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STATEMENT BY MRS. ROBIN HIGGINS AND MR. & MRS. RICHARD STETHEM
Statement:
In 1985, when our son, Navy Diver Rob Stethem, was beaten to death by terrorists aboard TWA 847 in Beirut, and in 1989, when my husband, Col. William R. "Rich" Higgins, was tortured and hung by terrorists in Lebanon, we were very much alone. We wanted justice for Rob and for Rich, but we never got it. Our Navy and our Marine Corps were prepared to go after the murderers, but they never got the word. The families of the 241 American servicemen killed when these same terrorists bombed the Marine barracks in Beirut were with us, but we all stood tearful and alone.
The world is different today. Sadly we no longer stand alone. The scars we bear have been reopened, and we bleed with the thousands of families whose lives have now been sewn into the filthy fabric of evil. It renews our personal pain, and we feel that same pain for all the families of the victims of Sept 11.
We stand firmly behind our leaders who have shown courage and commitment. We thank the international coalition that never came together years ago when we were lone voices crying out for it. We applaud those Islamic countries who acknowledge that these terrorists who hide behind the Koran only bring shame upon all peace loving Moslems.
We are relieved that the name of Imad Mugniyah is on the list of those most-wanted by the FBI. We believe that Mugniyah and bin Laden have joined forces and together perpetrate evil tragedy upon civilization. They must be stopped. We say to our government officials, "See it through to the end!"
Homeported in San Diego are two great Navy ships - the USS Stethem and the USS Higgins. These ships bear the souls of their namesakes. The men and women assigned to these ships, and all those in the uniform of our country are the finest this world has to offer. If our government is going to ask these brave Americans to go to war, please, when terror reigns upon them, please stand behind them and do bring these terrorists to justice. God bless our servicemen and women, our country and the coalition that stands with us.
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight; nothing he cares about more than his own personal safety; is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions of better persons than himself." -- John Stuart Mills
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