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10/20/2008 02:29:53 PM · #1
I just received the following excerpt from the blog of an American soldier who was since killed in Afganistan.

It was sent to me by my brother who served in the U.S. Special Forces in Bosnia, Afganistan, and Iraq, worked in the Middle East for security companies such as Blackwater and Dyncorp, and continues today in similiar capacities for other employers.

This blog entry seems to summarize how my brother has felt for years about what some people think about our reasons for being at war right now.

Boston Globe Friday, 17 October 2008
The following is a blog entry written on Aug. 30, 2008, by Army Specialist Stephen Fortunato,
who was killed Tuesday in Afganistan when the vehicle he was riding in was blown by up an improvised explosive device. This entry was forwarded to the Globe by his mother, Elizabeth "Betty" Crawford.


If I may …
I'd like to say something....Just to get it out there so it is clear.

To all the pampered and protected Americans who feel it is their duty to inform me that I am not fighting for their freedom, and that i am a pawn in Bush's agenda of greed and oil acquisition: Noted, and [expletive deleted] You.

I am not a robot. i am not blind or ignorant to the state of the world or the implications of the "war on terrorism." i know that our leaders have made mistakes in the handling of a very sensitive situation, but do not for one second think that you can make me lose faith in what we, meaning America's sons, daughters, fathers, and mothers in uniform are doing.

I am doing my part in fighting a very real enemy of the United States, i.e. Taliban, Al Qaida, and various other radical sects of Islam that have declared war on our way of life. Unless you believe the events of 9/11 were the result of a government conspiracy, which by the way would make you a MORON, there is no reasonable argument you can make against there being a true and dangerous threat that needs to be dealt with. i don't care if there are corporations leaching off the war effort to make money, and i don't care if you don't think our freedom within America's borders is actually at stake. i just want to kill those who would harm my family and friends. it is that simple. Even if this is just a war for profit or to assert America's power, so what? Someone has to be on top and I want it to be us. There's nothing wrong with wishing prosperity for your side.

I am a proud American. i believe that my country allows me to live my life more or less however i want to, and believe me, i have seen what the alternative of that looks like. i also believe that our big scary government does way more than it has to to help complete [expletive deleted]-ups get back on their feet, a stark comparison to places where leaders just line their own pockets with gold while allowing the people who gave them their power and privilage to starve. I have chosen my corner. I back my country, and am proud to defend it against aggressors. Also, if you dare accuse us of being inhumane, or overly aggressive because we have rolled into someone else's country and blown some [expletive deleted] up and shot some people, let me remind you of just how inhumane we COULD be in defending ourselves. Let me remind you that we have a warhead that drops multiple bomblets from the stratosphere which upon impact, would turn all the sand in Iraq to glass, an d reduce every living thing there to dust. Do we use it? No. Instead we use the most humane weapon ever devised: the American soldier. We send our bravest (and perhaps admitably craziest) men and women into enemy territory, into harms way, to root out those whom we are after and do our best to leave innocent lives unscathed.

...One last thing...a proposal. i know it has been stated time and time again but i just think it is worthy of reiteration. If you find yourself completely disgusted with the way America is being ran, and how we handle things on the global stage, you can leave. Isn't that amazing? No one will stop you! If you are an anarchist, there are places you can go where there is no government to tell you anything. That's right...you are left solely to your own devices and you can handle the men who show up at your door with AKs in any way that you see fit. Just don't try good old American debate tactics on them because you will most likely end up bound and blind-folded, to have your head chopped off on the internet so your parents can see it. However if you insist on staying here and taking advantage of privilages such as free speach and WIC, keep the counter-productive [expletive deleted] to a minimum while the grown ups figure out how t o handle this god-awful mess in the middle east.
10/20/2008 04:30:45 PM · #2
HooRAAAAW!
10/20/2008 04:52:55 PM · #3
Amen. Whoever those straw men are that he's talking about deserve the middle finger he's giving them. Just like he said, we should be handling this god-awful mess in the middle east.
10/20/2008 05:15:23 PM · #4
Right on, having been in Special forces (SAS) myself I heartily agree if you don't like it leave, the same for the panty waists here in AUS, the saddest thing is the loss of life our those fighting for freedom like this brave soul
10/20/2008 06:14:53 PM · #5
Why is it the US's responsibility to clean up the mess in the middle east? Because they somehow contributed to the mess?

These are rhetorical questions since the answers could send this thread into rant.

The soldiers being sent to Iraq and Afghanistan have to believe in the mission at least a little or they would have a hard time obeying their orders to do so.
10/20/2008 07:02:55 PM · #6
:( A letter like that just makes me sigh and ache on the inside. Human nature is so predictable.

It is easier to lead men to combat, stirring up their passion, than to restrain them and direct them toward the patient labors of peace.

