To the editor:

Our news reporters are using terms like “gut wrenching” to describe the chaos in Afghanistan as our troops pull out. Calmly they discuss what went wrong after our money and blood was spent to bring about some type of democracy and now, after 20 years, the Afghan soldiers we supplied with weapons and training are simply laying down their guns.

Was democracy really what the people of Afghanistan wanted? They ask, as they sit at their desks and talk.

Our soldiers who have been there and those who are now leaving know the answer: The lives of all Afghans are in danger. Our country has also fought bravely for freedoms, but our soldiers’ families, with the exception of the Civil War, were not attacked and killed along with the soldiers. The Afghan men know that without our presence to fight with and for them, not only will they die but their families will be sought out and killed, too.

I am glad to know that many Afghanistan families will be safe at Camp McCoy in Wisconsin, but so many more need to be rescued.

Had our media rallied behind our country to wholeheartedly support our presence in Afghanistan and Iraq the outcome might have been different. As it was, only the number of dead and wounded were reported daily by our news media. Not one story a day of how much our country’s presence was appreciated there. Stories of “no weapons of mass destruction being found” abounded. Did any reporter note that Iraqi mothers named their sons, “George” after our president?

Or the many gestures of appreciation shown our troops by the Afghani men and families?

After two weeks my son and his troops gave up reading news from their native land as their own country was against helping another country achieve democracy. Who is our neighbor?

That question and the answer was given long ago. During World War II, our country rallied behind the answer, defeated the enemy and saved many lives although our losses were many. There is still time to do the same today. Do we still care as much about our neighbors or are we willing to leave the beaten lie by the side of the road?

Trudy Madetzke

Marshall