Not on my watch. Not in my home!

Today, I saw on the news that 4 Marines were caught urinating on dead bodies. Imagine that! Why would they do that? And what fool filmed this act then leaked it? The Taliban are using it for recruitment purposes... think maybe it could of been them? Even not, who's side are you on? It's just too bad that our politicians and media can't be more supportive. And this is forthright with the American people? OK, so shame on the Marines that did that. That's not "how we do it" in the USA. We are more upstanding and dignified and the Marines are held to a higher standard than that. But imagine in an alternate universe where the Super Heroes rush in to rescue poor, downtrodden, hurt victims of a hateful gang of thugs. Meanwhile the rescued, while smiling in the defenders faces, shoot them in their backs. Am I'm talking about the Afghani's? NO! I'm talking about the people back home that join our media in finding fault with anything that happens here in Afghanistan and can't write a shred of support for the effort here.

In my neighborhood back home in Michigan, a guy tried to break into my home in the middle of the night. I watched as the guy tried to open the screen of first my bedroom window and then my daughters room. Being a poor, helpless, single women, did I think he was looking for money to buy drugs? He was known as the neighborhood drug dealer. So why pick the single mom's house? The answer, fear and intimidation- easy to get my stuff. I eventually called the police who caught him on the next block. They stated that he wasn't caught doing anything more that walking down the street at 4:00 in the morning, so they did not arrest him. He had a good time telling his peers about how he got away- shame on him! Break-ins continued and my neighborhood lived in despair. Did I cower in fear for the next time. No Way! I took a stand and said, No! You will not threaten my family! Not on my watch. Not in my home! I demanded and took action! I spent the next week knocking on doors and organizing a "War on Drugs" in my neighborhood. Without going into detail, the targeted bad guy with his buddies left our area within a couple of weeks and peace was restored... and crime fell in the neighborhood. It was a win-win for us all.

The World Trade Center happened and we all watched in horror, helpless to do a thing to help as our fellow countrymen died and the life that we knew changed before our eyes. We watched as the terrorist came to "our house" to destroy us and annihilate our way of life. Fear and intimidation. Every single one of us wanted vengeance. The American people demanded action! Never forget the reason for our presence in Afghanistan. They have found a haven here and in Pakistan to hide, to organize and destroy us. So why change the mood now. Do we want another 911 to happen or do we want to stand together and command, " Not on my watch. Not in my home.

I can't change the world. I'm too old to join the Marines or any branch of the service. But, I do my part in protecting those that I love. Each one of us can make a difference and together as a nation. So what that we're hated for it- we are our strength. That's what separates us from them. We are willing to sacrifice for each other. We come together in times of need and champion the underdog and protect our own in our homes, in our country, in our world. Every soldier and every person that is serving here in Afghanistan knows that at any moment we could face death- Yes, we could die. This is a war and piss on the ones that try to harm us every second of every day. I understood that display of pushing back and granted it was grouse. Next time guys keep it zipped up or the camera off. That you killed a few terrorist was enough for me. Thank you very much for serving!

We must all remain strong, standing together and commanding that terrorism will not happen- Not on our watch. Not in our homes!