I first posted this blog on another site on November 29, 2006.
Disclaimer: I use the word soldier to describe military members of all branches of service. I intend no disrespect toward the members of other branches. I chose “soldier” because that is a more recognizable term to civilians. Being a retired Air Force member my preference would have been to use “Airman”, but most people wouldn’t recognize that as meaning all services. I also use “he” in reference to both genders. Again, no disrespect is intended toward females in our military or their contributions. While I list facts in this article the conclusions are my opinion.
“If a young fella has an option of having a decent career or joining the army to fight in Iraq, you can bet your life that he would not be in Iraq.” – Charles Rangel, November 26, 2006
After hearing these latest comments from Charles Rangel, a prominent Democrat and soon-to-be Chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee, I can’t ignore this topic any longer. One would expect a decorated wartime veteran like Congressman Rangel to understand the sacrifices made by our military members. That’s right, Congressman Rangel is a veteran. Although we wouldn’t know it from the lack of respect he shows our military. He served in the Korean War and even earned a bronze star for his actions. As a side note military people do not “win” medals. They are earned. To say a military member wins an award suggests that there is a competition among military members for decorations where the winner is awarded a medal. Military life in itself is a daily sacrifice above what is expected of our civilian counterparts. To earn an award such as the bronze star requires action above even that. Wikipedia defines the bronze star as the fourth-highest award for bravery, heroism or meritorious service. Factor in the purple heart that was also awarded to Congressman Rangel and it’s easy to conclude that his bronze star was awarded for either bravery or heroism in the face of the enemy. As a military history buff I’m sure that Congressman Rangel has a story that I would be interested in hearing.
Congressman Rangel’s comments might be dismissed as just one person’s opinion if his perception of our military didn’t permeate through the Democratic Party. Senator John Kerry suggested that American soldiers were terrorists during his December 5, 2005 appearance on CBS’ Face The Nation. Let’s not forget this little gem.
"Education -- if you make the most of it and you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq." - Senator John Kerry, October 30, 2006 while addressing Pasadena City College
When confronted about his comments Senator Kerry claimed it was a botched joke and he would not apologize to anyone. When his personal appearances were cancelled by other Democrats running for re-election Kerry did succumb to pressure and published this statement on his website which received much less publicity than his public appearances
"I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform, and I personally apologize to any service member, family member or American who was offended," – John Kerry’s website
What’s wrong with just apologizing for the words that came out of his mouth? Instead, Kerry further insults the American public by insinuating that they misinterpreted his words because they’re too stupid to understand his thoughts. To think this man nearly became President. What’s wrong with it is that Senator Kerry didn’t intend to apologize for words that he feels are the truth. This isn’t the first time John Kerry has belittled our military. He achieved nationwide notoriety in 1971 after his return from Vietnam for what is commonly referred to as his Genghis Khan speech. John Kerry went on to make a political career off of disrespecting and degrading our military. With overwhelming support Senator Kerry went on to run as the Democrat candidate for the Presidency in 2004. During his campaign his website posted a copy of his DD 214 (Record of Transfer or Separation). This revealed a glaring error in the medals posted on his website which became a public embarrassment for Kerry. It suggested that either Kerry’s DD 214 had been falsified or he approved an inaccurate version of his military record. This conjured up images of the guy trying to impress the pretty girl by telling her that he’s a Navy SEAL when he never spent a day in the military.
Senator Kerry and Congressman Rangel may have a valid reason for their disdain of the military. Both faced a draft into military service. John Kerry feared military service so much that he sought to avoid it.
As first lady Hillary Clinton banned wearing of military uniforms in the White House. She only relented after the Secret Service voiced their security concerns about being able to locate the person carrying “the football” in an emergency. Hillary Clinton has since denied these allegations despite them having been confirmed by members of the Clinton administration and Secret Service agents. Mrs. Clinton’s insults towards the military also include wanting U.S. Marines stationed at the White House to serve as waiters.
Why do the Democrats think so little of those who defend Democracy? Why do they look down on those who defend their right to participate in Democracy? When I was growing up in the 70’s there was a common phrase of the time. That phrase was “If it feels good, do it.” To me that phrase exemplifies the root of all liberal views. Liberals want people to be able to do things that make them feel good without consequence. Military life is the direct opposite of this belief. Military people are taught to consider the consequences of everything we do. There is even a separate code of military law that covers things that aren’t even infractions in civilian life. This is called the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Things such as telling your boss where to go or attempting to quit your job are punishable crimes under this strict code. It’s a code that military people are subjected to in addition to civilian law yet military people accept that this is not considered double jeopardy. The military not only stands for law & order but for tradition. Until the Clinton presidency the military refused to permit gays to join it’s organization. Sodomy is another behavior criminalized by the UCMJ. Bill Clinton’s first significant act as President of the United States was to destroy that tradition by enacting his controversial “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
To help understand why liberals hate our military let me tell you about a man I met during my first military assignment.
At my first base I met one of the most influential men of my military career. There were a few of them, but this one was unique because at the time I really didn’t like him. He was my first sergeant and his name was Anthony Hooks. He and I frequently disagreed because I was young and thought I knew more than I actually did not unlike most 18 year olds. He was a mentor before it became a buzzword. Not only was the man physically intimidating because of his size, but he truly loved what he referred to as “my air force”. Being young I thought this view was very self-centered and it wasn’t until many years later that I would understand what he meant. During the time that we were assigned to the same unit I heard this man say another phrase repeatedly. It could have been his motto. His phrase was “God, country, self. In that order.” That was 20 years ago and today when I hear “patriot” being so readily tossed around I’m frequently reminded of my old first sergeant and his words.
These are principles that liberals will never understand or live by. The reason that liberals hate our military is because our military represents everything that the liberals oppose. The liberals preach about doing good “for the people”, but very few of them have ever taken up arms to defend “the people” despite several opportunities since December 7, 1941. Those opportunities included World War II in the 40’s, the Korean War in the 50’s, the Vietnam War in the 60’s and 70’s, Desert Storm in the 90’s and currently the Iraq war. Instead of putting their lives on the line liberals typically pay lip service to our military in front of the microphones and then demonstrate against the wars they fight in front of the cameras. These liberals espouse such wisdom as “support the troops, oppose the war”. They try to separate the warrior from the reasons for the war. They ignore that the troops risk their lives in a war and to an extent those actions demonstrate the highest measure of support for that particular war. Some of those soldiers even pay the highest sacrifice. The liberal idea of action is to demonstrate and berate their opposition, neither of which is a direct cause of change. Liberals hate him because his lifestyle is everything they can’t be. The American soldier is a constant reminder of tradition and patriotism. He is the last bastion against the liberal agenda. The verbal assaults launched by liberals are the closest thing most liberals will ever know of war and at the end of the day it’s the American soldier who guarantees their right to free speech and their protection from foreign threats. That’s what really burns the liberal collective ass and that’s why liberals hate the American soldier.
