Heroes and the Rhetoric of War on Terror

“Who would argue that Cindy Sheehan’s son is not a hero? I mean, come on,” he said, chalking the exchange up to election-year politics.

That’s Georgia Congressman Republican Jack Kingston, talking to (arguing with, actually) Pennsylvania Congressman Democrat Jack Murtha during a closed hearing of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee recently. Murtha, a retired Marine colonel and combat veteran, favors doing whatever we can, including leave Iraq, to rescue our military from the asinine situation and circumstances in which their Commander In Chief has gotten them enmeshed. Kingston, who in his own words, “had no service,” favors “staying the course,” and all that – everything one might expect from a guy who’s never so much as heard a shot fired.

If you’ve read any of my essays here, you saw my compilation of the “service” “had” by our nation’s Congressional hawks. Our fearless leader’s record of sterling service is, of course, well known. The wonder there is that, somehow, the record of decorated service in combat of one presidential candidate was somehow turned against him while the hide-behind-momma’s-skirt record of another made him a hero. Now that, folks, is what is called an informed public. The magic of Television.

But we speak here not of heroes, but of statements made by heroes (well, a guy who got himself elected to Congress must be a hero to a least some). Despite his protestations to the contrary, Representative – I always kind of resent that, where a politician is concerned; it suggests some kind of similarity – Kingston obviously DID say that Casey Sheehan was something less than a hero. He was taking it back, saying that he’d never get caught saying something as politically incorrect as that publicly. Congressmen, after all, never say what they really think publicly.

And there is the state of our “democracy.” Every day since the United States invaded Iraq – and I want you to know that I spoke against it from day one and long before, predicting just about exactly the appalling pratfall we’ve done – we’ve heard our troops referred to as heroes. Each time one dies, or is wounded, the media is THUNDEROUSLY careful to call the soldier a hero. “Support Our Troops” yellow ribbons are everywhere.

As was the case with flags immediately after 9-11, they litter the gutters and ditches everywhere, too much trouble to show the respect of collecting once blown off the car or whatever they once festooned. When I had rescued dozens of the flags from the gutters and fences, from the dust and mud, I cleaned some, properly burned the rest. During my routine bicycle rides, I still see rotted remnants of Old Glory where they were left by the same people who publicly purport willingness to fight over the flag’s “desecration” by others. I find the counterpoint is interesting.

The ribbons and flags are much like soldiers like Casey Sheehan. Useful, that’s in public and in order to justify their owners, they are heroes; otherwise, nobody really cares. The news of the war, after all is on about page six in most newspapers, and you have to read the flow strip on the bottom of the TV screen, or watch Galavisión, the Mexican station, to learn what has happened to the troops we support so firmly.

In fact, to show real concern for the troops, a la Cindy Sheehan, makes you a “nutcase,” or a traitor. Actual support, you see, is bad for their morale. Anyone who notes, as I have, that firing missiles whose warhead has a 2,000 yard bursting radius into a little Pakistani village is a war crime is, indeed and absolutely, a traitor. “Support” means that we must do nothing to hurt morale, and to realize that what you are doing constitutes war crimes is likely to do that, big time. “Support” means you invent expressions like “collateral damage.” And the enemy is at fault for that – he started it . . . except you know he didn’t, and well . . . SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!

The war itself is like the “hero” rhetoric, isn’t it? Publicly, it’s “Operation Iraqi Freedom.” Privately, nobody in his right mind says, or believes, anything so obviously faux. It’s all the kid’s game we used to play. Remember “Cowboys and Indians (yeah, I know – but there WAS no “politically correct” then)?” The rules? When the big, heroic cowboy or any of his compañeros pointed his toy pistol and yelled “Bang, you’re dead,” you fell dutifully dead, or you were banished. Ostracized. Traitor!

Well, the game is back. Cowboy heroes like Congressman Kingston have mounted their broom horses, and are killing bad guys. Having no idea of a real gun fight, it’s all just “Bang, you’re dead” to them. And shame on you, Cindy Sheehan, if you point out to the Congressman Kingston heroes that their horses are just brooms, their six-shooters just their index fingers, and that’s not really how it is in a war. You can’t play with us any more.

And, by the way, your son is only a hero if WE say he is. That’s the rules of the game. You can’t play.

Mrs. Sheehan seems to be a really gutsy lady, though, and this is what her answer was (use the URL here):

http://www.truthout.org/

“Broken-hearted mother.” That’s real, or course. But to the following list of heroes, it’s “desecrating the memory of her son.” The quote, as I recall, is from one of their number; and, if I’m wrong in some degree, it is a fair representation of the jist of their remarks concerning Mrs. Sheehan.

Here are the heroes of the Far, “Did Not Serve,” Right:

George Will, did not serve

Chris Matthews, did not serve.

Bill O'Reilly, did not serve

Paul Gigot, did not serve.

Bill Bennett, did not serve

Pat Buchanan, did not serve

Rush Limbaugh, did not serve (4-F with a 'pilonidal cyst')

Michael Savage (aka Michael Alan Weiner), did not serve.

Pat Robertson - claimed during 1986 campaign to be a "combat veteran." In reality, was a "Liquor Officer."

Bill Kristol, did not serve

Sean Hannity, did not serve.

Ralph Reed, did not serve

Michael Medved, did not serve

Charlie Daniels, did not serve

Ted Nugent, did not serve

Radio Host Phil Hendrie, did not serve.

You’ll notice that Michael “Savage” is really “Weiner.” Notice also that it’s A. Weiner. Couldn’t have said it better myself.