Supporting the Troops

[WilliamPitt]

A blogger named Mike on a page titled 'Cold Fury has delivered the seven millionth iteration of the old chestnut about liberals hating and disrespecting U.S. soldiers. His impetus for doing so came from a New York Post story that describes troops receiving less-than-fully-supportive letters from schoolchildren. Some of the comments in those letters:

One Muslim boy wrote: "Even thoe (sic) you are risking your life for our country, have you seen how many civilians you or some other soldier killed?" His letter, which was stamped with a smiley face, went on: "I know your (sic) trying to save our country and kill the terrorists but you are also destroying holy places like Mosques."

Interestingly, the Cold Fury page does not bother to actually quote any of the letters themselves, but only relates the reaction of the soldier who received them. Right out of the gate, there is a degree of intellectual dishonesty here. The young Brooklyn letter-writer above clearly states the soldier is defending our country, but dares to ask why civilians are dying and why mosques are destroyed. Not to put too fine a point on it, but that's a fair question, and from the mouths of babes to boot.

The larger issue here, however, isn't about kids asking soldiers about dead civilians and smashed mosques. It's about yet another conservative writer wrapping himself in the flag while denouncing his political opposites for failing to 'support the troops.' This nonsense has gone on long enough.

More:

http://forum.truthout.org/blog/story/2005/2/22/20927/7034

[GetTheRightVote]

1. I could not agree more, it is sad when the truth has to come from a child

instead of grown adults who know better and yet allow it to continue on its ugly way. Thank you for your article, I wish more Repubs would realize the price being paid by these folks is to high when base on the bag of lies * and his admin gave to this nation and her people.

:kick:

[jdots]

2. here is a good site for liberals who help the troups

www.thegroundtruth.org
Democrats think the best flag or magnetic ribbon to wave is making sure the veterans have the best benifits ,we have to be there for them .

[bigtree]

22. .

[bloom]

3. The writer of this probably "supports the troops"

To: MisterRepublican
Ann was looking especially good this morning. And she was on fire with the libs calling in. And I was impressed that she reads FR. Ann, if your lurking, MARRY ME!!!

Sweetest Ann,
If you've been following the forum at all, you know that my fondest desire in life is to create a vast system of Concentration Camps for liberals, in which the death-houses are working day and night, day and night -- and in which the liberals are rendered into beef jerky, to be sold, of course, to Republicans and Conservatives.

Certainly you know that this makes us soul-mates.
With great affection,

Laz
25 posted on 02/18/2005 7:42:17 AM PST by Lazamataz

(from FreeRepublic - of course)

--------------------------

Me - I'm just for human rights and international law.

[Toots]

5. and in which the liberals are rendered into beef jerky

I guess we have to worry about liberal cattle now. :shrug: why couldn't they just have said jerky? There are numerous types of jerky. Turkey Jerky, venison jerky,moose jerky,etc.,etc. you get the picture. They specified "beef jerky"

[yvr girl]

4. It's pretty sad that children are thinking to ask questions that

the general media is not. I guess the kids didn't get the memo on the agenda.

And since when is it wrong to ask quesions? Isn't it our right and our duty to ask questions. Who ever said democracy was a free ride.

Monday Report is a Canadian show similar to The Daily Show. This week it was a 'Best of' program. Rick's Weekly Rant was about supporting the military, Canadian style. Link below.

http://www.cbc.ca/mondayreport/

[bettyellen]

7. bwaaah

you are not going to talk about kids are you, girl?
tsk tsk .

[yvr girl]

9. In for a penny, in for a pound

I've got my asbestos suit on now. I feel like I started a bar fight (by accident) and then left. It's still going strong. I'm going to peek in the window occasionally, but I'm done throwing punches

[bettyellen]

6. so now children are too liberal.....

it really is a bad moon. i can't read another stupid thing tonight.

[H2O Man]

8. "From the mouth of children..."

I think we know why this makes them uncomfortable. What is amazing is that some think that because a child speaks the God's honest truth, he or she must be a "liberal."

[Junkdrawer]

10. I'm afraid it goes beyond betrayal of mission...

As Chomsky has pointed out again and again, occupation armies are, of necessity, brutal. And the suicides by many of the young men returning from Iraq shows that few of us are ever able to live with the consequences of this brutality.

