This is Floyd Wynne with THE VIEW FROM HERE 4-20-04

We’re a nation in turmoil!

That may seem a strange statement in that we are also a nation at war against an enemy that has no objections to killing innocent men, women and children whenever it serves their purpose.

Yet....here’s what most Americans are hearing today.

First....two different versions of how the war in Iraq is going. One that visualizes only the bombing, the shooting and spotlights only the terrible things that war really is. Another attempts to emphasize the real accomplishments....that the majority of Iraq is nearing normalcy and while resenting the occupation forces, yet is thankful they are there to protect them, and were instrumental in freeing them from a tyrannical dictatorship.

Second we have a commission formed to determine what may or may not have caused the terrible attacks of September eleventh in 2001...three years ago. Most all the current government officials as well as past administration officials come under strident questioning about what was or wasn’t done....who was responsible for those attacks....in essence....who failed us?

Then we have an election year.

First it was a round of nine Democratic candidates seeking the nomination for the November elections....all sharply critical of the actions of President Bush....to the extent of calling him a liar...that he misled the American people....that he broke all his promises....in other words that he cannot be trusted to lead the country.

All of this divisive activity going on at a time when our young men and women are fighting a terrible war in Iraq against two different elements. One....the fedayeen forces that thrived under Saddam Hussein....the other...the insurgent terrorists who would try to stop the progress toward freedom in that country....at almost any cost.

All of this....which must, to the rest of the world, present a very troubled picture of a nation in disarray. They see us as a troubled giant that seems to have lost its way in the world.

The truth is that, in many cases, they do not understand the true nature of America. Our elections are almost always raucous affairs with charges and counter charges being the norm. Our right of free speech is a permissive part of our freedoms.

The only apparent limit is that of good judgement and common sense. The average American goes about his or her life...trying to enjoy the fruits of our free society, listening to the tumult and then trying to decide who should our leaders be, where should they lead us, and how safe are we to make those decisions.

The one huge question.....ever since that terrible nine-eleven attack is......how safe are we?

That attack was the first directly against this country since the days of the Revolution....over two hundred years ago. It came as a tragic surprise. It came because we did not conceive that there were those who could kill innocent people without a tinge of conscience.

President George Bush has rightly analyzed the threat when he has said it is worldwide...and it threatens the very way of life that we enjoy....and it must be attacked where it exists...and it must be eliminated if we are to return to any type of normality in our national affairs.

Yes....we are a nation in turmoil, but it is one born of our love for freedom, our diverse society, our blending of religious beliefs, and our ardent desire that such freedoms as we love is the right of all humans, everywhere.

We are in a struggle of freedom versus terrorism....plain and simple, and nothing short of complete victory will suffice.

This is Floyd Wynne and that’s THE VIEW FROM HERE.