Our soldiers in Iraq aren't heroes (But Andy Rooney is! (not))

BuffaloNews ^ | today | Rooney

[Peter J. Huss]

Our soldiers in Iraq aren't heroes



4/12/2004

By ANDY ROONEY

Most of the reporting from Iraq is about death and destruction. We don't learn much about what our soldiers in Iraq are thinking or doing. There's no Ernie Pyle to tell us, and, if there were, the military would make it difficult or impossible for him to let us know. It would be interesting to have a reporter ask a group of our soldiers in Iraq to answer five questions and see the results:

1. Do you think your country did the right thing sending you into Iraq?

2. Are you doing what America set out to do to make Iraq a democracy, or have we failed so badly that we should pack up and get out before more of you are killed?

3. Do the orders you get handed down from one headquarters to another, all far removed from the fighting, seem sensible, or do you think our highest command is out of touch with the reality of your situation?

4. If you could have a medal or a trip home, which would you take?

5. Are you encouraged by all the talk back home about how brave you are and how everyone supports you?

Treating soldiers fighting their war as brave heroes is an old civilian trick designed to keep the soldiers at it. But you can be sure our soldiers in Iraq are not all brave heroes gladly risking their lives for us sitting comfortably back here at home.

Our soldiers in Iraq are people, young men and women, and they behave like people - sometimes good and sometimes bad, sometimes brave, sometimes fearful. It's disingenuous of the rest of us to encourage them to fight this war by idolizing them.

We pin medals on their chests to keep them going. We speak of them as if they volunteered to risk their lives to save ours, but there isn't much voluntary about what most of them have done. A relatively small number are professional soldiers. During the last few years, when millions of jobs disappeared, many young people, desperate for some income, enlisted in the Army. About 40 percent of our soldiers in Iraq enlisted in the National Guard or the Army Reserve to pick up some extra money and never thought they'd be called on to fight. They want to come home.

One indication that not all soldiers in Iraq are happy warriors is the report recently released by the Army showing that 23 of them committed suicide there last year. This is a dismaying figure. If 22 young men and one woman killed themselves because they couldn't take it, think how many more are desperately unhappy but unwilling to die.

We must support our soldiers in Iraq because it's our fault they're risking their lives there. However, we should not bestow the mantle of heroism on all of them for simply being where we sent them. Most are victims, not heroes.

America's intentions are honorable. I believe that, and we must find a way of making the rest of the world believe it. We want to do the right thing. We care about the rest of the world. President Bush's intentions were honorable when he took us into Iraq. They were not well thought out but honorable.

Bush's determination to make the evidence fit the action he took, which it does not, has made things look worse. We pay lip service to the virtues of openness and honesty, but for some reason, we too often act as though there was a better way of handling a bad situation than by being absolutely open and honest.

[Mudboy Slim]

"I wonder if Rooney is watching "Band of Brothers" on the History Channel this week..."

I don't know if Rooney is, but I sure am...what good television!! I wish they'd play more than an hour at a time, though...they leave you hangin' til the next day. Reckon I'll haveta buy the CD to watch at my leisure.

FReegards...MUD

[Soaring Feather]

FREEPED

[Defender2]

Done!!!!

[Blue Scourge]

That bastard can kiss my ass. Someone needs to lock him away in an institution for his own good.

[Colonel_Flagg]

4. If you could have a medal or a trip home, which would you take?

I don't know, Andy. Why not ask John F'n Kerry? After all, he did both.

Moron.

[litany_of_lies]

Better to copy and paste the link into a new browser window to avoid the appearance of an organized campaign.

Anyway, my missive to CBS:

Andy Rooney's syndicated column that appeared in the
Buffalo News (Entitled "Our soldiers in Iraq aren't
heroes" in that newspaper) was an inexcusable swipe at
true heroes doing heroic work.

Even if he doesn't agree with our mission in Iraq and
despises the Administration carrrying it out (obviously
the case), this in no way affects the hero status of the
thousands of American men and women who are
putting their lives on the line to carry out the mission.
They have indisputably toppled a dictator and brought
hope for a better life to millions of Iraqis. We can
debate whether doing so was a good decision, but
nothing alters the heroism of those who carried it out.

Mr. Rooney has shown that he has irretrievably lost all
sense of perspective in choosing to ridicule and
denigrate those in our armed services. You should
seriously consider putting him out to pasture before he
harms what little remains of CBS's reputation for
objectivity and fairness in reporting and commentary.
Until then, I will not be viewing CBS or Viacom shows
for any reason, as there is plenty of entertainment
available from outlets not condoning those who would
spit on our soldiers, in the process giving aid and
comfort to enemies who have sworn to kill and enslave
us all.

[Texasforever]

Thanks for the link, I just sent them the following

Andy Rooney is a disgrace and it is a shame that he can only be fired. Your network would be well served to rid yourselves of this cancerous being since CBS is renowned for its Anti-American bias during Viet Nam. Do you want to repeat that with Iraq? Just remember things are very different now and you cannot easily get away with it today . For once in the life of your network do the right thing….fire Andy Rooney and apologize to the soldiers for his words.

[Valin]

Done
Andy Rooney
"Ordinarily he was insane, but he had lucid moments when he was merely stupid".
Heinrich Heine

[smokeyb]

Thank you for the ping Tonk !!

[Jeremiahs Call]

"Treating soldiers fighting their war as brave heroes is an old civilian trick designed to keep the soldiers at it. But you can be sure our soldiers in Iraq are not all brave heroes gladly risking their lives for us sitting comfortably back here at home."

Only an communist elite living here in the United States (and sadly with the privilege of being a US citizen) would have a cynical, hateful outlook such as this. Rooney truly expresses his contempt for the noblest of our citizens - the average Soldier. He / She does not have the wealth and privilege Rooney has, but they volunteer to defend our freedom by risking all they have. Words can't express my outrage at this piece. His article is not a practice of freedom of press, it is an act of aiding and abetting the enemy. I pray the number of my fellow service members who read this will be limited. Good citizens across the country need to boycott Rooney. Let's put this traitor out of business.

LTC Kearse

[Eagle Eye]

Dry Heave alert needed.

(I haven't had breakfast yet)

[SevenofNine]

Alright rack itttt

I consider Andy Rooney a OLD fart and Mike Wallace Catcher mitt face

Hey Andy maybe time to retired dude

[MEG33]

Done.

[SkyPilot]

4. If you could have a medal or a trip home, which would you take?

Andy--your guy Kerry chose both.

Three Purple Hearts and Out

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[cherry]

"What a dick."

don't think he has one, or a "set" as you boys would say.....

[Diddle E. Squat]

Ya'll might want to bookmark this thread (it is Andy Rooney's defining moment), to repost when the time comes on his obituary thread. When he goes he should be remembered by his own words, lest no one be fooled as to who he really was.

[GeronL]

Give the old Looney one a break.
Thats spelled Loony, I know the general area where you live =o),
Floyd Looney

[radu]

AAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOW DARE HE?!!!!!!!
ANDY ROONEY IS VILE!!!!! DAMN HIM!!!!

I just sent CBS an e-mail that was probably the most difficult one to compose that I've ever sent. Trying to keep my language clean was what made it so difficult. I'm seeing red, I'm so furious!

Thanks for the ping, Tonk, and for posting that link. I hope the CBS inbox is overflowing in no time with complaints.

[CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC]

I like that! Gonna use it for a tag line.

And here are a few other good taglines / bumper sitckers for ya' ---

Friends Don't Let Friends Vote Democrat

Envision No Liberals

Democrats Happen