Weir thinking about it

As Iraq continues its struggle to form a democracy, and the hunt for terrorists goes on in Afghanistan, the usual assortment of protesters is back in the news. These holdovers from, and emulators of, the sixties anti—war movement haven't changed a bit. You have to wonder about people like that. They live in a country under constant threat from terrorists, and instead of marching with signs that call for the elimination of our enemies, or signs that condemn those who murdered their fellow Americans, they criticize their own country for striking back.

How does one reason with someone who thinks that way? The answer is that you don't. You see them for what they are, malcontents who have nothing else to do with their moribund lives, therefore, they search for a cause to make them feel like they're useful. Whenever I try to grasp the motive for someone's actions, I try to personalize it.

For example, if one of those sign carriers lost his family in the 9/11 attack, would he still be trying to veto our response? I'll bet that none of the relatives of those 3000 murder victims are walking up and down with picket signs that say: Make love, not war. I realize that in a free society we have to accept this sort of dissonance, but at times like these it really strains my commitment to the Constitution.

Protecting the rights of people who are giving aid and comfort to the enemy goes against the grain of those of us who have either fought for our country or lost loved ones in war. Surely they must understand that their protests are good news to the enemies of their country. The best weapon the North Vietnamese government had in its arsenal was the anti—war protesters on the streets of America. I suppose we'll never know how many in our military lost their lives because of the political consequences, which caused a more protracted war due to a belief on the enemy's part that our government would eventually succumb to the turmoil at home. How many lives were lost because Jane Fonda used her celebrity status to speak against President Nixon and condemned America's involvement in the war?

Many years after the end of the war, Fonda, in a televised Barbara Walters interview in 1988, apologized for her incredibly bad judgment. Of course, it was one celebrity interviewing another, so the fitness guru had no trouble handling the softballs lobbed at her by Ms. Wawa.  After marrying media mogul Ted Turner she was able to manufacture some revisionist history regarding the role that earned her the title Hanoi Jane. Whenever I think of these elitist Hollywood space cadets trying to enlighten the country with their 'vision,' I'm reminded of the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: 'Nothing in the world is more dangerous than a sincere ignorance and a conscientious stupidity.' Dr. King knew the real meaning of a cause, and he gave his life for his noble calling.

In one of his speeches, President Bush said: 'Every country must now make a choice. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.' The same thing could be said for those people who take sides against their country while it's fighting for its life. One wonders how many attacks on American soil it would take before these hand—wringing cretins would accept the reality of the threat we're facing. Suppose a few elementary schools around the nation were bombed tomorrow, causing the deaths of hundreds of children? What if a couple of football stadiums were destroyed on a Sunday afternoon, leaving a thousand bodies burning in their seats? How about an anthrax epidemic that killed millions? Just what would it take to make these traitors decide to fight back?

Frankly, I don't think they even understand what it is they're protesting. To them, it's just something to do when they're feeling bored. Here's the way I see it: Debbi Dufus wakes up about noon, takes a lingering stretch as she yawns, and turns to her significant other. 'Hey, Mortimer, whatta ya feel like doin' today?' Mortimer Mealymouth, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, replies: 'I dunno. How about lookin' for a job?' 'Don't be ridiculous!' Dabney responds. 'Let's do something meaningful. We'll look for a cause.' An hour later the intrepid duo thumbs through the newspaper scanning for stories. 'Look, Mortimer, U.S. soldiers abused prisoners in Iraq. Quick, let's make some signs.'

MLK was right. 

Bob Weir is a columnist for The American Thinker. The author of 7 books, he is a retired NYPD sergeant, living in Flower Mound, Texas. BobWeir777@aol.com