On The View last week, Barbara Walters showed a clip of several women from Iraq describing the abusive and brutal treatment being inflicted on people for speaking out against Saddam or the government.

One described live men being put through a meat grinder, feet first, having their loved ones listen to the screams. Another described a group of people including children being sprayed with chemicals and having open sores and burns all over their bodies. Rape is a very popular form of punishment, where they rape you in front of the family.

Sure these people aren't running out to greet us. God forbid we have to withdraw, they know they will not only get killed, they will get tortured.

One of the reasons the UN [United Nations] was formed was to prevent these atrocities from happening to humanity. Shame on you to the UN. Maybe you should move your headquarters to France and save New York money that we could definitely use.

As far as protecting ourselves, I feel Saddam and Osama Bin Laden are together in trying to destroy our country. I'd rather prevent something before it happens rather than have revenge after. If we don't stop it now, it will happen again.

We all want peace, but sometimes you have to fight for it. Peace is not worrying every day if and when we are going to get attacked.

God bless our forces fighting for our freedom, and God bless America for having a heart.

Shirley Johnson