Dead GI's Mom a Bush Hate - anybody care to respond?

[NewJeffCT]

I would love to respond, but I recently had an LTTE published in the Courant, so am still waiting for my 30 days to be up. I hope somebody on DU can step up to the plate. Thanks!

Dead GI's Mom Is A Bush Hater

The antics of the mother of the slain GI camping at George Bush's Crawford, Texas, home serves to denigrate the pride and patriotism that is inherent in the heart and soul of a Gold Star mother . This woman's embarrassing behavior is unforgivable.

The tears in my mother's eyes when I left for Vietnam spoke volumes about her understanding of what could happen, and her sacrifice was plainly evident because she believed it was for a greater cause. The current nonsense that the media have latched onto is insulting to the remaining mothers who pray daily for the safe return of their beloved sons and daughters in the military.

It also seems to fall in line with the group of enlistees and their families who thought joining the military would be a great idea because it would pay for college and possibly provide some valuable experience and training that they could carry over into civilian life. All of this while never giving a second thought to the possibility that they may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice or become disabled or disfigured for their country.

This woman's protest for attention is clearly not about her sacrifice or her son's tragic death in a war. It is simply a poorly veiled attempt at disguising her loathing for George W. Bush. She's just another Bush hater, supported by some fellow Bush haters, trying to attract more Bush haters for her street theater.

Mark S. Ballard

Windham

http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/letters/hc-lets0816.artaug16,0,3241465.story?page=1&coll=hc-headlines-letters

[BlueEyedSon]

1. "A Bush Hater"... oh, is that a BAD thing?

I bet the writer was a Clinton hater... nothing wrong with that, right???

[Inland]

2. Reasons why nobody has to listen.

Bush hater, just political, crazy with grief, getting divorced.

The only way they have to win the debate is prevent the debate by delegitimizing any opposition.

[NewJeffCT]

4. If you don't respond, it sinks in

For years, nobody responded to the RW lie that the Sudan offered Osama's head on a platter to Clinton 3 times, but was turned down each time. Now, so many believe it's true - and not just RWers - that even when it's debunked by Bush's 9/11 Commission, many still don't believe it.

[dogday]

3. What? her son is dead because of the policies

of this president and they are calling her the hater. She did not cause the death...

[Corgigal]

5. Wow, he claims his mom

accepting him leaving for Vietnam due to a greater cause. I thought the actual heartbreak of Vietnam was because it was a political war based on fear, that we knew we could never win.

Me thinks someone hasn't begun to come clean on Vietnam, forget about what Cindy is doing.

[gratuitous]

6. Oh really, Mr. Ballard?

And tell us, please, how many of your children have died in Iraq that you're such an authority on how grieving parents should behave?

[DIKB]

7. Yes they sign up

knowing they may be called to make the ultimate sacrifice. They should not be put in harm's way NEEDLESSLY. This war was based on lies, and we're paying for it with our young. The DSM and many other things have come to light proving that we shouldn't even be there.

No blood for corporate dollars.

[SledDriver]

8. How about this...

"The antics of the mother of the slain GI camping at George Bush's Crawford, Texas, home serves to denigrate the pride and patriotism that is inherent in the heart and soul of a Gold Star mother."

Written by a male, who is not and will never be a mother.

Kind of like anti-abortion protesters... 90% of which are male, 0% of which will ever be pregnant.

[wtbymark]

9. he doesn't mention at all Cindy's reason for being there

that her son died for lies, thats not noble

[rfranklin]

10. My letter to that editor....

Mark Ballard of Windham (Dead G.I.'s Mom is a Bush Hater) seems to to subscribe to the notion that the deaths of soldiers in Iraq is what they deserve--they thought they could get a college education, instead they are given tour after tour in Iraq and possibly death. Serves them right for being so stupid, doesn't it Mark?

The fact is that there are plenty of reasons to detest George Bush. He lied about reasons for the Iraq invasion--the 9/11 plot, WMDs, mushroom clouds, terrorists, or democracy on the march. Many patriotic Americans were fooled by these fabrications. Is it not normal to hate the man who sent your son to die in the desert under false pretenses?

[NewJeffCT]

11. good letter

Hopefully, Lew over at the Courant will respond. He's usually pretty good.

[H2O Man]

12. "unforgivable"

Under normal circumstances, I would not consider responding to such a letter. Years ago, I learned that when you have a wise man argueing with a fool, you have two fools. However, in this case, it seems that a letter which highlights the errors in Mark Ballard's rigid thought processes may be appropriate.

I would encourage others who do respond (hopefully, at least one of us will have our letter published) should focus on his word "unforgivable." More than anything else, that single word exposes the weakness of his position, and allows someone who responds the opportunity to demonstrate that that which is rigid, is easily shattered.

