Letter to the Editor

Support intelligence personnel

Americans welcome our uniformed soldiers home with parades and great honors. Yet we have soldiers, some facing death or torture protecting us who receive no parades, no welcome home, no recognition. They don't expect it, and in fact, we never know who they are. They are supported by many thousands of brilliant specialists providing the world's best knowledge base to assist them in protecting our republic. The men and women of our intelligence services are the front line in the defense of our freedoms.

Now these brave men and women find themselves vilified by politicians and their followers for reporting irrefutable facts that may or may not support a politician or political position. This country was maliciously attacked in 2016 by an enemy using 21st century weaponry that involved no bullets, bombs, ships or planes. The attacks are ongoing. There is no doubt that cyber weapons are being employed to sabotage our most important institutions and influence our elections.

When Pearl Harbor was bombed, Tojo did not get a hand shake from the President. When our ships were torpedoed, we did not blame the crews. The greatest generation rallied around our soldiers as they took care of business. Today we see a President and his followers in denial, launching an assault of their own on the very people risking their lives to protect us, while embracing the foreign despot responsible for the attacks. Americans must reject this. These soldiers are worthy of the same respect as our uniformed heroes.

WILL RICHARDSON, Jackson