I knew when I used the word "mercenary" in my Tuesday column that I was being highly inflammatory. NBC News ran a piece in which enlisted soldiers in Iraq expressed frustration about waning American support. I intentionally chose to criticize the military and used the word to incite and call into question their presumption that the public had a duty to support them. The public has duties, but not to the American military. So I committed blasphemy, and for this seeming lack of respect and appreciation for individuals in uniform, I have been roundly criticized and condemned. Mercenary, of course,...