To the Journal editor:

What if the world were turned upside down and the circumstances between the United States and Iran were reversed.

With their puritanical form of Islamic religion, we would already have been burned at the stake, blown to oblivion or more likely been reduced to nuclear dust. The rest of the infidel world would not fare any better. This would have to be a snapshot in time because given any time and opportunity, we would reverse those roles.

We have not become a great nation by chance. We are a great nation because of diversity, sacrifice, compassion and persistent hard work by past and present generations.

A brotherhood from sea to shining sea. O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life. We are diverse and everyone has an opinion and is allowed to express it. We should applaud ourselves for this and be proud of it.

Taking out a terrorist is a serious matter but if the shoe were on the other foot it might be thrown at your head.

DENNIS BENTTI

Michigamme