-- Andre Gide (1869-1951)
10/20/2008 07:17:05 PM · #7
Do you have a link to where this was published? Or to his blog? The Boston Globe site only lists the article about his death and an interview with his family on Oct. 16. I can't find anything about the blog entry on the boston.com site or in the printed paper from last Friday.
10/20/2008 07:23:08 PM · #8
Originally posted by emorgan49:

Do you have a link to where this was published? Or to his blog? The Boston Globe site only lists the article about his death and an interview with his family on Oct. 16. I can't find anything about the blog entry on the boston.com site or in the printed paper from last Friday.


Search Stephen Fortunato on google, it was the first result for me, showed the boston globe report on in. NVM, ill just give the link, silly me. Here it is.
10/20/2008 08:01:40 PM · #9
This scares me: a LOT....

"i just want to kill those who would harm my family and friends. it is that simple. Even if this is just a war for profit or to assert America's power, so what? Someone has to be on top and I want it to be us. There's nothing wrong with wishing prosperity for your side."

R.
10/20/2008 08:18:21 PM · #10
Dr Achoo - if only we mortals could be gifted with your wisdom.

You may wish to explain to us your immortal words: "Human nature is so predictable."

I am a combat veteran of WWll, and the letter this young man wrote was a fine expression
of his attitude of what he was doing, and why he was there. It may be that he did not
have your book of quotations of Andre Gide at hand, but his letter is real, and reminds
me of the true feelings of those of us in the Pacific war in WWll.

You do his memory a grave disservice by quoting an "easy out" to world aggression.

I can assure you that the Canadian fighters in WWll did not share your soft sentiment.

JEM John Masquelier
10/20/2008 08:27:03 PM · #11
Originally posted by JEM:

Dr Achoo - if only we mortals could be gifted with your wisdom.

You may wish to explain to us your immortal words: "Human nature is so predictable."

I am a combat veteran of WWll, and the letter this young man wrote was a fine expression
of his attitude of what he was doing, and why he was there. It may be that he did not
have your book of quotations of Andre Gide at hand, but his letter is real, and reminds
me of the true feelings of those of us in the Pacific war in WWll.

You do his memory a grave disservice by quoting an "easy out" to world aggression.

I can assure you that the Canadian fighters in WWll did not share your soft sentiment.

JEM John Masquelier


WW II is a far cry from the war in Iraq. Totally different situations. But as a veteran you understand the soldier's sense of duty. He had no choice but to obey his orders. Those that didn't crossed into Canada as did those who opposed the conflict in Vietnam.

The world is a different place than it was between '39 and '45.
10/20/2008 08:50:49 PM · #12
Colette, the condescending tone would lead me to believe you are a San Francisco [my base
for most of my worldwide business] liberal. At age 83 my synapses still work, and I hardly need reminding that today's world is different than WWll.
My point is simple...this young soldier, killed in the line of duty, stood between the
weak willed creeps and thieves who have robbed our American economy, and the real enemy
sworn to kill ALL infidels...that includes YOU.
While out of uniform, I ranged the world building a business for several decades, and
know there are collection of religious fanatics who are dedicated to killing, not just
we Americans, but anyone who does not agree with them. What you may not realize is that
today's suicide bomber is simply a later version of the Japanese kamikaze we faced. So it is not so different after all.
All nations have cowards who hide behind ideology. That is not new. However, my dear,
someone has got to volunteer to do the dirty, nasty, bloody, extremely dangerous work
of killing the fanatical murderous enemies of Canada, America, and the Western world.
And this young dead soldier deserves our praise, our prayers, our thanks.
JEM John Masquelier
10/20/2008 08:58:35 PM · #13
Well said JEM.
10/20/2008 09:14:07 PM · #14
Very nice in this time of HATE AMERICA FIRST.

I know two Army Rangers. They joined after the war started. They were not forced to go. Both went, both served, one...my cousin was shot. He opted out of re-enlistment. The other is still there, fighting the good fight. He can come home at the end of any of his tours...he doesn't. He chooses to stay.


10/20/2008 09:45:31 PM · #15
JEM you are stud sir... an 83 year old STUD. Thank you sir for your service and for everything you sacrificed for this nation. I am a fellow veteran and VFW. My hat goes off to this fine young soldier who gave his life for what he believed in and for the ultimate sacrifice to his country.

10/20/2008 09:55:03 PM · #16
Originally posted by JEM:

Dr Achoo - if only we mortals could be gifted with your wisdom.

You may wish to explain to us your immortal words: "Human nature is so predictable."

I am a combat veteran of WWll, and the letter this young man wrote was a fine expression
of his attitude of what he was doing, and why he was there.


