McCain critical to national security

The most important responsibility of the federal government is the defense of our nation from outside threats. Yet many members of the Democratic Party, including Barack Obama, are a barrier to that protection today. Between Islamic extremists and their murderous Jihad against all non-Muslims, the lunacy of North Korea, the fanaticism of Iran, the growing ugliness of Russia, and the global struggle for declining oil availability in the face of growing global oil consumption, these are the most dangerous times the world has seen since the threat of total nuclear destruction during the Cold War. During the Cold War, at least we had the comfort of knowing that both the Soviet Union and the United States wanted to avoid nuclear war because both were rational and both understood the concept of MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) because both had the ability of destroying the other. There would be no winner.

Today, North Korea and Iran are doing everything that they can to obtain or increase their access to nuclear weapons and the ability to deliver them against us. Islamic extremists are willing to do anything that they can to kill our children, our wives, and families. There is a growing concern that Pakistan, which has nuclear weapons and the ability to deliver them, could implode giving Islamic extremist access to that threat against us. These are not rational enemies and in some cases they want to die as martyrs to insure their place in heaven.

Fortunately, Ronald Reagan had the wisdom and the will to initiate the missile defense system which provides us the first limited defense response against an attack from Iran, North Korea or anybody else. So far in about ten tests, it has a 70 percent plus success rate against an incoming missile and it is getting better all the time. Yet Democrats and Barack Obama are trying to kill or delay this defense system at a time when we may be just months from Iran or North Korea having access to the ability to attack us with nuclear weapons. That is the height of irresponsibility, naiveté and stupidity.

Poland and Czechoslovakia, who got their freedom from the Soviet Union thanks to Ronald Reagan, understand the real world and have risked an attack from Russia by agreeing to host the missile defense system in their countries. Yet the Democratic Congress (with a 9 percent approval rating from the American public) is stalling the system until it is 100% proven. If you heard on the news that Iran had just launched a nuclear missile headed toward Chicago, which would you prefer: 1) being helpless and waiting for the death of your family; or 2) having ten defense missiles ready that can shoot down the threat, each with a 70 percent chance of knocking it down and saving your family's lives, with a total probability of 99.8%? And that probability would increase each day if we continue to invest in the technology. Easy choice for me! How about you? Vote wisely.

Randy Rossi

Grayslake