“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles,
or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;
who strives valiantly; who at best knows in the end the triumph
of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while
daring greatly.” Theodore Roosevelt
April 8, 2026, And Every Wednesday
By Linda Case Gibbons, Esq.
(Check out Lest We Forget and FYI.)
War is hell. Ask anyone. And it is worse when it’s being watched in real time.
This past weekend the world was on pins and needles waiting to see Iran’s response to President Trump’s ultimatum.
The President warned the “religious” leaders in Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, or “a whole civilization will die tonight.”
Some were shocked and dismayed by his use of language.
Well, maybe it was because he did say, “the f***ing Strait.”
And he may have called the Ayatollahs “crazy bastards.”
On Easter Sunday. Swearing like a stevedore.
But long-running negotiations had worn thin, and Trump believed it was critical to end Iran’s nuclear threats, and silence the chants of “Death to America” once and for all.
His critics, if they bothered to ask, would realize he was on pins and needles, too.
Trump had chosen to do what no other U.S. president had done for nearly five decades.
The global community knew the U.S. president was taking responsibility none of them were willing to take.
And, which, even now, when asked, global NATO members responded “No can do,” in answer to Trump’s request for help.
So, while Iran leaders lied like Persian rugs during lengthy negotiations;
While they killed their own people, something they seem to enjoy doing;
And while they scurried like trapped rats to enrich more of their uranium to blow up the world, Less Masculine, but more Toxic Congressmen, like Cory Booker, Hakeem Jeffries, and others were scurrying to prepare papers of impeachment.
Sen. Chris Murphy wrote on X, “He’s already killed thousands. He’s going to kill thousands more.”
Sen. Bernie said Trump was “dangerous and unbalanced," and Sen. Schumer called Trump “an unhinged madman.”
But Trump made decisions these Congressmen would not, the burden of responsibility laying heavy on his shoulders.
He waded into a situation that was similar to the ones faced by Abraham Lincoln and Robert E. Lee at a time of war.
Lincoln struggled over the decision to emancipate the slaves, faced with the possibility of dividing the country, causing brother to fight against brother.
Robert E. Lee was a West Point graduate, but a resident of Virginia, a state which sided with the Confederacy.
He prayed on bended knee for guidance as to which side he should choose to lead troops into battle.
War is hell. Especially when conducted under the glare of 24/7 internet scrutiny.
Social media is wonderful for taking pictures of your dinner, but imagine if we knew every word Gen. George Patton or Prime Minister Winston Churchill spoke while they were engaged in World War II.
Patton was known to use “intense, vulgar, profanity-laced language” in his speeches to motivate the troops.
“No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. You won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country,” Patton barked to the Third Army before the invasion of Normandy.
While Prime Minister Churchill did not use profanity in his speeches, he was known to use coarse language in his private correspondence, and racial slurs to describe his enemies.
Neither men were angels. They were just men, only human, fighting for their countries.
Stopping Iran in its radical tracks isn’t a problem for Hakeem Jeffries or Cory Booker. They just don’t bother to do it.
Even though they have tine on their hands after voting to shut down the government, they are leaving the heavy lifting to a man who represents “Toxic Masculinity” at its best.
Donald J.
Hold the line, America. Stay strong, Patriots