I know this guy, please consider leaving some kind feedback (esp. teachers)

[booksenkatz]

http://startelegrameditwriters.typepad.com/letters_to_the_startelegr/2009/01/i-will-remember-today.html

The comments so far are abysmal. I told the writer that he can't expect positive comments from a Ft. Worth paper, but it's our hometown and he wanted to get it published there. It's an interesting essay, because he's always considered himself a Republican, only stopped identifying with them in the past couple of years. He's not politically active and has never written a letter like this -- I'm still in shock that he wrote this. It's already been published in the Burleson paper. I sure hope he doesn't lose his job over it!

Any support you can lend him, just a kind few words, would be great.

Thanks!

[90-percent]

1. done

my post:

I would say that if America can survive the eight years of George W. Bush' Presidential treasons, it will thrive under the leadership of Constitutional Scholar Obama!

-Jim Becktel


-90% jimmy

[booksenkatz]

2. Thanks, I'm trying to encourage his left-of-center drift! :) NT

[av8rdave]

3. The comment I just posted

" I also remember I didn't serve so some Chicago political hack radical could turn this country into a collectivist nightmare."

No, Mr. Sententia, you (and I) served so that our great nation may continue to have free elections and the citizenry may choose their leadership. That is exactly what occurred on November 4th.

Perhaps you should reconsider the things that make this country great and the true reasons it is such an honor to serve.

[booksenkatz]

4. Oh, great!

I think that the comments get sent to the writer before he okays them (this is a new feature at the "Startle-Gram" as Molly Ivins used to call it), so the comments won't appear right away. I'm sure he'll welcome them! Thanks for that.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

5. Great comment

As a veteran, nothing chaps me more than the one-sided patriotism of veterans. Also, something tells me that Dexter's tale of being spat on at the airport is bullshit. That old urban myth has been pretty much debunked.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

18. it happened when my hun came back from Vietnam

very painful for him, the way he was treated.

[av8rdave]

19. I began my military service in 1976. I heard many stories about how somreturning vets were treated

Since then, I hope we've learned an important lesson as a country. In the words of John Kerry, "It is important not to confuse the warrior with the war."

As much as I loath the war in Iraq, I have tremendous respect and admiration for our military people who are and have served there. I don't think my view is unique.

It should have been the same way during Viet Nam.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

22. Exactly. Every word!

"It is important not to confuse the warrior with the war."

So true.. and it seems the warrior needs to know this too.....

[mrreowwr_kittty]

20. Was he actually spat on at the airport?

If he was, then I'm very sorry. But from what I understand there were no news accounts of soldiers being spat upon at airports.

Lembcke writes:

If spitting on veterans had occurred all that frequently, surely some veteran or soldier would have called it to the attention of the press at the time. … Indeed, we would imagine that news reporters would have been camping in the lobby of the San Francisco airport, cameras in hand, just waiting for a chance to record the real thing—if, that is, they had any reason to believe that such incidents might occur.

http://www.slate.com/id/2158608/

[BlancheSplanchnik]

21. yes he was. Also screamed at, called a baby killer, etc...

That's not at all what he is about. He's not the type to go "complain". He learned very well to hold in his pain. But he does have alot of pain over the things he did do. Combined with pride at his excellence too. It's a difficult thing; I can't imagine...

He had been in Vietnam 2 years, Marine Recon Sergeant, youngest ever.

[EFerrari]

6. Done. n/t

[booksenkatz]

7. Thanks to all of you, truly.

Your comments will encourage him so much. His first step into "political activism" deserves to be met with something better than a few squalid turds from the fearmongering right.

[EFerrari]

8. I don't see our comments going up. Will there be a significant lag?

I forgot to save mine.

[booksenkatz]

9. Hopefully not

This is a new feature at the S-T, and it's rather unusual that they're apparently giving the writer the option of which comments are seen. I'm sure that next time my friend checks his email, he'll be overwhelmed and will be very happy to check the "accept" button on everything you guys have left for him! I think it also says something about his character that he has thus far been willing to accept the ugly words from the fearful, incurious little slugs.

Thanks so much for contributing to this effort!

[EFerrari]

12. Oh, thank you for posting.

:hi:

[.... callchet ....]

10. Letter by Priddy ?

[booksenkatz]

11. Yes, that's the one NT

[.... callchet ....]

13. Read and commented

[.... callchet ....]

14. The vocal minority with there sarcasm guns loaded

are ready to fire at any sensitive awareness of a problem. Their type will argue over the design of a fire alarm before pulling it when there is a fire. And they will soon be commenting on this thread.

[EFerrari]

15. Comments still not updated. Hmmm. n/t

[roody]

16. k

[cynthia]

17. added my comment

[roguevalley]

23. done. :)

[booksenkatz]

24. That Dexter creep came back, so I was finally driven to add my own post!

Thanks again to all of you for your attention.