War protester wants a free ride

North County Times, San Diego County ^ | 11/14/2002 | Rick Reiss

[BoneHead]

As a Navy veteran, I was incensed to read Mark Vaughan's column on Veterans' Day ("War is not the answer to terror.") Wistfully he writes of his days spent as a 1960s radical protesting our armed forces and of his hopes to relive his days of youth by protesting America's war against terrorism. Vaughan describes his fear of the U.S. government as it battles rogue totalitarian states and terrorists at home and abroad.

For all of you peaceniks hoping to flash back to the 1960s, here are a few sobering thoughts to ponder. The true lesson of Vietnam is that during wartime, U.S. troops must be allowed to achieve swift and sure victory. By politically restraining the military from doing its intended purpose, as LBJ did, the result will always be the wasteful loss of American lives. The hippies of the 1960s missed this lesson while spitting upon our returning G.I.s and denouncing them as "baby-killers."

In regard to the terrorist attacks upon our country, America's only credible response was a swift military offensive. It is nonsense to suggest there are peaceful alternatives to the outrageous attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Is the United States supposed to send in a daisy-sniffing peace delegation to the dark caves of Osama bin Laden to negotiate a truce? Such a delegation would meet the same terrible fate as the brave and inquisitive Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl did last year.

As a sailor, I saw a great deal of the Middle East in the 1980s. These Persian Gulf nations were among the most intolerant, xenophobic and backwards countries I will ever see. Radical Islam springs from many of these nations and it was radical Islam that attacked our country last year.

There is no bargaining with these intolerant fanatics. They merrily march on to martyrdom during their suicidal attacks upon America and our allies. America's only obligation is to ensure that their martyrdom comes at the cost of their lives, not ours. During World War II, Imperial Japan had a similar mind-set. Only when the burden of war became too great was this mind-set broken.

Such is the color of evil. Vaughan should take off his rose-tinted glasses and see the world for what it is. Hate and envy brought down the World Trade Center. The Taliban and al-Qaida could never design and create such magnificent towers, only destroy them. American civilization is the marvel of the world, yet the remnants of the Taliban and al-Qaida live like Neanderthals, hidden in their caves.

One final piece of information for the Woodstock generation: Our freedoms today do not come from your actions in the 1960s. In fact, many of our miseries today stem from your wanton lifestyles that you thrust upon America. Your sexual revolution unleashed diseases, teenage pregnancies and the shattering of American families. Your selfish dope-smoking unleashed the brutal drug epidemic that our country has suffered for three decades.

All of our freedoms today were bought and paid for with American blood spilled onto battlefields from Bunker Hill to Kandahar, Afghanistan. Critics like Vaughan should show some deference to the soldiers who have put their freedoms on hold to defend the right of peaceniks to lambaste our president and military.

The 1960s radicals demand a free ride for their anti-American rantings while our military sacrifices to defend the Constitution. As always with liberals, somebody else is picking up their tab.

Rick Reiss lives in Temecula.

[BoneHead]

Every now and then we find some good thoughts from previously unknown sources.

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

Rick Reiss deserves to be a history professor at a major college.

[BoneHead]

It seemed to me that Mr Reiss is a sometime commentator with the North County Times. About two times a year.

Hope you have some similar scholars up in the great north west.

Regards
Bonehead

[CapedCrusader]

The true lesson of Vietnam is that during wartime, U.S. troops must be allowed to achieve swift and sure victory.

And here I thought the lesson was that war is not to be waged where we don't belong. My mistake.

[CapedCrusader]

I love to see more articles from the right denouncing our highly dubious relationship with Saudi Arabia and our unhealthy dependence on the Middle East for our energy needs.

[BoneHead]

And here I thought the lesson was that war is not to be waged where we don't belong. My mistake.

I concur, that is your mistake.

[BoneHead]

I'd like to read more....from the right....

Then read more articles from the right...

[VRWCmember]

Rick Reiss deserves to be a history professor at a major college.

What did he do to piss you off. I wouldn't wish that fate on anyone.

[BoneHead]

VRWCmember,
Come on! While your opinion about schools may be correct for the vast majorities schools here in CA, surely you have some good conservative institutions of higher learning in Texas?

And as for PeoplesRepublicOfWashington, well, he's in Washington State... Outside of Gonzaga he may have as much trouble finding a conservative institution there as I do here.

NeverMind!
Bonehead

[BoneHead]

Admin Moderator, Sir

Has the CapedCrusader been curtailed?

[CapedCrusader]

And my crime is?

[BoneHead]

No crime friend, I just was following some of your comentary elsewhere and doing a search for poster somehow lost all your posts.

Since it is the Admin Moderator that does the cleaning up, I asked.

It could be too, that the search by poster is hosed. Or operator error on my part if I capped my letters incorrectly. Welcome to the FreeRepublic.

Regards
Bonehead

[BoneHead]

As I said no crime friend. It is indeed operator error. It seems that a poster search is limited to the specific forum, in this case general interest. You have only posted the few times to this meager letter in General interest.

Now in News/Activism you are quite prolific.