Bob Herbert, one of the New York Times arrogant and self-righteous columnists, has written an editorial entitled Blood Runs Red, Not Blue.
Here’s a sample of the vitriol:
For all the talk of supporting the troops, they are a low priority for most Americans. If the nation really cared, the president would not be frolicking at his ranch for the entire month of August. He’d be back in Washington burning the midnight oil, trying to figure out how to get the troops out of the terrible fix he put them in.”
Here’s my response to Mr. Herbert:
In response to your article entitled “Blood Runs Red, Not Blueâ€, all I can say is that I think it is you and not George W. Bush that is delusional.
First of all, if you think Mr. Bush is “frolicking†then you’re retarded. Look at a picture from two years ago and look at a current photo. He’s aged 10 years in the last two.
Second, how dare you disparage me and others like me by insinuating this war would be more valid if the children of the rich were the ones volunteering to go? I don’t come from a privileged background. I’m a middle aged volunteer for armed service, specifically because our war against fundamentalist religious fanatics is completely appropriate, and because I’m a little older and hopefully a little wiser than some 18-year-old who might be sent in my place if I weren’t volunteering. The economic status of those I serve with is the least of my concerns.
If you’re trying to help the troops, support us in completing our missions with the right tools so we can get this damn war over with quicker. Pulling out of Iraq now would be the equivalent of pretending to care about a woman just to get her into bed, giving her an STD and leaving before she wakes up in the morning without saying goodbye. Is that really the best solution you can come up with? Let’s wait until the Iraqi people have proved beyond a shadow of a doubt they don’t want a representative government before we give up and come home. Perhaps you’ll be surprised.
You complain that Americans don’t care enough. I think you’re about half wrong. America is not only fighting a war in the Middle East, we’re fighting one inside our borders. The internal war is between the whiners and the doers. It’s not clear to me where you fit into that equation. Are you a whiner or a doer? What have you done to support your troops today? If you want to help us, find specific problems we’re facing and give us your specific solutions. Scream them at the Pentagon until they hear you. You could do that better if you were embedded with the troops for a year or so, couldn’t you? Wouldn’t that give you actual insights into the situation on the ground?
Enjoy your vacation. Maybe I’ll see you in Baghdad. I will be there in October. How about you?
Regards,
Trevor Snyder
And of course, because Bob Herbert really cares – almost as much as the President – I got this auto responder:
Thanks for your thoughtful email. It was greatly appreciated. Please be assured that I read every message but because of the volume I cannot respond individually to each one.
Take care,
Bob Herbert