Stripes letter: Sick of Sheehan

[lebkuchen]

Sick of Sheehan

I am getting sick and tired of hearing about Cindy Sheehan. She does not speak for all of us. I am serving my second tour in Iraq; last year my mom had both my brother and me here. She supports us and what we do here, and she knows that when it is all over and done with, then we will come home and not have to come back over here.

I’m sorry that Sheehan’s son was killed here, but that is the price some of us make. Nobody forced us to join the military. Sheehan needs to keep her comments to herself, because her message does not help the morale of those who are serving here as it is. She needs to go home and just keep quiet until everything is said and done.

Spc. Brenda Hutto
Camp Prosperity, Iraq

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=31620

[niyad]

1. hmm, the start of another cycle of copycat letters?

[lebkuchen]

5. Have you seen another one like it?

There have been a handful of anti-Sheehan letters (as well as pro-Sheehan) in Stripes.

Unless it's been carboned-off, I interpret this letter as one written by someone young, dumb, and naive (like her mother). I was that way, once, when I wanted Goldwater for President because Dad did.

[niyad]

11. no, I haven't--but it has the same tone and flavour as those copycat

letters a while back. will be interesting to see if any others like it show up.

[lebkuchen]

15. Sure would

If you find one, post it.

Meanwhile...

Sheehan deserves meeting

As a military spouse who disapproves of the war in Iraq, it is nice to see other families associated with the armed forces stand up and speak their minds (“Bush should see Sheehan,” letter, Aug. 26). It is assumed that all servicemembers and their families agree with George W. Bush’s policies simply because he is commander in chief. It is well-known that, as a soldier, you are given respect based on the rank you hold, but I see it another way. You get respect when you earn respect and Bush continues to lose my respect based on his poor choices.

Cindy Sheehan lost her son in a war that was based on lies and deception by Bush, and it is shameful that he didn’t take a moment out of his precious vacation to speak with her about it.

Recently he had the nerve to publicly say that the majority of military families do not agree with Sheehan. I would like to know what facts that statement was based on because I believe he is absolutely wrong.

Any one of us could shed our blood in the name of Bush’s war and to think that he would not even be compassionate enough to speak one-on-one to our families about it is a slap in the face to the military as well as to the country.

Amanda Garcia
Baumholder, Germany

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=28638&archive=true

[krkaufman]

17. Well, putting the possibility of *this* letter's authenticity aside....

... I would *hope* that our military leaders were intelligent enough to adapt, as they like to say, and get a bit more creative in their propaganda. If another CC (e)mail campaign occurs, we're in much worse shape than I fear.

[valerief]

2. Well, it's nice to know that the war is being fought to maintain

the morale of its troops.

And I thought it was so oilmen could stay rich and get richer!

[WhiteTara]

3. Lyndie England thought that what she

was doing was great too.

[bluestateguy]

4. This is what I do not understand

People like this writer lecture us that the troops are fighting in Iraq for Sheehan's freedom of speech. Then when Sheehan actually dares to use that freedom of speech, she is told that she must shut up, lest she hurt the troops feelings.

Makes no sense to me.

[Erika]

6. Yep.

We are not doing our troops a favor to let them die in a war that should have never been.

[lebkuchen]

8. Nor to some Stripes writers... here's but one example:

Freedom to express views

Although I do not agree with “Anti-war letter ‘insubordination,’” (letter, April 25), I still support the letter writer’s right to express his opinion. Unfortunately, he does not seem willing to provide the same courtesy to anyone whose views do not match his own.

He misses the irony of claiming to champion freedom while in the same breath attempting to stifle a person’s freedom of speech (or, in this case, freedom of the press). The writer claims that the other soldier is “abusing” the freedom that others have died for. How is expressing an opinion “abusing” freedom of the press? I would call that exercising one’s rights.

I remind him that in a free society we can express our opinions, whether they be supportive or dissenting of our government’s policies. If we cannot do that, we have descended into totalitarianism. The writer seems keen to play up his role in defending freedom, but should remember that, as per our oaths, we are also here to “support” the Constitution. In this case, that would mean standing up for the principle of freedom of press even if you do not agree with someone’s views.

I read the original letter (“Iraq mission stupid,” April 17) and, while the soldier brought up a few true points, I found his conclusions to use some faulty logic. Nevertheless, I strongly support his right to present his opinion in the public forum of a free press and will continue to support and defend his right to do so.

U.S. Naval Reserve Lt. Rodney Porto
Naples, Italy

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=28638&archive=true

[Lost-in-FL]

7. That's made up...

someone wants a weekend pass...

[lebkuchen]

9. To go where? Basra?

[Lost-in-FL]

13. At least to stay off guard duty...

[lebkuchen]

16. right, and get hit with RPGs

The underground bunkers in the middle of Balad are supposed to be fairly safe, so I hear.

;)

[Lost-in-FL]

22. Gotta stay alive someway...

Even making up stories. Sounds they have good training under this administration...:sarcasm:

[lebkuchen]

24. Well, at least that 10 mile stretch between Baghdad International

and Baghdad itself has mostly been contained. It took 3-1/2 years, but by god, it's mostly under control. :sarcasm:

[Lost-in-FL]

26. Some RW freak might get mad at you...

God MUST be ALWAYS capitalized... Like "God" instead of "god" :evilgrin:

[Brundle_Fly]

10. I am getting a little sick of supporting the troops

to only have it thrown back in our faces that we can't.

