[Vision2020] Give Devoted Military a Worthwhile War to Fight
Tom Hansen
idahotom at hotmail.com
Thu Dec 28 13:21:53 PST 2006
A small footnote for you, ToeKnee -
I am nust this afternoon receiving the names and specific information
concerning US service members killed on December 25th.
Merry Christmas, ToeKnee.
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
>From: "Tony" <tonytime at clearwire.net>
>To: "keely emerinemix" <kjajmix1 at msn.com>
>CC: vision2020 at moscow.com
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Give Devoted Military a Worthwhile War to Fight
>Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2006 11:10:54 -0800
>
>Keely, although the relationship to Tom of said brother is not pertinent to
>the point I made, still it was an oversight and I apologize for it.
>
>My comment about Tom's defeatism was in reference to his conviction that we
>cannot win in Iraq. It was accurate based on his ongoing opposition to the
>mission our troops overwhelmingly support. You advise me that Tom deserves
>gratitude for having served. I have never challenged that assertion - I've
>in fact commended him for his service, but that does not mean he is
>necessarily any more astute than the bulk of his fellow vets who disagree
>with his far left politics. We all have experience and perspective and an
>equal right to freedom of expression. Of course simply having lived
>through
>a certain situation does not guarantee one will reach a logical and just
>conclusion as to its resolution - that relies more on an ability to
>recognize and consider subtle distinctions, rather than first hand
>experience alone.
>
>You insist that Cheney's change of mind on Iraq indicates a change in the
>neocon mind. You fail entirely to address the possibility that the world
>geopolitical landscape can change dramatically over the course of the 14
>years between Cheney's statement and our invasion. Those who are friendly
>one decade may become a threat later, those who are a threat now may become
>an asset under certain circumstances later. It is unfair for you to apply
>a
>statement made by Cheney 14 years ago regarding a certain regime, to a
>situation faced today.
>
>Happy New Year. -T
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "keely emerinemix" <kjajmix1 at msn.com>
>To: <tonytime at clearwire.net>; <thansen at moscow.com>
>Cc: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 1:05 PM
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Give Devoted Military a Worthwhile War to Fight
>
>
> > Unless I'm reading it wrong, it's the columnist's brother, not Tom's.
> >
> > But that's not the only thing you got wrong, Tony. Tom Hansen is not a
> > defeatist. He has guts and with his military service he's earned the
> > right to our gratitude -- as well as having earned a platform of
> > experience and perspective from which to criticize wrongdoing.
> >
> > His frequent citing of Dick Cheney's comment on "a classic definition of
> > 'quagmire'" is an important reminder that "something" has changed in the
> > neocon mind regarding justification of this war. The question continues
> > to be what that something is, and if the change in strategy it wrought
> > came from valid reasons. I contend that it didn't.
> >
> > keely
> >
> >
> > From: "Tony" <tonytime at clearwire.net>
> > To: "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com>
> > CC: vision2020 at moscow.com
> > Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Give Devoted Military a Worthwhile War to
>Fight
> > Date: Wed, 27 Dec 2006 12:20:36 -0800
> >
> > Nice try Tom, but the difference between you and your brother is that
>you
> > are a defeatist who has no faith in our military while your brother
>thinks
> > he can accomplish what he is tasked with.
> >
> > If the American people listen to the likes of you, we will withdraw in
> > shame
> > and defeat to the glee of our enemies. If they listen to the likes of
> > your
> > brother, we will likely achieve our objective to the dismay of our
> > enemies.
> >
> > I wish him well.
> >
> > Best, -T
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com>
> > To: "Vision 2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> > Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 6:31 AM
> > Subject: [Vision2020] Give Devoted Military a Worthwhile War to Fight
> >
> >
> > > >From today's (December 27, 2006) Spokesman Review -
> > >
> > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > Give devoted military a worthwhile war to fight
> > > By Emily Miller
> > > Washington Post
> > > December 27, 2006
> > >
> > > Here is what my brother, a member of the Army National Guard, told me
>as
> > > he
> > > prepared to serve in Iraq this year:
> > >
> > > The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is who controls
> > > the
> > > armed forces. Civilian command of the Army is a cornerstone of our
> > > democratic system.
