Look, stop emailing me about the torture thing already, will you please? I don't respond to hate mail. I also don't respond to kiss-ass flattery. And I especially don't respond to illiterate ranting.
If you've got something constructive to say to me, say it here in the comments section. If you don't have a Blogspot Id, use the 'Anonymous' posting function and sign your name to the bottom of the comment (or not, your choice, I don't care). If you don't have the guts to post your comments in public and risk getting slapped upside the head by the regulars around here, that's your problem. Also I don't care if you did outrank me when you were on active duty, I'm a civilian now and I'll say what I goddammed well please, Commander.
As I said in yesterday's post, I can be persuaded to change my stand, but you'd better have a dammed strong argument, backed up with verifiable fact - anecdotal 'evidence,' hearsay, strawmen, and rumsfeldian scare tactics don't work on me. I've been there, I've met the bogymen you're telling me about, I didn't form my opinion of these people by watching episodes of '24' so save your bullshit. I know better.
Either put your money where your mouth is, or shut the fuck up.
I've been known to spread germs from thousands of miles, so yeah, I got yer back man. :)
ReplyDeleteA potent threat indeed, Shawn. Nice to know I have it in my arsenal if needed.
ReplyDeleteFeeling better today?
I'd like to lie and say yes. Heck, I will.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm feeling great today. I've spent a leisurely day in the recliner coughing up interesting looking stuff. Some gross enough to deserve Latin names.
But hey, it is Friday. It's hard to knock that.
I had to check your comment sections to see what you were referring to but must be mostly emails, eh?
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm here tho:
I don't mind calling myself a liberal as that may very well be my leanings. But like you, I hold views that are not generally viewed as liberal. I have shot my own dogs when the situation called for it. I'm suspicious enough of our gov'ment to not support much gun control.
So we may mostly agree on a bunch of stuff. One thing you said awhile back that I wouldn't agree with is you reserve the right of punching someone in the nose for flag burning. As you know better than I, you fought for our freedoms and I consider that one of them - though I can see it getting close to something like cross-burning. But I don't think it crosses that line.
I also don't see myself burning a flag - but I enjoy that so far it is legal to do in the country. Our government has done some horrendous things to its own population and to the world's populations, and I can understand someone's wanting to display their anger at the country's gov'ment institutions.
So all in all, I would hope soldiers such as yourselves would stand by and protect the flag-burner from the punchers as long as it is still a legal expression of our liberties. On the other hand, I haven't gone through what you have so I can't really understand your position and I therefore respect that.
Hm. Are you seriously implying this Commander person thinks their view on this topic is superior to your own based soley on rank? And that they have should have some level of control surrounding what you choose to publish surrounding the topic based solely on rank? If so, then...
ReplyDeleteWhat a tool.
Get over yourself, Commander.
Jim, yeah I'm getting a shitload of email. My spam folder is about double the normal amount today. I'm finding it very odd that it's coming in via email instead of the comments sections, which is why I made the post. It may be because these folks don't want to create a blogspot account, but more likely it's because I'm active in a number of military forums and my email account is published at several military-only websites and so people may be tracking me back without ever coming to Stonekettle Station, though I have seen a large number (+200) surfing the site with referrers tracing back to SWJ and TGS military sites. I don't know, but I wish it would stop, it's pissing me off.
ReplyDeleteAs to the flag burning thing: I guess my response would be entirely contingent on why a person is committing the act. I didn't risk my life for a piece of cloth, but rather what that piece of cloth stand for, i.e. the Constitution and by extension the right to freedom of expression. When a group like Westboro Baptist Church burns the Flag because they hate what the US stands for, but then demands protection under the first amendment - well, my urge is to punch them in the nose.
Janiece, yes I received an email from somebody claiming to be a former USNR Commander (Vietnam era) who took it upon himself to remind me of my "sworn allegiance to the President" and that is was unpatriotic for me to hold the opinions I do (though it was more along the lines of "you crying liberals should move to Canada and, blah, blah, blah." I was very tempted to post his letter, including his email address, but instead I deleted it so as remove the temptation. If he wants to comment and leave his email address you are all welcome to have fun with him. Your ball, Commander.
ReplyDeleteJim, rereading my last remark makes me want to be a little more clear on my position, to wit:
ReplyDeleteI have a major problem with people who claim the right of freedom of expression for themselves in order to demand that it be denied to others. When they burn the flag in order to make a statement of hatred or intolerance towards (pick a hated minority), then I think they need a swift kick. Every time I see neo-nazies parading down main street in some Midwestern cow town screaming about their racial superiority - but then depending on minority cops to defend them from people who would cheerfully kick their Hilter worshipping asses into bloody smears, well I think the cops should just get the hell out of the way. Sometimes you've just got to reap the whirlwind.
I have no problem with people who protest US policies in an effort to bring governmental injustice or hypocrisy to the national conscienceless. If they burn the flag, I don't have much heartache over it, and I'd probably help defend them while they did it even if I didn't agree with them.
And I think it's idiotic to even talk about an anti-desecration amendment. Desecration? The flag is just a piece of cloth, people should be much more concerned about things like, oh, torture condoned by their elected leaders.
My two bits. Does that make my position clearer, or does it make it worse?
ahh, that Westboro baptist thing raises some interesting questions. I think the original court decision got that one right - that the baptists have a right to free speech but that they were infringing on the privacy of the families trying to bury their dead (how heartless can you get?). I think we'll hear some more on that case.
ReplyDeleteand yes - much clearer and something very akin to my own heart
ReplyDelete