thedrifter
03-29-06, 01:07 PM
Fiction Stronger Than Truth
Written by Bob Parks
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
There are some things in life that are as plain as day for some to comprehend, yet there are some who don’t see things in terms of black and white, right and wrong, etc.
That is one reason why life is never dull in America.
It Depends on Your Definition of “Panic”
In a fairly apocalyptic-toned opinion piece, Molly Ivins lamented that some research is showing that not only are the “newspapers” dying, but that bloggers are mostly unqualified amateurs, irresponsibly disseminating unverified news to the public.
“Bloggers are not news-gatherers, but opinion-mongers. I have long argued that no one should be allowed to write opinion without spending years as a reporter--nothing like interviewing all four eyewitnesses to an automobile accident and then trying to write an accurate account of what happened. Or, as author-journalist Curtis Wilkie puts it, ‘Unless you can cover a five-car pile-up on Route 128, you shouldn’t be allowed to cover a presidential campaign.’”
I’ll give her that one. However, a lot of the writers I know have some kind of journalism background. For the record, I studied journalism at Suffolk University in Boston, was a Navy journalist, and was a writer in Guam long before I was offered an opportunity to write columns online.
Basically, Ivins’ column is a sob piece about how newspapers are losing circulation and how bad it’ll be if people start to rely on us dumb-as-stones bloggers for their information. In essence, nobody does it better than newspapers and broadcast news. Right?
Let’s see now. Last week, the New York Times admitted to misidentifying the man in the now famous “hooded inmate” pic from the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, and within the same week the Grey Lady also admitted that a woman whom they took the time to profile as a Hurricane Katrina victim was not. The woman incidentally was reportedly just arrested for fraud and grand larceny. Also, Newsweek reportedly got the translation wrong on some of the Saddam tapes. The inaccurate translations implied that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, according to Former Iraqi Air Force Gen. Georges Sada. He has also said that chemical or biological weapons were flown to Syria in 56 flights, and we’re still waiting for the media to confirm that one.
But hey, I’d be an opinion monger if I were to imply that an agenda was rearing her ugly head here.
Retractions are one thing, the failure of the New York Times--let me emphasize that--the failure of the New York Times and Newsweek to do proper fact checking is exactly the reason their circulation is down and people are looking to bloggers for the very fact-checking the big nuts media should be doing.
Ivins believes that newspapers should become non-profits. If they keep their arrogant, condescending attitude towards its readers, they may just become that. Just what that business needs: become a magnet for capitalism hating, lazy, no solution liberals. That’s pretty much who seems to be running the show now, and if not for us ignorant bloggers who have no business being behind a keyboard, how many instances of journalistic malfeasance would be assumed fact today?
A Simple Thank You Would Suffice
According to New York Times reporter Christine Hauser, ''Three Western peace workers who were held hostage in Iraq for four months were rescued in a military operation today, two weeks after their American colleague was killed in captivity.''
“Our hearts are filled with joy today as we heard that Harmeet Singh Sooden, Jim Loney, and Norman Kember have been safely released in Baghdad,” said a statement from the peace group. “Together we have endured uncertainty, hope, fear, grief, and now joy during the four months since they were abducted in Baghdad.”
The delegation coordinator for the group, Claire Evans, said by telephone that Mr. Loney, a 41-year-old Canadian, had contacted his family this morning from the Green Zone, the fortified compound in Baghdad where some American military forces, Iraqi government offices, and the American Embassy are located.
“He said that they were all in reasonable health,” she said, adding that the three men were undergoing medical checks.
The men were freed by multinational forces in a military operation.”
One would think the story, complete with happy conclusion, would end there. But when narcissistic liberals are involved, it’s always easy to speak too soon.
In a statement issued by the Loney family:
“Oh, what a joyful day this is! We have just learned that James is coming home. He has been released unharmed, with his companions Harmeet and Norman. We would like to thank everyone for their support and prayers. At this time, we would also like to express our deepest sympathy to the family of Tom Fox. Please let us rejoice in this family moment as we prepare for the days to come.”
