Reminder: Terror tape authentic

You've probably heard or seen part of it by now, the latest al Qaida terror tape warning. The CIA and FBI both agree that it appears genuine Grade A al Qaida though the head-wrapped host of this tape apparently gave everyone second thoughts.

Some doubt that the voice is an American. We have a pretty good ear for dialect and it sure sounds like an American to us.

Some say that the voice sounds highly educated. We say it sounds like an American who thinks he's intelligent but his reality falls somewhat short. The word "tyranny" gives him away. He pronounces it with a long I, as in Tie-ranny. But a less than scholarly American would look at the word "tyrant" -- which has the long I sound -- and could easily calculate that "tyranny" would be pronounced the same. He'd be wrong.

Whoever it is has been away from home for awhile and is trying to sound cultured.

Is the tape a "trigger" for infiltrator terrorists to take action? Possibly. Only a complete fool would think that the American elections would not provide a tempting target, and despite all precautions the chances of another terrorist attack are likely, sooner or later.

We're glad the tape was shown. Among its useful purposes is to remind all Americans that we are at war. We are still at war. We cannot afford to be anything less than vigilant. There is no turning back the clock to a pre-9/11 mindset. Terrorism is not a nuisance, it's an assault on our way of life and our freedoms. Americans have more or less understood this throughout our national history. Terrorism is also a spiritual assault on our values, in this case sponsored by people who are enemies of the Judao-Christian principles that comprise our system of risks and rewards and justice.

These terrorists see America as the Great Satan because just about everything about us, our strengths and our weaknesses, are anathema to their beliefs. They will not honor the white flag of surrender, for our surrender is not what they seek. It is either our total conversion to their way of thinking, or our annihilation. Whether that is a realistic goal on their part is beside the point. We cannot compromise or negotiate with those who do not value compromise or negotiation. We must defeat them to live. If we care about them, we must then work for their conversion to safer modes of thinking.

If it sounds difficult, well it should because it is. Nobody said it was going to be an easy job. But difficult jobs are in the American character. Yeah, we've got flaws and foibles, and a big part of the task ahead involves rededicating America to a more noble spirit where life is cherished at all levels, where individuals are a little less inclined to materialistic things and a little more inclined to spiritual improvement. But there's a foundation of goodness, and a reliance on hard work and individual responsibility that can fit in well with this spiritual growth. Call it the other side of the same coin, or the yin and yang of a responsible, free people.

George W. Bush understands this, the danger we face and the opportunity we have. He sees God as personal, engaged in history and has expectations of us. He deserves another term and our support during that term to work toward these goals.

John Kerry, who talks as if God is more abstract and disinterested in the details of history, does not seem to understand the truth of the danger we face, and he's too much of an internationalist and U.N. worshipper to grasp that America's role in the world is to reform itself and to lead a revival of freedom. Ultimately he does not seem to believe that we are at war.

We are still at war.