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As mentioned in my last post, Brigadier General Kenneth R. Clark, the Adjutant General of the NH National Guard, made some rather unsavory and ignorant remarks relative to Vermont anti-war citizens at the recent homecoming ceremony for the 2nd Battalion, 197th Field Artillery. Here's a transcript of his remarks on the subject:
"Last night I was watching Nightline and the citizens of Vermont have been doing a lot of talking about how they feel about the war in Iraq and sending our troops to Iraq. Quite frankly I'm proud of the state of New Hampshire that doesn't question the war in Iraq. I think our soldiers understand that when they join the Guard they join to support their state, but also join to support their nation and the nation's politics at the time they go. If anybody doesn't think that these soldiers have been fighting on the leading edge of the battle, facing Al Qaeda on a daily basis then you don't know where they've been. They've been in the Sunni triangle, the most challenging part of Iraq, and seen a lot of war in the last year and faced a lot of adversity and need a lot of support from us now that they're back home. I'm extremely proud of the families who have supported them so so well on their tour in Iraq."
It's so sad that even our local military leaders have been so deeply duped into believing or committed to supporting the Saddam-Al Qaeda link that was purported to exist and later proven to be false. Even now in light of so much evidence that the link did not exist, Mr. Clark believes it does and Al Qaeda is fighting our troops in Iraq on the front lines. And he promotes blind, flag-waving patriotism and not taking a stand against a wrongful war. He promotes shutting of mouths and letting our politicians wave selfish wrath against people who want their country back. What makes us any better than the red coats during the American Revolution? These are sad times.
I ask you, my fellow Americans: how does it feel to be that proverbial frog in the boiling pot? How does it feel to be a red coat?
"Last night I was watching Nightline and the citizens of Vermont have been doing a lot of talking about how they feel about the war in Iraq and sending our troops to Iraq. Quite frankly I'm proud of the state of New Hampshire that doesn't question the war in Iraq. I think our soldiers understand that when they join the Guard they join to support their state, but also join to support their nation and the nation's politics at the time they go. If anybody doesn't think that these soldiers have been fighting on the leading edge of the battle, facing Al Qaeda on a daily basis then you don't know where they've been. They've been in the Sunni triangle, the most challenging part of Iraq, and seen a lot of war in the last year and faced a lot of adversity and need a lot of support from us now that they're back home. I'm extremely proud of the families who have supported them so so well on their tour in Iraq."
It's so sad that even our local military leaders have been so deeply duped into believing or committed to supporting the Saddam-Al Qaeda link that was purported to exist and later proven to be false. Even now in light of so much evidence that the link did not exist, Mr. Clark believes it does and Al Qaeda is fighting our troops in Iraq on the front lines. And he promotes blind, flag-waving patriotism and not taking a stand against a wrongful war. He promotes shutting of mouths and letting our politicians wave selfish wrath against people who want their country back. What makes us any better than the red coats during the American Revolution? These are sad times.
I ask you, my fellow Americans: how does it feel to be that proverbial frog in the boiling pot? How does it feel to be a red coat?
