Michael B. writes:

Hey Tom-

Your comment about MoveOn.org members who "don't don't share the same pride for those who choose to serve America in uniform" is a typical slur from a right wing ideologue towards millions - yes millions - of patriotic Americans who don't share the same views as you.

Just because an American is against the war in Iraq, against keeping our troops in Iraq until we are sufferring no more casualties, and against staying for another 100 years after that as John McCain and those of your ilk like to fantisize [sic] about, DOES NOT MAKE US HATE AMERICA OR NOT SHARE PRIDE IN THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO SERVE AMERICA IN UNIFORM!

For what it's worth, I've got two boys of my own, five and three. And I'd be damned proud if they elected to serve in the military. But not to serve in an elective war against a country waged for reasons which had nothing to do with our national security and everything to do with stupidity, hubris, and naivite [sic].

So go f*ck yourself. And feel free to assume that I'm just some left wing wacko instead of someone who looves[sic] this country just as much as you do. You'll be wrong, but what do you care. You've already made it clear how you feel about opponents of the war.

I'd love to hear your reply. But I'm guessing you're too busy being a serious journalist who loves America more than me.

Where to start? I guess by making a declaration and a distinction. First, the declaration: I was originally in favor of the war because I believed, like pretty much everyone else, it was the right decision based on the information we had at the time. In retrospect, given all we've learned and all that has transpired since, I would fall in with the sixty plus percent of Americans who feel it was probably an ill advised decision - though it's impossible to know at this moment in time whether history will condemn or vindicate the move.

Regardless, we are where we are, and my preference now would be to fight and win (meaning that we achieve a reasonable level of stability, declare victory and withdraw our troops) rather than suffer the consequences of just throwing up our hands and bringing the troops home immediately - especially when it appears we have finally been making some progress.

Now, the distinction I would make is this: I manifestly do not believe that everyone whose opinion differs from the one I've expressed above is less patriotic than I am. That being said, I think it is unquestionably true that there is a percentage of people on the far left in this country - the exact number is impossible to know, but many of whom are no doubt paying members of Moveon.org - who do indeed despise the United States military, who do not believe military service is honorable, and who think members of the United States Armed Forces are all dupes, dopes, and dolts being used by the malignant American military-industrial complex. To me, the people who believe those sorts of things are in fact unpatriotic.

As to the Moveon ad itself: it is downright despicable to use a mother and her infant to demonize a politician for holding an opposing viewpoint, just as it is equally repugnant to run an ad in the nation's most widely read newspaper calling America's top general in Iraq a liar and a traitor on the day of his testimony before the United States Congress.

Moveon.org stoops to these tactics because it wins them attention. But instead of slandering generals and using infants as props to unfairly demonize a war hero as a war monger, perhaps they should spend their money and use those tactics to put pressure where it really belongs: on the Democrats in Congress. Democrats have majorities in both chambers. If liberals want the war to end, they should force Reid and Pelosi to find the votes and shut it down.