I would normally jump on board with the conservative viewpoint. However, the Bergdahl’s happen to be church members in a sister Presbyterian denomination. They are homeschoolers and that naturally increases my tendency to want to hear their side. We’ve had great results with our homeschooling, but our sons also have the same sort of independent, head strong streak as Bowe is described. I also grieve if the father truly did tell his son to follow his conscience and recognize the guilt he must have been living with that he inadvertently put so many in danger. However, all these human factors do not play well in a hotly contented political fight for the next President, which is what this is all about.
BTW, if you remember, the Rolling Stone article was very critical of the President, his war policy and his administration’s military discipline. It didn’t strike me as protective of the President at all.
I do not believe that headstrong and independent are qualities unique to home schooled individuals, and moreover, that those qualities would be rare in the armed service. The picture painted of him is rather one of someone idealistic and quixotic. It’s irrelevant really to the desertion issue because anyone with a lick of sense could comprehend the seriousness of his actions. Apart from protecting the president liberals also do not prize the military, fairly certain rolling stone does not. Frankly I am incapable of taking anything OTHER than the conservative viewpoint. His parents Christian credentials are rather open to question at this point.