Posted on 05/01/2003 6:38:38 AM PDT by Stand Watch Listen
There was a much-repeated phrase floating about during the most heated fighting of the Second Gulf War. This slogan, mouthed mostly by celebrities, anti-war activists and the leaders of the Democratic party, went something like this. "We support our troops," the ultra-partisans would claim, "but we are against the war."
I didn't understand those words then, and I don't understand them now. They seemed nothing more than the utterances of those afraid to take a strong stand for their convictions, a not so subtle condemnation of the Bush Administration carefully constructed to side-step the labels of "unpatriotic" or "anti-American."
They were and are the height of ambiguous double-talk, devoid of logic or rational definition. They were and are a disclaimer emanating from the pie-holes of folks who wish to avoid the ire of a public who by and large support BOTH the war effort and the brave men and women who put their lives on the line.
They were and are nothing but a shibboleth for the anti-Bush contingent, meaningless syllables which permit the lemmings of the left to easily identify each other as citizens of fantasyland, advocates of the ennui inherent to the nanny state.
The quotation, "We support our troops but we are against the war," should receive a perfect 10 in the Olympic fence-straddling competition. It's a little like saying, "We support traffic cops, but we are against speeding tickets." It's reminiscent of right-wingers who proclaim, "We don't hate homosexuals, we just hate their behavior." It's the cry of left-wingers who avow, "We support the rights of hunters, but we are against gun ownership."
Such statements are the stock in trade of feckless cretins whose true motives are expressed only from behind pulled curtains. We know what they really mean, just as we know that their token gestures of empathy are hollow and contrived.
Few things are more irritating than people who privately express verbose disdain for any given topic, but are frightened to take the public heat which walks hand in hand with full disclosure. If one is incapable of speaking their mind without qualifiers or escape hatches, then they shouldn't speak at all. If one is incapable of speaking without seeking to placate those whom they attack, covering all bases and protecting their precious tails from possible fall-out, they should adopt a vow of silence. A half truth is still 50 percent lie.
"We support ranchers," say the timid, "but we are against eating steak."
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. If your beliefs burn so hot that you are compelled to touch them to tinder, then by all means hold forth. Jump on the soapbox, grab the microphone, sign your name to the letter. Don't hide your light beneath a bushel basket. However, if your moral fortitude is tempered by how your thoughts might alter the way you are perceived by others, do us all a favor and shut up. Wishy-washy pronouncements don't fool anybody.
"We support loggers," say the forked-tongue tribe, "but we are against cutting down trees."
Though I would strongly disagree with a Bull Pacifist, I could respect such a person's courage in clearly stating their position. If they say they are against the Iraq war -- fine. If they say they care for the welfare of soldiers and non-combatants on both sides and hope none of them suffer harm -- fine. If they say they are against ALL armed conflict, for any reason -- fine. I think they are misguided and wrong, but at least they're not shoveling a load of bull into my yard. They're not sugar-coating their ideology or presenting the incompatible argument that they hate war but support the troops who wage war.
"We support gas station attendants," grumble the weasels, "but we are against oil production."
Some folks, regardless of affiliation, realize that not all aspects of life are shaded by infinite hues and soothing Earth-tones. Furthermore, they know that what is strongest in their heart is strictly black and white.
That's one reason I'm fond of the Bush White House. They have focus. They state their goal and pursue it. Again, they say what they mean and mean what they say. That's a policy long absent from the Executive Branch, hijacked for years by those who say what they don't mean and mean to stab you in the back at the most expedient opportunity, all in the name of votes, poll numbers and fund-raising efforts.
I support free speech, speech which is not spiked with deception. I support the war in Iraq because it is the right thing to do. I support decisive and overwhelming action against any nation that supports terrorism, harbors terrorists or threatens our country. Mostly, I support the troops who are risking their lives in the name of protecting our security, our beliefs and our very existence.
There is no greater sacrifice, and as liberals never seem to learn, sacrifice does not come in shades of gray.
Neither does honesty -- to self or others.
(Ron Marr is the founder of The Trout Wrapper, the official magazine of Montana's Tobacco Root Mountains. The publication believes in "big guns, big dogs and big bar tabs." Founded in 1994, The Trout Wrapper says it is "dedicated to hunting down and publicly tormenting the humor impaired," and it espouses the "wholesale abuse of all things politically correct.")
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There's nothing there to understand. It's rhetorical sleight-of-hand, a clumsy manipulation of sentiments to achieve some dubious legitimacy.
To understand them, you have to be able to sing harmony with yourself. Or have a toolbox lobotomy.
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