Posted on 02/02/2007 9:42:23 AM PST by The Blitherer
I knew when I used the word "mercenary" in my Tuesday column that I was being highly inflammatory.
NBC News ran a piece in which enlisted soldiers in Iraq expressed frustration about waning American support.
I intentionally chose to criticize the military and used the word to incite and call into question their presumption that the public had a duty to support them. The public has duties, but not to the American military.
So I committed blasphemy, and for this seeming lack of respect and appreciation for individuals in uniform, I have been roundly criticized and condemned.
Mercenary, of course, is an insult and pejorative, and it does not accurately describe the condition of the American soldier today. I sincerely apologize to anyone in the military who took my words literally.
Almost every day, we can hear or read someone in uniform saying that they are just doing a "job." We don't necessarily take this to literally mean that they are only in it for the work.
Of course those who choose to wear the uniform do so because they are patriots and because they feel compelled to take up arms to defend the nation. What we take from their self-deprecating description that they are only doing their job is that they are not glory seeking, and that in order to make war and put themselves in the unnatural position of risking their lives and killing others, they have to focus on their profession, to do what they have been trained to do, to put aside the seeming inhumanity, to just "soldier on."
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.washingtonpost.com ...
This pig's squealing hurts my ears.
Write NBC and tell them he's got to go.
Better yet, write the sponsors of the programs that he's on.
"I sincerely apologize to anyone in the military who took my words literally."
In other words, it's everyone else's fault because they didn't take his words illiterally.
"I sincerely apologize to anyone in the military who took my words literally."
You are a writer, that is how you make your living.
You know what you write has meaning. You meant it.
You got called on it and now you backtrack?
Stand up for what you believe! Stand up and defend your words!
You are a troop hating leftist sissy.
JJ
His first line in this articlestates;
"I knew when I used the word "mercenary" in my Tuesday column that I was being highly inflammatory."
Which means he chose the word carefully and not only knew what affect it would have, but counted on it. Like a typical liberal, he then claims he was misunderstood.
No civil comment can be made.
Well, I tried to be civil on this comment. I just can't get over the ignorance of this guy trying say that the military is not the "public". They ARE part of the American public. What is more, for each man/woman in the military, there are dozens of extended family members not in the military (which seems to be his definition of the public) that support them, and they DO vote. This is why the left is trying so hard with the "We support the troops, but not mission" creed. It's BS, and we see it. They are spitting on the troops even before they come home. I'm sick of it.
Update:
Radio Factor today... BOR on Arkin and the network's lack of concern in their response (with Juan Williams)
http://homepage.mac.com/mkoldys/iblog/C168863457/E20070205141525/index.html
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