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

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[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.

[Lokibob]

I am sitting here in absolute shock and getting really depressed.

As a Viet Nam vet, I honestly feel that Rooney just spit on me and called me a "Baby Killer", as was done some 34 years ago in the San Francisco Airport.

[.cnI redruM]

"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."

Has this a__ __ -clown ever read The Naked and The Dead? What a cry baby. He's over the rainbow.

[Palladin]

Did this sick old bastard ever put on a uniform for his country?

He's worse than Tokyo Rose and Hanoi Jane put together.

[angkor]

Don't get depressed.

Rooney's been in journalism some 50+ years, and his recent venal and illogical screeds clearly show that he's going over the edge with senility.

Feel sorry for him, pretty soon he won't be able to write coherent sentences.

[leadpenny]

I'm pretty liberal when it comes to defending free speech for Rooney or anyone else but CBS, Westinghouse and anything else associated with them should receive the wrath of the American People - full force!

Eat $&!t and die, Andy Rooney

[Dog]

I agree........this one will force Andy off the stage.......this went beyond the line.

[LoudRepublicangirl]

Then, let me wipe that spit off your face and thank you for serving me and my fellow Americans so well. I can't even imagine how you felt back then when people were doing that. I was called a baby-killer because I was at a pro-troop rally before Christmas. It sort of bothered me but it made me stop and think about what our Vietnam Veterans went through when they returned. I only had a small taste of it. You guys were treated horribly and I vow I will never let anyone say that to an American Veteran in my presence-ever!

[Dog Gone]

So, Andy thinks our soldiers are victims, not heroes. I'm sure they'll be glad to hear that.

I can't believe that once upon a time I thought Rooney was just a funny guy.

[Dog]

Don't blame yourself.......turn it around....call Westinghouse......call 60 minutes....call this newspaper.......FORCE them to fire this senile old fool.

[Palladin]

Add to list:

Waste of wrinkled old liver-spotted skin.

[T.Smith]

I found the following facts after a quick Google search. Apparently too many college students do not want to be in college, and should be sent back to their parent's homes.

Suicide is the second leading killer of college students - with an estimated 7.5 deaths per 100,000 students per year, according to a study of Big 10 campuses from 1980 to 1990.

Nationally, an estimated 1,000 college students -- out of a total of 15 million -- take their own lives each year.

[Coop]

As a Viet Nam vet, I honestly feel that Rooney just spit on me and called me a "Baby Killer", as was done some 34 years ago in the San Francisco Airport.

This is NOT about you. You have more class and decency in your little finger than Rooney has ever hoped to have. Let CBS know how you feel.

[kidd]

1. Do you consider your rantings to be journalism or a left-wing opinion?

2. Are you trying to inform America or to slant their opinion to match your own distorted view of the world?

3. Do the orders you get handed down from CBS, a representative of wealthy corporate America, seem sensible, or do you think CBS is out of touch with the reality of your brand of opinionation?

4. If you could have a Buckeye Newshawk Award or a billion dollars, which would you take?

5. Are you encouraged by all the talk on the street about how smart you are and how important it is to complain about common day annoyances like junk mail?

[baseballmom]

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.

Yes, Andy, there are plenty of 21st century Ernie Pyle's there, we're just not alllowed to hear them. Dr. Bob Arnot was fired for his reporting.John Burns of the NYT has done some excellent, fair reporting. Unfortunately, like Ernie, Michael Kelly and David Bloom died reporting this war. The PROBLEM, Andy, is that the liberal press doesn't WANT to hear ALL the news from Iraq. They only want to hear and print the news that fits with their agenda.

But guess what, Andy? We don't really need the liberal presstitutes to tell us what is "really" going on. Soldiers are emailing, and calling home this time around. The webloggers from Iraq are telling us what's going on. We can find out in about 2 minutes what is happening in Iraq - good and bad. You and Dan and Walter aren't able to filter the positive out this time around. We're on to your game, Andy.

Andy, go ahead and rip on President Bush. That's his job, to take all the lumps. But don't dare go after our beloved troops. You and Uncle Walter did your damndest to demonize them the last go round. We will not tolerate it this time.

[Lokibob]

I didn't watch 60 mins (never do) but just looked, and apparently this is an editorial in the Buffalo newspaper.

As soon as I find out where he said this for sure, I intend to write the corporate office. I wouldn't bother writing to Rooney, that is what he wants.

[Sloth]

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

If you could see Andy Rooney either being keel-hauled or being indecently assaulted by a pack of HIV-positive gorillas, which would you take?

[Red Dog #1]

Wow! Some how he wrote this vile defeatist America hating trash with out using the words Vietnam or quagmire.

Seriously, what an insulting and condescending piece of trash. Politicians that disagree with him are disingenuous and the troops on the ground are only there because they could find a job in “Bush’s America”.

[Coop]

I'm sick to death of these people...they are killing our brave soldiers with ink pens and microphones....

Well said. I hope you make CBS read that sentence.

[machman]

Since the war in Iraq began in March 2003, 24 soldiers have committed suicide, an average of about two per month. The suicide rate for Army soldiers in Iraq in 2003 was 15.8 per 100,000, an increase from the Army average of 12.2 for 2003 and 11.9 from 1995-2002. That rate was still below the national average of 21.5 suicides per 100,000 for males ages 20-34, which roughly matches the age range of the bulk of the soldiers in Iraq.

Just the answer to the quesiton I wanted to ask.

[leadpenny]

Excellent!!