An Open Letter to Cindy Sheehan

[RSVX]

A long, yet interesting read... Thoughts?

An Open Letter to Cindy Sheehan From the Proud Father of a U.S. Marine By Brantley Smith Posted On August 17, 2005

Ms. Sheehan,

By your actions over the past two weeks it is clear that you missed an important aspect of Civics 101: With rights come responsibilities. You certainly have the right to voice your opinion against the war in Iraq and the President's policies. You even have the right to camp outside the President's home in Crawford and demand he meet with you. Your status as a mother who has lost a child in the war also gives your words and actions a credibility and a larger audience than otherwise would be the case. Now that your supporters have given you a broad forum from which to be heard, making you a national figure, its time you considered your responsibilities to all of us. I have a daughter set to deploy to Fallujah in two weeks and I have a serious concern with how your irresponsible and short sighted actions might impact on her. She is, after all, a volunteer, like your son, and she is going in harm's way because she believes it is her responsibility to protect your rights
and freedoms.

Well meaning people like you always seem to forget the law of unintended consequences and in your vanity and arrogant self-righteousness never bother to think through what it is you are trying to do versus what you may actually accomplish. I am here to inform you, Ma'am, that you will not change the policy of our government by sitting outside Crawford making a spectacle of yourself in the name of your rights to free speech; what you will do is provide more propaganda for our enemies and cost the lives of even more brave and selfless American warriors.

How long do you think it will be before you become a star on Al
Jazeera? For all I know, it may have already happened. One thing is certain, though, and that is that your actions and words will further embolden a ruthless and evil enemy and more American blood will be shed and some of it will be on your hands. I pray that my daughter will not be one of them. If she is, then I will hold you and those like you partly responsible. Yes, my daughter's fate will depend mostly on her own courageous decision to serve, but only the most naive among us can deny the impact our own words and actions here in America have in a world grown smaller by the revolution in communications technology.

I am sure you believe that you are serving some great cause by putting our servicemen and women in more danger and that you can, by your irresponsible exercise of free speech, help end a policy you disagree with. Your emotion may be compelling but the reality is that you will not set in motion any process that will change or undo what has been done. The war will go on because to end it now would dishonor the sacrifice of all of our fellow countrymen who have died in the cause of fighting terrorism. Rational Americans will not allow that. Too much is at stake. Unfortunately, shallow and irrational ones, such as yourself, will continue to put the lives of our sons and daughters in danger by aiding and abetting an enemy who sees propagandizing in the mass media as its main weapon in a war it could otherwise not win standing on its own wretched and evil justification of radical Islam, or by force of arms. You, Ma'am, have joined forces with an evil you neither
understand nor apparently have tried to comprehend. You direct your anger toward our country while the enemy plots to kill and maim the innocent. You make a mockery of responsible free speech while thousands of young men and women fight desperately to preserve your safety. Instead of honoring your son's sacrifice you are inspired to comfort an evil enemy.

You clearly do not understand the challenge we face as a nation and have not tried to put it in historical perspective. It is a sad fact that it is those of your thinking that have led us to where we are today.

Decades of appeasement to these haters of everything we hold dear has cost thousands of American lives from Beirut to New York and in dozens of other forgotten places. Remember Lockerbie? The Achille Lauro? The USS Cole? We as a people were dragged into this war, much like December 7th, 1941, and we must fight and win it wherever the enemy hides and against whomever would support him. Make no mistake about Iraq. It is both a legitimate and crucial campaign in this much larger, global war of radical Islam's making. These people hate us for who we are, not what we have done. We did not bring this on ourselves, as many would have us believe, by our policies and actions abroad. We brought this on ourselves in 1775 when the Founding Fathers embarked on a course of freedom, tolerance, and liberal democratic and social ideals. These haters of all we hold dear strive to destroy forever a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" that Abraham Lincoln hoped would never "Perish from the earth". They would replace it with an oppressive world theocracy unlike anything modern history has ever seen for its ruthless disregard for personal freedom and liberty. If more appeasement is your answer for an alternative policy, spare us. We have suffered enough from cowardice and inaction.

