This is a personal editorial and is not to be construed as official from Frugals. So if you don't agree with it don't go shooting at Mark.
That said and out of the way, here's what I want to say.
Recently, I posted a prayer request for my son and myself and the others that are now in harms way in Iraq. I have recieved alot of good wishes from people I know and others that I don't. I thank each and everyone of you very much. You have no idea how much it has meant to me and how much it has helped. I will never be able to repay you for this, but please except my thanks and gratitude.
Unfortunately, there are some that took a simple request of a worried father and hijacked it to further their anti-war views. Some of these were well written and thoughtful, while a couple were vile, infantile and down right disrespectful. One of them wound up being banned by Mark, which is bad. Bad for me, the community and so forth.
The idea for boards like this is to pass along information, to commune with people that you may never meet in person, on a hobby that you enjoy. We are people that come from many walks of life, from many countries, with different political views. To exchange thoughts and to relax and have fun, i.e. Donkey's shots come to mind.
But when you do as was done to the thread, then you cheapen and show disrespect to your fellow enthusiasts.
War is a most horrible facet of the human being. We strive to touch the stars, find cures to the terrible scourge of diseases like Cancer and AIDs. we produce some the most magnificent works of art, music that touch our souls and raise us up. yet on the same plain we can develop terrible weapons of destruction, capable of ending all life on this Earth. This is part of what makes us human.
we can produce people like Albert Einstein, Sister Teresa, people that bring out our best, and then we can produce monsters like Hitler, Idi Almen, Hussein . People that will kill or destroy whole countries and races just because their religion is different, or their skin color is different, or the politics differ from another. It is a paradox that is called Human.
It is our responsibility to suppress and contain the evil that is in all of us.
And we DO try.
Unfortunately, we fail with tragic results.
Unfortunately there comes a time when talking stops and force is the only way to solve the problem. Such is the state we find ourselves in today. My Country is involved in a war to liberate an oppressed people. My only son is a part of that force that is now engaged in this endeavor. The Coalition has already lost close to 30 lives to this bill. half was due to accidents, but 2 were killed in the line of duty . They laid down their lives for a principle , a belief that all people are free, or at least should be able to live without the fear of being turned into hamburger for expressing their disagreement with the government. That a child should be able to grow up with the right to dream of going to the stars, sitting in front of a computer screen and be able to fly a airplane at Mach 2 like WE here are able to do.
You may not agree with me or my politics. I acknowledge that and celebrate that right as I don't agree with alot of other's politics or views. That is what the soldiers of all countries -America, Britain, France, Russia, Iraq, Iran, Japan, Viet Nam, North Korea, Palestine, Israel just to name a few, are called upon to do. We the members of the Armed Forces are called upon to defend or Nations and our way of life. Thousands have died and are buried on foreign soil- look at the cemeteries with their rows of white marble markers on the bluffs of Normandy, or the crypts of the Kremlin wall, or in a lonely wind swept part of a desert. These men, women- boys and girls really- gave their lives not because they wanted to, but because they BELIEVED in the principles of their countries. They believed that they were right- even those countries with monsters heading their governments that plunged the world into the fury of global war. They are to be saluted and cherished because they are the ones that are putting it on the line while we sit here flying Falcon 4.0 and enjoy the challenge of ducking that SAM site to drop a load of JDAMs on a airfield, or lining up a MiG-29 with a AIM-9 and watching that pilot fly for his virtual life" and cheer when we nail it. These people are living what we are simulating. When we grow tired, we hit the exit button, shut the computer down and go to bed in a house with a roof over us. They have to stay in the dirty battlefield, they have to listen to the cries of the dieing or look for what's left of a friend in a burned out tank. They have to sleep in a muddy hole in the ground while a cold rain pours on their heads and are chilled to the bone by the cold wind.
These are the ones who are heroes. And when the politicians have decided that the shooting is over, we bring them home, try to repair the hurt, and help them adjust to being civilians again. We put away our soldiers in a box somewhere to lie and rust until they are needed again. Then when they are put into action, the protests begin and they who are out there begin to wonder "Why? Don't they know that I'm here fighting and dieing for them? I'm here so that they CAN walk the streets chanting slogans in freedom! "
I was one of them. I served for 13 years and though I never heard a rifle fired in anger at me, I still know. I still serve my country. I serve my country by supporting my government. I serve my country by asking my leaders why and holding them accountable. I serve my country through the sacrifices of my son and his fellow Marines. And I appreciate the sacrifices of my country's allies. I appreciate the sacrifices of my country's enemies and their forces. They serve to protect their country as my son does to protect mine.
You have that right to protest here. You have the right to argue the rights and wrongs of the present war. You have the right to call the French "surrender philes" or the Americans warmongers.
What you DON'T have the right to is to hijack a thread or show your distaste for a country polices when someone asks for simple consideration for their present state. We all were quick to post condolences when Dominator died, and rushed to help his family, without any kind of distasteful comments . This is what makes me proud to be a part of this community. But ask for someone to show some support for a simple request and you get hijacked. And this makes me ashamed to be a part of this community.
