Please consider this idea for supporting the troops

[peacetalksforall]

I make a strong distinction between military brass and our young recruits and reservists.

I have no sympathy for the military brass who went from defending our shores to aiding imperialism. I detest the military-corporate partnerships. I think some of the weapon ideas of the military-corporate partnerships are ridiculous and have as their first objective, the wealth of individuals. I deplore their true and deceptive agendas.

I deplore the brass who become consultants to the cable and network propaganda machinery and use their right wing one sided voice to hype, distort, and lie.

I deplore the reality that the United States of America has in history and in concept a Secretary or War and not a Secretary of Peace.

I empathize with well intentioned youth who joined the active or reserve military for personal gain of pay and education and for time honored credos of defense of our country. I bleed for those who are killed and dismembered or are psychologically ruined forever or for the short term.

I propose that DU'ers sign up to support the youth on a one-way basis through the simple act of a sign-up of nicknames or names under the name of each of the squadrons that are assigned there. It would be a simple act of getting a list of the squadrons, listing them, then signing our nicknames. No correspondence. No other obligations. Just a silent list. Just a gesture that crosses over, human to human.

There should be no correspondence with them because they are limited in what they say in e-mails or letters anyway. It would be a silent recognition of their situation without any forum or letter exchange because even one word in one sentence could become a flame war.

Why do it? I believe there are few on DU who also make or could make the distinction between the brass and the guys and girls who are sent there. It would be a counter to the claims of right wing hawks who rant on about our lack of patriotism. We can be patriotic to our brothers and sisters and oppose the brass who concocted this war and hype it.

It might help others to use the distinction to see where we are and to realize that our objection to this war does not make us a traitor to those who are doing the job.

I know I'm posting this late on a Sunday evening - if there is anyone out there who can see the benefit - can you kick it up in the morning?

[roguevalley]

1. I think most people have made that distinction, honey. Its memorable

when someone doesn't. But I think a lot of people distinguish, though I applaud you bringing it up. :)

[peacetalksforall]

2. OK, but what about the act, the gesture of signing up to support a

squadron?

[lostnfound]

3. I like it.

At work they had a collection to send stuff to a few of the troops. They called it Operation Thank You (but one of my activist friends said it was Operation We Apologize.)

I sent an email, with a list I compiled from DU of what to send, to my whole department. Some who know of my activism were surprised that I did it.

There is a tension inside that comes from crossing socially-described boundaries. But I've learned that it's a healthy tension, and if more people learned that, we'd be in a much better country.