No thanks to the brave soldiers who rescued them after recklessly entering and endangering others in a war zone in the name of peace.
In a statement issued by “Christian Peacemaker Teams”:
“Our hearts are filled with joy today as we heard that Harmeet Singh Sooden, Jim Loney, and Norman Kember have been safely released in Baghdad. Christian Peacemaker Teams rejoices with their families and friends at the expectation of their return to their loved ones and community.
“Harmeet, Jim and Norman and Tom were in Iraq to learn of the struggles facing the people in that country. They went, motivated by a passion for justice and peace to live out a nonviolent alternative in a nation wracked by armed conflict.
“We believe that the illegal occupation of Iraq by Multinational Forces is the root cause of the insecurity which led to this kidnapping and so much pain and suffering in Iraq. The occupation must end.
“Throughout these difficult months, we have been heartened by messages of concern for our four colleagues from all over the world. We have been especially moved by the gracious outpouring of support from Muslim brothers and sisters in the Middle East, Europe, and North America.
“We pray that Christians throughout the world will, in the same spirit, call for justice and for respect for the human rights of the thousands of Iraqis who are being detained illegally by the U.S. and British forces occupying Iraq.
“During these past months, we have tasted of the pain that has been the daily bread of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. Why have our loved ones been taken? Where are they being held? Under what conditions? How are they? Will they be released? When?
“With God’s abiding kindness, we will love even our enemies. With the love of Christ, we will resist all evil. With God’s unending faithfulness, we will work to build the beloved community.”
Again, no thanks to the servicemen of the United States and Britain who risked their own lives to free these so-called peace workers.
I wonder if it too late to send them back.
Here We Go Again
In another example of those in the media attempting to create the news that it distributes, ABC reported:
“Eighty-five percent (85%) of Americans say global warming is probably happening, according to a new TIME magazine/ABC News/Stanford University poll, out Sunday, March 26. A vast majority of respondents (88%) think global warming threatens future generations. More than half (60%) say it threatens them a great deal. About four-in-ten (38%) feel that global warming is already a serious problem, 47% feel that it will be in the future. TIME’s special 26-page cover story, ‘Be Worried. Be Very Worried,’ hits newsstands Monday, March 27.”
The poll attempted to paint Republicans negatively.
“ In 1998, 31% of Republicans and Independents alike were sure that global warming was happening; it was not a distant 39% among Democrats. Today, 46% of Democrats and 45% of Independents are certain, and 26% of Republicans feel that way, according to the TIME/ABC News/Stanford University poll.”
However, this response is confusing:
“Six-in-ten Americans (62%) think much can be done to curb global warming and 52% favor government mandates. Six-in-ten (61%) say they would support a government mandate on lowering power plant emissions, and 87% support tax breaks to develop water, wind and solar power. Eighty-one percent oppose higher taxes on electricity, 68% oppose higher gasoline taxes and 56% oppose giving companies tax breaks to build nuclear power plants.”
So 62% of Americans think we can change the weather. They probably believe we mere mortals have more power than the sun. I know this was a poll, but no solutions are ever given publicly by this bunch.
Sixty-one percent say that they would support a government mandate on lowering power plant emissions, and 87% support tax breaks to develop water, wind and solar power. So if lower plant emissions mean losing their jobs, would they still support those mandates? Don’t get me wrong; I’d like to see as much pollution eradicated as anyone, and I believe a lot of businesses can do their business cleaner, but it’s usually unemployed liberal “activists” who want businesses shut down instead of cleaned up.
And about those water, wind, and solar power options, just how many wind farms have been proposed and thwarted by the very liberals who espouse them because they’d ruin their view? How many Hollywood liberals arrive to award ceremonies in SUV’s? How many used solar power to heat their 30-room mansions in Bel Air? What’s good for us is usually never acceptable for them. Just ask Babs.
Volunteers Are Stupid
That’s essentially what Cindy “Rosa Parks” Sheehan wrote in her criticism of President Bush’s statement on the third anniversary of the beginning of the liberation of Iraq.
