An exchange with one of the 'protesters' outside Democratic Reps office in NC

[lunatica]

From the article First Look: Health care opponents protest in Raleigh

He wrote in response to a comment on the the story:

"As a decorated Air Force combat veteran (51 awards and decorations--Airmans Medals, Meritorious Service Medals, Air Medals, Aerial Achievement Medals, Commendation Medals, and Air Force Achievement Medals to name a few) with 6000+ flying hour (500+ actual combat hours) across five wars to contain Liberalism/Statism/Socialism/Communism I am more than qualified to know the effects of Liberalism/Statism/Socialism/Communism. I know what a skunk smells like when I smell it. And Obamacare is the worst smelling skunk that I have smelled in a very long time. And it will soon be a dead skunk in the middle of the road!

The day that I entered the Air Force I swore an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. No where in my retirement orders is anything stated that absolves or relieves me of that oath. Therefore, that oath is still in effect for me. As a Southerner born and bred, my word (oath) is my honor. And if it comes down to being the "new Klu Klux Klan" then I will proudly wear a white sheet that also has a blue field with 50 white stars and 13 red and white stripes!

Michael E. Hyers, Master Sergeant, USAF (Ret)

Fayetteville, NC"

*****

I replied but first I bit my tongue and decided maybe just once a little reasoning might work:

Thank you for your service

But if you enjoy your medical care in the Veterans Administration you are enjoying socialism which is being paid by our tax dollars. That's how Socialism works. Everyone pays taxes and everyone benefits, including the people who can't work, the handicapped, and the elderly. Your medical service is very good but why can't all Americans have something like it? Your entire career and your pay during all those years has been paid for by the government using our tax dollars. You've made a living just like the firemen who keep your house safe, and the policemen who keep your community safe and the schools where you and everyone you know went. Why shouldn't health care be one of those services?

And you really don't know what 'Obamacare' is because a bill hasn't been hashed out yet. There are two bills being hammered out right now. One in the House and one in the Senate. Each body will then vote on a final version of its bill and then the bill will go into committee again to be hammered out into one final bill which President Obama will sign or veto.

Again. Thank you for your service

***
I don't know if it worked because he hasn't responded. But even if he doesn't respond did I maybe shut him up?

[PassingFair]

1. Hey, I was just reading that!

PERFECT!!!!

:yourock:

[CatWoman]

2. me too!!!

:)

[lunatica]

6. We DUers are everywhere!

[lunatica]

12. Thanks!

We all rock on DU! We all need to spread out and drop these little pebbles into the ponds

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. Simplicity itself -

beautiful.

You didn't call names, you simply stated the reality.

Well done!

:toast:

[lunatica]

4. Now if I could just distill it down to a sound bite!

[Kerrytravelers]

5. I was thinking of doing the same, but couldn't find a civilized way to respond.

You did a great job. Good for you! :applause: :thumbsup:

[lunatica]

9. Thanks!

It's always a toss up between using this



or this



Both work in their own way

[mitchum]

25. I like to attach a blade to the cudgel...

that definitely gets the job done

[patrice]

7. Perfect reply, but, sorry, no you probably didn't make him shut-up. Those are the words of

someone who is LITERALLY high, stoned out of his gourd, on himself. It's an addiction and reason will have no affect upon it.

[lunatica]

11. I'm sure you're right

He'll say the exact same thing the next chance he gets. Totally wrapped in the flag as he kisses his own ass lovingly while kicking everyone else. I know much more than I want to know about these kind of people

[Ikonoklast]

8. I hate people from the Armed Forces constantly throwing their service in my face.

It justifies NOTHING. You served your country honorably, but that DOES NOT make your opinion on any matter more highly valued than anyone else's. His combat experience does not give him special insight into any political or economic system, or make him an expert in any of these fields.

The guy is a racist, pure and simple. He even admits it.