We have only begun to pay the butcher on this one.

[WilliamPitt]

11. .

[Junkdrawer]

14. "Bad conscience about what the Army had you do in Iraq? Blame the Left"...

Here it comes...

[porphyrian]

12. But, I thougtht...

...cutting veterans' benefits for corporate profit while waving a flag and damning liberals was supporting our troops...

[ultraist]

13. Precisely! "Something has gone wrong." Powerful piece...

How can it be considered 'supporting the troops' to ignore this harsh reality, to stick your head in the stand and allow matters to continue as they have to date? I would venture that nothing in Mike's or any other conservative's ranting about 'supporting the troops' has anything to do with the troops themselves, but has only to do with supporting their side of the tribal warfare that American politics has turned into. It is verboten to admit that your political tribe has made a bad step, so the alternative appears to be a shriek of nationalist nonsense that covers up the hard fact that you have helped cheerlead a lot of men and women to their deaths.--Pitt

____

And this mother's story...oh, how sad.


"Dear Mr. Pitt, I must share with you the obituary I wrote for my son, Sgt. Evan Ashcraft, who was killed July 24 near Mosul. I often think of the contributions my intelligent, sensitive wonderful son could have made. He had so much potential. He told us that when he came back from Iraq he wanted to help people. He said he had seen so much hatred and death that the only way to live his life was through aid to others. Look at what we've lost. The loss is not just mine, it's the world's loss. Evan will always be alive in my heart. He and all the other victims of this heinous action in Iraq must be more than mere numbers emerging from the Pentagon's daily tally. His death is a crime against humanity and the fault lies with the war criminals who inhabit our White House. Please share his story so that he may come alive to your readers."

[Disturbed]

15. RWs on TV were furious and

the teacher was bullied into apologizing.

Some said that the kids were prolly coached by the teacher as to what to write. The RW is lower than snake shit.

[WilliamPitt]

16. .

[bettyellen]

17. you taught Will, do you think somebody should have sorted

through the letters and sent only the feel good ones? i don't know..... it just seems really wrong to me, the kids are trying to express something about the values they are just forming.....are we supposed to shut down that process so some adults can feel okay about themselves? let the kids learn early they have to go with the party line or make trouble for their teachers or parents?
it's so upsetting that there seems to be no one safe from the thought police these days.

[WilliamPitt]

18. Hm

Would it been better for the teacher of that Brooklyn class to check those letter to make sure their content was nothing but supportive? Perhaps. Yet it is always the children who seem to ask the hardest and most necessary questions, and if they don't question aloud why so many civilians and holy sites have been erased in places like Fallujah, no one else will.

[bettyellen]

19. maybe the teacher could have had a bit of back and

forth with the kids to sort out their thoughts and choose the most effective place to express them.
but if they decided to write bush, i assume they'd be critcized harshly for that, too. imagine a teacher giving her young students the address to the whitehouse to protest the war. i don't know how that would fly or what it might do to that teacher's career. but it would have better i think, if the kids were explained that they had that option.

[yvr girl]

20. I'm sure many of the soldiers feel conflicted already

Even in the most just war (which this is not) I would think most people would struggle with the killing. It's not glorious. When you start to consider 'collateral damage', civilians maimed and killed, communities destroyed - it would have to sit heavy on your heart. How could you see that everyday, be human, and not feel bad?

Don't get me wrong, the soldiers are big boys and girls. If they can't handle a few tough questions from some kids, they really shouldn't be in the military.

Isn't the party line that, "We're fighting for democracy and freedom." I may not buy the line, but let's imagine that it's true. How about freedom to ask questions. Freedom to disagree. How about democracy is protected by questions. Democracy demands participation, and the most basic level of participation is engaging in the debate.

[bigtree]

21. Thanks William

Some of our most dedicated anti-war advocates came out of the Vietnam war. We made the mistake of isolating and marginalizing these fine individuals during and after that conflict and I don't want to see the same happen in this era of militarization. We desperately need these folks on our side, as advocates and as citizens when they return. Your attention to this has brought me to tears and I am again very grateful to the elevation you have given to these fine individuals who serve us and our country.