Getting blatantly lied to generally does it. People displaying ignorance, on the other hand, just piques me a bit. But when someone takes ignorance, ingests just enough fact, and then regurgitates – let’s not pussyfoot – vomits their asshole opinion, sometimes that’s enough.
Today, I had just such an experience.
The lefty blog The People’s Republic of Seabrook, run by one Jack Cluth, has as its address “intellectualize.org” – just so we know that Jack’s an intellectual, I suppose. Jack is an unabashed Leftist, victim of Bush Derangement Syndrome, and all-around opponent of the war in Iraq, given the postings I’ve reviewed there. But one really took the cake. Not the post, so much. That’s just a combination of his personal political bias combined with his ignorance of matters military and his knee-jerk reaction to a three-hundred word “news” story.
No, what pissed me off was the picture he chose to illustrate his post. I don’t know if he created it, or if he plucked it off the web somewhere because it appealed to him – and in either case I don’t really give a damn – because it illustrates his derangement perfectly.
Let’s discuss the story – hell, let’s reproduce it in its entirety:
Family Upset Over Soldier’s Body Arriving As Freight
Bodies Sent To Families On Commercial Airliners
There’s controversy over how the military is transporting the bodies of service members killed overseas, 10News reported.
A local family said fallen soldiers and Marines deserve better and that one would think our war heroes are being transported with dignity, care and respect. It said one would think upon arrival in their hometowns they are greeted with honor. But unfortunately, the family said that is just not the case.
Dead heroes are supposed to come home with their coffins draped with the American flag — greeted by a color guard.
But in reality, many are arriving as freight on commercial airliners — stuffed in the belly of a plane with suitcases and other cargo.
John Holley and his wife, Stacey, were stunned when they found out the body of their only child, Matthew John Holley, who died in Iraq last month, would be arriving at Lindbergh Field as freight.
Matthew was a medic with the 101st Airborne unit and died on Nov. 15.
“When someone dies in combat, they need to give them due respect they deserve for (the) sacrifice they made,” said John Holley.
John and Stacey Holley, who were both in the Army, made some calls, and with the help of U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, Matthew was greeted with honor and respect.
“Our familiarity with military protocol and things of that sort allowed us to kind of put our foot down — we’re not sure other parents have that same knowledge,” said Stacey Holley.
The Holleys now want to make sure every fallen hero gets the proper welcome.
The bodies of dead service members arrive at Dover Air Force Base.
From that point, they are sent to their families on commercial airliners.
Reporters from 10News called the Defense Department for an explanation. A representative said she did not know why this is happening.
Now, I’d like some follow-up on this piece. “With the help of Sen. Barbara Boxer” Matthew Holley was “greeted with honor and respect.” Even though, I suppose, he was shipped as (gasp!) AIR CARGO!
This isn’t, however, what pissed Jack Cluth off. Let me quote from his post:
OK, let’s imagine something for just a second. Let’s say that Bill Clinton was still in office. And let’s say that the bodies of dead American soldiers were being shipped to their families as freight, stuffed in the cargo hold of a plane along with the luggage?
If Republicans were to get wind of this sort of Democratic perfidy, CAN YOU IMAGINE THE WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH, AND THE PEALS OF RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION that would be raining down upon a Democratic Administration? And guess what? They’d have a damn good point. So why then is it acceptable for Our Glorious Leader’s Administration to be shipping the bodies of fallen soldiers as they would Aunt Ethel’s luggage? It’s simple, really; because Democrats simply lack the cojones to to raise Hell and demand that this disrespect stop IMMEDIATELY.
Old Jack is angry because the Democrats haven’t made a talking point out of it.
Here’s a clue, Jack: The military has always shipped deceased service members home by air cargo – with escort. Why the Defense Department representative didn’t know that is beyond me. Perhaps the reporter didn’t call the right department? Regardless, what would you prefer – private jet? Wouldn’t you then complain about the expense? Ship them in a first-class seat with a martini to hand? Detail an Air Force cargo jet for each individual soldier?
If you knew anything about the military, you would know that usually – not always, but usually – they treat their dead with the utmost honor. And if you read any of the right-wing or milblogs, you would have read this Rocky Mountain News in-depth report on just how the Marines honor their fallen, Final Salute. However, it runs a wee bit longer than 305 words and it requires an attention span. And some shred of honor.
Let me quote some of it:
The American Airlines 757 couldn’t have landed much farther from the war.
The plane arrived in Reno on a Friday evening, the beginning of the 2005 “Hot August Nights” festival – one of the city’s biggest – filled with flashing lights, fireworks, carefree music and plenty of gambling.
When a young Marine in dress uniform had boarded the plane to Reno, the passengers smiled and nodded politely. None knew he had just come from the plane’s cargo hold, after watching his best friend’s casket loaded onboard.
At 24 years old, Sgt. Gavin Conley was only seven days younger than the man in the coffin. The two had met as 17-year-olds on another plane – the one to boot camp in California. They had slept in adjoining top bunks, the two youngest recruits in the barracks.
All Marines call each other brother. Conley and Jim Cathey could have been. They finished each other’s sentences, had matching infantry tattoos etched on their shoulders, and cracked on each other as if they had grown up together – which, in some ways, they had.
When the airline crew found out about Conley’s mission, they bumped him to first-class. He had never flown there before. Neither had Jim Cathey.
On the flight, the woman sitting next to him nodded toward his uniform and asked if he was coming or going. To the war, she meant.
He fell back on the words the military had told him to say: “I’m escorting a fallen Marine home to his family from the situation in Iraq.”
The woman quietly said she was sorry, Conley said.
Then she began to cry.
When the plane landed in Nevada, the pilot asked the passengers to remain seated while Conley disembarked alone. Then the pilot told them why.
The passengers pressed their faces against the windows. Outside, a procession walked toward the plane. Passengers in window seats leaned back to give others a better view. One held a child up to watch.
From their seats in the plane, they saw a hearse and a Marine extending a white-gloved hand into a limousine, helping a pregnant woman out of the car.
The piece runs twelve pages. I guarantee you that if you have a soul, you’ll be in tears by the end of it. Barbara Boxer need not apply.
Now I ask you: Which party do you think would be more willing to ship our honored dead home like this:
That’s the picture Mr. Cluth used to illustrate his outrage. Which party is shouting “We can’t win! Cut and run! Cut and run!”
Marines not honoring their dead? Not on this planet. But I’ve about concluded that the Democrats in power and their vocal supporters have lost any hint of that virtue.
UPDATE: In true compassionate, inclusive, diversity-embracing Leftist style, Jack’s most recent post suggests that he’s in favor of the homosexual rape of prisoners by prison guards. So long as the rape victim is a Republican.
But his side deserves to be in charge.
Update II: Jack’s discovered this post, and has a reply up. Read the comments.
Update III: Jack seems to think that posting a Ted “I’m a piece of human excrement” Rall “cartoon” is a rebuttal. Or he never bothered to read the Rocky Mountain News piece. Wouldn’t want to confuse himself with anything like facts.
