A response to a Blog Radio interview with Adam Kokesh
We often hear from the leftist anti-military groups that their demonstrations and activities are intended to help and support our troops. However, our veterans and their families often report that these activities have a very negative effect on them. An example of these negative effects was apparent on the April 22, 2010 Chandler’s Watch Radio Blog show in which Adam Kokesh was interviewed (http://vietnam-veterans.us/videos/ChandlersWatchKokesh232.mp3).
Mr. Kokesh is a member of the Iraq Veterans Against War (IVAW), and he has an extensive history of engaging in anti-military activities in alliance with groups such as Code Pink and MoveOn.org. Currently, he is running for US Congress – New Mexico 3rd CD as a self-declared Conservative Republican. He was recruited and endorsed by the Ron Paul Liberty Candidate group.
Mr. Kokesh was invited as a guest to discuss his anti-military activities and the impact of those activities on his current campaign for US Congress. A Marine who is opposed to the Kokesh candidacy hosts Chandler’s Watch, and Mr. Kokesh understood that he would be facing some tough questioning from both the host and the callers.
Initially, Mr. Kokesh attempted to defend his anti-war activities by minimizing the contact that he had had with other radical groups and by saying that, at that time, he believed that his actions were in the best interest of the troops, given the “illegal” nature of the war. Further, he went on to note that he has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and that his support of our troops is evidenced by his involvement with attempting to assist veterans with PTSD in obtaining services once they had returned from Iraq.
During the course of the show both a Gold Star and a Blue Star Mother phoned in. What was most striking about their phone calls was the degree of anguish, anger, frustration, and at times rage that was evident in their voices and in their comments. They attempted to let Mr. Kokesh know just how painful his actions had been to them and to their families, and how the attempt by the radical left to impugn the honor and the integrity of their sons had affected them. I know the Blue Star Mother personally; she is a tireless supporter of our troops, even though her son has long since finished his active duty. She is self-controlled and thoughtful, and it was surprising to me to hear the depth of her anger, anguish, and yes, rage. Similarly, the Gold Star mother’s voice was filled with the anguish and pain of having lost her child, and the rage she feels towards the anti-military leftist’s for their attempts to dishonor him. While I am not a Star Mother, I AM a mother, and what I was hearing from these women could well be described as “motherly rage”.
Mr. Kokesh also heard from a Vietnam and a Desert Storm veteran, both of whom had felt the wrath of the “radical left” upon their return from active duty. Both of these men were well modulated in their comments, but the scars of a country’s betrayal were apparent in their voices.
By the end of the interview Mr. Kokesh, to his credit, did apologize for his IVAW actions, and for the pain and suffering that those actions had caused. Further, in his own defense, he reflected that perhaps his anti-military activities were in part a result of his immaturity and that he felt he had grown since then. He also noted that he himself had suffered from PTSD following his return from Iraq. He again highlighted his interest in PTSD issues in returning veterans as evidence of his commitment to the well-being of our soldiers.
By way of commentary, I would like to offer the following reflections to Mr. Kokesh as regards PTSD in our returning soldiers and as regards the importance of a mature character when running for national office.
Firstly, most returning soldiers experience an Adjustment Reaction Disorder as they make the transition from military to civilian life. This can be an uncomfortable and anxiety provoking process, but it is actually expected and normal. In contrast, PTSD is a prolonged and disabling disorder that is differentiated from adjustment reactions in both its duration and severity. One of the most important factors in guarding against an adjustment disorder developing into chronic PTSD is the quality of the environment in which the person is living. There is the need for a supportive, understanding, accepting environment. This is hardly the case when Code Pink stages “solidarity” marches through the streets of Palestine and the IVAW burns an American flag at a “peace rally” in Washington DC. Clearly a rejecting, judgmental and oftentimes aggressively accusatory anti-military movement will do precious little to mitigate against the onset of a full-blown PTSD.
Secondly, I would like to comment on Mr. Kokesh’s statement that his IVAW activities were a result of general immaturity on his part. I would agree with that assessment. However, I would also note that little time has elapsed since Mr. Kokesh was a very ardent and active member in the IVAW, and there is nothing, other than his word, to suggest that he has matured away from his radical leftist anti-military beliefs. This issue of “immaturity” is especially troublesome, since Mr. Kokesh is aspiring to become a member of the US Congress, a position that by its nature requires a mature and thoughtful approach to very complex and stressful issues.
In closing, I would hope that Mr. Kokesh’s experience on Chandler’s Watch helped him to understand the pain and the anguish that groups such as the IVAW have inflicted on our veterans and their families. I would venture a guess that the views of the callers to the show are not unique within the veteran community. While I do not have any specific polling data, I would bet that most veterans are vehemently opposed to the IVAW and their radical anti-military membership.
I would suggest to Mr. Kokesh that, if he is truly interested in the issues surrounding PTSD in our soldiers, he continue his education in Psychology and devote more of his time to understanding both the disorder and the negative effects of a radical leftist movement on this condition.
Perhaps within the course of more extended personal self-reflection, and pursuits of higher education, and practical real-life experience Mr. Kokesh might gain the requisite knowledge, empathy, and maturity that are necessary in order to be an effective and honest Congressman.
Carolyn VanZorge www.americanpatriotsagainstkokesh.wordpress.com americanpatriotsagainstkokesh@gmail.com
for your reading pleasure
btt
Have you seen the hippie’s newest little game- getting people to sponsor students to ‘move in to Santa Fe’, give them a local address and help them in an activism campaign.
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=242252
I smell voter fraud.
If you are working your heart and soul out to prepare a Christian rock song for your church, and then a group in the church declares that they don’t believe in any kind of rock music in church at all, what have they just said to you about your hard work?
They’ve said that it’s valueless and not worth the effort.
Let’s say there’s a terrible car accident on the way home from rehearsal and you are killed.
Then they say to your Mom that they don’t believe in any kind of rock music in church at all. What have they just said to your Mom?
They’ve said that what you devoted your life to was valueless, worthless, AND therefore, that you had wasted your life on a pointless endeavor.
If you are working your heart and soul out to fight a battle in Iraq/Afghan for your nation, and then a group declares that they don’t believe in any wars there at all, what have they just said to you about your sacrifice?
They’ve said that it’s valueless and not worth the effort.
And if you’re killed in the WOT and they say to your Mom that that is a war that shouldn’t be fought, then what are they saying to her about your sacrifice?
They’re saying that you gave your life pointlessly and unnecessarily.
On a somewhat related note, I have suspected for the longest time that the hateful fungi that comprises the Mister Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church from Topeka were posers. (A check with Wiki shows that among a truly schizo resume, Mister Phelps ran for Kansas office five times as a DEMOCRAT; supported Algore, and openly supported Saddam Hussein.)
As a Military Dad, I'm especially alert and suspicious for this kind of shameless posing.
The type of “support” Kokesh offers the troops is all too familiar. Memories of 1973-74 come to my mind. This guy is a no-good-nik.