the beads

As we all know, it means the world to liberals that they not be offended. They cannot be called into question for making comments that, were they made by others, would be deemed racist, homophobic, misogynistic or downright crude. The reason for this is simple: liberals are all spirit and light. Anything they say has to be taken in the context of the wonderful things they have done for the downtrodden. It does not mean anything to them should they offend someone because, after all, anyone they offend deserves to be offended.

Well, I am offended. I am not, however, thin-skinned. So, when a member of the Pennsylvania state congress referred to his colleagues as "crackers," I was irritated, but not offended. When the Mayor of New Orleans promised that the city, in which I was born and raised, would once again, someday, be a "chocolate city" I was annoyed, but not offended. When anti-abortion protestors call me a "baby killer" and "racist bastard" and "Satan" as I volunteer my Saturday mornings to escort patients through their vitriolic phalanx, I am piqued, but not offended. I am offended, however, when liberal cartoonist Tom Toles uses a drawing of a wounded service member, sans arms and legs, to make his anti-war statement. I can only presume that is what is meant by "I support the troops, but not the mission."

Therein lies my offense. You cannot with good conscience support people who are doing something with which you disagree so strenuously. It is intellectually dishonest to say you do. I am not here to fight that particular battle though. If you do not support the war against Islamic facism, on whatever front, that is your right as an American. I support your dissent. I bled for it as a member of one of the most storied units in the United States Army. What I do not support is the reprehensible, foul use of the likeness of the wounded. Liberals have made great hay of the fact that President Bush and Vice-President Cheney are "draft dodgers" while John Kerry was a "war hero." Forget that he was a participant in a war in which they did not believe. Forget that the liberal messiah, former President Bill Clinton, was himself a "draft dodger." When President Clinton ran against a bona fide war hero, Bob Dole, there was no moratorium on casting aspersions on "war heroes." No, that particular caveat only came about when they finally had a veteran publicly support what they so cavalierly espouse.

The liberal left needs to be held accountable by all the rest of us. It is time that their hypocrisy be exposed. All those who profess to support the troops, while shouting about war crimes and lies need to admit what they have been thinking all along: the military is the problem. If the military would just go away, or, better yet, only be used as a response to natural disasters, the world would be a better place. If, while wearing your Birkenstocks and eating your granola, you truly believe that, stand up proudly and admit it. Of what are you afraid? Is it that all that noise about, "the majority of Americans support my position!" might be just that, noise. Are you afraid that people will turn against your point of view in droves once they see in what you truly believe? I, personally, have no qualms about revealing that I am a republican; a pro-choice, socially moderate, gay-rights fan, but a republican nonetheless. So, to all those liberals who hate the military, and everything for which it stands, stand up and simply say so, and quit picking on those who cannot, at present, defend themselves. The heroic combat wounded have given you the right to say any inane, disgraceful, ignoble thing that you can conjure up. Be honorable enough to recognize that truism, and leave them alone.