This is my first attempt at a diary here on Kos. Most of you know that I am the veteran who appeared in the ad that VoteVets aired denouncing Rush Limbaugh for his phony soldiers comments. I feel that it is important that people here from me and read the comments that I have received.
Think of this as a companion to Brandon’s diary.
I have been getting a lot of comments from people after doing the VoteVets.org ad speaking out against Rush Limbaugh and his comments. A vast majority of the comments I have had are from supporters telling me how proud they are of me and that I should keep on fighting. Thank you for those comments and I assure you that I will keep on fighting. I will speak out on anyone who calls real soldiers "phony" or tries to demean their service. I will keep fighting for veteran’s health issues and all around better care for our veterans and soldiers.
I have also gotten quite a few comments from Rush supporters. I suppose that they are trying to say things to get me to change my mind or make me feel bad for speaking out. Too bad it isn’t working. I am not going to change my mind; I stand by my statements; unlike Rush Limbaugh who keeps backpedaling and changing transcripts. The negative comments I get just prove to me how important it was to do the ad It shows that people will blindly listen to Rush and if no one speaks up and calls him on being wrong he will keep spouting his vile voice of hate and his listeners will follow. That is why it is important for us to speak out; people need to hear the voices of veterans of the Iraq war. They need to hear how it is on the ground, they need to know about the pain and suffering, and they need to know about the lack of working equipment. That is why we have a voice and won’t be shut up or demeaned.
Here are some of the comments I received on my blog and on my MySpace account:
You aren't the lying asshole Liberal Poster Boy veteran on tv are you?
Anonymous said...
Sad. So your opinion is truth and my opinion is lies? Hmmmmm. I wonder how you were raised and where you went to school. Opinions are like a-holes, Brian, everybody has one. Some people have one and ARE one. Please don't be one of those.
For you to go on and attack Rush Limbaugh is slanderous and libelous . If Rush didn't know better that you were setup by the lefties, he'd have a valid lawsuit against you. But as it is, you are a patriot and as such he supports your actions. You are not protected by law as opposed to how the goof balls in the House and Senate are.
At this point, you are merely a pawn in the latest political shenanigans. I'm truly sorry for that.
Brian,
First and foremost, thank you so very much for your service to this country. All Americans owe you a debt that we can never possibly repay.
As a commenter to a previous post has said, however, your service does not preclude you from being an idiot........To my knowledge, no one (Rush included) has accused you or any other soldiers who disagree with the Iraq war "phony soldiers". For you to participate in an ad that perpetuates this lie is truly sad. I sincerely hope that you were well compensated by VoteVets.org. I would hate to think that you sold out your integrity and honor as a U.S. soldier, as well as your former brothers- and sisters-in-arms simply because of the oversized chip you carry around on your shoulder.
Anonymous said...
Thanks for your service.
You make no sense, though, and you're coming across, as has been stated before, as a mere pawn for the Left.
Why did you volunteer for the war if you felt this way? Was your committment to service then dependant on the outcome of the war?
What did you think it was going to be like? Parades, streamers, kayaking - summer camp?
The fact that you're whoring yourself out to the Left's media circuis is incredibly sad to watch
We just saw your commercial on TV here in OHIO. I am so very disappointed to see that after all you have been through you have chosen to LIE about what Rush Limbaugh said on PHONY SOLDIERS. I strongly advise you to research the statement and listen to it. You look very foolish and should be embarrassed for kowtowing to the Liberals that are USING you. You will not get far in this world unless you get the pity and chip off your shoulder.
EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED!
Phil Brammer said...
Brian, Don't be an idiot. Read Rush Limbaugh's transcripts for yourself.
He never called you a suicide bomber. He never called you phoney.
The fact you likened what he said to a suicide bomber is exactly his point. Lies upon lies have been strapped to your belt and others (the democrats) are making you regurgitate those lies.
Regardless of your views on the war, you are being unpatriotic by using the media to continue the lies about Rush Limbaugh -- a staunch military supporter. PLEASE NOTE that ABC did a story something like two days before Rush ever talked about "phoney soldiers." Why aren't you attacking them?
You are despicable for not being capable of using your own head to check the facts first.
Anonymous said...
Thanks for your service.
However, your service does not preclude you from being an idiot. You are entitled to your views. They are merely views and carry no more weight than anyone else.You probably feel you have absolute moral authority because you served and were wounded.
You do not. Your views are your own and they are idiotic(in MY opinion).
Anonymous said...
I agree, I have a husband and a son presently serving in the USMC, they feel completely different about the situation than you. I have friends who have come back without legs and arms who still support our efforts in Iraq. I find it unfortunate that you volunteered to be a soldier and you are now bitter because war was tough. This attitude will leave you with nothing but pain and bitterness. Seems to me you put yourself in the situation by joining the military and now you feel victimized by it. Makes no sense to me but oh well
It also appears that you are just a pawn being used by the far left
As you can see people still think that I am some kind of idiot poster boy who blindly follows others. Unfortunately that is not the case. I agreed to do the ad because I agreed with what the ad said. I would not put myself out in the world to say something I didn’t believe in. I do have morals. I am not an easily led automaton. I looked at various different groups before I decided to join VoteVets. I joined VoteVets because I believe in their philosophy and think we can make a difference.