Clearing the air

The following is an LTE I have submitted to the Minneapolis Star and Tribune. I don't know if they'll print it as I greatly exceeded their word-count limitations but, I felt that I needed to express my outrage at the current environment in this country. I hope you all enjoy it.

Letter below the fold...

It's time to clear the air

I am a veteran and a parent and have, therefore, been closely following Cindy Sheehan's vigil. My range of emotions as this event has unfolded has ranged from grief at Mrs. Sheehan's loss, consternation at our President's seeming lack of empathy, and outright rage at the gross incompetence of our nation's media and in particular, the attack dog pundits that the right has exulted to positions far outweighing their talents or merits. I can remain silent no longer. The discourse in this country has been hijacked by a band of cheerleaders with neither the courage of their convictions nor the integrity of Casey and Cindy Sheehan. We, as Americans, have heard for the last thirty years that liberals and democrats hate the troops and, inherently, want our military to fail in their stated objectives. This is simply not true and I feel that it is time to clear the air for the good people of Minnesota and the greater United States.

Yesterday was the sixtieth anniversary of George Orwell's masterpiece "Animal Farm". I would submit to your readers that Mr. Orwell's chilling vision is alive and well right here in Middle America. If one listens to the bloviating of the right-wing spin machine, it will become readily apparent that war has indeed become peace, freedom is slavery, and ignorance is, indeed, bliss. In this bizzaro world, a grieving mother petitioning her government for a redress of grievances is a traitor and a, "tool of the left". According to them, our troops deserve our support but, not at the expense of the President's approval ratings. They wrap themselves in the flag and spew bile and hatred about those who would harm our brave men and women in harm's way when, almost to a man (or woman), they have declined to serve their country. There are, of course, exceptions to this but, the majority are nothing more than cheerleaders for a misbegotten war. The American people have begun to realize that the war in Iraq was a grandiose mistake that we were lied into and this rankles with the punditocracy. How sad that they are unable to spin a mother's grief successfully.

It has been two years since the invasion of Iraq and, according to the Department of Defense, our troops still don't have the armor and equipment they need to get the job done. During the vote on the bankruptcy bill earlier this year, a Democratic amendment was proposed which would attempt to lessen the bankruptcy burden on troops returning from the war. Every Republican in Congress voted against this amendment and it was, therefore, defeated. These few examples only begin to scratch the surface of their hypocrisy. From a more than 1 billion dollar funding shortfall in V.A. funding to refusing to clarify our mission in Iraq, this nation's Republicans have failed the men and women in uniform that they have purported to support time and time again. They have told us that liberals and Democrats hate the troops. I will call them what they are for all to see. They are liars.

The other night, I watched in horror as I witnessed accounts of Larry Northern's despicable and cowardly act in Crawford Texas. We, as Americans, have a long-standing and noble history of commemorating those who have fallen in the service of our great nation. From the Vietnam War Memorial, the statue commemorating Iwo Jima, and Arlington National Cemetery, our country contains many memorials to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of freedom and liberty throughout the history of our country. Arlington West is just such a memorial. It is a collection of small, unassuming wooden crosses each bearing the name of one of the fallen of Iraq. The memorial has been on display along Prairie Chapel Road in Crawford since shortly after Mrs. Sheehan began her quest for answers. Mr. Northern, a self-described supporter of the President and his policies, took it upon himself to attach chains and a pipe to the tailgate of his pickup truck and drive through a large swath of the Arlington West memorial. Approximately 500 crosses and several American flags were mowed down and many of the crosses were damaged beyond repair. The spin-meisters of the right would have us believe that this was nothing more than a harmless prank. They are, once again, lying to us! Would they call it a harmless prank if a liberal had mowed down a procession of crosses during the vigils held for Terry Schiavo in Florida earlier this year? I think not! They tell us that liberals hate the troops. They are liars!

In the last 5 years, I have witnessed hypocrisy that, apparently, knows no bounds. In the last Presidential election, the Democratic candidate was a proven combat veteran with an impeccable service record. They attempted to smear his service and his good name while, at the same time, the President was too busy "clearing brush" to even show up to complete a physical for his National Guard post (in the comfy confines of his home state rather than in a jungle 10,000 miles away). In the election before that, the President's Republican challenger was besmirched by the right-wing pundits in the same manner. This was a man who was a prisoner of war and a genuine war hero. It is their supporters and not ours that besmirch the good name of our valiant soldiers, that wrap themselves in false patriotism when they know not from whence they speak, and it is they who desecrate memorials to the fallen. They tell us that liberals and Democrats hate the troops. Then why is it only the Democrats who are attempting to improve the plight of our fighting men and women in uniform? The right-wing in this country values one thing and one thing only: power. They will try to tell you that they support the troops and that liberals are giving aid and comfort to the enemy. I would submit to your readers that, they are the enemy.