In a “t r u t h o u t | Perspective” piece that I’m sure Molly Ivins would discount as written by a rank amateur, Sheehan used one line in the president’s speech to make her points.
“Ours is an amazing nation where thousands have volunteered to serve our country. They volunteered to--many volunteered after 9/11, knowing full well that their time in the military could put them in harm’s way.”
When I joined the Navy during peacetime, I understood that not only could I be in harm’s way should war break out, but that people unfortunately die in training operations. Despite that risk, I joined anyway. Volunteers are stupid.
Sheehan wrote:
“Notice how many times George says a variation on the word 'volunteer:' three times in one sentence. This caught my eye because right-wing warniks who don’t want to take any responsibility for supporting George’s war of terror and its accompanying mayhem are always reminding me that Casey 'volunteered.' And you know what? The warniks got me there! Casey did volunteer. He volunteered in May of 2000, to, first of all, serve his country and, second of all, get the benefits that his recruiter deceived him about. The biggest lie that Casey’s recruiter told him was that 'even if there is a war, you won’t see combat ... you scored so high on the ASVAB test, you will only go to war in a support role.' The tragic thing about this false promise is that Casey, a Humvee mechanic, was killed in combat five days after he arrived in Baghdad. The truly alarming and upsetting thing about the false promise made to Casey, though, is that recruiters are using that same lie today to potential volunteers while our country is in the middle of an occupation where many of our troops are being deployed for their third and fourth tours of duty.”
As I wasn’t there, I have no idea what Casey’s recruiter told him. Although we weren’t at war at that time, I was never given that assurance and I scored a 93 on my ASVAB. While I admire Casey for wanting to serve his country, I would never tarnish his memory as Sheehan so often does, by adding that he also joined because of all those wonderful benefits.
Luckily today, most of those who joined up because of what THEY could get out of it have been weeded out and our volunteer military knows where they may go, and do so knowing the risks. Sheehan still thinks they’re just a bunch of stupid children, but what else is new in the self-absorbed, intellectually superior, liberal mind?
“I believe another aspect of George emphasizing the word 'volunteer' so many times in one sentence is that he would love to absolve himself of the mortal sin of sending our troops to die and kill innocent people immorally, while still reaping (in his mind) the so-called benefits of being a 'war president.' George Bush wants to play-act at commander in chief, but thinks he can wash the gore of over 2,300 brave human beings off of his hands by resting assured that they 'volunteered.'
''I have so many other problems with this volunteer rationale, too. For instance, if one volunteers to be in the military why can’t one just 'un-volunteer' if he/she doesn’t find the lifestyle suitable; or say, if they don’t find the mission compelling enough, or legal and moral enough, to go fight, perhaps die and kill innocent people for?''
It’s obvious that Mother Sheehan doesn’t understand the concept of a contract. Young people volunteer to join the Armed Forces, and then sign a contract that not only binds the volunteer to the military, but the military to the volunteer. Once in writing, all those benefits are legally due the volunteer. How would she like it if the military decided to “un-volunteer” her son from its contract and withhold the death benefits Cindy may be using to get the publicity and attention she now enjoys.
When and if Susan Sarandon plays Cindy in a movie, Sheehan will have to voluntarily sign a contract that will allow a studio to use her likeness. She may receive money to sign that contract. I’d like to see her try and “un-volunteer” herself from the Hollywood ink should she not like some aspect to her bio-pic.
“What about the people who volunteered after 9/11? Whatever reason they volunteered for: revenge, patriotism, a sense of duty, a sense of hopelessness--they all volunteered to protect America--not be sent to die for the war machine. They volunteered to wear the uniform of our country, which most of them didn’t know or realize is the identical uniform of the war profiteers, and that they would soon be asked to invade and occupy a country that was no threat to the USA, and neither did they truly comprehend that the very thing they enlisted to prevent was being engineered by the neo-cons.”
As usual, it always comes down to liberals being so damn smart and the rest of us unwashed so damn stupid. Yet their only solution seems to be cut and run. Yeah, that’s smart.
