The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Salt of the Earth

8.29.06 @ 12:01AM

TALK BACK LIVES
Re: Beverly Gunn's letter in Reader Mail's See and Hear No Evil and Philip Klein's No Terrorism To See Here:

Regarding Philip Klein's "No Terrorism To See Here" and comments by Beverly Gunn, whose son is serving this country in the cause of freedom. How is it that her voice and that of countless proud, albeit concerned mothers across the United States is drowned out by one caterwauling psycho, Cindy Sheehan? I wish to thank you for the times you include her well-reasoned insights from a segment of society we do not hear from often enough. I believe I once referred to it in a phrase no longer in use -- salt of the earth.

Beverly Gunn, I salute you on behalf of millions who may never hear your voice but share your patriotism, though you may doubt it in the maelstrom of doomsday talk currently swirling across the land. in this dark time of having few places to hear your message, in addition to the prospect of the barest chance of a Democrat in the White House, we might give serious consideration to the state of news coverage of the war in Iraq. Every newspaper that falls on every doorstep in America is undermining the effort to stop jihad. Form a committee -- see the editor -- demand fairness. In short we have an enemy or a saboteur beat right here at home. I am surprised it hasn't occurred to us.

I think conservatives read the letters column in liberal newspapers, conclude their conservative views would not be given the space. Editors think when they never see the other view, it doesn't exist. We may have no one to blame but ourselves for not trying to have your opinions know in a liberal leaning paper. Find some conservative friends, buy a block of space to say they cannot get published in their own hometown paper, It can be done. For all that TAS is -- for the most part we are preaching to the choir and converting no one. You can't intimidate a lib website, but you sure can your hometown newspaper. Go to a sympathetic advertiser, ask him to pull his ads if you are not treated fairly. Or ask him to included a patriotic theme to support our nation. It seems Republicans are courtly and correct to a fault. People no longer proudly take their
son's picture and a story of his Iraq service and war experiences to their local paper. If papers are regularly confronted about the dearth of such coverage, they will capitulate. Or we could cancel subscriptions en mass and picket the plant. Newspapers are on the downhill chute to oblivion right now -- a boycott would be disastrous. Mrs. Gunn says we should sacrifice -- how about sacrifice by twisting the tails of our local newspapers for better reportage no We could ask for Monday, Truthday, Wednesday. etc.

Get advertisers to sponsor a Servicemen's page. We need to get rid of that ambiguous "support" word and start calling it honoring those who serve. Ask folks to fly the flag again daily -- and not just on special days.

Americans are a complacent bunch. They have always lived in freedom and regard it as their birthright - something that will always be there. We saw Oprah Winfrey following September 11 in her big tearful, huggy, prayer/peace rally with some entertainers who now disavow the Iraq War. Oprah flipped soon enough too. We saw flags on every house and pick-up truck. Then we fell back into our old ways. Interesting that we have FOIA - Freedom of Information law suits for everything but Dick Cheney's pacemaker readings, but the actual carnage following 9/11 has never been aired, for those not too squeamish to view. We briefly see some pretty graphic footage on TV from Iraq but we'd rather keep it under wraps that people actually jumped to their deaths here. It would be a grisly wake-up call for those who now recall it mostly as the day of soot, dust, getting dirty and having their flights cancelled and planes grounded and the subways stopped.

Maybe it is time. Maybe past time.

Were it not for the chaos attendant to the farce, it would be comical to see a "mock" band of terrorists emerge in a crowd at a Stop the War Rally. A little street theater, so to speak. Protesters would be slipping and sliding in their own excrement in their panic to escape (perceived) danger.

I look forward to more letters from Beverly Gunn and mothers like her. It would be interesting for TAS Magazine to seek out a few to interview and do an article for your magazine of a cross section of this country. I am a subscriber and I know I would enjoy reading interviews with them. Just go find her! How hard can Quitman TX be to find. Heck, you know where Cindy is. We would enjoy a break from the Russet Potato Nose Queen. Let the Liberal media and Kos and MoveOn know we are here, too.
-- Diane Smith
San Francisco, California

KOFI DROPS
Re: Jed Babbin's On the Road Again:

Excellent article, summing up the treachery of Mr. Kofi. May he soon retire and be doomed to spend the rest of his days in complete anonymity.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Get the U.N. out of the U.S., and the U.S. out of the U.N. This organization serves no useful purpose in the world, and has been a constant source of mischief in its entire existence.
-- R. Goodson
Vero Beach, Florida

It seems to me that Jed Babbin is spot on as regards both Kofi Annan and George Bush. From the time of the George Bush "Mission Accomplished" speech to his re-election, one could take either side of the Bush has gone wobbly debate and argue it pretty well. Since his re-election, George Bush has buried the moderate, almost conservative that stood up to the world. He has not gone completely mushy middle of the road yet, there is still one more election cycle to get through, but he dang sure is working on it. Why, Bush and Rove even support a Liberal Democrat in Connecticut for re-election because they haven't the testosterone to whip a Liberal Republican from Rhode Island into line with the administrations agenda. *sigh*

I listened intently while being told that, after Colin Powell, Condi Rice was going to kick butt and take names at the State Department, that she would whip them into shape for sure. Well, she and George couldn't even get John Bolton confirmed to the UN. Thank Heaven that someone had the stones to give him a recess appointment, maybe he will get another one this year. He and Rumsfeld at the Pentagon, along with two Supreme Court picks,(and he tried hard to mess up one of those) have been the bright spots of this administration for sure.

As for Kofi, I am sure that he will want to end his tenure at the UN on a super high note, so of course he is messing in the stew that is the Middle East. I think that it is beyond doubt that he will over-season the stew and make it inedible. I maintain hopes that Israel will force new elections and get a more credible government on matters of her own security. They need to rehab the IDF, because the next war for them is going to be in the very near future.

Letter to the Editor

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