Reply #50: Why is it so binary. Support Bush AND the troops

[LittleClarkie]

or support Kerry and don't.

I have a ribbon on my car, right next to my Kerry sticker. Folks don't get that. To me, supporting Kerry was more in line with supporting the troops than supporting the fake tough guy. I swear I'm going to get a magnet to put on people's cars between the ribbon and the Bush sticker that says "Pick one".

Anyway, Kerry WAS one of the troop. HE KNOWS. He cares about not misusing the troops, not underequipping them, making sure there is enough of them to do whatever job they've been sent out to do, about treating them properly when they get home. Conservatives never understand that alot of Kerry's testimony in 71 had to do with Kerry caring about the troops in Vietnam and the way they were nearly abandoned when they came home. I've met the ticking time bombs Kerry talked about. Alot of them NEVER got treatment for their PTSD.

Some of the Conservative vets I've run into automatically jump to "How dare you tell me all of the military is like Abu Ghraib! Fuck you! Kerry called us all baby killers!" Um, why do they always make that leap. No, he didn't. But that's what war does to some people. And you'd better have a damned good reason for putting a whole bunch of young men through war.

There's a reason only the chickenhawks are gungho in this administration, and why they had to either smear or discredit or get rid of anyone who was even remotely regular Army. God forbid someone should disagree who actually knows what he or she is talking about. Oh no, shut them up and get them out of here.

Oh, rant mode off.

I feel your friends pain. I was accosted by my car by a psychotic psychic who said my Kerry sticker "frightened her" and seemed to want me to genuflect at the very mention of Glorious Leader. Not much of a psychic, or she'd have known what I wanted to say to her.

Tell him to stick to his guns. It's none of his co-workers business. I know it's damned hard, and often scary. But I'm not backing down anymore. I hope your friend doesn't either.