Future danger: This nation needs to think hard about what to do next about ISIS.

No one wants boots on the ground.

No one wants to see American service members fighting overseas and risking their lives for a war that has no strategy and no objective.

But those who are urging Americans and the Obama administration to think hard about what needs to be done to combat the Islamic militants in Iraq and Syria are thinking about more than just the here and now.

They are looking to the future.

There is a danger here, a real one. It is as potent, if not more so, than the network that orchestrated the Sept. 11 attacks -- and it is more sophisticated now and more capable of slipping by our defenses.

ISIS is attracting disaffected Americans -- people who have decided that they are going to fight for jihad.

They look like us, speak like us and can pass through places where someone with another passport might actually attract some notice.

And that is scary to think about.

The recent incident in Australia proves that these militants are not content with battling western forces in the Middle East. They are planning to bring the fight and the horrors over here.

And that means we have to do everything in our power to stop them -- before something horrible happens to innocent Americans here.

That means there is not a lot of time for debate and there is little room for partisan manipulation. We need a strategy that not only minimizes the risk to our military, but that also protects this nation from future attacks.

If there ever was a time to listen to those who command the nations combat forces and those whose boots have already been on the ground, this is it.

Politicians' opinions should be secondary -- especially the ones who are more interested in their own campaigns and majority numbers than doing what is right for this country.

We cannot afford weakness. We cannot afford to waffle. This is a test, and we need to pass it with the courage and the determination that this nation has shown for generations.

We need to make the Greatest Generation proud. And that starts with making the hard decisions and setting a course for truth and liberty.

We are charged with protecting this nation.

And that is exactly what we should do -- with every weapon in our arsenal.

Published in Editorials on September 20, 2014 11:14 PM