When you are alone in a car and listening to the radio or watching MSNBC and they show the combat footage where you know your son is and they announce "A marine was killed in action outside Basra during a fire fight. Authorities will release the name as soon as the next of kin is notified." and you jump and grab the telephone, fearing that the voice over the handset is a representative from your son or daughter's service telling you that they were the one. Or you have to face that son or daughter won't see their own son or daughter grow up. Asking for a simple prayer or remembrance or kind word from friends means more than all the gold in the world.
Put yourselves in that person's shoes, ignore the politics, and imagine if you can the fear and sadness if it was your child or the relief and guilt when you find out it wasn't. The guilt because he's still alive and the other son isn't.
Think before you hijack a thread. Think before you post. Even if there wasn't a "OT" in front of the title. If you want to protest, then start your own thread.
But have some consideration.
It's going to be some time before I will crank up my F-16 or play Ghost Recon. I probably won't until this mess is over. I just don't have the heart for it.
I'm not familiar with the thread that you speak of (btw, now that I know, my prayers for your son are "outbound"), but I understand your pain and disgust at the event you speak of.
I won't begin to express my horror at what war is all about, nor my feelings and opinions concerning this one. I will say, that I'ven personally felt war's chilling touch as a boy almost forty years ago.
I was the tender age of six, my father was flying helos in Vietnam, and people were dying. For God knows what reason, they used to broadcast the names of the KIA on the evening news each night (lovely thought, eh?). One night around the dinner table (we were living with my grandmother in northern Washington state), they flashed the name....CWO B.E. Ball....
My mother broke down, my sisters started crying, and within minutes the phone was ringing. Thank God, the news media had gotten the name wrong, and my Dad was actually safe and sound. We found out within a few hours, but those were some of the longest hours in my young life. These next few weeks will be hard for all of us, but harder for folks like yourself. Don't be surprised if a prayer or two makes their way toward you....and please continue to use this incredilbe site and it's wonderful family to help you through this mess.
I share your thinking concerning such thread topics.....let's all please have some compassion no matter what our political beliefs.
I'm tempted to say much more, but won't. :) Let's just say that I hardly bother with the boards anymore. MHO is know your own head, care for those dear to you, and forget everyone else. Do they REALLY matter? The answer is "no," at least to me.
BTW, I had very similar feelings towards "gaming" after 9/11. Just felt silly, to be honest. I've slowly come back, but not nearly the level I used to.
Again, all the best to your son, may he remain safe, and thanks.
I checked the board tonight, read the opening and read this to my wife. I cried several times. You hit the nail on the head. Thank you so very much for shareing that with us. Gods speed to you and your son.
While I have no son there, I look at my two little sons and my heart leaps out to you. I have had to prepare and deploy 60 of my troops to depart. I thank God that they are in the Air Force and not on the front lines. However, my wife and I are helping the aircrews families that are left behind.
Wives worried about their husbands, who have already been gone 90 days and only got back barely 40 days ago. Not only combat, but aircraft accidents, protesters, etc.
I pray that in 15 years the Iraqi people look back at this and thank their God that someone came and freed them.
An excellently written peice hunter. I have freinds of the family and people i was trained by and with over their and hope they come back safely. And your son too.
Es increíble el grado de enajenación de sus apreciaiones.La guerra que llevan a cabo busca apropiarse de los recursos de otra nación .Resulta bochornoso que indiquen la la libertad del pueblo Iraquí : llevan años creando y soportando dictaduras por todo el planeta con la simple condición de que les resulten útiles.
Por favor preguntense por que hay terrorismo en muchos casos y sean sinceros respondiendo.
Con aprecio y pena portodas las víctimas.
Ikaros [unregristered]
post: #8
Email: gk1@dolnet.gr
Posted: 10/4 at 12:08
IP: 193.218.84.234
I wish you the best! I sympathize all those that fight in Iraq and their famillies back home. But at the same time, looking at my son, tears come to my eyes as I compare his inocent look in my luxourious living room with the eyes of mutilated children, mothers that have lost their babies and children that saw their families killed by the very same people that came to liberate them from the tyrant.
Let this war be a lesson to all and never again trade so easily blood for oil. Because that was the real purpose of this war, no democracy for the Iraquis, no defence to the fearsome and mighty Saddam who threatens West. As an aftermath, I saw no super troops, no super weapons, no super soldiers to defent Iraq. Only poorly armed, poorly trained, poorly organised soldiers.
As for those governments that opposed the war, I have no sympathy too. They do so because of their own interest to Iraq's oil and/or political disadvantages by the apriori known outcome of this war.
But it is the indivituals that suffer the consiquences of wars on both sides and not the governments!
I wish you the best outcome for your people.
My prayers are with your son. Psalms 91 comes to mind, particularly verse 7. I too have a son, he is 23. He is not in the service but I can identify with your feelings. I do pray daily for our troops. They're over there facing the real thing while I'm over here playing shoot-em' up games online, it seems downright wierd at times thinking of that.
Wayne54
Milen [unregristered]
post: #10
Email: dgfgs@mail.com
Posted: 2/9 at 2:21
IP: 62.75.220.209
Very nice blog.
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