“In my opinion the most loathsome piece of George and the warniks who support the immorality in Iraq, while pardoning themselves for the deaths without doing any penance, is that what they are saying is essentially this: your loved one got what he/she deserved for volunteering to join our armed forces. If we want to have a military to defend our country, then it is our responsibility to elect leaders that the entire world can depend on to use our military as an absolute last resort to protect America--not as a first option to solve invented problems to fulfill their lust for mammon.”
I’d love her to provide just one quote from any “warnik” that ever said a member of the military got what her or she deserved for volunteering. Contrast that with statements like Joel Stein of the Los Angeles Times who boasts how he neither supports the war or the troops, while coming off as an intellectual on VH1 “I Love the...” programs. Contrast that to those who call our president a war criminal, and like Sheehan, want him impeached during a time of war. Talk about sending a message of assurance to all those who are pointing guns at and blowing up Iraqi civilians and our soldiers.
“I don’t know what the American public expected when a silver spoon failure was 'elected' to be our leader: a sub par student who failed at every business attempt he made and who had to be bailed out of his failures and the Vietnam War by Daddy and his friends over his entire lifetime. We are all human and make mistakes or do some things that we aren’t proud of. I don’t have a problem with George being a failure, as long as his mistakes are localized--as most people’s are.”
As smart as Cindy assumes she is, I doubt very much that she’s seen Al Gore’s transcripts.
“This is another way for George to be bailed out of his failures and to again wash his hands of the flesh and blood that he is up to his elbows in. We should all be appalled, horrified, angry and up in peaceful arms about this statement. George just admitted that the occupation of Iraq is lasting at least almost another three years.”
I’m glad that Cindy wasn’t around during the Civil War. Of course, if she were, she wouldn’t be able to vote. She’d probably be against the war to free slaves. Several hundred people died fighting that one, and freeing people isn’t a good reason to fight in her eyes.
“The answer to this problem is glaringly obvious: we need a new president, ASAP. We need someone else who is willing to ask directions and change course when it is so apparent that the course is not only wrong, but damaging our country in palpable ways. Only a delusional, self absorbed, irrational person would stay such a misguided and murderous course.”
Not that one could ever call Bill Clinton delusional, self absorbed, or irrational, but when he was lobbing cruise missiles by the hundreds into Iraq and Kosovo, where were the peaceniks? When they have their kind of president and he kills innocents, where are the war protests in the streets? Where are the calls for impeachment? Where is the consistency? (Sorry. That was a rhetorical. We’re talking about liberals here.)
“We can’t wait for future presidents. We can’t wait for November 2006: people are dying every day for volunteering--and the innocent men, women and children of Iraq did not volunteer to be liberated by being killed by the thousands. George, and every person in his administration that lied to us, needs to be impeached, removed from office and held accountable for the crimes of Iraq and the crimes against Americans. We can’t allow them to get away with murder.”
Obviously Mother Sheehan is too busy writing op-eds to read who is doing the killing in Iraq. If not for the insurgents, compliments of Iran and Syria, who are slaughtering fellow Muslims, we would probably have been out of Iraq 16 months ago. To leave now would invite a massacre the North Vietnamese would be proud of.
Also, if you wish to impeach every person that “lied,” she’ll need to have Madeleine Albright, Bill and Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Sandy Berger, the many Democrat members of the Congress and Senate, who assured us all based on the intelligence, that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and was going to use them on us. Those declarations from Democrats were issued years before President Bush took office.
The events of September 11, 2001, were clearly seen by many as a declaration of war, and the politicians on Capitol Hill voted accordingly. This war was not unprovoked. This war is legal, and if the media ever gets their head out their collective asses, the Saddam tapes may indeed tell us where the weapons went, what they were going to be used for, and that Saddam and Osama were homies.
Until then, we can wait in baited breath for the Cindy Sheehan movie. Maybe VH1 can give us a reality show with Cindy so we can follow her from peace-in to peace-in, and listen to her and her compadres espouse all the great hate speech we’ve come to expect.
About the Writer: Bob Parks is a former Republican congressional candidate (California 24th District), Navy veteran, single father, member/writer for the National Advisory Council of Project 21, and is a staff writer for the New Media Alliance, Inc.
