The shattered soldier wasn't a prop

[Klukie]

In a montage of American awesomeness, he was a visual truth and consequence of a policy of permanent war. He represented the absolute necessity of diplomacy.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

1. Like you said, he was a prop. nt

[Control-Z]

6. Did you intend to write:

He was not a prop?

[fadedrose]

15. I'll bet you're right

I've seen his posts before and he seems okay....a nice guy or lady

[Skittles]

34. no

Chisolm nailed it.

[Fearless]

41. Bingo. n/t

I do hope though that someone with a heart will have seen it and will pay for / reimburse him for all surgery and therapy he needs/needed. That would be the nice thing to do for someone who walked back into hell nine more times after leaving it.

[elleng]

52. No prop,

and I'm sure that We the People have, are, and will be paying for all the surgery and therapy he needed/needs/will need.

[Fearless]

53. Yes, the US provides fully for their troops when they return home.

[Shankapotomus]

57. No he did not

Klukie intended to and failed.

[Berlum]

2. The Repubbies are hating on this because so many Repubbie leaders are bona fide chicken hawks

Anything to do with our honorable sons and daughters in uniforms always makes the Chickenhawk Brigade of Republicons squirmy. They basically put on a big substance-free show, flashing their made-in-China flag pins all over kingdom come, then go AWOL from responsibility to America.

[Kelvin Mace]

3. I agree, he wasn't a prop

But he is a living symbol of injustice. The people who started an illegal war, and the people voted to give that power to the people who started the war, and the people still waging that war today, are still walking the streets instead of rotting in a federal supermax prison.

We, as a nation, have maimed this man, ruined his life, destroyed his body and mind. And for what? At the end of the day, there was no noble purpose, just one set of tyrants replaced with another set of tyrants. While this man will suffer every day for the remainer of his life, the people who sent him to this fate, will live a life of luxury and ease, with money and praise rained down upon them.

[El_Johns]

42. "There was no noble purpose." Indeed.

[KT2000]

4. He and so many others

are the truth about those who give so much, and sometimes everything, in a world that worships greed. Obama called upon business leaders to raise their wages for workers and work for a better America.
No, he wasn't a prop, he is a reminder that some give to this country and others should too.

[Klukie]

5. Absolutely spot on!!!

[giftedgirl77]

7. I find it hilarious that sooooo many people on this board

want to jump up & down & scream about how that poor NCO was solely used as a political pawn without once taking into consideration how he may of felt about it & what his position was. There are thousands upon thousands of us out here who joined the military young because it was the best options for us for college or the only way to ensure regular paychecks that will include free health insurance & lifeinsurace for not only us but our families.

Yes many of us have dealt with multiple deployments, some of us were dual military & went with our spouses to limit the amount of time our kids would have to be disconnected from their parents. We have watched our friends die, watched their spouses pick up the pieces, & have come back all kinds of fucked up.

When we watched the STOU last night & they introduced the NCO the first thing that hit me was I wonder how he felt about all of those assholes that clamour for war on a daily basis & knowing that so many of them profited of our loss, pain, & misery solely because that's the game those fuckers play. As a 36 yr old female who was just medically retired from the military without the hopes of ever working again & only being able to hope that I won't be completely blind & wheelchair bound by the time my 12 yr old graduates high school, I can understand completely why he would want to be there. I want people to know what the results of this failed experiment is & I don't want those assholes to ever forget about any of the Soldiers that have dealt with this shit in any way, shape, or form.

Maybe the people who are jumping up & down screaming about the poor NCO, they should try & get the perspective of people who live these nightmares everyday.

[LordGlenconner]

14. This ^

Clearly Obama was using some kind of advanced mind control technique to drag Sgt. Remsburg to the SOTU address.

Either that, or Sgt. Remsburg is totally incapable of making decisions on his own, let alone having independent thoughts.

[Ed Suspicious]

17. So he was a willing prop.

[LordGlenconner]

19. So he's stupid

And incapable of making his own decisions.

Got it.

