"I
was once asked why I don't participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said
that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I'll
be there."
-- Mother
Theresa
ANTI-WAR???
This is a friend's
response to the email This hits home.
It is a great act of kindness to keep the troops in our prayers. But
still we must be able to discern when someone is politicizing that act by
sending a message that, on the surface, encourages support for the troops
but it turns out to be an underlying intentional move to garner support for
conservative agendas by inserting the following key phrases:
1. "You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt" - There
is nothing wrong with being anti-war -- it doesn't mean you don't support
and pray for the troops. But that is how conservatives "spin" rhetoric
of anyone who does not support their agenda. War is big money for them
-- don't forget that. Can you say "Halliburton?"
2. "You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything."
-- Remember, America was born because British citizens criticized their
government, fled to this land and took it from others who were already here.
In a democracy, it is your duty to protest and demonstrate if you disagree
with the policies of your government. That still does not mean you
don't support and pray for those who protect out democracy. Don't get
it twisted -- or should I say, don't let the conservatives get "you"
twisted.
3. "You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him."
-- I never hear anyone make fun of our soldiers. I hear comics perform political
satire about the war which is their way of protesting a war that they
disagree with. That is their right. I never hear them demean the
troops.
4. "You see only what the media wants you to see." -- Freedom of the press
is one of the first rights in the Constitution. It is the duty
of the media to show us what the policy makers don't want us to see.
They don't want us to see the flag-draped coffins of dead soldiers coming
out of airplanes on conveyor belts because there are too many of them for
the soldiers to hand-carry. They don't want us to see the mega-embassy
that our tax dollars are paying for in
Iraq. They don't want us to see that "Billions" of our
dollars are being spent to pay Blackwater hired guns six-figure salaries
instead of paying our soldiers higher salaries to support their families
while they are away.
5. "If you support your troops, send this to 7 people. If you don't support
your troops well, then don't send this out. You don't have to email
this. It's not like you know the men and women that are dying to preserve
your rights." - The last time I looked, my support of the troops was
not predicated on sending an email espousing someone else's twisted view of
how we should or should not support the troops. As for me, I can
figure out how to do
that on my own. I know how to pray.
If you wish to send this email -- my message -- to anyone you think might be
interested, feel free to do so. If not, I will pray for the troops just
same. I will pray for them to come home alive and soon.
Jeanette Stephens-El
WORDS WE SPEAK
fyicomminc
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All of you can appreciate this, especially my military
friends. All I can say is Thank You, for a job well done, and where would
America be without you.
Karen Wilder-Smalls
This hits home
WOW !! How in the world can any American not support our troops?
I just don't get it.
You stay up for 16 hours. He stays up for days on end.
You take a warm shower to help you wake up. He goes days or weeks without
running water.
You complain of a 'headache', and call in sick. He gets shot at as others
are hit, and keeps moving forward.
You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with
your friends. He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.
You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket. He clutches the cross
hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.
You talk trash about your 'buddies' that aren't with you. He knows he
may not see some of his buddies again.
You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls. He patrols the
streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.
You complain about how hot it is. He wears his heavy gear, not daring to
take off his helmet to wipe his brow.
You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order
wrong. He doesn't get to eat today.
Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes. He wears the same things
for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.
You go to the mall and get your hair redone. He doesn't have time to brush
his teeth today.
You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over. He's told he will be
held over an extra 2 months.
You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight. He waits for the mail
to see if there is a letter from home.
You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday. He holds his letter
close and smells his love's perfume.
You roll your eyes as a baby cries. He gets a letter with pictures of his
new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet.
You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything. He
sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why
he is fighting.
You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him. He hears the
gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.
You see only what the media wants you to see. He sees the broken bodies
lying around him.
You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't. He does exactly
what he is told even if it puts his life in danger.
You stay at home and watch TV. He takes whatever time he is given to call,
write home, sleep, and eat.
You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable. He
tries to sleep but gets woken by mortars and helicopters all night long.
If you support your troops, send this to 7 people. If you don't support your
troops well, then don't send this out. You don't have to email this.
It's not like you know the men and women that are dying to preserve your
rights.
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