It would be amusing if it weren’t so serious. Last weekend’s expressions of supposed free speech were almost universally called demonstrations by the media and “mostly peaceful” by some. In contrast, the Jan. 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol was labeled an “insurrection” and “riot” by the media.

NHA TRANG, Vietnam - Rod Kjersten has returned to Vietnam for the first time since he was a nurse in the U.S. Air Force hospital in Cam Ranh Bay. Now 77, he recalls the precise date when he left - May 28, 1970. He served at the hospital for two years where he treated wounded American soldiers and saw many die. He says while he was initially "gung-ho" about the U.S. and South Vietnamese war efforts, he has since become "neutral." Asked why, he said it was after seeing the Ku Chi tunnels on this trip. These were some of the tunnels used by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong soldiers to hide and "pop up" to shoot at Americans.

Although Jim Risch is one of those Congressional lifers who does not have a particularly distinguished record on domestic issues, he has exercised good sense on some national security issues. He has long seen the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO) as an essential component of America’s national defense. For instance, in 2023 he called NATO “the most successful political and defensive organization that’s ever been on the face of the planet.” He elaborated: “NATO is important because the national security of the United States of America is the most important issue that the federal government exists for. And there is nothing that gives us better security than the NATO organization.”