My father served in Korea. He got his ass all shot to hell, and you'll never, ever hear him say one thing about it, to anyone. He uses his service as justification for nothing.

[lunatica]

10. My uncle also had his ass shot to hell in N Korea

He's considered disabled from his internal wounds, although on the outside he looks normal except for the scars. He's a progressive liberal and has worked his entire life in the government fighting poverty, especially in the Native American community. He calls it the cycle of poverty and says it's the cycle that needs to be broken.

[patrice]

13. You said it.

Where is the Honor in a "sacrifice" that has a price set on it?

Lots of people do the right thing every day of their lives without expectation of somekind of special consideration, or some medal pinned to their clothing.

This country spends close to 50% of its revenues on the military and has done so for decades; who is this person to preach to us about "Socialism"? Did he ever have to compete in the rat race? And if he did go after a civilian job, all things being equal, did ex-military status help him any?

I'm sorry, I know it's considered sacrilege, but people who have volunteered to go around the world and help our leaders interfere in the internal affairs of other nations do not get my thanks, especially when they criticize others for wanting the kind of support that they have received and will continue to receive, without having to compete for it like the rest of us, for a good portion of their adult lives.

[lunatica]

15. He would never have been able to pay for his training either

So while he got the million dollar free training on our dime he can spit on Socialism. Of all the beneficiaries of Socialism, he's one of the most benefitted. Now he's retired on our dime too.

[abumbyanyothername]

16. Not sure what you mean by "This country"

but the government spends way over 50% of its revenues on the military.

It spends close to 50% of its budget on the military, but the budget has been running a deficit for quite some time now.

[patrice]

19. I stand corrected, BUT "this country" lets them do it. We get the government we deserve.

:hi:

[kevinbgoode]

14. Wow...I like this response:

"I highly doubt that any of your orders contained that phrase: "Liberalism/Statism/Socialism/Communism" - and which "liberal" countries you were waging war against, since I'm assuming now that you believed we waged war against nations that held free, open, and honest elections. Flying experience doesn't make you an expert in the social constructs of any nation. And you don't seem to complain about a career which not only provided you with special benefits, discounts, medical care, and retirement (all paid for by my taxes) but you readily accepted those benefits as an entitlement for serving your country.

Not every veteran gets those privileges. For example, in many of those wars you participated in, decorated gay and lesbian soldiers were dishonorably discharged for no other reason than conservative "witch hunts" and the conditions of their discharges left them with no benefits for serving their country. They took the same oath that you did, Sir, and received nothing back in return, even though more than 20 million of their fellow gay American citizens paid taxes. If you took an oath to defend the Constitution, and the Constitution says nothing about some Americans being "unfit" to serve AFTER they've already been enlisted, served with distinction, and committed no related crime to that service, why is it that you failed to smell THAT skunk?"

[lunatica]

17. OH! That was added since I last looked.

It's excellent and makes another vital point about DADT!

[patrice]

21. Pin a medal on the chest of that net-"warrior"!!

:applause: :applause: :applause:

[Blaukraut]

18. This guy is all set with his healthcare

As a retiree from the military, he is eligible for VA services, fully paid for by taxes, and his family will likely have some form of Tricare at the "staggering" cost of about $470.00 a year. Obviously heavily subsidized by the taxpayer.
As the wife of a retired US Air Force member, I benefit from the same healthcare, and I am grateful for it. But in my opinion, ever American should have affordable coverage, preferably single payer. I'd gladly give up Tricare for a single payer system, even if it would mean we had to pay $470 a month instead of a year.

[BR_Parkway]

20. I saw that - and noticed in his picture that he's both overweight and smokes

so he's actually costing all of us more in taxes than someone who isn't.

