Protests, Peace and Patriotism
***UPDATE***Casey Sheehan's family has this to say.. Michelle has more as usual. You know it's out of hand when the family breaks ranks this dramatically...
Ok, so my thoughts have strayed into the political arena again. I got to thinking about this after writing this week’s column over at Seven Inches of Sense. The topic for this week was finding balance between supporting your soldier and keeping your own dissenting opinions.
For me it was a different take because, as most of ya’ll know, I’m pretty pro-military. Yeah I’ve had more than my fair share of quarrels with the entity that is the U.S. Army, but I am still mainly supportive. Anyway, there is a lot of buzz right now about Cindy Sheehan and her protests. There are many supporters on both sides of the issue.
Ya’ll can probably figure out pretty easily where I stand. If you want more info, read this. It’s an issue Clark and I tackled many times soon after he returned home. I remember laying on a couch next to him watching the news and discussing war protests and the “American” right to dissenting opinions. Clark held a position that seems to be pretty common among troops coming home.
He looked at me and said, “Audrey, I know why I did what I did. It wasn’t just because I had to either. I fought for the people who hate me as much as I did for you. What pisses me off is when protestors assume that because they don’t understand what I had to do that I don’t either. I mean, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, hell that’s why I went there in the first place; but how dare they think that they speak for me, or that I can’t speak for myself!” Those blue eyes were flashing by the time he was done speaking.
It was, and I know still is, his belief that free speech is to be protected at all costs, it’s what sets this nation apart. However, to make the statements that people like Cindy Sheehan is a disservice to the very memory she claims to be protecting. Clark couldn’t wrap his brain around that concept and neither can I. I know it grates on Clark that she hails from the same area we do…an area known for their public support of soldiers themselves…regardless of political differences.
Ok, I will get down from my soapbox now…for the time being anyway…
***ADDENDUM***
Alright, a completely unrelated soapbox...I was reading over at Michelle's place and came across this article.
Then I meandered over here...hmmm I've got lots of opinions on both sides of the fence...all I know is I passed all of the same tests as the boys, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I never wanted to be anyone's quota. Much on that later. ;-)
posted by Audrey @ 1:52 PM
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