Enough: There is no more time left to wonder: this is war

There comes a time when there is nothing more to debate, when calls for moderation, understanding and tolerance become merely platitudes professed by those who spend more time reading about international relations than actually devising usable policy.

And we are there, Mr. President. We are there.

What happened this weekend in Paris could easily have happened in the United States, or in Germany or in any one of the many countries that are still trying to play the politics of appeasement with the Islamic extremists.

There is no more time to lecture Americans about understanding radical Islam.

There is no more room for gestures, olive branches and trying to win over hearts and minds.

There is no more time to pussyfoot around border control, responsible profiling and the other measures that could keep us safe.

It is time to protect the people in this country -- and the many other innocents around the world who lose their lives every day to these violent criminals.

It is time to stand up and to stop talking. It is time to send a message loud and clear.

This is a war -- and it requires more than empty threats. It requires action, decisive action.

It will not be an easy declaration. And it is not one that should be taken lightly.

But it is time, past time.

These extremists will never see reason. They won't come to a table, and they won't be swayed by gestures of respect.

To accept respect, you have to have respect for the people who are offering it.

And these criminals have no respect for us -- or you -- Mr. President, none.

More than 129 people lost their lives Friday.

Something needs to be done before that death toll is a lot more.

And yes, this nation should be the one to lead the charge. It is our legacy and our duty.

It is the responsibility that comes with the freedom our ancestors gifted us -- and the battles that generations have fought to protect it.

Leadership is not easy.

But now is the time for this nation, the one that has always stood for what is right and just, and the one that has fought and defeated evil before, to stand up and to lead again.

It is time for us to speak softly but to carry a really big stick. It is time for us to show this enemy that this nation is strong, tough and united and will not sit idly by as innocent people are murdered.

It is time to be there not just for this ally, but for all of those who face these threats every day.

And it is time to finish the work for which so many have given their lives.

It is time to stomp this scourge once and for all.

There is no more important calling.

And no more time to wait to answer it.

Published in Editorials on November 14, 2015 11:22 PM