Ellie
Written by Bob Parks
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
There are some things in life that are as plain as day for some to comprehend, yet there are some who don’t see things in terms of black and white, right and wrong, etc.
That is one reason why life is never dull in America.
It Depends on Your Definition of “Panic”
In a fairly apocalyptic-toned opinion piece, Molly Ivins lamented that some research is showing that not only are the “newspapers” dying, but that bloggers are mostly unqualified amateurs, irresponsibly disseminating unverified news to the public.
“Bloggers are not news-gatherers, but opinion-mongers. I have long argued that no one should be allowed to write opinion without spending years as a reporter--nothing like interviewing all four eyewitnesses to an automobile accident and then trying to write an accurate account of what happened. Or, as author-journalist Curtis Wilkie puts it, ‘Unless you can cover a five-car pile-up on Route 128, you shouldn’t be allowed to cover a presidential campaign.’”
I’ll give her that one. However, a lot of the writers I know have some kind of journalism background. For the record, I studied journalism at Suffolk University in Boston, was a Navy journalist, and was a writer in Guam long before I was offered an opportunity to write columns online.
Basically, Ivins’ column is a sob piece about how newspapers are losing circulation and how bad it’ll be if people start to rely on us dumb-as-stones bloggers for their information. In essence, nobody does it better than newspapers and broadcast news. Right?
Let’s see now. Last week, the New York Times admitted to misidentifying the man in the now famous “hooded inmate” pic from the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, and within the same week the Grey Lady also admitted that a woman whom they took the time to profile as a Hurricane Katrina victim was not. The woman incidentally was reportedly just arrested for fraud and grand larceny. Also, Newsweek reportedly got the translation wrong on some of the Saddam tapes. The inaccurate translations implied that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, according to Former Iraqi Air Force Gen. Georges Sada. He has also said that chemical or biological weapons were flown to Syria in 56 flights, and we’re still waiting for the media to confirm that one.
But hey, I’d be an opinion monger if I were to imply that an agenda was rearing her ugly head here.
Retractions are one thing, the failure of the New York Times--let me emphasize that--the failure of the New York Times and Newsweek to do proper fact checking is exactly the reason their circulation is down and people are looking to bloggers for the very fact-checking the big nuts media should be doing.
Ivins believes that newspapers should become non-profits. If they keep their arrogant, condescending attitude towards its readers, they may just become that. Just what that business needs: become a magnet for capitalism hating, lazy, no solution liberals. That’s pretty much who seems to be running the show now, and if not for us ignorant bloggers who have no business being behind a keyboard, how many instances of journalistic malfeasance would be assumed fact today?
A Simple Thank You Would Suffice
According to New York Times reporter Christine Hauser, ''Three Western peace workers who were held hostage in Iraq for four months were rescued in a military operation today, two weeks after their American colleague was killed in captivity.''
“Our hearts are filled with joy today as we heard that Harmeet Singh Sooden, Jim Loney, and Norman Kember have been safely released in Baghdad,” said a statement from the peace group. “Together we have endured uncertainty, hope, fear, grief, and now joy during the four months since they were abducted in Baghdad.”
The delegation coordinator for the group, Claire Evans, said by telephone that Mr. Loney, a 41-year-old Canadian, had contacted his family this morning from the Green Zone, the fortified compound in Baghdad where some American military forces, Iraqi government offices, and the American Embassy are located.
“He said that they were all in reasonable health,” she said, adding that the three men were undergoing medical checks.
The men were freed by multinational forces in a military operation.”
One would think the story, complete with happy conclusion, would end there. But when narcissistic liberals are involved, it’s always easy to speak too soon.
In a statement issued by the Loney family:
“Oh, what a joyful day this is! We have just learned that James is coming home. He has been released unharmed, with his companions Harmeet and Norman. We would like to thank everyone for their support and prayers. At this time, we would also like to express our deepest sympathy to the family of Tom Fox. Please let us rejoice in this family moment as we prepare for the days to come.”
No thanks to the brave soldiers who rescued them after recklessly entering and endangering others in a war zone in the name of peace.
