Band of Mothers
Gateway: Murtha refuses to meet with them. The word “coward” gets throw back and forth. Someone calls the cops.
Topics: Afghanistan, Iraq, motherhood, pols
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 2:49 pm on Tuesday, April 15, 2008
5 Responses to “Band of Mothers”
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April 15th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
“I clearly saw the problem here and was so deeply offended that he didn’t seem to understand, and I informed him that these fine Marines are not just people, THEY ARE SOLDIERS, THEY ARE HEROES”
Hey, lady, no offense but we’re just Soldiers. We’re Americans first. We pledged an oath to defend the Constitution, not the nation, not the president, not John Murtha, not you, not even the USA or USMC.
The problem begins when we’re elevated above those of other Americans and called “heroes.” The heroes are the dead, and many didn’t die all that heroically. Some did, and we honor them.
We’re no better than anyone else in this nation. We were honored to have been given the chance to serve our nation, but we’re not better than our nation.
I find it ironic, Jules, that at no point in AMmerican history has the Soldier been so elevated to sainthood, and yet since the advent of the AVF fewer Americans seek to serve their nation in uniform.
As a Republic, we’ve been a democracy that put great stock in the citizen-soldier. The first comes before the second. When it’s inverted, and the latter is the “hero” and the former the also-ran, we pay very poor service to the Constitution to which we pledge our service.
I wouldn’t want these ladies to be my mommy. My head would get too big.
April 15th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Good words, Carl P. I think part of the hero worship is guilt at not being asked to sacrifice as soldiers are asked to.
As far as I’m concerned, the mothers and wives and children are just as much heroes as soldiers. “They also serve who only stand and wait.”
April 15th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Which, btw, makes John Murtha a double jackass, and rude to boot.
April 15th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Following that line of reasoning, Rebecca, wouldn’t a Silver Star Marine like Murtha also be a “hero?”
The problem, to me, is that both sides in the partisan debate have unduly politicized the American fighting man and woman. Because of this politicization, we have every REMF mechanic in OIF as some “hero” and competent public servants in uniform, such as GEN Petraeus, “General Betray Us.”
Some partisan groups want to make every Soldier a “hero,” just as others want to portray every Soldier as a “victim.” Both are unseemly.
I was unsettled both by John Kerry’s decision to run for the presidency touting his time in uniform in Vietnam and the group of so-called “Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth” tearing down his heroism in combat for cheap political reasons.
National security shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Soldiers should remove themselves from public debate, but also shouldn’t be used as pawns to prove or disprove talking points.
I should confess I was as concerned to hear that an active duty Marine had been allowed to work with the veterans’ advocacy group advocating a certain war policy on the Hill as I was to see other active duty personnel signing off on a petition calling on the US to exit Iraq.
Both are partisan positions that should be avoided by active duty personnel. Both politicize a job in the US that should be devoid of politics.
I have met very, very few Soldiers or Marines who see themselves as “heroes.” Quite the opposite, really.
For me, of all the decorations I’ve ever received, the only one that meant anything was the CIB/CAR because that badge/ribbon meant that I was part of a band of brothers who had served our nation in combat.
It was a privilege to serve. The service didn’t make me some “hero,” and most men whom I believe are true “heroes” find such adulation obscene.
We should reserve the term for those who died heroically. All servicemembers are united in the belief that our highest praises should go to those who sacrificed their lives for their brothers in arms and their nation.
They’re “heroes.” Everyone else just did his or her duty.
April 16th, 2008 at 6:27 am
Well, except for the part where Kerry lied about his service, and the Swift Boat vets told rhe truth about his service, you could be right. But then you assed everything backwards, so maybe you assed up again.