I don't know what kind of comments I'm going to get for this, but please watch this video.
Right now, someone I knew in middle school is missing her boyfriend in Iraq. We're praying for a church member overseas. One of my co-coaches won't see the love of her life until Christmas. He's been gone since early July.
It's very, very odd to me how close this is hitting to home. I don't know what I would do in that situation. How easy it would be to be selfish, to make my boyfriend or husband or brother stay home, to keep the people I love the most safe. How easy it would be for them not to step up to this plate. But they have, and they're doing it. My own peers are experiencing this sacrifice, this pain. And they're doing it because they're thinking outside themselves.
I've made it a habit of staying away from the war in Iraq and my feelings toward it. I'm torn and feel the conflict of bringing it up is unnecessary. But no matter the issues, these people are defending ideals that they, apparently, hold more dear than their own lives. They're defending a country they believe in. And I think the least we could do is believe in them.
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One of my teachers in middle school told us once that "You always support your country's troops. You don't have to support the war, but you never, ever don't support the troops."
I support America's soldiers. I don't fully support America's war. And I'm tired of being accused of not supporting the troops by politicians and spin rooms.
I believe that most of our soldiers are fighting for something they believe in. I support trying to help the Iraqi people and preventing the spread of terrorism.
I don't support whatever is behind Iraqi children saying "the Americans murdered my father" in interviews. I don't support being seen as invaders. I don't support being lied to by my government. I don't support soldiers who rape and kill innocent Iraqis (though I'm relatively certain they're by far the minority).
I'm glad that video didn't have any political stuff in it, because individual soldiers and their courage and ideals have nothing to do with "America-hating Michael-Moore loving Liberals" - who I come in contact with a lot, being one myself (not that I hate America. It's the stereotype.) and honestly? I've never met anyone who doesn't support our soldiers.
I think maybe America learned at least a small something from Vietnam, in that people don't have the intense hatred and disrespect for the soldiers as individuals.
The matter of troop-supporting is so beyond politics, and I'm glad that America sees that. I have one other things to say but upon varoius attempts, I seem to be unable to express myself. The end.
I doubt anyone in America does not support the troops (excluding the freak groups who "thank God for IED's"). And it's evident that those who are against the war hold that position because they want their troops home safe before the situation gets worse.
How can a couple of kids see things so clearly when the leaders of our country don't seem to get it (or pretend not to) and so many adults buy into it?
Blarrgh. At least we're the future.
I think that there is a difference between supporting the troops and caring for the troops. We all care for the troops. We all want them safe. But we don't all support them.
The soldiers in Iraq are there because they believe in what they're fighting for. They're there because they are willing to risk and, sometimes, give their lives for this cause. I think supporting the troops means respecting that decision. Maybe not supporting the cause, but at least respecting what they're doing.
I think the most stark example of caring for the troops but not supporting them is the mother of a soldier who was killed in Iraq who spoke so adamantly against the war and against his cause. He believed in this cause so strongly that he gave his life for it, and after his death all his mother could do was tear that sacrifice apart and make it meaningless to herself and many others.
Keep in mind that I am not accusing anyone here of this. But I think that is who the creator of this video is trying to reach out to.
monica - it depends on the definition of "care" and "support" and the differences between them. It also depends on the differences between "the war" and "his cause" - the political goals of Washington and the personal ideals of an individual soldier can be different.
Also, I don't think that soldier's mother doesn't support the troops by speaking out against the war. It's the distinction we're all talking about here, imo. She wants soldiers lives to be sacrificed for a cause she believes is worthy of their deaths. I understand how someone can say that by saying her son died for an unworthy cause, that she makes his sacrifice worthless, but I disagree. She supports the soldiers who fight for their government; she supports the fact that they fight for the cause they're given. But she wants those causes and those fights to be legal and just.
Algh I hate this argument. I agree with you. I'll just bring up a few things:
You said that the personal causes of soldiers can be different from the cause of the government, and I think this is true, but I really don't think there's a whole lot of room for stray (from the government's cause) here, except in misconception.
If these people really were supporting the soldiers because of their decision to fight for the government, then I'd say, "All the power to you, you are justified." But I don't think they are. I think that some of them lose respect for the soldiers because they're fighting to support a government that these people believe is wrong.
And I don't think that most of the soldiers are fighting to support their government anyway. How many of them do you think would fight if they were apathetic or against their government's cause?
Mahee-I know, this topic is usually quite a sensitive one, and it's too bad that people don't always get to fully understand what others have to say about it. People make it such a "black and white" issue, leaving no room for people to hear other points or to come to terms. So thanks for the post.
The end.
Hahee- Thank you. I definitely agree. This topic is an especially difficult one for me because I'm so torn on the issue, and arguing any side is really painful because I have so little confidence in either. But I hate one side not being represented, especially because I'm trying so hard to reach a happy medium since it really isn't black and white in any way whatsoever. There are so many complexities and complications.
I just want to say that fighting for your government and fighting for your country are two completely separate things.
It is very easy to join the military with (or actually even without, but that's irrelevant) the ideals of fighting for freedom, while still entirely disagreeing with the government's decision on where they send you, in exactly the same way civilians do.
You can't really make the generalization that the soldiers are fighting for the same cause as the government. I think that, for this particular war, the soldiers go in fighting broadly for their country, but once they get over there, I think they were fighting for freedom for Iraqis, for individulas and now are protecting (because they aren't much on the offensive anymore) those same individuals.
To put it more concisely, while the government may (or may not, but for the sake of arguement) be fighting for oil, for example, a soldier is fighting for Iraqi freedom. The outcome is the same but the motives are different.
And I understand the stated difference between caring and supporting.
Caring is positively necessary from every single one of us and the troops need support, for at least their individual causes. However, that last part is so much more difficult.
I feel completely stupid and as if I am expressing my ideas like a dunce. However, here I am posting. The end.
I find it hard to believe that many soldiers join the military that don't support the war or cause in one way or another.
I was speaking (writing) under the assumption that the government was not lying about the cause we're fighting for. If it is, then my argument is a little bit null.
Caring is necessary and support is hard. Very hard for some. And so I don't think I blame those who only care or that those who don't have support are judged harshly at all.
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