This November, you will have the power to decide the fate of a nation your ancestors died defending.

When you walk into that voting booth, you are going to war with the terrorists who attacked our nation with a bloodlust never before witnessed.

This is why it is so important to avoid the rancid fumes of political propaganda hurled toward the voting public. The way to go about slaying this dangerous monstrosity is by wielding the sword of truth.

When you look at the facts, the Swift Boat Veterans are right. John Kerry truly is unfit for command.

Now it’s easy to make a point-blank statement, so let’s back this one up with a firm foundation of facts. Throwing the swift boat veterans’ accusations to the side – because that’s what they are, accusations – let’s start by taking a look at Sen. Kerry’s view on the way to use our military.

“I’m an internationalist. I’d like to see our troops dispersed through the world only at the directive of the United Nations,” Kerry said in 1970.

Kerry wants the United Nations to have control over the mobilization of our troops. Therefore, our military would be empowered by the United Nations and not our president.

Kerry also claims to believe that life begins at conception, yet he voted six times against bills that would have banned partial-birth abortion, the brutal butchering of a life. He also voted three times against bills requiring parental consent or notification for a minor to get an abortion.

Kerry and other liberals publicly criticize President Bush’s tax cuts for neglecting the middle class, yet the average middle-class family would have paid an additional $1,933 in taxes this year if Kerry had prevailed on tax votes. In fact, Kerry has voted to raise taxes more than 350 times.

He also has used gas prices as ammunition to combat Bush. Kerry claims he will work to lower gas prices. Strangely enough, Kerry publicly supported a 50-cent tax increase on gasoline.

Kerry also believes the threat of terrorism to our country has been overblown.

“I think there has been an exaggeration. They [the Bush administration] are misleading all Americans in a profound way,” he has said.

So was the body count resulting from the World Trade Center attacks exaggerated as well, Sen. Kerry?

Kerry also claims he would fight terrorism with intensity, even though he proposed an amendment to gut the intelligence budget by $6 billion across the board.

While running for U.S. Senate in 1984, Kerry recommended the cancellation of 27 weapons systems, including the B1 bomber, cruise missile, MX missile, Trident submarine, Patriot air defense missile and F15 fighter plane.

Forget about Kerry’s habit of changing stances on key issues to fit his audience. It’s his voting record and his actions while in the Senate that are alarming.

The position of president requires a strong character, confident decision-making and a willingness to protect the United States of America with military force. John Kerry has none of these attributes.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the political puff come Election Day. Support your vote with a firm foundation of facts. These facts will lead you only one way.

Columns reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Northern Star staff.