In a statement issued by “Christian Peacemaker Teams”:
“Our hearts are filled with joy today as we heard that Harmeet Singh Sooden, Jim Loney, and Norman Kember have been safely released in Baghdad. Christian Peacemaker Teams rejoices with their families and friends at the expectation of their return to their loved ones and community.
“Harmeet, Jim and Norman and Tom were in Iraq to learn of the struggles facing the people in that country. They went, motivated by a passion for justice and peace to live out a nonviolent alternative in a nation wracked by armed conflict.
“We believe that the illegal occupation of Iraq by Multinational Forces is the root cause of the insecurity which led to this kidnapping and so much pain and suffering in Iraq. The occupation must end.
“Throughout these difficult months, we have been heartened by messages of concern for our four colleagues from all over the world. We have been especially moved by the gracious outpouring of support from Muslim brothers and sisters in the Middle East, Europe, and North America.
“We pray that Christians throughout the world will, in the same spirit, call for justice and for respect for the human rights of the thousands of Iraqis who are being detained illegally by the U.S. and British forces occupying Iraq.
“During these past months, we have tasted of the pain that has been the daily bread of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. Why have our loved ones been taken? Where are they being held? Under what conditions? How are they? Will they be released? When?
“With God’s abiding kindness, we will love even our enemies. With the love of Christ, we will resist all evil. With God’s unending faithfulness, we will work to build the beloved community.”
Again, no thanks to the servicemen of the United States and Britain who risked their own lives to free these so-called peace workers.
I wonder if it too late to send them back.
Here We Go Again
In another example of those in the media attempting to create the news that it distributes, ABC reported:
“Eighty-five percent (85%) of Americans say global warming is probably happening, according to a new TIME magazine/ABC News/Stanford University poll, out Sunday, March 26. A vast majority of respondents (88%) think global warming threatens future generations. More than half (60%) say it threatens them a great deal. About four-in-ten (38%) feel that global warming is already a serious problem, 47% feel that it will be in the future. TIME’s special 26-page cover story, ‘Be Worried. Be Very Worried,’ hits newsstands Monday, March 27.”
The poll attempted to paint Republicans negatively.
“ In 1998, 31% of Republicans and Independents alike were sure that global warming was happening; it was not a distant 39% among Democrats. Today, 46% of Democrats and 45% of Independents are certain, and 26% of Republicans feel that way, according to the TIME/ABC News/Stanford University poll.”
However, this response is confusing:
“Six-in-ten Americans (62%) think much can be done to curb global warming and 52% favor government mandates. Six-in-ten (61%) say they would support a government mandate on lowering power plant emissions, and 87% support tax breaks to develop water, wind and solar power. Eighty-one percent oppose higher taxes on electricity, 68% oppose higher gasoline taxes and 56% oppose giving companies tax breaks to build nuclear power plants.”
So 62% of Americans think we can change the weather. They probably believe we mere mortals have more power than the sun. I know this was a poll, but no solutions are ever given publicly by this bunch.
Sixty-one percent say that they would support a government mandate on lowering power plant emissions, and 87% support tax breaks to develop water, wind and solar power. So if lower plant emissions mean losing their jobs, would they still support those mandates? Don’t get me wrong; I’d like to see as much pollution eradicated as anyone, and I believe a lot of businesses can do their business cleaner, but it’s usually unemployed liberal “activists” who want businesses shut down instead of cleaned up.
And about those water, wind, and solar power options, just how many wind farms have been proposed and thwarted by the very liberals who espouse them because they’d ruin their view? How many Hollywood liberals arrive to award ceremonies in SUV’s? How many used solar power to heat their 30-room mansions in Bel Air? What’s good for us is usually never acceptable for them. Just ask Babs.
Volunteers Are Stupid
That’s essentially what Cindy “Rosa Parks” Sheehan wrote in her criticism of President Bush’s statement on the third anniversary of the beginning of the liberation of Iraq.
In a “t r u t h o u t | Perspective” piece that I’m sure Molly Ivins would discount as written by a rank amateur, Sheehan used one line in the president’s speech to make her points.
