supporting our troops

marjorie says...

I often find myself pondering what the real difference is between me and my conservative friends and family. For instance, today I got this email from one of them:

RED FRIDAYS ----- Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the "silent majority". We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or over-bearing. We get no liberal media coverage on TV, to reflect our message or our opinions.

Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of America supports our troops. Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday -and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that.. Every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar, will wear something red.

By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers.

If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family. It will not be long before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once "silent" majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media lets on.

The first thing a soldier says when asked "What can we do to make things better for you?" is...We need your support and your prayers. Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example; and wear some thing red every Friday.

IF YOU AGREE -- THEN SEND THIS ON -- IF YOU COULD CARE LESS -- THEN HIT THE DELETE BUTTON --- IT IS YOUR CHOICE. WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE

First, let me say that if I were to send a message back, I would love to ask my dear relative if she’s ever seen Fox television. Surely she would feel really good to know that she is represented by an entire news network that is immensely popular…considering her current belief that she has no representation in the “liberal” media.

So, let’s think about the notion of “support."

What is really meant by this word that is used so much by just about everyone? There’s the usage in these sorts of messages, by pro-war people, and there’s the usage by anti-war people as almost a mantra.

In general, I think the term “support” is used politically to bolster ones opinion about WAR. Regarding pro-war and anti-war people, my personal belief is that almost all conservatives are pro-war people, and that liberals go either way.

I think anti-war people use the term “support” defensively, to signify that: they don’t hold soldiers responsible for warmaking, that they want them all to come home safely, that they want them to have proper pay and health care. EVEN if the war is wrong itself.

And, I think pro-war people use the term “support” to signify that: they support the troops while anti-war people don’t and that being anti-war is unpatriotic. And there is a strong subtext that being anti-war can be equated with being liberal…which is untrue, but that’s another issue.

Regarding pro-war people:

Many use these sorts of arguments to impugn the morality of those on the other side of the fence. They do it as a way to claim ownership of “true” morality, to make their own interpretation of the meaning of patriotism “right”, with its huge religious subtext.

Note how the author of the above message says it:

"Americans who support our troops...are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home..."

and:

"If every one of us who loves this country will share this ... It will not be long before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once "silent" majority is on their side more than ever..."

Notice how the author claims anyone who "loves" this country or "supports" our troops.

Where does this type of terminology leave those of us who are not of a certain persuasion? OUT IN THE COLD. It makes us immoral, regardless of what religion we profess.

And many liberals buy into it, hence the defensive mantra of “I Support the Troops” and the increasing exhortations of Democratic Party leadership that Democrats need to talk about their “faith” more often.

Regarding anti-war people:

Let’s be clear, many of us do care about the health and wellbeing of the troops. But some of us don’t care, and some of us dislike the people who serve in the armed forces. There is diversity among us.

For those of us who do care, we really need to step up and work to mitigate the conditions that many veterans live in, often due to the experiences of their service. Sure, we’re anti-war but we live in a war-making society that requires some of us to be soldiers. This is a structural reality.

We’re all hurt by it, and some troops are hurt in very special ways. It’s our duty and responsibility to care for these people, and our government is very poor in this area.

We need to really understand what we say when we say that we support the troops, and we need to push back at the pro-war people. Who really supports the troops? Is sending young people barely out of puberty off to KILL other humans on the other side of the planet caring for them, supporting them?

STOP being defensive and realize that if there is a moral high ground, we’re on it. We don’t need to talk more about our “faith”, we do need to talk about what support really means.