How dare you say I don’t support the troops.
Iraq combat vets explain support for Lt. Watada
By Sarah Olson, truthout.org.
The link above is a really good article on Lt. Watada, read the article above before reading my commentaries.
————————————————————————-
History repeats itself, but we’re also suppose to learn from our mistakes.
We’re supposed to learn from Vietnam War.
Like Sarah Olson said, “there are dozens of members of the military who publicly support Lieutenant Watada. [And] There are likely hundreds more who are watching anxiously in silence, waiting for an outcome in Lieutenant Watada’s case.” Watching anxiously in silence because they are too afraid to openly oppose the war. How ironic. The President claims that our troops are fighting for freedom but where’s the freedom in that? Freedom of speech? For whom? Does that apply to everyone, even our troops? Think about that.
I can’t even begin to tell people how I feel when I read articles like this. How can people be pro-life and be pro-war? Now, I get it. Like this article said, it was so easy for them to kill because they were “conditioned to hate”. They were brainwashed not to feel guilt or pity. If you think “brainwashed” sounds like an exaggeration, read the article again. Shooting those who were innocent and even children did absolutely nothing to their conscience.
So tell me, how are we any different from the “terrorists”?
I read an essay on Islamic religion which stated, “males were trained to operate guns at such a young age.” Like the U.S. military, they were conditioned to hate the United States, they were conditioned to fight and protect all in the name of God. Suicide bombers were thought of as heroes in Islamic religion because it is a sacrifice and it is the noble thing to do for their people. To protect their people whatever it takes…to fight for their country. Sounds a little familiar?
So tell me, how are we any different?
My mom worked with an ex G.I. from Iraq a year ago, she told us stories about him, the things he experienced from being deployed. He got out of the military, I’m not certain how, all I know is that he’s not himself at times. He had and still has nightmares about the war, very similar to the stories from Olson’s article. My mom would catch him with a blank look on his face, often times he’s simply not himself. He had a hard time focusing at work because there were too many things that triggered memories from the war. The ex G.I.’s wife is also worried about him. They now have an infant and she said it’s hard to rely on him at times due to these “episodes”.
How dare you say I don’t support the troops!
I’ve heard harsh words from people, and even from friends, because I am against the war. They call us ungrateful, unpatriotic, someone who hates America because “the troops are fighting for my freedom and this is what I do to repay them” and that I walk around with my “anti-war shirt and witty catch lines against the war” while the soldiers are fighting a war that gives me the freedom to do the things I do. First of all, I am not ungrateful. I am grateful for the people fighting the battle I openly admit could not and would not fight. I am grateful for these brave men and women which is precisely why I am questioning the war! You can’t call me ungrateful because I did not ask anyone to fight a war or any war for that matter, for my freedom. Second, get your definitions straight; asking questions about why we’re even (still) at war does not make me unpatriotic, if anything, it makes me more patriotic than those who are pro-war and those apathetic regarding the war. I do not hate this country, it’s the complete opposite, I want this country to be better because I happen to like living here. Questioning the war is supporting the troops. Putting an end to this war will bring them back home. You say, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” and “Attack Iraq!” when you’re also saying “not me personally, of course” let someone else fight the war for me.
You call yourself patriotic because you “support the troops” and you support the President when you know deep down you tell yourself “rather be them than me”.
What are you really doing to support the troops?
You think putting a yellow ribbon in your SUV makes up for it? No! Buying a yellow ribbon to put in your car does not make up for voting for Bush.
Wanting to put an end to the war does not make me a traitor of the country or unpatriotic. I am grateful for these brave men and women which is precisely why I am questioning the war! To bring them back home. If you think you’re patriotic by not asking questions, you are not only a coward–you’re an idiot.
I should cut off your balls for saying I don’t support the troops!
