write her a letter
What a crock!
When my middle son graduated from college and enlisted in the Army Reserve 2 years ago I know it was disturbing for some in my family. But my impression is ; Why should I be selfish and only expect the sons and daughters of others to defend and protect our freedoms and the freedom of others who choose to live in peace, and spare my three sons from that sacrifice? My son set foot in Kuwait Saturday Morning for his year plus deployment. Please pray with us for his safe return!
Those parents are wrong to steer their children away from what the, the children, believe is a just cause.
No wonder some schools are banning Military Recruiters from the school campus. Their vision of utopia does not include sacrifice.
Interesting discussion here. I have trouble with what seems to be Ms. Abby's intent.
On the other hand, anyone preparing to sign up for military duty should fully realize they are volunteering for WAR. Some nowadays see it as simply a way to pay for education, get some discipline, play with weapons, etc. Then war hits and they or their parents claim it's not fair.
So no problem with seeing all sides of an important decision. I'm sure most wounded vets will tell those younguns that they are proud of their service and sacrifice.
I never knew until today that Dear Abby's REAL twin was Cindy Sheehan!
I read this in my local paper this morning and it go my blood boiling.
I hope both these kids enlist as soon as they turn 18 and stay in until they retire!
Maybe she was just thinking of Jon Carey.
My response to Dear Abby:
In reference to your response to the letter from Cleveland Mom regarding her children's desire to enter the military. Your answer may very well backfire for her. My husband was one of those veterans in the the Veteran's Hospital. He was wounded in Iraq in 2003, and like many other wounded Marines and Soldiers, has a very strong sense of honor and duty to their job, the military, and their country. These men and women exude a commitment to what they have sworn to do and the men and women they sworn to protect, and they believe in what they are doing. There is so much optimism in the midst of human pain, and a desire to go forward, and move on to the next challenge. This is what these young adults will see and may very well inspire them to go on and commit to the military. It is an honorable profession just as being a fireman, police officer, or teacher. And thanks to my Marine, we are able to live in a country where we have a choice to choose our profession, not be told. These men and women deserve the utmost respect. They are the best and the brightest. Your response offended me as I'm sure it did many people.
(speaking here as a 21-year retiree from the AF)
Anybody who doesn't understand that life in today's military is dangerous probably doesn't have the mental aptitude to be in the military. Sure, the kids should go be candy-stripers at a VA hospital. A better choice would be to volunteer to be a candy-striper at a military hospital...
Pauline Esther Friedman (aka Abigail Van Buren) is long known as a left-wing harpy who spews APA-approved psychobabble. This is very consistent with her social-liberal agenda that she's preached for decades.
But I disasgree with you, ContraryMary, military people have long been props to the left-wingers in this country. Just ask anybody who was on active duty during the KKKlinton era...those socialists had to pass down orders to military people to show up for their media events..."rent-a-crowds" showing how much the military just LOOVVVEEEDDD them(/sarc).
I wanted to join the Navy when a recruiter came to our high school, way back when. My mom stepped in and stopped that.
Dear Abby:
VA hospital work to warn the kids off military service. Splendid idea. Because as we all know, the Bush-lapdog neocon mainstream press isn't really going out of its way to show the nasty side of war. (No, really. It isn't. Stop laughing.)
(Seriously, it's amazing how many idiots there are in the world.)
Yep, absolutely true. Except for ending slavery, oppression, fear, communism, nazism and fascism, war is not the asnwer to the world's problems. Right on, mom!
(Here's your dunce cap, now go sit in the corner!)
Some people will react to caring for wounded vets with horror and revulsion. Some people will react by respecting their sacrifice, admiring their courage, and wanting to finish the work they so nobly started.
I think Dear Abby and Cleveland Mom might be very surprised to find out that these two youngsters might fall into the latter catagory. You think Cleveland Mom was hurt and confused before?!?
Somehow I doubt the Cleveland Mother is real. Her letter sounds much like a seminar caller on Rush who is promoting the Military out of our schools movement. It sounds like Dear Abby was taken hook line and sinker.
I'm Insulted and have told her so.
If one wanted to enlighten one's neo-adult children about things military, then the young people should talk to people on active duty service folks and also to veterans. This could (and should) include wounded vets and wounded personnel currently in the service; but talking with young service people as well as veterans is key.
BTW, it is very interesting to me that anyone running for public office always makes a big mention of military service. The public (with the exception of the Cindy Sheehans and the Dear Abbys) holds veterans in especially high regard.
This, from a Nam era vet and a current Marine Dad.
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Volunteering at a VA hospital may have the opposite effect of making this mother come to terms with what these brave men and women do for her freedoms every day. Maybe then she will have some pride in the fact that she raised children who are willing to do the same.
I remember years ago her column where she said, "I may not agree with you but I will defend to the death your right to say it." This young adults are volunteering to do just that and she is begrudging them. I guess she didn't really mean what she said.
Dear Abby, You are an old school pinko who's living off the reputation of your mother who wrote the column for a generation before you.
Signed Better Dead That Red Or Enslaved Kufir
This is a standard lieral technique: Wave Death In Their Faces. Its morbid, vapid and intellectually dishonest.
The idea that war is not the answer to the world's problems would have left Hitler in power...but that is preferable to these non-thinking rubes. OK, you don't want your children to go off to war...is that because the candidates you vote for are attempting to cause us to lose in Iraq? Is it because the candidates you support are attempting to restrict money for equipment and training and you don't want YOUR children to suffer the consequences of your votes? How about support victory and maybe your children won't end up in Iraq. And remember to warn them...if they don't go to school and get a good education they might end up in the Senate.