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Anti war signs insult to all who have served
BY SUSIE FREEMAN
Reporter Columnist
This morning's news broadcasts bring us word of six more tragic deaths of young American soldiers in Iraq and of a terrorist threat to New York City's subway system. Many of my fellow citizens believe there is a direct cause and effect between our military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan and the tide of Islamic hatred that forces us to live under threats of attack.
I am not one of those citizens.
Islamic hatred of the West was a festering boil on the face of the world long before we began our military campaigns on Islamic soil. This division of belief over cause and effect is growing wider, according to most of the media.
Two outward symbols of opposition to our military operations in the Middle East are particularly offensive to me.
The first is a sign posted in front yards of some Austinites which reads, "American Against War,' an apparent condemnation and assumption that the rest of us are "For War." I'm sure that each of the people who posted this sign felt quite smug and morally superior as they drove the stake into the grass.
Only a fool is for war. By the same token, only a fool fails to recognize the necessity of it in defense of our country and way of life.
It seems this division between opposing points of view separates us into those who believed "Make Love, Not War," was an actual choice we would be allowed to make and not just an insipid slogan and those who recognize that while you're thus engaged the enemy is sneaking up behind you with cannons and canisters of poison gas.
The second, even more offensive symbol, is a bumper sticker displayed on cars, again observed in Austin, that reads "Anti-War Veteran."
This one defies logic. First, only because real veterans were willing to fight and even die for their country does any of us have the freedom to display such a foolish sentiment. Second, it is an outright insult to each of the men and women who have served this country willingly in every war since the Revolution.
It's astonishing how casually some of us accept the sacrifices that have been made for us.
No argument made by man can ever turn the prospect of war into a pretty thing. It is ugly and violent, frightening and tragic. The elimination of war as a means to solve disagreements between nations should be the goal of every human being.
But, the fact remains that peace is not the goal of every human being and to turn a blind eye to them and their agenda is to turn the world over to them, as if it were a gift.
The thought that six families received word today that they have lost beloved sons and brothers, husbands and fathers is heartbreaking. That we should do everything we can to bring our soldiers safely home should be the goal of each of us. But, until that day, our greatest strength and their best defense is the support and gratitude of the nation they serve.
Adopting foolish slogans and clinging self-righteously to them is divisive and dangerous.
I can only imagine how a Muslim extremist must smile in satisfaction when he sees such proudly displayed signs of American naiveté.
Rockdale Reporter News
BY SUSIE FREEMAN
Reporter Columnist
This morning's news broadcasts bring us word of six more tragic deaths of young American soldiers in Iraq and of a terrorist threat to New York City's subway system. Many of my fellow citizens believe there is a direct cause and effect between our military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan and the tide of Islamic hatred that forces us to live under threats of attack.
I am not one of those citizens.
Islamic hatred of the West was a festering boil on the face of the world long before we began our military campaigns on Islamic soil. This division of belief over cause and effect is growing wider, according to most of the media.
Two outward symbols of opposition to our military operations in the Middle East are particularly offensive to me.
The first is a sign posted in front yards of some Austinites which reads, "American Against War,' an apparent condemnation and assumption that the rest of us are "For War." I'm sure that each of the people who posted this sign felt quite smug and morally superior as they drove the stake into the grass.
Only a fool is for war. By the same token, only a fool fails to recognize the necessity of it in defense of our country and way of life.
It seems this division between opposing points of view separates us into those who believed "Make Love, Not War," was an actual choice we would be allowed to make and not just an insipid slogan and those who recognize that while you're thus engaged the enemy is sneaking up behind you with cannons and canisters of poison gas.
The second, even more offensive symbol, is a bumper sticker displayed on cars, again observed in Austin, that reads "Anti-War Veteran."
This one defies logic. First, only because real veterans were willing to fight and even die for their country does any of us have the freedom to display such a foolish sentiment. Second, it is an outright insult to each of the men and women who have served this country willingly in every war since the Revolution.
It's astonishing how casually some of us accept the sacrifices that have been made for us.
No argument made by man can ever turn the prospect of war into a pretty thing. It is ugly and violent, frightening and tragic. The elimination of war as a means to solve disagreements between nations should be the goal of every human being.
But, the fact remains that peace is not the goal of every human being and to turn a blind eye to them and their agenda is to turn the world over to them, as if it were a gift.
The thought that six families received word today that they have lost beloved sons and brothers, husbands and fathers is heartbreaking. That we should do everything we can to bring our soldiers safely home should be the goal of each of us. But, until that day, our greatest strength and their best defense is the support and gratitude of the nation they serve.
Adopting foolish slogans and clinging self-righteously to them is divisive and dangerous.
I can only imagine how a Muslim extremist must smile in satisfaction when he sees such proudly displayed signs of American naiveté.
Rockdale Reporter News
