We are fighting a war on terrorism. Several years ago, it wouldn’t have been necessary to say that, but today it may be worth reminding people. As a Gold Star father (my son, LCPL Justin Ellsworth, was killed in Iraq in 2004) and a law-enforcement official, I watch with interest each day as our government in Washington continues to grapple with the challenge of keeping us safe. There has been much talk of change over the last year, but thus far this change has brought grave concern.

It appears we are doing the one thing we said we would never do: forgetting 9/11. Just as the “Never Forget” bumper stickers have faded, so has our memory of that fateful day. We have forgotten the horror of 9/11 and the unity of spirit that followed. We have forgotten the U.S.S. Cole and the terrorists who took our sailors from us. We have forgotten the threat America faces from terrorists bent on the destruction of our freedom and our way of life. In short, we have forgotten we are at war. The flags that once flew on every car window, and in front of every house, and were worn on the lapels of proud and patriotic Americans, are now gone.

Certainly, there are millions of Americans who appreciate the danger posed by the extremists we fight. Among our elected officials and media leaders, however, the memory of 9/11 is fading fast. Politicians and Americans of all stripes have permitted the recession and the demonization of the Iraq War to cloud their judgment or cause them to ignore changes in policy that may damage our ability to keep this country secure.

To be sure, not moving past the terrible tragedy of 9/11 would have presented our enemies with a victory. Still, there is a difference between moving on and denying or disregarding the truth.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with U.S. operations in more than 100 countries around the world, are part of a broader strategy of staying on offense against terrorism. Our actions send a message to terrorists that the once-sleeping giant is now awake and ready to act.

I’ve been in law enforcement for more than 20 years. My department sends a message every day to the residents of my town that we are doing everything we can to keep them safe and secure. Our efforts also send a powerful message to those who might consider breaking the law.

What message are we sending our enemies in the war on terror today? We no longer classify terrorists as enemy combatants, and some in Washington are planning a witch-hunt against the CIA. In the past year, our government has even tried to eliminate the phrase “war on terrorism” from the American lexicon out of some odd sense of political correctness.

We are releasing detainees at an alarming rate in a rush to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp, yet we still lack a plan for bringing those suspected terrorists to justice. Charges have been dropped against the mastermind of the Cole bombing, and at the request of political activists, President Obama has released to Great Britain (without trial) an “enemy combatant” suspected of killing an American solider. (He is now a free man.) To date, more than 60 former Gitmo detainees have been freed while the Obama administration shifts responsibility for the prosecution of terror suspects from the Defense Department to our civilian justice system.

The war that my son gave his life to fight and win is in danger of devolving into one of mere platitudes, legal wrangling, and political posturing. Important decisions are now being driven by campaign promises rather than by operational effectiveness. While the Bush strategy may have sparked controversy, the traditional law-enforcement approach to dealing with international terrorism is a failed model. Indeed, transitioning to the law-enforcement model while affording suspected terrorists rights approaching those of ordinary Americans will only serve to encourage our enemies. Just because we stop fighting doesn’t mean they will.

Our military men and women must retain the responsibility and the burden of driving an offensive anti-terrorism strategy around the world. Our brave troops have sent a message loud and clear over these last eight years that America is willing to fight. They are answering the call now in greater numbers in Afghanistan. Despite the shift going on in Washington and the wavering opinions of the Beltway chattering class, our troops believe that this is a war. They believe it’s worth fighting. My son Justin believed it with every fiber of his being.

Change for the sake of change is dangerous. Americans should consider the possible effects of proposed shifts in our national-security policies. Even if the news is dominated by Wall Street, health care, and unemployment, we said we’d never forget. May God bless the heroes of 9/11 and our brave fighting forces around the world.

– John Ellsworth is a Gold Star father and president of Military Families United, the nation’s leading military families’ advocacy organization. His son Lance Corporal Justin Ellsworth was killed in Iraq in 2004.