What’s in a name?
I often see bumper stickers that urge us to support the troops by bringing them home. By the same logic, we should support our local firefighters and police by keeping them well away from fires and crime. That is the only way we can be sure that none of them get hurt.
But where to stop? There are so many dangerous professions. According to US Department of Labor statistics there were 5764 industrial fatalities in the US in 2004. Every day farmers, fishermen, truckers, roofers, construction workers, and many others are killed while performing their jobs. Why is it that we are to support the troops by bringing them home, but not support the workers by keeping them home?
The answer implicit in the bumper sticker is that farmers and fishermen are adults who understand the hazards of their professions, and freely undertake them. Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, and Marines are children who are acting under compulsion.
Compare the comments of President Bush and Speaker Pelosi concerning Corporal Jason Dunham, USMC, who was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Corporal Dunham threw himself atop a grenade to shield Marines under his command. I will present two quotes, and let you guess who said what.
I just had the privilege of meeting with the family of the young man who received the Congressional Medal of Honor. He jumped on a hand grenade and saved the lives of his other young people in his unit.
That’s one, here’s the second.
Since World War II, more than half of those who have been awarded the Medal of Honor have lost their lives in the action that earned it. Corporal Jason Dunham belongs to this select group. On a dusty road in western Iraq, Corporal Dunham gave his own life so that the men under his command might live. This morning it’s my privilege to recognize Corporal Dunham’s devotion to the Corps and country — and to present his family with the Medal of Honor
Are you stumped? Here’s a clue. President Bush refers to the Marine in question by his name and rank. Speaker Pelosi does not mention his name or rank; Corporal Dunham is just a young man out with some other young people.
Those young people were Marines, not children. Though Speaker Pelosi is an old woman, it would be disrepectful to her and to her office to refer to her as such. And so I refer to her by her title. It is a pity that Speaker Pelosi could not bring herself to pay that token of respect to Corporal Dunham and to the United States Marine Corp.
Posted on January 25th, 2007 by pwyll
Filed under: General
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I’m always puzzled by those who say that they support the troops, but not their mission. It reminds of the Catholic Church telling us to love the homosexual, but hate his homosexuality. The essence of a gay man is his gayness, and the essence of a soldier is his mission. They cannot be separated, except by those who seek to take a truly hypocritical stand.
There is no real mystery. People who claim to support the troops but not their mission are just lying for the sake of political expediency.
Here’s a link to an interesting story. Some injured soldiers coming out of Walter Reed Hospital try to talk to some Code Pink protesters who are out “supporting the troops”.