An historical analogy screams to be let out here. It is one of two men, both named Chamberlain. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, a school teacher turned soldier in the American Civil War, found himself in the crosshairs of history on a warm July day in 1863 on a small hill in Pennsylvania. Commanding the 20th Maine Regiment on the extreme Union left at Gettysburg he was in a most perilous position. Should he fail
to hold against a strong Confederate attack, the Union could be lost. You see, he was serving in an increasingly unpopular war at home against a resurgent enemy, and for a President fighting for his political life.
Colonel Chamberlain, stoic but determined, refused to yield. His small regiment held against an onslaught of Confederate attacks, an action many historians believe turned the tide of the war. He was later awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. The other half of this analogy focuses on Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister of Great Britain in the years preceding World War II. His story is widely known. Through his policy of appeasement and a lack of moral courage, he handed Adolf Hitler much of Europe. Which side of history have you chosen, Ma'am?

Your son died in the service of freedom and my daughter will go in harm's way to protect and preserve it. Honor their sacrifice, Ma'am, by exercising it responsibly.

I will pray with you and I will grieve with you but I will not stand by silent while you needlessly and arrogantly endanger the life of my daughter and her comrades in arms. Please bless us with your silence and go home.

Brantley Smith Proud father of a United States Marine Tullahoma, TN

[Noir]

Originally Posted by RSVX

A long, yet interesting read... Thoughts?

brantley smith is just as dumb as cindy sheehan, but once again, that's just my opinion.

These people hate us for who we are, not what we have done. We did not bring this on ourselves, as many would have us believe, by our policies and actions abroad. We brought this on ourselves in 1775 when the Founding Fathers embarked on a course of freedom, tolerance, and liberal democratic and social ideals.

[Royal Tiger]

Noir, instead of name calling home about some foundations for your opinion. I totally agree with him. She has become the Hanoi Jane of our generation. No one stuck a gun to her son's head and made him enlist. I served the U.S. Air Force as a reservist and was activated after 9/11. I didn't cry and demand to be released. My wife didn't write letters to congress. Granted I didn't die (obviously) but the premise is the same. You sign, you serve. She should get a grip. She is tarnishing her son's legacy. He is no longer a gallant American who died in the cause. Now he's Islamic Cidy's kid. What a shame.

[Shadow248]

I think she just wants to be on the news. Which is the same motive behind half the anti-war idiots' actions. They don't think about the consequences of their actions because they don't really care about the cause, they just want to have an opinion (no matter what that opinion may be) and they just want to be heard.

Since Mr.Smith apparently considers responsibility to be important.




Where was the Bush administration's sense of responsibility to provide accurate information about WMD in Iraq to Congress and to the nation?

Where was CIA director George Tenant's sense of responsibility to provide accurate information to congress about WMD?

Responsibility starts at the top. And Ms. Sheehan has every right to protest her sons death.

He is no longer a gallant American who died in the cause. Now he's Islamic Cidy's kid. What a shame.

This young man's efforts are no longer gallant because his mother is protesting the war? Your pro-war rhetoric is pathetic Thankfully, the vast majority of Americans do not support Bush's handling of the war in Iraq.

[n00b on demand]

Originally Posted by Tigershark

Noir, instead of name calling home about some foundations for your opinion. I totally agree with him. She has become the Hanoi Jane of our generation. No one stuck a gun to her son's head and made him enlist. I served the U.S. Air Force as a reservist and was activated after 9/11. I didn't cry and demand to be released. My wife didn't write letters to congress. Granted I didn't die (obviously) but the premise is the same. You sign, you serve. She should get a grip. She is tarnishing her son's legacy. He is no longer a gallant American who died in the cause. Now he's Islamic Cidy's kid. What a shame.

