But before I editorialize, I'll tell you what's going on: crosses that had been set up in Crawford, Texas to commemorate and remember soldiers who have died in the war on Iraq were plowed down by a local Crawford resident on Monday night. This is added to the fact that while people at Camp Casey sang "God Bless America," a group led by a right-wing radio host chanted "We don't care; we don't care."
If nothing else has become abundantly clear since Cindy Sheehan has been in Crawford is that many right wingers simply don't care. They don't care about the troops. They care about and support the troops when it's convenient, but when they or their families begin to question why they're being asked to sacrifice, suddenly they're painted in the media as "radicals" or "left-wing" or "communists." I've heard all of these (Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and John Gibson, respectively).
I've been to Camp Casey. I've seen the grief and the courage that is everywhere there. I've seen, if nothing else, that these people are not radicals (not that there's anything wrong with being a radical). They are people who have broken hearts, who shouldn't have broken hearts. They are people who care so deeply about the troops that they have volunteered their time and their money to demand answers. Many have broken the military code of silence to come and support this cause.
The memorial wasn't partisan. It was to honor the ultimate sacrifice made by each and every one of those soldiers. Cindy Sheehan met earlier with a father who lost a son in Iraq. They disagreed on the war. But, after seeing their childrens' memorials, they could both share a hug and a prayer for the troops in Iraq now.
So, just because people voted differently than you did, you have the right to desecrate a memorial for all Americans? How dare you. How dare you claim to support the troops, while having no problem desecrating a memorial to them and their sacrifice? I was at that memorial. I cried. I was overwhelmed by the enormity of a sacrifice that I can't even begin to understand. Yet you have no problem disregarding it and what it means to grieving parents, grieving friends, worried loved ones, and all Americans. Because that's the message you, and Sean Hannity, and Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh, and others like you are sending: You don't care.
So, yes, enjoy it. Laugh it up. You got those Camp Casey idiots good! Just remember that those are real people you're driving all over, those are real families you're disrespecting and disregarding. People and families who've given up something for this country that most of us can't understand. Every one of those crosses represents a person, and each person represents a family. Yet you just drove over it, crushing them like so many weeds.
I don't want to paint all conservatives, or all war-supporters, with the same brush here. I know many would not approve at all of the desecration and disrespect shown today. These are most likely the same ones who respect Cindy Sheehan and other families who are demanding answers, though they disagree politically. I'm not referring to you here.
But to those who did this: Do not claim to support the troops and on the other hand show by your words and your actions that you "don't care." Because America does care. By committing this act, you've shown your true colors. This is only going to help this movement. Your actions will simply serve as an illustration. If the mainstream media picks it up, that is.
I'm going to leave with a few pictures from Camp Casey (thanks TexasLady from DU):
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