My wonderful father is what you would call a newbie to the wide wonderful world of the Web. He does all his "surfing" on a plain ol' WebTv and is way too friendly with the CAPS LOCK KEY. Still, I love him dearly and blame him for most of my political leanings and the intensity in which I feel them.
Most of the time, I get forwards from him that have been dusted off from years past and recycled by each generation of 'net users. He also has a few conservative friends who like to foward things about how great the USA is and how much France sucks, etc. He forwarded me the latest on the Iraq war, that included the following:
Encourage your friends and family members and those within our churches to pray specifically for the electoral process. Historically, the previous totalitarian regime would not allow individual citizens to vote. Democracy will not be realized in Iraq if intelligent and competent officials are not elected to those strategic leadership positions within the emerging government; freedom will not have an opportunity to ring throughout this country if the voting process fails.
A powerful story about God's intervention in the lives of David's mighty men is recorded in 2 Samuel 23:8-33. David and his warriors were victorious because of God's intervention. We want to overcome those who would stand in the way of freedom. David's mighty men triumphed over incredible odds and stood their ground and were victorious over the enemies of Israel. (Iraqi insurgents' vs God's praying people). They don't stand a chance.
Now, don't get me wrong: I am all about praying for the safety of the men and women in our armed forces and I hope that the election proves to be the opposite of what most intelligent people are predicting it will be. I will also admit that my father and I are not particularly fans of organized religion, as he went to Catholic school in the 50s and 60s, which certainly influenced his views and how he passed them on to me. It's also important to note that this e-mail was supposedly penned by a Battalion Chaplain, and therefore should be cut a little slack for the religious verbosity.
However, the fact that it falls so beautifully in to the propaganda of the current administration makes me sort of ill. I'm tired of them highjacking our troops as some sort of mascot for their lies and deceit. Those men and women
should not be there in the first place. Or certainly not for the reasons that were put forth to send them. I also think this march of freedom crap is so jingositc and sick that I really just want to hide under my bed for the next four years.
With that said, I'd like to share the fantastic reply that dear ol' dad sent to the person that forwaded the e-mail:
(I've edited the CAPosity to help with readability) I'll pray (in my own way) for those troops to come home alive and well. The Iraqi people will have to stand and fight for their rights to freedom just as our forefathers had to fight for ours and we continue to have done that. We have no business being there. I cannot support anything that lying little twerp and his warmongering opportunistic gang of thieves are up to. Not one ounce of American blood needed to be shed for those profiteer buddies of Bushes. We need to be chasing down The guy who is actually a threat to
our way of life!!!!!!
Are we to loose another generation of men to a modern day Vietnam? At least their government asked for our help. Can you guess how messed up our troops are going to be from not knowing who the enemy is and riding around in equipment that is not designed for desert and guerilla warfare? This thing in Iraq is going to make Vietnam look like a cakewalk. I don't believe that Iraq will ever be a democratic nation. Their religion forbids it. Their religion is their government. We need to get Osama and behead him in public as his belief teaches him.
Sorry my friend that we feel so differently about some of these things. I just believe our son's and daughters are dying for something that never has been any of our business. They believe we are infidels and will always believe it.
How soon do you think it will be before the Bush twin girls will enlist and go fight for their fathers born again Christian self righteous cause? Let him and his buddies send their children over there to be in harms way and I might be able to see that they truly believe in what their proclaiming to believe in. Hope I’m still a hero
While I don't necessarily agree with everything he says, I am so very proud of him for refusing to stay quiet. If everyone that was disgusted by what is going on over there had the guts to state it loud and proud whenever someone pushed the Bush propaganda in their face, this country might someday recover from what BushCo has done to it.
I urge everyone to not be afraid to speak up, no matter what. It's the only way we are ever going to be heard.
