Report from a group meeting with our Enemies

02/25/2004 | armymarinemom

[armymarinemom]

Report from a group meeting with our Enemies

 My husband and I did something that I never imagined we would do, we along with other military parents attended a Military Families Speak Out meeting. No, we haven't turned left wing but just took an opportunity that will probably never occur again.

 An ad ran in our local paper that a Chapter for Military Families Speak Out was forming in our area. They invited all parents with concerns over the war to attend. We considered this an opportunity because we do have concerns over the war with children deployed even though we don't disagree with what our children are doing. We have concerns with what these families are doing to our troop moral and just what groups these families have aligned themselves with. This was the perfect opportunity to share our concerns face to face with those whose beliefs are far from our own.

Entering a building occupied by a Peace and Justice center is a surreal experience all in itself. You feel like you have just stepped into another world that doesn't quite fit. The bookshelves were lined with publications that on the surface look fine until you notice just what issues they are supporting. There was a table towards the back of the room prepared for the meeting. Along the wall behind the table were photographs displaying a photo journal of the local area anti-war protests. I brought photos of my own which were 8 X 10's of my three sons and a print out of a 3 star service banner all placed on a large poster. I placed the poster in the middle of the table for all to see and sat down with the rest of the families that came with me.

Everyone introduced themselves. The Peace group had family members that were either distant, related by marriage to a child, in ROTC, or non-deployed. Only one member had an active duty child in the service. Our group had one couple with three active duty sons two of which are deployed, a spouse of a deployed Marine, a Veteran with two sons deployed, a Veteran who just supports local families, and a politician that works with Veterans groups. I had been asked by several families with active duty children many of whom are deployed and could not attend to speak for them also. We had them outnumbered.

After introductions we outlined what our concerns were with their group starting a Chapter in our area. We listed as our reasons:

• The organizations that they associated with.
  • We gave specific examples to extreme left wing groups that they are openly accepting help from in a coalition such as the CPUSA, Answer, International Action Center, and United for Peace and Justice.
  • One of the above mentioned groups has publicly stated in print that they fully support the insurgency in Iraq.
  • Supporting the insurgency would include the maiming and death of our beloved family members. Aligning themselves with such groups is in essence agreeing to have your own flesh and blood killed.
  • Family members of Military Families Speak Out have been witnessed posting on Jihad friendly web sites denouncing our troops. This gives aid and comfort to our enemies.

• They are using parents with real fear for political gain in a misleading manner.
• Most of our troops believe in what they are doing.
• Who are we to tell grown people that they need to stop doing their job and come home?
• The Iraqi people are better off now than before the War.
• Armymarinedad stated very well how most of our troops believe in what they are doing. He has spoken with thousand of them while greeting flights that come home from the Middle East and has openly discussed with them how they feel about the war.

Our statements were followed by a discussion about both the Iraqi War and the Afghanistan War that lasted well over an hour. The discussion did not change anyone's mind. We did get the most vocal out of their group to admit that bringing our troops home now was impossible and would cause the senseless death of thousands of innocent people. After our long discussion it was up in the air exactly what the long term goals of their group would be. They never did get around to discussing long term goals and objectives for the beginning of a chapter.

Our group left after shaking hands with smiles on our faces yet rather flabbergasted that we never got into a shouting match or get kicked out.

[Flora McDonald]

This was great! You went in well-organized and stated your case without causing a ruckus.

Thank you for what you all did and thank you to your sons for their service.

[CPT Clay]

Thanks for your courage, you did what was right!!

[tgslTakoma]

Great work, armymarineparents. :-) You make a great team.

While you may think (for now) that you left the meeting without having changed any minds, you have planted the seed of doubt as to who they are considering allying themselves with on the "anti-war" front.

Keep hammering away at the leftists' wall of deceit. One day (soon, I hope) it will collapse on them.

I know your kids must be very proud of you both. I love you guys!

[piasa]

I strongly recommend that ya'all scrub down with a bar of Fel's Naptha Soap- it'll dry up everything from chiggersbites to the dull throb the usual maggot infested Redbugs known to lurk on or about Ramsey Clark typically cause.

[tinamina]

You are aware of course, that Teresa Heinz Kerry's foundation supports all these groups, right? So is this particular group going to support Kerry's candidacy in the same way he used Viet Nam Vets Against the War, I wonder?

[Humidston]

What a wonderful family. No wonder your children are so brave.... they take after their parents!

Profound thanks to you all.

[ducks1944]

Amen to that. And may GOD bless all our service men and women and there families. I get so humble when I read stories like this, THANK YOU so mu_____________ch !

[Travis McGee]

Congrats for taking the battle to the ideological enemy! Well done!

[PayrollOffice]

We gave specific examples to extreme left wing groups that they are openly accepting help from in a coalition such as the CPUSA, Answer, International Action Center, and United for Peace and Justice.

Excellent work, really. And thank you for your family's service to our great nation and to the world.

