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thedrifter
03-18-03, 08:56 AM
"The Voice of the Grunt"
03-17-2003

A Heartfelt Thanks to Our Troops



By Michael P. Canzoneri



There is rarely a day that goes by that I don’t thank God I am an American, but on Sunday, March 16, I felt truly blessed to be an American. I attended a “Rally for the Troops” in Valley Forge, Pa., and it was the type of event you almost never see covered by the mainstream news media.



There were no Anti-Bush posters; there were anti-Saddam posters. There were no anti-American posters; there were posters stating, “God Bless America.” There were no “War for Oil” posters; there were “Free Iraq” posters. Chris Cameron drove from Atlantic City, N.J., a good 90-minute trip, just so he could let the troops know we are behind them.



The sentiment was the same with everyone I spoke with at the rally. They weren’t questioning the motives of President Bush. They weren’t calling America an imperialist lapdog for Israel. They were praying for their sons, daughters, husbands and wives to return safely home. They were hoping for Iraq to be liberated, and the menacing shadow of Saddam Hussein to be vanquished.



I was amazed at the number of people in attendance. In all over 3,000 people showed up at the rally. I parked more than four miles away from the rally site. The lines for the shuttle buses seemed endless, and then a group of around 300 or more people started walking to the site. As they marched by they called out, “Our soldiers march, why shouldn’t we?” Senior citizens, children, veterans and every other kind of person marched the four miles to the rally site.



As we walked, I heard comment after comment pertaining to the media’s blackout of the rally in support of our troops. They voiced their disdain for Hollywood and those who continually slam President Bush. They carried signs stating, “You’re either with us or against us.” Their signs confirmed that these people had listened to President Bush every step of the way and heard the facts presented. More importantly, they were convinced we were in the right in our policy towards Iraq.



It was fitting to me that the rally was held at Valley Forge, a place where George Washington and his men, starved, cold and weary, suffered for the idea of a nation unlike any other before it. This time around, the troops had a cheering section.



American flags were everywhere, and veterans were abundant. Children waved their flags and cheered. But there was something else that was omnipresent. It was deeper than patriotism. The political undertone of the rally was too shallow for this crowd. It was something rarely felt by people in this day and age, something not felt by many since Sept. 11, 2001. It was a sense of honor.



It was the honor of knowing there were loved ones and anonymous souls ready to fight and die for the beliefs on which this country was founded. It was the honor of knowing they would uphold the principles on which the founding fathers established this country. It was the honor of knowing we stood upon sacred ground where men gave their lives for such principles.



As I stood there, I heard story after story of men who fought valiantly in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the 1991 Gulf War, along with many other deployments. The people around me conveyed a deep sense of gratitude, not only for the people who served or those who are currently serving in our armed forces, but also for the chance to have their voices heard.



It seemed every other comment I heard dealt with the media’s almost complete blackout of the pro-American rallies. They know there has been some coverage of such events – for example, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Monday, March 17, 2003, did publish a page 1 photo of Sunday’s rally with a local news story – but the coverage of such events overall has paled in comparison to that of the anti-war rallies.



Speakers were angry at the Hollywood left. They wanted to know what made Janeane Garofalo, Bill Maher, and Martin Sheen experts in foreign affairs and military tactics. There was one sign that called for a regime change on the popular NBC TV show, “The West Wing,” and that wasn’t the only one. One woman standing right near me was talking about how every day we wait to go in we put our troops in more danger.



A lot of people want to know why the minority of the population who are against President Bush get the vast majority of the media’s coverage. They want to know why protests that draw several hundred people get more media coverage than a rally that draws several thousand. They want to know why in the land of free speech, their voices were being muffled. They want to know why their prayers and well wishes for our troops and their approval of president’s stance were not all over the news.



I think I speak for all of the rally’s attendees when I say this to our troops: Thank you for sacrificing yourself for the greater good of the world. Thank you for turning your world upside down for us. Thank you for protecting us. Thank you for being our loved ones, our friends, our brethren. God Bless, Godspeed, and come home safely to us.



Michael P. Canzoneri is a Contributing Editor of DefenseWatch. He can be reached at mcanzoneri@biztech.com.


Sempers,

Roger