There is foaming at the mouth. There is wallowing happily in the mud.

Speculation abounds. Accusations are flying.

Why?

Weapons of mass destruction have yet to be found in Iraq.

The Bush administration seems to be on the defensive about the issue, fielding questions and accusations alike from worldwide media, liberals and conservatives.

Their mission these days seems to be to urge patience.

Secretary of State Colin Powell has said the weapons are there and they will be found. Americans and people all over the world must simply be patient.

Six weeks, he said, is not enough time to locate a weapons program that has been operating successfully in secret for more than two decades.

We will never forget watching as Powell sat before the United Nations Security Council and proved, with photos and schematics, that Iraq and Sadaam Hussein had a weapons program.

The horror and outrage we felt at learning the extent of that program are never far from the surface.

We urge all Shelby Countians to keep the faith and continue to stand behind a president who has made it his goal to make not only America but also this world a safer place in which to live