[Ed Suspicious]

22. Nope, that was your description. Bully for him if he wants to be used, but that doesn't change

the fact that he was there to symbolize.

[LordGlenconner]

26. So he's stupid AND cynical

Got it.

What an interesting level of disdain you have for folks in uniform.

[alcibiades_mystery]

28. It's amazing that the so-called progressives can't get more than 5% of the vote, isn't it?

Nice bunch, this.

[1000words]

29. Could you expound on that statement, please?

Thanks

[1000words]

24. Your words, not "Ed's."

I know that tactic is common here at DU, (see: gender flame wars) but it is lazy and disingenuous.

[phleshdef]

23. What amazes me is that you and others would go so far as to cheapen this man...

...just to attempt to cheapen the President. Its pretty damn disgusting.

[Cha]

38. That's the MO, phlesh.. The gopropaganda machine is calling Sgt Remsburg

a "prop" because they don't want America to see the horrors of war in all its reality. Not sure why those on this board are being purposefully obtuse. Maybe because somebody said so last night and they're stuck in that fuck rut to nowhere? "prop!" "prop!"

It's "disgusting" but it only weakens their credibility and highlights the divisive shit angle.

[sheshe2]

45. Nailed it Cha!

One picture, you damn well nailed it! The party that is different and the party of indifference.

Thank you Cha!

[Cha]

47. Bless his heart, she!

Bless Sgt Cory Remsburg's heart.. so glad he was President Obama's guest last night. The looks on his and Michelle's face say it all..

[sheshe2]

49. Yes, Cha.

It always will!

[Cha]

50. So many speaking out against that hateful divisive

post last night, she.. it's very heartwarming.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024410203

[CJCRANE]

27. He is a human being who made a decision to be there. He was a "participant". nt

[Pathwalker]

21. Thank you for your service, AND your perspective in this matter.

My best wishes and deepest gratitude to you.

[giftedgirl77]

36. I just wish people would try to understand

that we fight every day to be heard & understand that many of us did what we did & continue to do for our families here & in our units. The parades & ceremonies are mundane & nonsense we know this better than anyone, but people need to see & know us. We shouldn't be forced into the shadows or accused of being used as pawns because we show our scars, it's already a terrible battle we fight within ourselves without facing unnecessary ridicule such as what is happening with this NCO.

Thank you very much for your words of encouragement.

[bravenak]

30. I appreciate your sacrifice and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

It's hard to look at what we did as a country. We need to face reality and look at what we did to the people we sent to fight in our names. I'm so glad he was there, and I'm glad it makes us uncomfortable to look him in the face. It should, we have committed great wrongs in the name of war. I hope we never do this again.

[giftedgirl77]

37. Exactly my thoughts..

Thank you.

[sheshe2]

44. He clapped.

With his right hand. His chest is now his left hand. Cory was so proud to be there. That some here would take that moment away from him, and make it into political posturing. That breaks my heart.

You are so right bravenak, I hope we never do this again.

[bravenak]

46. I noticed him clapping last night and mentioned it to my husband.

I felt so damn guilty, like we did that to him. After all he's been through, he's clapping, and smiling and living, and I just couldn't help crying. We will do better from now on. We can't see that with our own eyes and do it all over again. We won't.

[sheshe2]

43. giftedgirl...

Thank you. My heart goes out to you and your family. You obviously have amazing strength, I hope you will be standing tall and I know that you will be proud at your child's graduation.

The posts from last night, yes they were stupid and insulting. They upset me, I can only imagine how they hurt you.

To Cory, yourself and the others that served, my utmost respect. The thread and comments were obviously not mine, yet I apologize to you for them.

giftedgirl

[giftedgirl77]

56. Aww thanks sheshe

[jwirr]

8. Like the girl in the picture from Vietnam. That was a whole story in a picture and so was this

young man and his father. These senseless wars need to stop. NOW.

[Half-Century Man]

9. When I served there was a common saying

"The Military goes to work when Diplomats fail at theirs". Now it seems that Diplomats don't even try to do their jobs, or are cockblocked right out of the gate.

