Waiting for GOP

With the midterm elections almost one month away, it appears that the country is in store for some major changes in Congress next January. However, one thing has been noticeably absent from the debate: our national security.

If one didn’t dig deep into the newspapers, you might even forget that our country is fighting in two wars and that our brave men and women continue to die and be gravely wounded almost every day in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Many people have blamed the Obama administration and congressional Democrats for not focusing enough on the war efforts, but the party that has been noticeably absent in the debate has been the Republicans. If the GOP aspires to lead the Congress next year, it is their responsibility to our friends, family members, colleagues and neighbors fighting and dying overseas to start addressing the important questions about our country’s wars and their implications for national security.

Although the economy is understandably the top issue in voters’ minds, as a nation we cannot afford to forget about the serious questions that remain about our nation’s security. If anything, we owe it to the 5,700 heroes our country has already lost in these horrific wars.

Neil Walther

Spokane