[NewJeffCT]

14. good idea

Unforgiveable is a good word to use.

Maybe Cindy Sheehan considers it unforgiveable to have sent her son to die in a war where the facts were fixed to support the invasion?

Maybe she thinks it would be unforgiveable to not demand answers from President Bush for his lies, or even why he has flip-flopped so often on his justification for war?

[Jacobin]

13. What's wrong with disliking the Idiot In Chief?

She makes it sound like some kind of violation of a criminal statute.

:shrug:

[Larkspur]

15. Since I'm a subscriber to the Courant's Sunday edition, here's the LTTE

I sent

A letter writer wrote, “ camping at George Bush's … home serves to denigrate the pride and patriotism that is inherent in the heart and soul of a Gold Star mother.” <“Dead GI's Mom Is A Bush Hater,” Mark Ballard, August 16, 2005>

Cindy Sheehan is walking the same moral high ground as Chile's Mothers of the Detained and Disappeared did against brutal dictator General Pinochet.

The question Mrs. Sheehan uses to frame her protest – “What is the noble cause that my son died for?” – is a moral stake through the heart of the Bush Administration’s reasons for launching war against Iraq. George Bush cannot answer that question truthfully because his war was based upon deceit and delusions.

Cindy Sheehan is demanding that President Bush be held accountable for the web of deceit he wove to commit this nation to war against Iraq and for continuing his criminal negligence of not supporting our troops with the supplies they need. Accountability is what George W Bush has fled from his whole life.

By resolving to hold Bush accountable for his abuse of her son and our troops, Mrs. Sheehan is showing how hypocritical and immoral the Right Wing movement that supports George Bush is. It also shows how immoral pro-war Democrats, like Sen. Joe Lieberman and Sen. Hillary Clinton are. They rather protect children from violence in video games than protect America’s sons and daughters from being sent to a war based upon lies and delusions.


Note to editor: I’m the secretary of Killingly, CT’s Democratic Town Committee.

[JerseygirlCT]

17. Fabulous letter!

I hesitate to even suggest this, but I think adding Lieberman and Clinton takes away from the punch of your last paragraph. It dilutes the focus a bit, IMO.

I think this letter says it all, and says it very, very well. You can e-mail it to them -- you might hear right back from them about including it. My last one, I got a phone call 15 minutes after sending the letter.

[Larkspur]

21. I already emailed it. I usually don't get verification calls until the

next day or two. I've never gotten one on the same day I sent it. Sometimes I don't get a verification call at all, but my ltte gets published anyway. I've been writing lttes to the Courant since 1994.

Regarding the last 2 sentences, I do believe that Democrats who voted for IWR are guilty of enabling Bush to wage war against Iraq in the same way that accomplices to murder are guilty of enabling a murderer. Yes, Bush is the murderer and should received the full force of Justice for his crime, but Sen. Joe Lieberman was a Democratic champion of that war. He and Gephardt stood in the Rose Garden on Oct. 10, 2002 with George Bush after IWR passed the senate. And you know, Sen. "Holy Joe" Lieberman has been awfully silent about Cindy's protest. I also find it hypocritical of Lieberman and Clinton to campaign against violence in video games and movies but are willing to wage war based upon lies and delusions.

[JerseygirlCT]

22. Oh, I agree with you -- especially about Lieberman

I just thought it took away from your main point a bit. But just a bit, anyway. It's really a great letter. Hope they publish it -- cannot see why they wouldn't. I think they publish letters like the one we're reacting to today just to get a reaction and enliven the page a bit.

[NewJeffCT]

23. According to their policy

They prefer letters that disagree with something in the Courant - be it an editorial, op-ed piece, article or another letter.

[NewJeffCT]

18. good letter

thanks for writing.

In these last 2 sentences, I might change how you phrase them:

It also shows the immorality of pro-war Democrats like Sen. Joe Lieberman and Sen. Hillary Clinton. They would rather protect children from violence in video games than protect America's sons and daughters from being sent to a war based upon lies and delusions.

[JerseygirlCT]

16. I saw that too this morning, Jeff

Is that unspeakable or what?

Any, ANY move away from total acceptance of this regime is called "Bush-hating". I'm so sick of it.

Can you just imagine if the tables were turned? There'd be a national fundraising letter based on it.

[NewJeffCT]

19. Not just a Bush hater

But, somebody that hates America as well.

I'll have to dig up that Hermann Goering quote about how nobody wants war, but it's easy for leaders to get the people to want war - just tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism.

[JerseygirlCT]

20. Yes, I know the one you mean

that works all too well.

[NewJeffCT]

24. wow, am I getting old!

I can't believe the headline is missing the letter "R" at the end of Hate.

and here I am a guy that worked for 2 years preparing & proofreading 10-Qs, 10-Ks, MD&As and Notes to Financials.