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Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Letter to the Editor
Letter to the Editor:
Our son Ty returned from Iraq 8 weeks ago. He worked as an EOD technician; that is, he and his team blew up 100 to 200 TONS per day of ordnance(bombs, missiles, etc.) that Saddam had stored in hospitals, mosques, and schools. They did this task 6 days per week for 8 months! He was a part of just one of many teams working in multiple sites in Iraq. Each site was 2.5 X 2.5 MILES square. You say you didn't know Saddam had so much weaponry to use against us? Hmmmm, maybe you missed it on the "news". No you didn't. It was never ON the news. If Najaf had not gotten so volatile, Ty would still be there. There was much left to do when he had to leave. By the way, the object of Ty's job was to make Iraq, it's neighbors, and all of us, safer.
Since his return, he has told us of his frustration in reading and hearing the liberalist coverage of the media in general. The focus is mainly on the "yet to be found" nuclear warheads. Seldom do we hear about the thousands of barrels of "who knows what? " buried in the desert sands all over Iraq. Not all weapons of mass destruction have warheads! Any of you liberals want to go dig them up and sniff them to see what Saddam buried? No? Wise choice.
How about the constant camera focus on the radical insurgency screaming curses at Americans?? Pretty sensational stuff! How seldom does the camera focus on free Iraqi's enjoying the "luxury" of hospitals with doctors? Or electricity and clean water for the first time in decades? Pretty boring stuff for the news. I wonder why? Could it be because we all take these things for granted? Because we're free?? And why is it that we remain free?
We say, it's because of strong leadership from a president who made a tough decision to topple a vicious, morally bankrupt and dangerous world leader. Saddam was not only a threat to his neighbors, he was a threat to the world! The decision to put our soldiers in harms way was one few of us would have had the courage to make. Once made, the focus became support for our troops. It really bothers me that many of our soldiers have to watch the BBC to get the real story of what is happening around them in Iraq. Our son told us that's true. The ordnance was delivered to his team for destruction by soldiers driving Oshkosh Truck PLS vehicles. Biased, sensationalistic, U.S. broadcasts are demoralizing to them. How are they to know they have the support of the American people when the focus of the liberal media is that of bashing their commander in chief, President Bush? As a soldier in a foreign land, what message would make you feel valued and appreciated for youe sac! rifices?
We'll close with something sent to us on the Internet. The author is unknown to us.
"It is the soldier, not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier,
Who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And who's coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protestor to burn the flag."
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier,
Who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And who's coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protestor to burn the flag."
No matter your political persuasion, please support our troops by encouraging the media to be less biased in their reporting.
Jim and Mary W????????
I wish that more people would comment. After all, that is the American way. Bring issues out into the open, and let them be viewed in the clear light of day.
Many thanks to Anonymous - Gunner
Comments:
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Dear Jim and Mary W?????-
Let me start by saying this: I respect your son's dutiful service to our nation in this dangerous operation...make no mistake about that. There is no sacrifice one can make to the common good larger than what our military and first responders (police and firemen here at home) do for our country.
However, your comments about the "ordinance" being destroyed is a little misguided. Understand that the Iraqi government once had a standing military, as most countries in the world do, even (as evidenced by recent contributions) the tiny nation of Guam. These militaries don't stock their shelves with sticks and slingshots...so, undoubtedly, there were plenty of your standard weaponry in Iraq. If we invaded Saudi Arabia or Mexico tomorrow, I guarantee you that destroying their ordinance would be no short order. Add to that the fact that much of this ordinance being destroyed was also confiscated, found after raids, or abandoned by the more than twenty radical factions in the area... who were by no means under Saddam's control. We're talking about a part of the world where every man carries a gun, not necessarily because he's some crazed militant out to cause chaos...but out of necessity to prevent chaos from invading his home and harming his family. I'm not mentioning all this to discount or discredit the good that your son did in Iraq...only to show that the issue is a bit more gray than the stark picture you paint with your letter.
And as for the media that you claim has liberalist leanings and refuses to mention the good things we've brought to the Iraqi people...
The "luxury" of hospitals and doctors was available to Iraqis long before we showed up...the electricity and clean water were there as well....and in fact, didn't become much of an issue until we bombed the hell out of their power grids and busted their water and sewer lines...after our "Shock and Awe" campaign, most Iraqis were upset at having only 12 hours of electricity a day (which should, by comparison, show you what they were accustomed to beforehand)....the majority of these goodwill deeds and reconstruction efforts have not made much headway thus far, as security is a prime issue. Your head might spin if I clued you into the fact that a good number of young Iraqis are "bloggers" as well... that they have and have had personal computers and internet access...and many of them (not the liberal media) are also echoing the discontent with the continued American occupation (although, to be fair, they do thank the Americans for deposing Saddam).
And as for the BBC being good coverage of the situation in Iraq....I've been to England and Scotland lately, and watched coverage that is no more or less cynical of the war in Iraq. The majority of British citizens, who listen to BBC consistently do not support Bush's decisions in Iraq. Where's the spin factor? Who's handing them misguided newsreports?
