Rant #1,039: Do Not Enter

Today marks the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

We can all remember where we were when these attacks were going on, and some of us were actually at the points of contact when these horrible attacks happened.

I was at work here on Long Island, and since we do cover government/military affairs here, we were greatly impacted by what was happening just a few miles away from us.

I also remember seeing military helicopters buzzing over our place of business, and yes, even though miles away, the stench of the attack carried over to our air.

We were let out early that day, and I remember my wife and I thinking about our son, who had just turned six at the time, and what type of world he was growing up in.

Life goes on. He is 18 now, and for that matter, my daughter is 25. 

Both experienced the attacks in their own way back then, and both have managed to move on from it.

We, as a nation, vowed never to give into the terrorists, and we haven't. We have rebuilt and moved on as a nation, but we will never forget what happened.

There is a major problem in the Middle East with Syria, and we are now deciding exactly what role, if any, we are going to play in the turmoil that is gripping that country.

And parties have vowed that if we get involved, there will be retaliation.

At this point in time, with our involvement in the situations in both Iraq and Afghanistan drawing to a close, I personally do not want us to get directly involved in anything happening on the other side of the world.

We have lost too many men and women who were doing their duty, but fighting other countries' wars.

Sure, we can keep an eye on what is going on in Syria, but I do not think we should actually officially become part of that mess.

These are barbarians who have perpetrated what is happening over there, and they will get theirs, if not now, then in the future.

Why we are even thinking about getting involved is anyone's guess, although I will bet that the public does not know the real reasons why we are considering it.

If President Obama was sitting here, I would tell him to his face that entering that conflict is not something I would do, and he is going to have to come up with a very, very valid reason to support him if he decides that we should go in there.

I think during the past dozen years, terrorists have gotten the message that we will not bow down to their wishes. 

Sure, things have happened since that time in 2001, they have helped to change our world into a much more cautious place, but the United States still goes about its business.

But to me, its business is not in Syria, and that is why, like many Americans, I fully oppose us entering that skirmish.

This time, let them figure it out by themselves--without our help.