“Ours is an amazing nation where thousands have volunteered to serve our country. They volunteered to--many volunteered after 9/11, knowing full well that their time in the military could put them in harm’s way.”
When I joined the Navy during peacetime, I understood that not only could I be in harm’s way should war break out, but that people unfortunately die in training operations. Despite that risk, I joined anyway. Volunteers are stupid.
Sheehan wrote:
“Notice how many times George says a variation on the word 'volunteer:' three times in one sentence. This caught my eye because right-wing warniks who don’t want to take any responsibility for supporting George’s war of terror and its accompanying mayhem are always reminding me that Casey 'volunteered.' And you know what? The warniks got me there! Casey did volunteer. He volunteered in May of 2000, to, first of all, serve his country and, second of all, get the benefits that his recruiter deceived him about. The biggest lie that Casey’s recruiter told him was that 'even if there is a war, you won’t see combat ... you scored so high on the ASVAB test, you will only go to war in a support role.' The tragic thing about this false promise is that Casey, a Humvee mechanic, was killed in combat five days after he arrived in Baghdad. The truly alarming and upsetting thing about the false promise made to Casey, though, is that recruiters are using that same lie today to potential volunteers while our country is in the middle of an occupation where many of our troops are being deployed for their third and fourth tours of duty.”
As I wasn’t there, I have no idea what Casey’s recruiter told him. Although we weren’t at war at that time, I was never given that assurance and I scored a 93 on my ASVAB. While I admire Casey for wanting to serve his country, I would never tarnish his memory as Sheehan so often does, by adding that he also joined because of all those wonderful benefits.
Luckily today, most of those who joined up because of what THEY could get out of it have been weeded out and our volunteer military knows where they may go, and do so knowing the risks. Sheehan still thinks they’re just a bunch of stupid children, but what else is new in the self-absorbed, intellectually superior, liberal mind?
“I believe another aspect of George emphasizing the word 'volunteer' so many times in one sentence is that he would love to absolve himself of the mortal sin of sending our troops to die and kill innocent people immorally, while still reaping (in his mind) the so-called benefits of being a 'war president.' George Bush wants to play-act at commander in chief, but thinks he can wash the gore of over 2,300 brave human beings off of his hands by resting assured that they 'volunteered.'
''I have so many other problems with this volunteer rationale, too. For instance, if one volunteers to be in the military why can’t one just 'un-volunteer' if he/she doesn’t find the lifestyle suitable; or say, if they don’t find the mission compelling enough, or legal and moral enough, to go fight, perhaps die and kill innocent people for?''
It’s obvious that Mother Sheehan doesn’t understand the concept of a contract. Young people volunteer to join the Armed Forces, and then sign a contract that not only binds the volunteer to the military, but the military to the volunteer. Once in writing, all those benefits are legally due the volunteer. How would she like it if the military decided to “un-volunteer” her son from its contract and withhold the death benefits Cindy may be using to get the publicity and attention she now enjoys.
When and if Susan Sarandon plays Cindy in a movie, Sheehan will have to voluntarily sign a contract that will allow a studio to use her likeness. She may receive money to sign that contract. I’d like to see her try and “un-volunteer” herself from the Hollywood ink should she not like some aspect to her bio-pic.
“What about the people who volunteered after 9/11? Whatever reason they volunteered for: revenge, patriotism, a sense of duty, a sense of hopelessness--they all volunteered to protect America--not be sent to die for the war machine. They volunteered to wear the uniform of our country, which most of them didn’t know or realize is the identical uniform of the war profiteers, and that they would soon be asked to invade and occupy a country that was no threat to the USA, and neither did they truly comprehend that the very thing they enlisted to prevent was being engineered by the neo-cons.”
As usual, it always comes down to liberals being so damn smart and the rest of us unwashed so damn stupid. Yet their only solution seems to be cut and run. Yeah, that’s smart.
