Annie
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Interesting post:
http://donaldsensing.com/2004_05_01_archive.html#108514797489750502
and the one he based his on:
http://tennessean.com/opinion/columnists/chavez/archives/04/05/51619119.shtml?Element_ID=51619119
Marine moms
Nashville Tennessean columnist Tim Chavez profiles local mothers of US Marines serving overseas and writes a real winner of a column.
The Marine moms had had it up to here with news media coverage:
Their opinion hasn't been formed by news media coverage, Bob Woodward's latest book, the loudest talking head on television or a presidential candidate. These local moms get their perspective from the telephone and from pictures sent home or over the Internet. They've quit watching and reading the news. They say the coverage doesn't provide the full story.
Endless days of big headlines and lead stories on prisoner abuse make one believe Iraq is just one big holding pen instead of a place where people can now protest openly and hold religious observances once banned. If any one of the 200,000 members of our armed forces is doing something right in Iraq, the average viewer and reader would be hard pressed to find out. Yet if there is even speculation of something wrong, it leads the newscasts and makes the front page.
Which is what bloggers have been saying for a long time.
While the rest of us have seen the picture of the Army reservist holding the Iraqi prisoner on a leash a thousand times, these mothers talk about all the pictures showing Marines holding children, laughing with children and even an old man kissing the hand of a Marine.
''My son calls at 3 or 4 in the morning, and he once told me, 'I don't care who you vote for, but vote for someone who is going to let us finish the job,''' says Nancy Hayden of Nashville about her son, Justin. He is a Marine private. ...
These moms will surprise you if you depend on the media for your opinions. Of the 15 mothers in attendance Saturday, not one criticized President Bush. Laurie Undis, whose son Lance Cpl. Mark Underdahl is ready for deployment, said: ''I didn't vote for George Bush. I've never voted Republican before. But John Kerry scares me. George Bush has the leadership.''
Don't tell these mothers that war protests are designed to save their sons lives.
''When they call, we tell them we're doing fine, that we're strong, that we're doing great and that we're thrilled to hear from them and that America is behind them 100% and we're praying for them,'' said Martha Morris of Franklin. ''The reason for that is if they are brave enough to go over there for us and to fight for us, then by God they will not spend one second worrying about whether their mothers are strong enough to handle what they're doing.
''We'll talk about that when they get home.''
Some calls are harder than others. Trish Autery of LaVergne was talking on the phone with her son, Lance Cpl. Ryan Autery, when she heard an explosion. Ryan told his mom he had to go. Autery says she was hysterical for 10 minutes. Then her son called back and said it was a mortar attack. But he was fine.
Make no mistake. These mothers love their sons dearly and would prefer them safe at home. But the greatest love a parent can have for a child is in supporting him or her in pursuit of happiness and a meaningful life. So these Marine moms are always searching for ways to cope.
Clemons recently was getting into her car at Wal-Mart when a Marine in dress blues got out of his vehicle. Seeing him, she did an about face and ran his way. Later, she felt bad. He was African American, and she is white. And she felt the Marine must have thought she was intending something ill toward him. But she simply asked: ''My son is in Iraq, but I can't hug him. So can I hug you?''
He said, ''Yes.''
What these mothers have to say about the war in Iraq is more than mere opinion. They are invested in every phone call and every slamming car door that could be the casualty officer paying that fateful visit. Don't question them. Thank them. Then listen and learn the rest of the story.
God bless all the mothers of our men and women serving in the armed forces.
Link to this post by Donald Sensing, 5/21/2004 08:53:34 AM.
Comment (7) | Trackback (0)
http://donaldsensing.com/2004_05_01_archive.html#108514797489750502
and the one he based his on:
http://tennessean.com/opinion/columnists/chavez/archives/04/05/51619119.shtml?Element_ID=51619119
Marine moms
Nashville Tennessean columnist Tim Chavez profiles local mothers of US Marines serving overseas and writes a real winner of a column.
The Marine moms had had it up to here with news media coverage:
Their opinion hasn't been formed by news media coverage, Bob Woodward's latest book, the loudest talking head on television or a presidential candidate. These local moms get their perspective from the telephone and from pictures sent home or over the Internet. They've quit watching and reading the news. They say the coverage doesn't provide the full story.
Endless days of big headlines and lead stories on prisoner abuse make one believe Iraq is just one big holding pen instead of a place where people can now protest openly and hold religious observances once banned. If any one of the 200,000 members of our armed forces is doing something right in Iraq, the average viewer and reader would be hard pressed to find out. Yet if there is even speculation of something wrong, it leads the newscasts and makes the front page.
Which is what bloggers have been saying for a long time.
While the rest of us have seen the picture of the Army reservist holding the Iraqi prisoner on a leash a thousand times, these mothers talk about all the pictures showing Marines holding children, laughing with children and even an old man kissing the hand of a Marine.
''My son calls at 3 or 4 in the morning, and he once told me, 'I don't care who you vote for, but vote for someone who is going to let us finish the job,''' says Nancy Hayden of Nashville about her son, Justin. He is a Marine private. ...
These moms will surprise you if you depend on the media for your opinions. Of the 15 mothers in attendance Saturday, not one criticized President Bush. Laurie Undis, whose son Lance Cpl. Mark Underdahl is ready for deployment, said: ''I didn't vote for George Bush. I've never voted Republican before. But John Kerry scares me. George Bush has the leadership.''
Don't tell these mothers that war protests are designed to save their sons lives.
''When they call, we tell them we're doing fine, that we're strong, that we're doing great and that we're thrilled to hear from them and that America is behind them 100% and we're praying for them,'' said Martha Morris of Franklin. ''The reason for that is if they are brave enough to go over there for us and to fight for us, then by God they will not spend one second worrying about whether their mothers are strong enough to handle what they're doing.
''We'll talk about that when they get home.''
Some calls are harder than others. Trish Autery of LaVergne was talking on the phone with her son, Lance Cpl. Ryan Autery, when she heard an explosion. Ryan told his mom he had to go. Autery says she was hysterical for 10 minutes. Then her son called back and said it was a mortar attack. But he was fine.
Make no mistake. These mothers love their sons dearly and would prefer them safe at home. But the greatest love a parent can have for a child is in supporting him or her in pursuit of happiness and a meaningful life. So these Marine moms are always searching for ways to cope.
Clemons recently was getting into her car at Wal-Mart when a Marine in dress blues got out of his vehicle. Seeing him, she did an about face and ran his way. Later, she felt bad. He was African American, and she is white. And she felt the Marine must have thought she was intending something ill toward him. But she simply asked: ''My son is in Iraq, but I can't hug him. So can I hug you?''
He said, ''Yes.''
What these mothers have to say about the war in Iraq is more than mere opinion. They are invested in every phone call and every slamming car door that could be the casualty officer paying that fateful visit. Don't question them. Thank them. Then listen and learn the rest of the story.
God bless all the mothers of our men and women serving in the armed forces.
Link to this post by Donald Sensing, 5/21/2004 08:53:34 AM.
Comment (7) | Trackback (0)
