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Ok, so I said on our radio show that I was planning on going out to the protest held at the Court House...I made it, and I am glad that I was able to. It was a warm day...actually got some sun burn. There were about 100 people out there...30 against the war, and about 70 that showed up to Support Our Troops. It is kind of funny when you go to things like these protests. They talk about War Crimes, and violence, and Democracy, and when the "Anti's" are speaking it is there "Right", but when a "Supporter" speaks up they get verbally, and a few times today, physically attacked. It seems like the "Anti's" were there to provoke violence from the "Supporters". I pretty much stood there...not wanting to get into confrontation with anyone...like I said I would do on the show. Even when a "Supporter" would try to get me into a conversation on the politics of the war, I would avoid allowing myself to get political. I made my point clear to everyone that wanted to engage me in some sort of conversation. "I will not say if I am totally for or against the War in Iraq, but I do support the Troops for doing their jobs." I think that is what some people need to realize! For me, the reason I was out there was not to support or protest the war...it was to show support for our troops serving in Iraq. I think a lot of the protesters could not understand that. Instead they stood behind me and screamed this list of what they called "facts" in my ear trying to provoke me...or anyone else for that matter. I stood on the corner of Main and Jefferson. About fifty feet down Jefferson stood Dee Mills. She was out there with her sign, flags, and T-shirt showing her support for our troops. Not many of the protesters wanted to confront her I don't think...some did. I heard a lot of them walk back up toward the corner, and stop behind me and ask the question "How can she lose a Son and still support the war?" I can't speak for her, but I am not sure it is about that for her either. With Sgt. Lea Mills, his story is something special. When he died that day in Iraq, it could have been avoided. There was a junior Marine under his charge that had just finished a 12 hour shift. This Junior Marine got pulled for another duty, but Lea did not want him going out on no sleep because he felt it would be too dangerous for this Marine...Lea pulled rank and ordered the guy to stay back, and Lea went in his place. Talking to Dee I have learned that Lea loved the Marine Corps. He would fight and die for it, and his country, and the orders of the President. That is what happened that day, and another Marine's life was saved. I think that is what Dee fights for. She, like our troops, need to feel like it's not in vain. Right or wrong...they need to know we support them! Bill and I have said this in the past..."If the troops feel as if we do not support them for doing their jobs, they will question the jobs they are doing!" If they begin to have doubts, they will begin to lose focus. That is something that they cannot afford to do...it will cost more lives of our Service Members. That is what we don't want to see happen. I said this to one of the protesters that was busy yelling in my ear. She asked me how I could support a war that we have no business fighting. I gave her my response from above. She bet me that I never even served in the Military. When I told her that I was in the Marine Corps from 1990-1994, her attitude seemed to have changed. She thanked me for my service to my country, and then she walked away. I didn't give her what so many others did...a reason to argue with me. If all of the supporters would have directed all of their energy toward the actual reason we were there, and not been in verbal confrontation with those protesting, most of them would have had no choice but to quiet down. When she walked away, the man standing to the far right in the photo asked me what she said. I told him, and he was so shocked he had to tell his wife. He then started to talk about the politics of it all...again, I declined to comment...I went on to peacefully show my support. That is what this is all about for us. I am not here to take a political stance on the Bush/Cheney business. To be honest, I don't think we will see much better from the politicians running for the office of President now that seem to hop back and forth depending on what is popular in the state they are campaigning in. I simply do what I can do, and say what I can say to best show my support for the troops that are doing their jobs. NeverEndingSupport.org - Roll of Honor - Show Archives - Downloads |