“In my opinion the most loathsome piece of George and the warniks who support the immorality in Iraq, while pardoning themselves for the deaths without doing any penance, is that what they are saying is essentially this: your loved one got what he/she deserved for volunteering to join our armed forces. If we want to have a military to defend our country, then it is our responsibility to elect leaders that the entire world can depend on to use our military as an absolute last resort to protect America--not as a first option to solve invented problems to fulfill their lust for mammon.”
I’d love her to provide just one quote from any “warnik” that ever said a member of the military got what her or she deserved for volunteering. Contrast that with statements like Joel Stein of the Los Angeles Times who boasts how he neither supports the war or the troops, while coming off as an intellectual on VH1 “I Love the...” programs. Contrast that to those who call our president a war criminal, and like Sheehan, want him impeached during a time of war. Talk about sending a message of assurance to all those who are pointing guns at and blowing up Iraqi civilians and our soldiers.
“I don’t know what the American public expected when a silver spoon failure was 'elected' to be our leader: a sub par student who failed at every business attempt he made and who had to be bailed out of his failures and the Vietnam War by Daddy and his friends over his entire lifetime. We are all human and make mistakes or do some things that we aren’t proud of. I don’t have a problem with George being a failure, as long as his mistakes are localized--as most people’s are.”
As smart as Cindy assumes she is, I doubt very much that she’s seen Al Gore’s transcripts.
“This is another way for George to be bailed out of his failures and to again wash his hands of the flesh and blood that he is up to his elbows in. We should all be appalled, horrified, angry and up in peaceful arms about this statement. George just admitted that the occupation of Iraq is lasting at least almost another three years.”
I’m glad that Cindy wasn’t around during the Civil War. Of course, if she were, she wouldn’t be able to vote. She’d probably be against the war to free slaves. Several hundred people died fighting that one, and freeing people isn’t a good reason to fight in her eyes.
“The answer to this problem is glaringly obvious: we need a new president, ASAP. We need someone else who is willing to ask directions and change course when it is so apparent that the course is not only wrong, but damaging our country in palpable ways. Only a delusional, self absorbed, irrational person would stay such a misguided and murderous course.”
Not that one could ever call Bill Clinton delusional, self absorbed, or irrational, but when he was lobbing cruise missiles by the hundreds into Iraq and Kosovo, where were the peaceniks? When they have their kind of president and he kills innocents, where are the war protests in the streets? Where are the calls for impeachment? Where is the consistency? (Sorry. That was a rhetorical. We’re talking about liberals here.)
“We can’t wait for future presidents. We can’t wait for November 2006: people are dying every day for volunteering--and the innocent men, women and children of Iraq did not volunteer to be liberated by being killed by the thousands. George, and every person in his administration that lied to us, needs to be impeached, removed from office and held accountable for the crimes of Iraq and the crimes against Americans. We can’t allow them to get away with murder.”
Obviously Mother Sheehan is too busy writing op-eds to read who is doing the killing in Iraq. If not for the insurgents, compliments of Iran and Syria, who are slaughtering fellow Muslims, we would probably have been out of Iraq 16 months ago. To leave now would invite a massacre the North Vietnamese would be proud of.
Also, if you wish to impeach every person that “lied,” she’ll need to have Madeleine Albright, Bill and Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Sandy Berger, the many Democrat members of the Congress and Senate, who assured us all based on the intelligence, that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and was going to use them on us. Those declarations from Democrats were issued years before President Bush took office.
The events of September 11, 2001, were clearly seen by many as a declaration of war, and the politicians on Capitol Hill voted accordingly. This war was not unprovoked. This war is legal, and if the media ever gets their head out their collective asses, the Saddam tapes may indeed tell us where the weapons went, what they were going to be used for, and that Saddam and Osama were homies.
Until then, we can wait in baited breath for the Cindy Sheehan movie. Maybe VH1 can give us a reality show with Cindy so we can follow her from peace-in to peace-in, and listen to her and her compadres espouse all the great hate speech we’ve come to expect.
About the Writer: Bob Parks is a former Republican congressional candidate (California 24th District), Navy veteran, single father, member/writer for the National Advisory Council of Project 21, and is a staff writer for the New Media Alliance, Inc.
Ellie