In response to the letter of Reid Cerney ("American bombing will continue to kill," Lodinews.com, Dec. 10): I would like him to answer a few tough questions that demand honest answers.

First of all, he suggests he is among a group of individuals who believe that non-violence, or passive resistance, is a proper technique of protesting the acts of terrorism carried out by those who crashed our airplanes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11.

Thousands of innocent people were killed by these terrorists’ action under the leadership of Osama bin Laden.

Mr. Cerney states in his letter: “Some of us believe that war is not inevitable.”

Can we assume that those of us who support our government’s decision to punish those who had a part in taking the lives of innocent civilians, including children, on Sept. 11 are war mongers?

Mr. Cerney further states in his letter that “we electors can question our government about the way we wage war.”

How do you wage a non-violent war? How do you bring to justice those who committed those violent acts in a passive manner?

The freedom Mr. Cerney and all of us have — to criticize the president’s action to punish the terrorists and bring them to justice, and, yes, the very freedom to protest — came at the very high price of human lives.

American soldiers fight and die to protect our freedom here in America.

I resent the suggestion in Mr. Cerney’s letter that those of us who support our president and our elected officials are violent, barbarous war mongers.

No, we just believe in justice for all and that justice includes terrorists who come here and kill law-abiding, freedom-loving Americans.

In closing, I would ask Mr. Cerney just how would he deal with bin Laden and his followers.

Would he meet with the terrorists and ask them to please stop their violent acts against us?

Does he have an alternate plan — step by step — on how to deal with the Sept. 11 attack on America?

I, for one, would like to hear it.

Tom Baker Lodi

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