> > >
> > > My brother told me that he takes his oath to defend the Constitution
> > > seriously and that he will fight and die if necessary to honor his
> > > commitment. When I asked him if he would be offended if I participated
> > > in
> > > activities opposing the war, he replied that it was not only my right
> > > but
> > > my
> > > obligation, and the obligation of all civilians opposing this war, to
> > > try
> > > to
> > > change bad policy. "Give us good wars to fight," he said.
> > >
> > > While acknowledging that another possible moral option is to refuse to
> > > participate in a bad war, my brother chooses to place his oath to the
> > > Constitution and his belief in our democratic system at the pinnacle
>of
> > > his
> > > moral convictions. That some of us might differ with him is basically
> > > irrelevant - we (most of us) are not faced with his decision.
> > >
> > > For the record, he believes that the war on terrorism is necessary to
> > deal
> > > with real threats facing the United States. He is not convinced of
>what
> > > Iraq
> > > has to do with the matter, which puts him fairly well in the
>mainstream
> > of
> > > American opinion.
> > >
> > > So it is terribly upsetting to me to hear that some people despair
>that
> > > there is "no point" to their soldier's death or wounding in the Iraq
> > > war.
> > > America does not have to be right in order for our soldiers' service
>to
> > > have
> > > meaning.
> > >
> > > What I find offensive is the idea that we have to "follow through" in
> > > order
> > > to give their deaths meaning post hoc. It is dreadfully apparent from
> > > the
> > > Iraq Study Group report that Iraq isn't going to have a democracy in
>any
> > > meaningful time frame. Even if this administration does everything
> > > perfectly, the best-case scenario is that we might maintain the barest
> > > outlines of order.
> > >
> > > Victory being out of the question at this point, the only democracy my
> > > brother is fighting for in Iraq is our democracy. The only
>constitution
> > he
> > > is in Iraq fighting to defend is our Constitution. If my brother dies,
> > > it
> > > will not be for a mistake but rather because of his deeply held belief
> > > that
> > > the time it takes us as a people to figure out through democratic
> > > processes
> > > that we are wrong is more important than his own life.
> > >
> > > This places upon us an obligation. My brother and other service
>members
> > > living and dead have given us the sacred responsibility to use the
> > > democratic means we have at hand to bring judgment to bear on whether
> > > any
> > > given war is worth our soldiers' lives.
> > >
> > > Despite the clear results in last month's elections and the grim
> > > conclusions
> > > of the Iraq Study Group, we are still hearing intransigent rhetoric
>and
> > > seeing unrealistic posturing from some of our leaders. This is
> > > unacceptable.
> > >
> > > It's not too late for us to honor the almost 3,000 U.S. service
>members
> > > who
> > > have died defending the principles of our democracy.
> > >
> > > It is morally imperative for us to honor our living service members
>and
> > to
> > > do what is demanded of us by our democracy and by common decency. We
> > > have
> > > taken a small step by changing some of our leadership in Washington,
>but
> > > now
> > > it is incumbent upon us to follow through at home and demand
> > > accountability
> > > from our leaders.
> > >
> > > What are you, fellow citizens, willing to do to defend our
>Constitution?
> > > Will you dignify the sacrifices of our soldiers? Will you honor my
> > > brother's
> > > faith in our system? Will you let my brother or others die to eke out
>a
> > > slightly smaller disaster in Iraq? These are the questions we face in
> > > the
> > > wake of the Baker-Hamilton report.
> > >
> > > My brother is betting his life that you are not going to ask this of
> > > him.
> > > He
> > > has placed his trust in the idea that we will not ask him to die for
> > > anything less than the necessary defense of our democracy. Reasonable
> > > people
> > > may have at one time disagreed about the necessity of the Iraq war,
>but
> > > now
> > > that it has become abundantly clear from every quarter that we cannot
> > win,
> > > will you be responsible for asking my brother to stay?
> > >
> > > My family begs of you: Do not ask this of him. Do not ask this of us.
>My
> > > brother is doing his constitutional duty. Now it is time for us to do
> > > ours.
> > >
> > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > Seeya round town, Moscow.
> > >
> > > Tom Hansen
> > > Moscow, Idaho
> > >
> > >
> > > ***************************************************
> > >
> > > "Seldom, if ever, has a war ended leaving the victors with such a
>sense
> > of
> > > uncertainty and fear -- with such a realization that the future is
> > obscure
> > > and that survival is not assured."
> > >
> > > - Edward R. Murrow
> > >
> > > ***************************************************
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
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