Dear Editor:

"These are the times that try men's souls." With these words Thomas Paine began a series of articles entitled The Crisis. What Thomas Paine said in 1776 is true now, 230 years later.

Today's political rhetoric is certainly trying many souls who long to see our beloved country returned to a time when we were a beacon of freedom to and respected by the rest of the world. Alas, we have lost our moral compass and therefore much of our credibility and influence around the world.

We must regain that compass and restore respect for the United States by restoring the self respect of our own citizens. We can start by finding, capturing and publically trying Osama Bin Laden for the crimes he and Al Qaeda committed against us. If the current administration can not do this then we need to elect an administration that can.

We must make it clear to our elected leaders that if they can not solve the disasterous Iraq dilemma then we will elect someone who can.

We must make it clear to our elected leaders that the government's treatment of the Katrina and Rita victims is unacceptable and that if they can not rectify this situation they must be replaced.

If we can not clean up our own country using our democratic institutions then who are we to be spreading democracy to other countries?

Michael Wiplich, Babylon