Am I being too hard on this blue star mom?

[leftupnorth]

She's criticizing our trip to dc because her son is in Iraq. her LTTE here: http://www.gaylordheraldtimes.com/articles/2005/10/12/news/opinion/opinion04.txt

my reply:

Mrs. Carrie Prendergast, in your letter to the Editor in the Oct 12th edition of the Herald Times, you managed to subtly link me and Ms. Beesley with "enemies foreign and domestic", you implied that she or I must not work for a living, and that we don't support the troops. All because we attended a protest in Washington DC against the Iraq War, attended by all sorts of people and groups.

These assertions you made are patently untrue.

Events like the DC protest always attract some extremists. I saw grandparents, young families with children, WWII, Korea, Iraq and Vietnam war veterans, college and high school students, all are certainly not "domestic enemies" by any standard. The other rally you refer to wasn't in support of the troops or country, just the war. That's why only 400 attended, when 20,000 were expected. Not much news there.

Ms. Beesley and I work, full time. This was important enough to us that we planned our trip to DC a month ahead of time and had to ask for time off to attend.

In my opinion, demanding an end to the war and bringing our troops home IS support. They told us our troops would be greeted as liberators, showered with candy and flowers, and that the war would pay for itself. More than 200 Billion dollars and nearly 2000 American lives and countless Iraqi lives later, we are still waiting for those flowers.

My heart goes out to you, Mrs. Prendergast, and I cannot say how I would feel if I were in your shoes. However, I will not apologize for opposing an administration so destructive to our society, military morale, and moral world standing. We can do so much better than the civilian leadership we have right now. It makes me sick to my stomach that our guys are losing their lives or body parts in Iraq because our leaders stubbornly tell us to "stay the course" yet refuse to clearly state or change that course. I cannot, in good conscience, support that policy or the leaders who preach it.

Any opinions before i send it out??

[benburch]

1. Not half hard enough.

But then I am just a bit sadistic.

[Skittles]

2. you're much more civil than I would be

I would kick her brain-washed ass

[shraby]

3. Sounds great to me. Ya done good.

[neuvocat]

4. SEND IT!!!

[Lavender Brown]

5. I think it is a strong letter, with the right tone

Well done. :thumbsup:

[leftupnorth]

6. thanks you guys

i appreciate the encouragement

sent!

[pacalo]

7. She doesn't seem to get it that this administration lied about the WMD...

Mr. Tomaski and Ms. Beesley say that they oppose ”killing people for an idea.“ No kidding. What a lame statement that is. Maybe weapons of mass destruction weren't found this time, but terrorists and their training camps were found. The terrorists, in my opinion, are weapons of mass destruction just waiting for another opportunity to destroy us here.

That's the only counterpoint missing from your LTTE, along with the fact that Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11, that the focus should have been Afghanistan.

Great letter, but I thought her misconception on the WMD should be addressed.

[leftupnorth]

8. I thought so, too

I just couldn't work that in, I'd need to buy ad space to run the letter. believe me, i've considered it. I have outlined the flypaper theory and its shortfalls and its lack of morality in previous LTTE's in recent weeks. I will definitely make sure i mention lie and WMD in the same sentence in my next one.

thanks for the input

[pacalo]

9. It's still a good letter, leftupnorth. :)

[leftupnorth]

10. thanks