Nice rebuttal

[southernyankeebelle]

22. I would like to tell the Air Force Vet that if he served over 20 years they will

not call him back to duty. My father-in-law, and father both served over 20 years each fighting WWII, Korea, and VN for my father-in-law. Both were wounded in war and both got purple hearts. My husband served over 20 yrs also. Between the three of them they have served about 65 yrs. So I would like to tell the Air Force officer that he is a traitor to the military and our country. He said he was willing to put on the white sheet. I would say that he should be put in jail. You are a traitor to america. You don't understand our country. All my relatives have said that they respect the office of the presidency not necessarily the president. By the way all my relatives are democrats and were retired senior enlisted men who were grunts. Shame of the Air Force officer who never looked an enemy in the eye when he fired on them. Not unlike the grunt. I am proud that we all have socialized medicine. He shouldn't bite the hand that feeds him. But then again its just like a republican.

[patrice]

24. Thanks very much for your perspective on this.

I needed that.

[mitchum]

23. "I can suck on the government tit until the day I die, but none for you!"

[tabasco]

26. From my experience, all kinds of tough talking "combat" vets in the Air Force.

Lots of Air Force wingnut pukes who like to tout their "combat" creds.

All I ever saw 'em do was turn wrenches 500 miles from any real combat.

My apologies to honorable hard-working airmen. I've just seen too many of these assholes from the USAF.

[JimWis]

27. As a veteran, I always question these dudes. Was he really

even in the service. I have met plenty of blow hards telling how they were in Vietnam, for example, only to find out that they weren't even in the military. I question that if he is a sergeant (enlisted) whether he had all those flying hours - or were they riding in a plane hours. Normally the pilots are officers or warrant officers. Not having been in the AF, I maybe wrong, and would stand corrected. But sounds fishy to me. He may have been in the air crew, but I still am suspect.

Edit - forgot to tell you - excellent reply.

[demwing]

28. Great response "judithf" you inspired me to respond as well

I'm "depierce"
*************************

Thanks for your service sarge, but please tell me when the United States ever waged a war against Liberalism?

Save yourself the effort, because you can't. Liberalism is the political philosophy that emphasizes individual rights and equality of opportunity. Go ahead. Look it up.

If you've ever fought against individual rights and/or equality of opportunity, then you've given no service to your country. But I doubt that such is the case.

I'm betting you are getting Liberalism mixed up with Roosevelt's New Deal and our current system of economic socialism. Yeah, buddy, thats right. Socialism.

You see, you live in a Republic that incoporates the principles of Democratic Socialism. Medicare, Social Security, VA Benefits, Publica Eductaion, down to the god blessed Interstate Highway system that America depends on to deliver goods and services are publically funded and provided for. That's Socialism at work in our Democracy.

You may disagree with this way of life, and that's your right. But it IS the the system you've defended in 5 wars. - By the way, in which 5 wars did you serve before you retired? You don't look that old in your photo :)

So again, thank you for your service. Now step down soldier, and let America care for and heal it's sick. It's the American thing to do. If you're religious at all, it's also the moral thing to do.

‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:40

[demwing]

29. Here's a link

"Sarge" has responded :)

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/multi/first-look-health-care-opponents-protest-in-raleigh

[Maru Kitteh]

32. Will someone please tell him he needs to walk the walk and pay out of pocket?

And put down the bacon and cigarettes while he's at it?

He also complained his VA doctor wasn't "American." - Read here "white."

[Maru Kitteh]

33. Oh, and he 'sacrificed' having a wife for the country? I'll bet it's his sparkling personality

that has left him alone.

[downeyr]

30. Fuck yes! Well done...recommended for sure! n/t

[Morning Dew]

31. Michael's page

http://wethepeoplenc.ning.com/profile/MichaelEHyers?xg_source=activity

[Onceuponalife]

34. That "dead skunk" comment sounds an awful lot like a threat

against the president to me. Perhaps his letter should be turned over to the FBI for further investigation?

[cliffordu]

35. Master sergents don't pilot aircraft across any wars, let alone five of them.

Guy's a lying sack of shit, and prolly a fraud.

[B Calm]

36. I get a little sick of these pretend to be veterans and love calling them out!