The Oct. 17 letter from teacher Martin O’Connell was puzzling. First, he admonished parents of misbehaving children that it is “critically important” for them to “take the hard road” in correcting them. Then he described as “genuine patriots” those citizens who are taking issue with the path this country is taking in Afghanistan. He prefers “the path of restraint, diplomacy and peace.”

Remember the 1993 World Trade Center bombing? Osama bin Laden’s terrorists planted a bomb with the design to topple one tower into the other, bringing them both down. Had they succeeded, there would have been no evacuation. The death toll would have made the Sept. 11 numbers pale.

The investigation following that incident found the terrorist leaders being harbored in foreign countries. Some citizens urged the administration to follow the path of restraint, diplomacy and peace. That was done. That failed to have an impact on the terrorists. We did nothing further. The rest is history.

When pets, children, terrorists and adults misbehave, it is critically important to take the hard road in correcting them. Sometimes restraint, diplomacy and peace do not alter bad behavior. As a teacher O’Connell knows that failure to take the hard road can only serve to encourage offenders.

No rational person wants to send our young men and women to fight in a foreign country. But those who are again preaching restraint and diplomacy should take a walk through the piles of rubble and human body parts in the streets of New York. Then you will know what must be done.

Dale Sprinkle

Surry