Here is Your Freedom of Speech — Now Shut Up
Posted by
Kevin
Oh, goody, more people who think speaking out and challenging policy is treason:
“The American Legion will stand against anyone and any group that would demoralize our troops, or worse, endanger their lives by encouraging terrorists to continue their cowardly attacks against freedom-loving peoples,” Thomas Cadmus, national commander, told delegates at the group’s national convention in Honolulu” . . . “We had hoped that the lessons learned from the Vietnam War would be clear to our fellow citizens. Public protests against the war here at home while our young men and women are in harm’s way on the other side of the globe only provide aid and comfort to our enemies.”
Editor & Publisher
American Legion Declares War on Protestors
August 24, 2005
And the really, really disgusting thing about this? As Billmon points out, they are accusing others of treason for doing the same thing they themselves have done:
Dear Mr. President:
The American Legion, a wartime veterans organization of nearly three-million members, urges the immediate withdrawal of American troops participating in “Operation Allied Force.'’
The National Executive Committee of The American Legion, meeting in Indianapolis today, adopted Resolution 44, titled “The American Legion’s Statement on Yugoslavia.'’ This resolution was debated and adopted unanimously.
Mr. President, the United States Armed Forces should never be committed to wartime operations unless the following conditions are fulfilled:
* That there be a clear statement by the President of why it is in our vital national interests to be engaged in hostilities;
* Guidelines be established for the mission, including a clear exit strategy;
* That there be support of the mission by the U.S. Congress and the American people; and
* That it be made clear that U.S. Forces will be commanded only by U.S. officers whom we acknowledge are superior military leaders.
It is the opinion of The American Legion, which I am sure is shared by the majority of Americans, that three of the above listed conditions have not been met in the current joint operation with NATO (”Operation Allied Force'’).
In no case should America commit its Armed Forces in the absence of clearly defined objectives agreed upon by the U.S. Congress in accordance with Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution of the United States.
Sincerely,
Harold L. “Butch'’ Miller,
National CommanderAmerican Legion
Letter to President Clinton
May 5, 1999
They are not defending principle — they are simply using accusations of treason to advance a political agenda. That is disgusting and detrimental to democracy. They should be ashamed of themselves.
And it should tell them that if they are reduced to spurious accusations of treason that perhaps their position is not defensible. The problem is not the protestors - -the problem is the inabality to explain the failure of the policy.
There was a similar thing in “Lying Liars” where he quoted one of the rapid right wing talk show hosts saying it was “treason” to question the President in the build up to the war in Iraq, and another quote where that exact same talk show host said very disparaging things about the President during the war in Kosovo.
Comment 8/25/2005
Yes, but they are also under the assumption that the Republican Party is now the permament majority party in America. And with Diebold in their corner, they might just be right.
Comment 8/25/2005