[Adrahil]

16. Yep.... the military is a hammer.

It deals with nails (the problems it CAN address) very well. But too many of our politicians, especially the ones with (R) behind their name, look at every problem and think "nail." They are wrong. And we need the American people to see that they are wrong.

[George II]

10. He wouldn't have been at any of bush's State of the Union addresses because....

....bush refused to recognize that any Americans were wounded serving in his wars.

[LibGranny]

11. +1

[Cha]

39. Thank you for bringing that important point back from

the past, George.

[Andy823]

12. I agree with you

I have been reading all kinds of crap this morning from the same old Obama haters and the trolls who come here to keep things stirred up. People are saying that the president said things he never said, and when confronted they simply refuse to admit they are wrong. The same people who always jump the gun and always refuse to admit it when they get caught in their BS!

It's like all some here can do is be negative about "everything", and the can see nothing "good" about anything!

[cthulu2016]

13. Contradiction: "He wasn't a prop. He represented X"

You are saying that he was a prop for something you support and that you do not mind his use as a prop.

But things you put on stage to represent things are, in fact, props.

[1000words]

18. Yup ...

Noticed that, too.

[CJCRANE]

20. There is a difference between a prop and a symbol.

You can use choose which word you prefer depending on your interpretation and what you think the intent was.

"Prop" has a more negative connotation as it refers to an item used in a stage play, something that is used in a disingenuous way.

Obviously, symbol is more of a neutral word. Bear in mind that someone's story can be both individual and unique to them but also symbolic and universal.

[phleshdef]

25. The word "prop" isn't being used in an attempt at literary correctness.

Its being used to as a means to attack the President for having the audacity to create a good political moment while making a good political point.

[Bluenorthwest]

31. Point in fact 'things' put on stage to represent something are called props, people

are never, ever called props. To do so is decidedly insulting. Prop is short for 'property' and it is not suited to humans beings. One can either support or deplore that moment, but in neither case would I support using the word 'prop' to describe a human being. In fact, I would attempt instead to characterize the moment, not the person playing a part in that moment, who is undeserving of criticism even if you do not care for the tone of the moment.
People are not things. Props are always things. If you would not call a man another's property, or simply a stooge, then perhaps it is not the man you wish to speak of at all.

[Rex]

32. Good to see someone from 2005 finally start posting again!

I had no idea Will could bring people back from DU1 and DU2 with just one simple rant! Amusing!

10 deployments is obscene, but I guess we shouldn't talk about that part.

[Union Scribe]

40. There's a lot of that going around!

The call went out that DU needs to be taught about patriotism I guess.

[Rex]

48. Saw a fella from 2001 decided I guess to wipe away the cobwebs and start posting!

Now only known as Name Removed. Think they got about 25 posts and then BAM!

[liberal_at_heart]

33. Geez how many threads are people going to start about this because people dare to disagree

with them. I guess I'm going to be trashing a lot of threads today.

[1000words]

35. I'm doing a bunch of "house cleaning" myself ...

Don't want my DU experience to be bogged down.

[rsmith6621]

51. Dick and George Should Have Been Asked To Be There.....

......... and sat right next to him and reminded of their greed and arrogance all for the sake of supporting their friends who make obscene capital off of the death and misfortunes of others.


To bad we have to have deferments and to bad a President cant start a war unless they have a child invested in that war as well.

I keep saying that if this war required a inconvenient sacrifice rather than volunteerism we would have had it over 8 years ago.

[oldandhappy]

54. Ten Tours!!

Ten tours, a major injury, and he still smiles. He is proud of his uniform. Looks as if we are taking care of him. But I hear stories of others not so well noticed or cared for after fighting for us. War is not the answer.

[Cha]

55. Of course Sgt Cory Remsburg wasn't a "prop".. no matter

how much the gopropaganda machine and whatever else wants it to be. Anyone who had a clear head and not an agenda could see this was about ending war not glorifying it.