I've had something on my mind for quite some time now, and for reasons for which I'm not completely certain, have been unable to collect my thoughts on the matter adequately. In the interest of being polite, I have neglected discussing it here. I will probably never be able to express it well enough to be satisfied with the end result, but if nothing else, I will at least put my mind at ease. What has been on my mind is this: Anti-American rhetoric via the mainstream media and the anti-war left.
I should probably begin by saying that merely being anti-war is not what is bothering me. We are all Americans and have a right to express our opinions as we wish. War is an ugly business, so it is understandable to me that some people will react differently than others when it becomes a reality.
The problem I have is with the over-the-top rhetoric coming from some in the anti-war crowd, specifically the types of protesters that are currently encamped near the Bush Ranch in Crawford, Texas. I had not expressed my opinion on Cindy Sheehan because I was afraid my opinion would be viewed, at best, as impolite, and I didn't want to be appear unsympathetic to a grieving mother. I feel deeply for her as a grieving mother, but have absolutely no respect for the tactics she and others are currently using in their efforts. It is my opinion that her efforts long ago ceased being about Casey and have become largely agenda driven. The fact that she called our president, George W. Bush, the
world's biggest terrorist, considers insurgents to be freedom fighters, and thinks our military is engaged in a war of terror, helped form this opinion.
I cannot fathom what it is about America that leads some people to decide to blame the country first for every problem that comes along. America has given these people the opportunity to express their opinions openly, and yet they seem to have forgotten the sacrifices that were made to give these rights to them.
It is America and the military they berate, that has given this right to them. They forget that if they were to have uttered any anti-establishment sentiments in either Iraq or Afghanistan as little as 4 years ago, they would have been executed within minutes of uttering the first few syllables. We're talking tongue extractions, feet first wood chipper rides, beheadings, hangings, firing squads; whatever struck the executioner's fancy at the time. This is what a lot of the anti-war crowd has chosen to defend, instead of the country that gives them the right to express their opinion without retribution. It seems to be primarily due to an uncontrolled hatred for George W. Bush. They appear to have made the decision to sell out their country for what amounts to approximately 520 votes.
The same goes for the mainstream media. They refuse to report
good news coming from Iraq and Afghanistan simply because it might help George W. Bush. They have an agenda that requires them to spin the War on Terror in a way that does the most harm to the current administration, without regard for the damage it does to the country. The media can tell us the exact number of troops killed at any time of the day, how many car bombs exploded and where, and speculate about the Vietnam-like quagmire we are embroilled in, etc. but they won't tell us about successes such as restoring power grids, rebuilding schools, building roads, and training and equipping an Iraqi police force and a military that will allow them to handle their own security. They'll tell you about Iraqi people who want us to leave immediately but won't tell you about those who have gained a thirst for freedom, who are thankful they have been liberated, and who want us to stay until the job is finished. They'll lead you to believe that freedom cannot succeed there while neglecting the craving the Iraqi citizens have developed for it.
The media acts puzzled by the success of blogs while they stare at the very answer in the mirror. The media is precisely the reason that blogs have become such a success story. If the media was doing it's job, few people would need blogs to fill in the missing information. By failing to do their job, they have created the very monster they despise.
It seems to me that people have forgotten exactly what happened on 9/11. Have they wondered what the final thoughts were of those innocent people who looked out their windows on a gorgeous September day to see a commercial airliner flying straight toward them? I have.
Who would they have said goodbye to if only they had the chance? How many children were at home that afternoon wondering when Daddy would be there to play catch or what story Mommy would read them at bedtime? How would what happened be explained to them and by whom? Why did those who jumped have to be faced with the unconscionable decision of whether to burn to death or jump? Who will take care of my family? Did they know how much I loved them?
What decisions would I have made if death were a virtual certainty? I don't know, but I think about it a lot. I also wonder how anyone can place blame on anyone other than those who were responsible for it. How does one make the connection that everything we have done and will do in Iraq and Afghanistan is President Bush's fault? I can't tell you. My mind just doesn't work that way. I wonder if those who do think this way have forgotten the event that started it all.
I've heard some people say that they don't believe terrorists will ever strike us again and believe with all their hearts that we are the ones who caused it. Have the terrorists told them something they have told no one else? It seems to be forgotten by many that 9/11 was not the first time the World Trade Center was attacked. Do they remember February 26,1993? Six people were killed and over a thousand injured. The towers didn't fall then and virtually nothing was done about it other than a few arrests. It was treated as a law enforcement matter by the Clinton Administration. Nothing was done to eliminate the threat, they were able to regroup and continue planning, and they came back to attack us again. If we don't experience another terroist attack on our soil, it will only be because the threat was largely eliminated by treating it for what it actually is: WAR!
If we pull out of Iraq and Afghanistan before the job is finished, they will do it again. They want us all dead and will keep trying until they succeed or they are stopped. The last thing I want is for the anti-war crowd to get their way and, in the end, prove me right. It would dishonor those who have been innocently slaughtered by terrorists and those who have fought and died to avenge those deaths and promote freedom across the globe.
Thanks to
Mudville Gazette Open PostTags:
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