[CyberAnt]

Nothing better than heading them off at the pass. Bravo! Job well done!!

[ATCNavyRetiree]

Thank you for raising two great sons.
This letter, printed in our local paper (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA) is for you and your husband.
God Bless you both, and keep an eye on those commies...I woulda had to punch one of 'em!...they need to go live under the Taliban for awhile.

America's Best

Editor, PDN:
Thanks to the PDN for recognizing our local members of the armed services via its Over There feature. I would especially like to thank and congratulate these young warriors’ parents for instilling the virtues that led them to fulfill their patriotic responsibility. Their altruistic decision to serve in our nations military is an attribute of good parenting, and is to be admired as an aspiration for generations to follow.
Defeating the evils of Nazism and fascism was the challenge met by America’s "greatest generation." Fighting terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is this generation’s war, and our young men and women in uniform have displayed no less mettle in meeting that challenge. Operation Iraqi Freedom proved how well trained and educated our fighting forces are: extremely lethal in their skilled application of firepower upon the Iraqi military, yet compassionate toward the beleaguered nation’s civilians. Our young professional freedom fighters can be justifiably proud to have been part of one of the most successful military campaigns in history.
Evil must be defeated. Freedom is paid for with the blood-and many times lives-of our warriors in uniform. We glorify our war heroes because there is great nobility in the act of defeating evil and defending freedom.
The soldiers, sailors and airmen defending us from terrorists and liberating the people of Iraq are the very best America has to offer. We are most grateful to our heroes and their families for the sacrifices they have made.
James C. Patterson
U.S. Navy (retired)
Donna Stone (Coast Guard Mom)
Port Angeles

[ATCNavyRetiree]

Here is another letter, printed in paper last November after we returned from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Air Show in San Diego. Your Marine son will like this one!

The Marines of Miramar

Editor, PDN:

After months of seeing the misguided and self-absorbed adolescents protesting Operation Iraqi Freedom in our downtown and on television, we were beginning to worry about the future of our republic. Having recently attended the annual air show at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, our faith has once again been restored in the youth of this great nation.

Intelligent and polite, compassionate yet lethal, extremely fit and professional, these young Marines convinced us that we now have the finest force for freedom this world has ever seen. Every Marine we spoke to at this, the world’s largest military air show (800,000+ people attended over three days) loved our country, possessed a deep faith in God and had great admiration for President Bush’s leadership in our War on Terror.

These proud warriors were only disappointed knowing that many of their breathren had given their lives in securing the freedom of 26 million Iraqis from Saddam’s brutal regime, only to have their accomplishments disparaged and outright lied about by liberal media who distort—rather than report—the news.

We were honored to meet a pretty blonde lady, one of the first female Marine pilots to fly in combat. At age 24, she flew several missions into the war zone ferrying troops in a CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter. Her response when Donna told her that she was a great role model for young ladies to aspire to? "Thank you, ma’am, but I was just doing my job."

Ah, but it must be hard to be humble!

James C. Patterson
U.S. Navy (retired)
Donna Stone (Coast Guard mom)
Port Angeles

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

The Peace group had family members that were either distant, related by marriage to a child, in ROTC, or non-deployed. Only one member had an active duty child in the service.

Guilty of flying a false flag. The left has no problem making false claims. The French-looking Senator John Kerry showed them how.

Thanks for speaking truth to lies.

[KC Burke]

Thanks for speaking on my behalf. It sounds like presenting your points with backup, preparedness and sincerity paid off.

Did you refine that style anywhere we know? < /grin >

[armymarinedad]

The only liberal Mom there was totally clueless as to who these people really are. I think we got her thinking. She talked like she was going to do some research. One can only hope. However with only four people there that the Veteran for peace was hoping to get, I don't think he will be able to get a chapter of Military families speak out started. I think he knows that he can't announce this in the paper anymore because we will be back.

[sauropod]

WTG!

You gonna be at Ft. Bragg March 20th?

[armymarinedad]

These people do not like being exposed. The veteran for peace that is trying to organize this stated he did not associate with A.N.S.W.E.R. and did not like that organization. He also stated he had never heard of Medea Benjamin although there is an open letter from her on their state website(hosted by the Univ of Maine and our next project}.

[Taxman]

Takes courage to go into the "Belly of the Beast!"

Taxman Bravo Zulu to you.

[daybreakcoming]

The sponsoring groups are like the underbelly of a snake - never showing itself to the naive until it's too late.
Being influenced by the negative media I was concerned about the youth of today and what would my children's world be like. A darn shame it took a terror hit and subsequent war for me to see the real youth of today and my heart swells with pride, love, and hope. Thank you for raising your children with higher standards than MTV. Thank them for me - I think of them as my own.

[MEG33]

I thank God for your sons and for your strength to go up against these commies.They hope to create doubt and chaos out of normal parent anxiety.God bless our armed forces and their loved ones who wait at home.