I agree with you 100%

[Royal Tiger]

SVXtra, what branch did you serve in? As for her, becoming a face of disent for the enemy only increases the resistance, not end it. No one made her son enlist. He did it of his free will. Since I was actually in the military, all I can say is most of the people I talk to are in good spirits and still believe in the war. Maybe you should go visit the rape rooms in Bagdad and meet some of the 12 year old victims. You are pathetic. Since it's the people in the military who actually go out and die, I'll take their opinion over sideline watchers. Which includes most of the media, so that's what you hear about all the time. Do I think somethings have gone wrong? Absolutley. But I'm not in charge of nationaly policy, and as far as I know, neither are you. The greatest American General just about of all time, Robert E. Lee, said he never knew it was so easy to be a General by reading the columns about the war. Since they had all the answers he was going to go be an editor, and they can lead the troops.

SVXtra, what branch did you serve in?

I served in the Army as a pilot of a UH-1D Medivac helicopter with the 101st out of Camp Eagle in Phu-Bai and Firebase Howard mostly. I was wounded twice in combat while attempting to dust-off wounded soldiers from the battlefields near Hue and Pleiku.

I will not address your personal attack against me because I have come to expect them from those who support the war.

[wawazat??]

Calm down here guys. We all have our right to opinions here. Regardless of eack of our beliefs, none are better than anothers. This war, as any, will generate heated debate. Keep it on the up-and-up and the thread stays open.

Dan, that was pretty close to an attack on SVXtra and I will ask you to remember the rules of the site and avoid them from now on.

Thanks,
Todd

[UberRoo]

Soldiers are pawns. People tend to gloss over that concept, but that's how it works. It's not really possible to win a game of chess without losing a few pawns. The better your opponent, the more you lose. If you don't make any aggressive moves, your opponent will clear the board of your pieces. If you don't want to be a pawn, don't sign up for it. Mothers, if you don't want your children to be pawns, ask them not to be. (If they decide to join up anyway, blame yourself for being a lousy mother.) Like chess, war doesn't afford you the luxury of hindsight. I'm willing to admit that I'm no Bobby Fischer. I think I'll just stand back and watch.

[Shadow248]

Originally Posted by SVXtra

I will not address your personal attack against me because I have come to expect them from those who support the war.

I wonder what must have happened to you to make you separate yourself from the country you formerly willingly served. I have yet to meet a dedicated active (or even retired, for that matter) soldier who does not support the effort in Iraq. Military minds know what it takes to accomplish what we are trying to accomplish and they also know full-well the sacrifices necessary to accomplish our goals, thus the reason they are in full support. Where the average American sees an offensive gone awry, a military man sees another day at war.



Here's some trivia that will keep you anti-war whiners busy for a long time:

1) Name one war that went as planned.

2) Name one war that we were properly prepared for.

3) Name one war that no one protested.

4) Name one popular wartime president.

Good luck.

[Manarius]

Originally Posted by Shadow248

Here's some trivia that will keep you anti-war whiners busy for a long time:

1) Name one war that went as planned.

2) Name one war that we were properly prepared for.

3) Name one war that no one protested.

4) Name one popular wartime president.

Good luck.

1. WWII. Remember D-Day 1944?
2. WWII and WWI (Remember Pearl Harbor)
3. The Civil War or the War of 1812
4. FDR (He was elected during the war)

As for Mr. Smith:
He seems to forget that attacking another country, which had nothing to do with us, has nothing to do defending our rights and freedoms. He failed to attend "Constitution 101";

Article II Clause 8: Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:--"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Defense does not equal attack another country, sorry Mr. Smith.

Shadow248 you obviously have a lot to learn.


