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| Veterans Have Earned Respect |
I look at some of the comments that are posted in the vets group and I wonder why some would feel the slightest pity about how our enemy is interrogated, considering the treatment of our wounded and dead by our enemies who are supposed to abide by the Geneva Convention.
Yes, there are questionable interrogation methods, but water boarding is not as inhumane as what terrorists are doing worldwide, using their religion to justify it.
We're not the ones who are deliberately killing innocent men, women, babies, children, and families on planes, buses, cars, in hotels, restaurants, office buildings and on the streets.
When our enemies use the population to cover their activities, it's the innocent who always pay the price. The enemy knowingly set it up this way in every war and without a conscience as to loss of life -- as long as it's not theirs.
Why do those among us feel sympathy for heartless, unconscionable murderers, whether it be here, or anywhere else, worldwide? Shouldn't we have sympathy for the victims? To me, the methods we use to obtain information are far more humane than the acts of terrorists.
The public doesn't have any idea about what the combatant goes through, the sacrifices made by our military once they are voted into harm's way. Their families are burdened with not knowing about their loved ones between letters, or locked in secrecy without knowing anything at all.
Waiting, always waiting, for a phone call from a loved one, or waiting and hoping not to get a knock on the door. "We Were Solders" brought this home tragically and impersonally. Now, at least uniformed soldiers come to your door. But the ignorant in our society disrespect the funerals of those who have paid the ultimate price. The misuse of our constitution allows this, but why? Because those that sacrifice nothing expect everything at our expense.
Freedom comes at a high price, but the malcontents of society aren't willing to pay, but again live off those that have. The wives and families of vets are the forgotten equation of the support system and they are not able to recover.
Waiting, always waiting, for a phone call from a loved one, or waiting and hoping not to get a knock on the door. "We Were Solders" brought this home tragically and impersonally. Now, at least uniformed soldiers come to your door. But the ignorant in our society disrespect the funerals of those who have paid the ultimate price. The misuse of our constitution allows this, but why? Because those that sacrifice nothing expect everything at our expense.
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| Freedom Isn't Free |
Understanding comes from being open-minded and compassionate. Lack of knowledge and reality closes a lot of doors to communication. Listening to the wrong people helps no one, especially you. A closed mind is a mind that lacks knowledge and compassion.
If the public isn't given all the the facts, it will repeat Vietnam all over again at our expense. Edited media is shameful and so is anti-military media. It goes against every sacrifice the combatants risk for their country to find out their country couldn't care less.
We of the past are still paying for those judgments, even now. Every veteran suffers from misinformation, bureaucratic bungling, political trickery, wasteful foreign policy, budget cuts, fraudulent bailouts, fraudulent government contracts, and a government that just doesn't care.
So what do you think of my views? We sacrifice, the wives sacrifice, the families sacrifice, and for what? An anti-patriotic, anti-military government?
Tom Peck
USMC Vietnam
January-August '69
WIA 28 July "69
“I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do, and by the grace of God, I will.” ~Everett Hale
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The public never has nor ever will be given all the the facts. The "edited" media you referenced has been the same since Nam as has been the anti-military media.
ReplyDeleteThe "edited" media wants to escalate and maintain controversy - and as an example in Nam photos back then - the My Lai Massacre - Burning Buddhist Monk - Police Officer shooting VC in the head - Girl with burning napalm - and of course Jane Fonda on an anti-aircraft gun in Hanoi.
Rest assured Tom - the media is NOT going to change!!
Rest assured everyone, the news media elite puke are not our friends at all! Trust them? Like hell I will again!
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you, Tom!! Well stated!
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree with the beginning of your article Tom, the reason being, if we're going to treat our captives in the same way as their government treats their captives, how are we better than them? The enemy that we capture aren't any more responsible for how their government operates than you and I are responsible for our government. If we can't hold our standards to a higher level than our enemy, why are we fighting against them? How can we say we're fighting for a good cause if our methods are just as underhanded as our enemy? One on one, I'll fight as nasty as I have to, because my goal is to be the winner. Every fight that I've ever gotten into, I prayed the other guy was fighting by rules of conduct, cuz that meant he lost the fight before it ever started, cuz I'll pull hair, kick you when you're down, of bite the shit out of you, but in the end, the only way i'll lose that fight is if I don't fight dirty enough to win. People might say, that's not fair, you cheated, but look who's on the ground in a puddle of blood while I'm walking away. I'm sorry if I offended anyone. The Geneva Convention Rules of Warfare was written by a group of men who thought laying on the ground in a puddle of blood was much better than walking away the winner. How surprising that Geneva is in Switzerland
ReplyDeleteNot offended here, War Hippy. It was well-stated and I agree. One-on-one, you fight to win.
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