PrintDecember 2, 2009
A 'strange venue' - for a liberal
My late son Sergeant Eddie Jeffers wrote his now famous "Hope Rides Alone" about the likes of MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann, and Chris Matthews.
I will watch the television and watch the Cindy Sheehans, and the Al Frankens, and the rest of the ignorant sheep of America spout off their mouths about a subject they know nothing about. It is their right, however, and it is a right that is defended by hundreds of thousands of boys and girls scattered across the world, far from home.
Many of those boys and girls my son wrote of were trained at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. What is described as the "world's premier leadership development institute" the Commander-in-Chief visited this storied institution to lay out his Afghan strategy to the very soldiers tasked with implementing the President's plan.
Whether or not Mr. Obama used this magnificent setting for political purposes or theatrical effect, it is fitting for the leader of the world's most powerful military to address the nation before cadets enrolled in the officer training that prepares them for the arduous and dangerous task of combat.
Most clear-thinking Americans understand a president going to a service academy to spell out a national security policy and that the reception to such an address would not be met with great enthusiasm. Unless of course you work for MSNBC.
I did not think my outrage towards Senator Kent Conrad could be topped anytime soon, but Chris Matthews was able to quell my anger towards the North Dakota Democrat. The focus of my ire and disdain is on a laser-like beam towards the man whose leg obviously did not experience the normal tingling sensation caused by the President.
Chris Matthews found Mr. Obama's speech at West Point "a strange venue" and equating it to "the enemy camp." Of course Matthews gave the obligatory off-handed compliment to the cadets:
"I watched the cadets, they were young kids - men and women who were committed to serving their country professionally it must be said, as officers." [Emphasis added.]
It must be said Chris? Do you find that a chore, somewhat burdensome for you?
Of course these beautiful Americans are "committed to serving their country professionally." From the day they enter the hallowed grounds of The Long Gray Line they "do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and bear true allegiance to the National Government; that I will maintain and defend the sovereignty of the United States."
To whom have you sworn your allegiance Mr. Matthews? Chris was upset because he "didn't see much excitement...didn't see a lot of warmth in that crowd out there." Perhaps tomorrow the Commandant of Cadets Brigadier General William E. Rapp can release a public apology for the lack of pep rally atmosphere during the President's speech to get them out of "the enemy camp" and back in "good guy land."
The vitriol from the Left has been on a collision course with Main Street America for sometime now. In the past, particularly with the military, the statists used the back alleys of innuendo and insinuation but now they are on hater's highway fearing not the backlash of military-loving Americans.
This is the silver-lining in the media's loathing of America. Whether it is CNN's embarrassing fact checking of an Obama skit performed by Saturday Night Live or MSNBC's unbridled disdain for our military, the scales are coming off America's eyes.
Many of the comments to my AT blog post about Senator Conrad's condescending remarks were very supportive of the military and very kind and encouraging to my family and me personally. One commenter rightly opines:
Yes, they are a hateful bunch, those leftists. As they believe they are getting closer and closer to taking over nearly every aspect of this Republic, their hate becomes ever more visible. They really wish that any and all opposition could be "made to go away."
Is that what motivated you to call West Point "the enemy camp" Mr. Matthews? Is the fact that you believe your socialist dreams would come true would it not be for us pesky Middle Americans who love democracy and loathe statism?
Does the fact that Mr. Obama did not receive from the Army Cadets your perceived deserving "warmth in the crowd out there" cause your hate to become "ever more visible"?
No doubt Mr. Matthews and MSNBC are working on the patented feeble and feigned "if I offended anyone by my remarks..." apology. It will not matter Mr. Matthews; you have revealed your heart to America.
Your comments were not a mere bad choice of words or a verbal slip; they were despicable. You won't be able to cover this by the tired liberal "we love the military and support the troops" mantra because you have no deeds to back up the words. The military is real big on deeds not words.
If you would like to do what one of those "it must be said" professional officers would do in a case like yours, try a straightforward "I apologize for my offensive remarks" approach.
No doubt that will be a strange venue for you.
