the right. We did not attack the radical Islamic terrorists. They attacked us and, as Jefferson said, we will quit waging war when they do.

Also, Charles Krauthammer says it best about what we are fighting all over the world: “‘Exit strategy’ applies only to wars of choice. You can choose to quit Vietnam, Somalia or Kosovo. The war on radical Islam is a war of necessity. Wars of necessity have no exit. They must be won. What possible exit strategy can you have against an enemy whose ordinary soldier signs up with the following oath (found among the documents captured from al-Qaida in Afghanistan): “I state in the presence of God that I will slaughter infidels for my entire life?” There is only one exit strategy in fighting such a man. He dies or you die. No other exit.

When dealing with terrorists like al-Qaida, we are taking and holding the moral high ground. President Bush is doing a great job along with our troops, and I commend them all.

James W. Mullins,

Lawrence