I was drafted out of college in my junior year. I took another year in order to go to flight school on September 5 1968 at Fort Hollibert in Baltimore. Because, I was told I did well enough on my entrance exam to go to OCS. I choose instead to go to flight school at Fort Hood Texas to become a warrant officer. When I was told I would receive a guarantee to fly medivac's upon my graduation. Apparently,a simple act of the human conscience is hard for some to understand.You see Shadow248 I would rather save lives than take lives.

You know in my long life it never ceases to amaze me that if a person is antiwar there patriotism is called into question. I have seen this over and over from Vietnam to Iraq.

[SUBBYRU89]

So much griping towards the president...
If people can't stand it and I mean all of the United States then the people griping should get off their political bung holes and start campaigning...Next election I want to see a ton of people running...all colors, creeds and sexes. I'm so tired of people sitting silently in the corner whispering "if I was president..." well they should stand up and prove what they can do instead of waiting and then running their pie holes.

Where would this country be if we never defended ourselves against the "evil"?
Someone breaks into your house and hurts your wife/husband/children...what is the first thing you would do?
USA is our home and we got people trying to come in and screw with our families all the time. Are we to stand by and let people hurt us? Why does it always take a tragedy like 9/11 or hurrican Katrina to bring us close? and why does the feeling only last for a short time? Can you remember the exact emotion you felt when the planes ripped through the towers? I can. I don't let myself forget.
My father was burried when I was 3. He served his time in the military, earned a purple heart, and even though I never knew him I still visit his grave for 1)because he is my father and 2)to thank him and the rest of the soldiers and their kin for all the freedom I have today.

I commend Brantley Smith for having the courage to stand up for his beliefs even though a great % of the country disagrees. Kudos to all who stand up for what they believe in..that is what this country is based on right?!!!

This is my opinion.

[Shadow248]

You failed to properly read the questions...

1. WWII. Remember D-Day 1944?

I asked for one war that went as planned. You picked the second most poorly executed war in our history (first would of course be Vietnam). Good choice. There was little planning if any to begin with, and both the major offensives in the war were large scale failures. Yup, just as planned.

2. WWII and WWI (Remember Pearl Harbor)

I asked for a war that we were properly prepared for. It was niether our desire or intent to enter WWII until Japan brought it to us. We had all our resources at work supplying the British...so much so, that we had to recall shipments of weapons that were meant for them. We were unable to enter WWII at full strength (as we did both Iraq wars) because we spent so much energy helping others who were already involved.

3. The Civil War or the War of 1812

HA! Um...are you forgetting the ENTIRE NORTHERN US!?!?!

4. FDR (He was elected during the war)

FDR was elected BEFORE the US entered the war. He was elected ON THE PREMISE that he would keep us out of war. After he was elected, we went to war. It doesn't take a genius to guess how popular this made him. Sure he's looked upon with a favorable light these days, but he was just as hated as Bush in his time.

Originally Posted by Manarius

As for Mr. Smith:
He seems to forget that attacking another country, which had nothing to do with us, has nothing to do defending our rights and freedoms. He failed to attend "Constitution 101";

What the hell does that have to do with anything? The constitution calls for the preservation of freedom. So how can you say that going to war in Iraq had nothing to do with defending our rights and freedoms? We have been directly threatened on many occasions by Saddam, and he made the 9/11 attacks possible. What other justification do we need?!

Originally Posted by Manarius

Defense does not equal attack another country, sorry Mr. Smith.

WTF?!

Then tell me, genius...how DO we protect ourselves from an enemy who has repeated threatened us, supplied his friends with the resources they needed to carry out a large scale attack, and whom we have good reason to believe has the capability to obtain very dangerous weapons?

Originally Posted by SVXtra

You know in my long life it never ceases to amaze me that if a person is antiwar there patriotism is called into question. I have seen this over and over from Vietnam to Iraq.

Hmm imagine that. A country goes to war to preserve the concept it was built on, and a citizen of that country voices dislike, and his patriotism is called into question. He despises fighting for a concept that he takes for granted every day. I wouldn't call it anti-american, i would simply call it selfish.