Let me finish all this jousting by reminding you of one simple, straight-forward assertion:
QUESTIONING THE WAR IN IRAQ AND BUSH'S DECISIONS DOES NOT, and I emphasize, NOT EQUATE TO BEING AGAINST OUR TROOPS...neither does is equate to being anti-American, or unpatriotic. It doesn't any in way, shape, or form equate liberals with being "anti-freedom" or misguided enemies of the state....PLEASE, for the love of God or simply for the love of humanity, PLEASE GET THIS STRAIGHT!
The greatest patriots are those, who in times of national crisis, chance to question authority and to read between the lines, to MAKE SURE that freedom and our great people and the people of the world get what is due to them.
Thank you.
Let me start by saying this: I respect your son's dutiful service to our nation in this dangerous operation...make no mistake about that. There is no sacrifice one can make to the common good larger than what our military and first responders (police and firemen here at home) do for our country.
However, your comments about the "ordinance" being destroyed is a little misguided. Understand that the Iraqi government once had a standing military, as most countries in the world do, even (as evidenced by recent contributions) the tiny nation of Guam. These militaries don't stock their shelves with sticks and slingshots...so, undoubtedly, there were plenty of your standard weaponry in Iraq. If we invaded Saudi Arabia or Mexico tomorrow, I guarantee you that destroying their ordinance would be no short order. Add to that the fact that much of this ordinance being destroyed was also confiscated, found after raids, or abandoned by the more than twenty radical factions in the area... who were by no means under Saddam's control. We're talking about a part of the world where every man carries a gun, not necessarily because he's some crazed militant out to cause chaos...but out of necessity to prevent chaos from invading his home and harming his family. I'm not mentioning all this to discount or discredit the good that your son did in Iraq...only to show that the issue is a bit more gray than the stark picture you paint with your letter.
And as for the media that you claim has liberalist leanings and refuses to mention the good things we've brought to the Iraqi people...
The "luxury" of hospitals and doctors was available to Iraqis long before we showed up...the electricity and clean water were there as well....and in fact, didn't become much of an issue until we bombed the hell out of their power grids and busted their water and sewer lines...after our "Shock and Awe" campaign, most Iraqis were upset at having only 12 hours of electricity a day (which should, by comparison, show you what they were accustomed to beforehand)....the majority of these goodwill deeds and reconstruction efforts have not made much headway thus far, as security is a prime issue. Your head might spin if I clued you into the fact that a good number of young Iraqis are "bloggers" as well... that they have and have had personal computers and internet access...and many of them (not the liberal media) are also echoing the discontent with the continued American occupation (although, to be fair, they do thank the Americans for deposing Saddam).
And as for the BBC being good coverage of the situation in Iraq....I've been to England and Scotland lately, and watched coverage that is no more or less cynical of the war in Iraq. The majority of British citizens, who listen to BBC consistently do not support Bush's decisions in Iraq. Where's the spin factor? Who's handing them misguided newsreports?
Let me finish all this jousting by reminding you of one simple, straight-forward assertion:
QUESTIONING THE WAR IN IRAQ AND BUSH'S DECISIONS DOES NOT, and I emphasize, NOT EQUATE TO BEING AGAINST OUR TROOPS...neither does is equate to being anti-American, or unpatriotic. It doesn't any in way, shape, or form equate liberals with being "anti-freedom" or misguided enemies of the state....PLEASE, for the love of God or simply for the love of humanity, PLEASE GET THIS STRAIGHT!
The greatest patriots are those, who in times of national crisis, chance to question authority and to read between the lines, to MAKE SURE that freedom and our great people and the people of the world get what is due to them.
Thank you.
Dear Anonymous,
Have you talked to any returning Sodiers, Airman, Seaman, or Marines? Bad news sells, that doesn't mean good even great things aren't happening in Iraq. Where do you get your information. Please ensure your data is accurate. Did the Iraqi's have power, running water, etc.? Some did, most didn't! Far more citizens of Iraq have utilities now than before the war.
Bottom Line: Constant belittling of our President and the War in Iraq is perceived as anti-military. Why is that? Because our military is doing what needs to be done. Whenever you belittle the way things are done in Iraq, you are belittling the military.
Like it or not,
EOD Mike
Post a Comment
Have you talked to any returning Sodiers, Airman, Seaman, or Marines? Bad news sells, that doesn't mean good even great things aren't happening in Iraq. Where do you get your information. Please ensure your data is accurate. Did the Iraqi's have power, running water, etc.? Some did, most didn't! Far more citizens of Iraq have utilities now than before the war.
Bottom Line: Constant belittling of our President and the War in Iraq is perceived as anti-military. Why is that? Because our military is doing what needs to be done. Whenever you belittle the way things are done in Iraq, you are belittling the military.
Like it or not,
EOD Mike
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