In response to your words (Alethea Guthrie) published in The Malibu Times on Feb. 13, I offer the following response: Because most of us (Americans) come from different backgrounds, holding different morals, values, opinions, etc., let us take this “patriotic argument” into a realm of perspective–the perspective of a soldier. In the current Basic and Boot Camp training doctrine, recruits are taught a number of different tasks, all which encompass the art of warfare. However, the single most important lesson a recruit learns is that he is to fight and keep the buddy next to him alive. And his buddy’s task is to do the same for him.
A soldier tackles difficult tasks head-on with motivation and unwavering determination. Frequent and unexpected contact, reduced sleep, difficult terrain, pressures of operating within time limits, heavy loads, fatigue, hunger, the necessity for quick, sound decisions, and the requirement of demonstrating calm forceful leadership under conditions of mental and physical stress are common acquaintances. He trains 12- to 22-hour days in preparation of future combat operations. And at a little over $1,000 a month, the soldier isn’t doing it for the money.
I am a former Army Ranger and have personally said goodbye to three of my comrades to the empty sound of taps. I fully understand the price tag war bears with it. The last thing a soldier needs is a civilian saying, “I’m going to save your life by exercising my first amendment.” Not backing a soldier is the most detrimental, de-motivating thing a civilian can do, and is more dangerous than the enemy at the end of a soldier’s sights.
For a soldier, backing him up at home means standing behind his commander-in-chief whether political views differ or not. That’s how a soldier thinks. I challenge everyone to put aside, for a moment, personal opinions and consider looking at the current situations through the eyes of a soldier. Put yourself in their boots for a moment. Are you scared? Excited? Optimistic? Do you hope to do your country proud?
It is said that soldiers pray for peace the most. And the fact remains, through a decade of evidence, that the world is facing an enemy which is not peaceful, to say the least. Protesting against the war with Iraq will not bring peace to a country ruled by a peace-less dictator.
Jeremy Veenker