My grandfather was a conscientious objector of World War II and proudly served his duty in the Forest Service in Canada where he grew up.

Human nature is predictable in that it is easy to demand an eye for an eye but not to turn the other cheek. Our demand for justice is strong when we are wronged, but we are quick to defend our actions when we have wronged others. It pains me when I hear a statement like "I just want to kill those who would harm my family and friends...Even if this is just a war for profit or to assert America's power, so what? Someone has to be on top and I want it to be us." The problem is that each and every one of us has the potential for murder inside us. Wrath is easily roused and control is easily lost. A second "predictable" of human nature is pride and hubris. It is no better evidenced than by the line, "If you find yourself completely disgusted with the way America is being ran (sic), and how we handle things on the global stage, you can leave." We easily set ourselves up as the dispensers of justice and arbiters of right and wrong, in effect, we set ourself up as God. It's my way or the highway.

Just my 0.02.

Message edited by author 2008-10-20 21:56:21.
10/20/2008 10:00:07 PM · #17
Though I applaud the sentiment, and appreciate the effort, I've just seen too many good people lost to the senselessness of war.

Maybe Jason's quote from a man that saw too much was too brief in its point, but it's true.

Ever since I was a little boy, my family and friends' lives have been taken at the hands of the enemy.

There are too many people on the "Other Side" that have lost their families and friends, too.

I have German and Japanese friends.....their families were torn asunder as well as mine.

What have we learned?

I'm sorry, but killing one another just isn't the way.
10/20/2008 10:10:50 PM · #18
Ok, the US and Nato bombed my country in '99. and this fascist propaganda bullshit so piss me off:

"Even if this is just a war for profit or to assert America's power, so what? Someone has to be on top and I want it to be us."

" I have chosen my corner. I back my country, and am proud to defend it against aggressors. Also, if you dare accuse us of being inhumane, or overly aggressive because we have rolled into someone else's country and blown some [expletive deleted] up and shot some people, let me remind you of just how inhumane we COULD be in defending ourselves."

I found this rather ridicilous. Fighting somebody on their teritory and claiming that you're defending yourself is kinda insane.

I know most of you will be offended but you didn't go through the horror of being bombed for 3 months.
10/20/2008 10:15:48 PM · #19
Originally posted by posthumous:

Amen. Whoever those straw men are that he's talking about deserve the middle finger he's giving them. Just like he said, we should be handling this god-awful mess in the middle east.


You shan't be handling anything but your own backyard.
10/20/2008 10:40:29 PM · #20
OORAH BROTHER! and God Bless! This is the kind of man that has made America great over the years. Not some nambi pambi socialist liberal who believes in free speech until the free speech is something they don't like.
10/20/2008 10:45:21 PM · #21
would one be a hippy if they just wished the whole damn world would just cooperate, or would that be ignorance?
10/20/2008 10:45:49 PM · #22
Jason, no one would question that your grandfather was a fine man, and no doubt did an
admirable job of work for the Canadian Forest Service in World War Two. You seem to be
a literate, well educated, talented photographer. Did it ever occur to you that the freedom and liberty you inherited was paid for by the blood and death of men who chose
to fight for your comfortable life of today. You live in Washington state...take a
weekend and visit a WWll veteran's hospital in the USA or Canada, and talk quietly to
those men who sacrificed while the objectors evaded battle. You may learn something
about courage and honor.

You had a college or university education so you must be acquainted with the horrors
inflicted by the Japanese and Germans on civilian populations. And the horrendous
battles it took to save your family.

I trust you do not teach your children that the bloodthirsty, cruel Canadian and American military men performed their duty because of their lust for war.

JEM

10/20/2008 10:51:23 PM · #23
It's a shame, it's such a shame.
10/20/2008 10:59:58 PM · #24
one soldier's ideals do not speak for all.
just like how one terrorist's ideals do not speak for his entire country.
10/20/2008 11:02:59 PM · #25
Dear Katherine, as you will learn, to your sorrow, mankind is a disagreeable lot...and has been for as long as they have been scratching their history on rocks and clay tablets. That is reality. Even chimpanzees collect in tribes, and kill and eat others, which does not say much for we humanoids.

The good news is, that most humans on this planet only wish for a peaceful life, a roof over their head, healthy children, and love at home as well as in a community.

But you cannot ignore those bad few who wish to impose their beliefs on you on pain of
death, or wish to take your home, or do you harm out of pure meanness. One person's
terrorist is another's freedom fighter. It was ever thus.

You will learn to cope, and build a happy life -- hopefully without the agony some of
us have experienced.

Always be prepared to defend yourself!! Keep your gun clean, oiled and loaded for
defense of your home. If we do not, once again, begin to think like our ancestors
we will lose our personal freedom.

JEM
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