I have to give the President credit where credit is due. He has finally united the people of this country. It might not be in exactly the way he would like, but, nevertheless, the people of the United States of America seem to be as undivided over an issue as I have seen in a long time.

Finally, we are speaking with a loud voice that cannot be misunderstood. It may be ignored, but any so-called leader who ignores this unified voice will pay the consequences, I believe.

Overwhelmingly, we are saying “No!” to any suggestion that we intervene in another civil war in the Middle East. This time it is Syria and it has been going on for two years, but the most recent horrendous action of one side or the other seems to have compelled us to do something.

The American public has said, “No!” and there seems to be only small disagreement with that sentiment.

Some television polls say that about a third of Americans support action against the Assad regime, but congressmen who have been in their districts listening to the people say that it is more like 90 percent against any kind of involvement. I don’t think that even a silver-tongued President can cajole a politician to go against those kinds of odds.

Have the American people suddenly lost their will to do good in the world? I don’t think so. Have our hearts turned away from the unfortunate deaths, by chemical weapons, of innocent men, women, and children? No. Our sensibilities will always be against the shedding of blood within and without sovereign nations.

Some of our leadership keeps trying to tell us we must do something, but the American people are speaking back, pretty forcefully, this time saying, “When you give us a good plan, when you convince us that whatever you plan to do will actually help the situation, then perhaps, we will support you. No more carte blanche for a government that hasn’t thought things through.”

Many will say that we are setting a dangerous or negative precedent. We could be ham-stringing the President when he needs great flexibility to act on behalf of the country. The President, they say, needs to be able to act quickly and decisively. That could be true.

But, I have another view; one that bespeaks of a positive precedent. American resources, whether treasure or blood, are very valuable to us. Use them wisely or don’t use them at all.

Uncle Sam has gone out of its way, bent over backwards, to tell us that this proposed action against Syria will be “unbelievably small.” It amounts to a symbolic shot across the bow. A senior official was quoted in USA Today describing the action this way.

“If Assad [Syria’s President] is eating Cheerios, we’re going to take away his spoon and give him a fork. Will that degrade his ability to eat Cheerios? Yes. Will it deter him? Maybe. But he’ll still be able to eat Cheerios.”

I think the American people sense that sort of attitude regarding this action and are saying that if all we want to do is mess with President Assad’s Cheerios, let’s send him some sour milk!