Spitting on Veterans

NY Sun ^ | February 6, 2007 | SETH GITELL

[neverdem]

Anti-war sentiment is moving dangerously close to a place America must never go — putting our anger on the soldiers that have been fighting the four-year Iraq war.

Some of this takes the form of minimizing what happened the last time American GIs returned from an unpopular war — Vietnam. Liberal commentators, such as MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, are diminishing the hostile treatment Vietnam veterans garnered when they returned from Vietnam.

On the air on Thursday, Mr. Olbermann disparaged the old report of Vietnam veterans being spit upon when they came home: "And, oh, by the way, there is not one confirmed case, not one, of Americans spitting on veterans returning from Vietnam."

Washington Post blogger William Arkin, meanwhile, went so far as to lay a condition for America's "support" of veterans. "These soldiers should be grateful that the American public, which by all polls overwhelmingly disapproves of the Iraq war and the President's handling of it, do still offer their support to them, and their respect," Mr. Arkin wrote. "Through every Abu Ghraib and Haditha, through every rape and murder, the American public has indulged those in uniform, accepting that the incidents were the product of bad apples or even of some administration or command order."

Let's state the obvious. First, Mr. Arkin's words are slanderous. To pluralize Abu Ghraib and Haditha and "every rape and murder" is unconscionable. True, there have been some misdeeds, acts as in Vietnam, where there was a William Calley, who was convicted in the murder of 22 Vietnamese civilians at the My Lai massacre. But in Vietnam there also was helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson who stopped Calley from killing even more innocents. The bulk of the American soldiers cannot be held responsible for the isolated wrong.

And, as for Mr. Olbermann, the point is...

[clamper1797]

he must have stumbled.

That is EXACTLY what needs to happen to anyone who spits on our troops now ... and NO ONE should see a thing

[kellynla]

If you would like to contact the management of GE, which owns NBC, regarding the recent negative remarks made about the United States military by NBC News military analyst William Arkin, here's how:

Jeffrey Immelt, Chairman & CEO
jeff.immelt@corporate.ge.com

General Electric Company
3135 Easton Turnpike
Fairfield, CT 06828-0001

[neverdem]

He's a vet accost denier.

LOL!

[Xenophon450]

Ah! Yes! Liberals...scream baby killer and then turn around and have an abortion because that baby was a darn inconvenience.

[TexanToTheCore]

"And, oh, by the way, there is not one confirmed case, not one, of Americans spitting on veterans returning from Vietnam."

I know of several.

[redlegplanner]

Fellow I work with, Dr Billy, related that upon returning home to Denver from the South East Asia War Games, he was spat on by one of the unwashed. As he had the little sniveler on the ground with his hands around the hippie's throat, a cop tapped him on the shoulder. Fearing that the was about to get hauled off, Billy released the hippie. The cop told him "Hey, I just got back 6 months ago. I'll take over" and proceeded to demonstrate the chokehold, much to the hippie's dismay....

[Richard Axtell]

Olberman is proven by easily researched facts to be either a liar or a fool, perhaps and most likely... both. Keith Olberman, you have been discredited, once again.

[dhs12345]

Oh. But they wouldn't spit on anyone. /sarc

[dhs12345]

Very good point.

[neverdem]

Muslims 'about to take over Europe' Bernard Lewis

A 9/11 conspiracy virus is sweeping the world, but it has no basis in fact

U.S. Set to Begin a Vast Expansion of DNA Sampling

Rebellion Growing as States Challenge a Federal Law to Standardize Driver’s Licenses

From time to time, I’ll ping on noteworthy articles about politics, foreign and military affairs. FReepmail me if you want on or off my list.

[The Mayor]

BTTT!

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[NY Attitude]

It is unfortunate that our fine servicemen and women would be subjected to this sort of treatment. I might add since the onset of AIDS spitting may be considered as assault with an intent to do harm. Such action should be worthy of one defending ones self by decking the SOB.

[Balata]

"Some of this takes the form of minimizing what happened the last time American GIs returned from an unpopular war — Vietnam. Liberal commentators, such as MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, are diminishing the hostile treatment Vietnam veterans garnered when they returned from Vietnam. "

It looks like Mr. Olbermann and his ilk are trying to rewrite history.

After coming home from Vietnam I spent several years on a major university campus in southern Calif. I could tell him some stories that would make him pi$$ his pants.

Mr. Olbermann is the WORST person in the WORLD!!!!

He apparently thinks putting panties on someones head is torture. Makes me wonder what he thinks 'hostile treatment' is?

[Tainan]

A very timely thread. Thanks.

[PGalt]

Keith Olbermann is allowed to amplify his lie with with a cable channel and a microphone.

America's finest have been killed, tortured, maimed and spit on to allow a lie to be propagated? Free lies must have a penumbra somewhere in the 1st amendment. Perhaps Dan Ra^ther could explain.

[Retired COB]

"“How’s it feel to be a murderer?” asked the faculty advisor of Al Zellar who was mustering out after a year’s infantry service in Vietnam.

You forgot to mention "Baby Killer". This dig was from the same hippie crowd that supports unrestricted abortion.

[silverleaf]

Olbermann would not take the word of a Vite vet who was spit upon unless the soldier also provided DNA evidence of 40 yr old saliva on his uniform and had it matched to an admitted war protester.

For me, I still remember a crowd of hairy screaming protesters who had group of Navy recruiters up on a table at the "hub" (student union) at PSU in 1968.

[MoochPooch]

Please ping me. (If I'm already on, sorry for the repetition. I'm on so many ping lists, I forget.)

[RavenATB]

"On the way home I was approached by the parents of two kids who wanted to get a picture taken with me."

In the FL Panhandle, about two years ago, I stopped at a convenience store to fill w/ gas and get a soda. I was wearing my flight suit, when I went inside to get my soda and pay. Two little girls...about five and seven years...walked up to me and grabbed my hand to get my attention. The youngest of the two said, "we pray for you every night."

Just writing this has me sitting with tears streaming down my face.