The whole republican platform is hypocrisy at the moment, you can't be against the war if you are for the troops, & now isn't the time for the "blame game" & Cindy Sheehan is emboldening the terrorists, who we're fighting over there, to keep us safe over here, we'll keep you safe, the other guy might get you killed etc etc...

its not the blame game, it's the Barf Game. Regurgitating the opposite to argue isn't a tactic, the f***in MSM still needs to do it's job, ohh ahh they spoke to power for 3 days after the worse natural disaster in U.S. history, but now it's back to business as usual.

sick

&

ohh so tired.

[lebkuchen]

12. The letter writer has been molded by the MSM

which Bush has tucked away, behind the fly in his pants. It's why the US is no longer a democracy--there is no longer a public policing of our government since the MSM refuses to ask the obvious questions.

[raysr]

18. The reasoning behind

"Support the Troops" is faulty because if what they're doing was an honorable and patriotic thing "Support the Troops" would never come up, it would be a given.

[lebkuchen]

20. It's the mission that needs to be questioned for any support

Not the troops, who do not make policy.

[Lost-in-FL]

14. You gotta realized they are under the command of...

Generals that want a promotion and the more their troops show they are motivated it looks good on them. Besides, I assure you they only listen to FOX news and are isolated from anything close to real reporting.

Don't blame the troops, they are just being brain washed...

[lebkuchen]

25. Many in the military realize they are being brainwashed

though they tend to be older and wiser...

Too much FOX News

Which network was covering the Democratic National Convention on the AFN News channel but FOX News, with nothing but how bad the Democrats are performing. FOX News should be called the Republican News Channel.

Not only did we have to put up with FOX critiquing every speaker at the convention, but we had three hours nearly every evening condemning the Democrats for any proposal they presented.

Has anyone seriously examined the AFN News channel to determine how much time is devoted to FOX? Does anyone seriously believe this is fair and balanced? Is the purpose of American Forces Radio and Television Service to try and brainwash the military audience? It sure looks like it.

(Ret.) Chief Warrant Officer 3 F.J. Kirby
Pordenone, Italy

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=23371&archive=true


Too much Fox? You decide

A recent letter writer questioned how much time is devoted to Fox on the AFN News Channel (“Too much Fox News,” Aug. 6).

AFN defenders will respond that they devote “only” four hours per weekday to Fox programming, leaving 20 hours per weekday to the competition. Here’s the rest of the story, as provided by the AFN weekly schedule.

Assume the prime news watching period for servicemembers is 6 to 10 p.m., a “news prime time.” In the United States, ABC, CBS and NBC all broadcast their evening news programs at 6:30 p.m. We’ll also include the nightly talking heads programs, such as O’Reilly, Matthews and so forth.

Fox News Live is broadcast 6-7 p.m. and again 8-9 p.m. for most of Europe, including Spain, Germany and Italy and 6-7 p.m. GMT, including England. For the Pacific, Hannity and Colmes is broadcast 6-7 p.m. For the Asia market, including Korea, The O’Reilly Factor is broadcast 7-8 p.m. That’s Fox News — four hours covering all four AFN time zones in news prime time.

The rest? Buried. Without exception, all the others fall outside the news prime time slot in every time zone. If you want to see one of these programs, be prepared to come home in the middle of the day or stay up long past your bedtime.

It can’t possibly be a coincidence that Fox news programs cover the prime time news slot in every time zone and none of the remaining network and cable news programs do. The letter writer asked if the American Forces Radio and Television Service is trying to “brainwash the military audience” and if the coverage was “fair and balanced.” We’ll let the facts speak for themselves. To use a Foxism, “I reported, you decide.”

Chief Warrant Officer 3 John A. Robinson
Ramstein Air Base, Germany

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=28638&archive=true

[krkaufman]

19. I'm not sure what's most ironic in her letter...

... that she's decrying the very freedom she's supposed to be "bringing" to the Iraqis...


... or that she's writing from "Camp Prosperity."

What could be more demoralizing than living in a world of 24/7 propaganda?

[stevietheman]

21. "Sheehan needs to keep her comments to herself"

Just when you thought our soldiers were fighting for freedom. Jeez.

[lebkuchen]

23. I posted the letter because I thought if Sheehan were reading...

she'd be bemused by the confused in Iraq.

Shouldn't America's troops be trained in the fundamentals of Democracy before they are sent overseas to fight and die to promote it?

[ET Awful]

27. Hey Spc. Hutto . . . you're missing a vital element of Cindy's story

see . . . you're alive. I know that's hard to believe considering your apparent brain-dead condition, but you, unlike Casey Sheehan are alive.

[tanyev]

28. Maybe if Ms. Hutto stopped listening to Rush Limbaugh

she wouldn't hear any more about Cindy Sheehan. The MSM certainly hasn't said anything about her since Katrina blew in.