Letters to the Editor
Dawggone
Published Letters: 451 Editor's Choice: 69
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This is the problem...
[Read the article: Democrats to Bush: Don't surge]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]when you trust military decisions to a draft dodger.
I don't recall and would highly doubt if our military would call some 1A in Ottowa and ask his opinion on how to fight Vietnam. Yet, the final Decider in Chief, who had the chance and responded by avoiding any chance, must be asked how to prosecute a war.
There are senators and reps who say they will not approve a surge without some understanding of what their mission is. That is a good stance. Let me explain.
I have served in the military. For those who have not, it includes a substantial education in history and tactics of war and conflict resolution. What of the neat things about Naval battle education is that 1) Marines can't be scout leaders because the Scouts require adult supervision (the Marines have a joke for us Navy guys but I am sure it is not funny), it lays clear that as a military force our duty is to defeat an enemy through extremely violent means. It is not how to convince them how to live or govern themselves. All we do as service men is to fight and kill and pacify a place and hope our leaders will send someone to rebuild it. We are not negotiators, we are not idealists, we are agents of mass destruction which we rain on those who threaten our country or our friends with serious harm. We trust our government will step in after we have vanquished the enemy to build a life that respects and supports those we didn't kill off.
But I digress.
Let me describe this from my military training.
In a battle you have divisions, brigades, platoons, men and women, committed to battle. At that time you also have reserves. Their purpose is to either move in quickly to prevent a defeat, protect a retreat, or finish off a victory by collapsing a front. You don't send them in unless the issue is in doubt and they are needed to decide the battle or to protect your own troops.
Now, a person, and people, of highly questionable military experience want to toss in the reserves. Are they doing so to prevent a rout, to bolster a flank, to secure a victory? We don't know which is why politicians with military experience are demanding "Why are your asking this commitment? Do you have a specific issue to commit them to?"
If Bush tosses in six or sixty thousand troops in a surge without the goal of protecting a victory or preventing a defeat then all he is doing is send more women and men to go and die in a hell storm. Unless the "war president" has a concrete military plan he cannot have a plan for the reason to commit reserves. If he wants to be a war president then he must commit to a military plan and stick to it. Sadly he pretends he is a general while acting like a politician. And for that conceit three thousand soldiers who swore to risk or lose their lives to defend this country have died and their mothers, fathers, wives, their children, will never know them because a certain Decider in Chief would rather play politics than actually serve as a military officer, be it a captain in the reserves or a commander in chief.
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Been there lost that fight
[Read the article: The unkindest cut]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]seventeen years ago, while awaiting the arrival of our son, I told my wife, who was Jewish, (I was Catholic) that I didn't want him circumsized. I made the same arguments made here; it was barbaric, it mutilated him, it was an archaic and unnecessary religious practice and most of all, if a man can't sheath his penis he is forever at the beck and call of his small head and not his big mind. To me, having a foreskin allowed men the freedom to think and act without their uncovered most sensitive part of their sex organ constantly getting in the way.
For a brief moment she agreed. Then we broached her parents.
Her father said he would disown us and we would not be recognized as Jewish even if our son were the greatest rabbinical scholar in the land. Her grandmother reminded her that she had a very large trust fund and she and her children would not see a penny of it. Then her mother grabbed a steak knife and chased me out of the dining hall. I am not making any of this up.
I stuck to my guns, but her doctor did not. After the delivery, after watching my wonderful wife fall asleep in my arms, after watching Josh be put into his acrylic crib with the lights designed to ward away jaundice I went home to feed the pets, light cigars with my friends and also get some needed sleep. The next day when I returned, Josh was not in his crib or his mother's arms, he was getting circumsized without my knowledge or consent. She couldn't estrange her family and I don't blame her. But my consideration of converting went right out the window that day. You can take that religion and shove it for all I care.
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Oh, and another thing
[Read the article: The unkindest cut]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Not once in sixteen years has my son ever looked at my dick to see if he is like me, so spare me that excuse for circumsision.