[cross posted from Frameshop -jf]
This morning in Cindy Sheehan’s diary over at The Daily Kos, I asked Cindy what Democrats should do in response to the latest polls suggesting that Americans are concerned that protesting the war undermines troop morale in Iraq.
Cindy suggested that we should let our soldiers speak back…
Here is my question and Cindy’s response:
FELDMAN:
Cindy: A quick question for you:
Thanks for your selfless work, this weekend. Many of us wish we could have been there.
My question:
In Cheney’s speech at the AEI, last week, he attacked Democrats who call the President a ‘liar’ as undermining morale amongst our soldiers. Then, in a recent, very reliable poll that came out over the weekend, it was confirmed that 70% of Americans agree that when Democrats call the President a liar, it undermines the war effort.
Do you think that war protesters should be mindful of these types of reactions from the American public?
Thanks again for all you do! Looking forward to the book…
SHEEHAN:
i think
that putting our young people in harm’s way for lies and stop lossing them and sending them to a war based on lies for greed undermines their morale.
i hear from active duty soldiers and recently pcs’d soldiers who tell me differently.
one soldier wrote me and said:
Cindy, it seems like you are one of the only people in America who gives a shit about us. I feel like an innocent man condemned to prison.
i don’t think soldiers in iraq were polled.
Cindy offers some good advice.
In the next few days, it seems likely that the Bush Administration, lead by Dick Cheney, will accuse Democrats of undermining troop morale. The argument from Cheney will look like this:
1. Debate is healthy in a Democracy and I welcome it
2. I respect everybody who has views about the war
3. But when the criticisms are ‘false’ they undermine troop moral
4. Democratic criticisms of the President’s Iraq policy hurt our soldiers
Cindy’s response would be to let the soldiers on the ground in Iraq speak back.
In this instance, when the Vice President is claiming that he speaks for the troops, the best response is not to turn up the heat and call President Bush a liar in even louder tones, but to reach out to soldiers in Iraq and let their voices speak back.
Finding voices from soldiers in Iraq is hard, as we are not all connected to them. In order to find those voices, I am putting out a general call for comments from soldiers under the title “Let Soldiers Speak Back”
LET SOLDIERS SPEAK BACK
- Please use this thread to bring the voices of our soldiers in Iraq to the attention of the public.
- Use this thread to give the voices of our soldiers a place in the national debate about Iraq.
- Use this thread to let soldiers speak back.
I will post this diary on several large blogs, including The Daily Kos, MyDD, and Booman Tribune with the hope that it will gather in as many voices from soldiers as possible.
In the meantime, spread the word that to we need and want our soldiers to speak back.
Supporting our troops is about much more than saying we care. Today, it is about finding ways to bring their voices to the public.
(Please distribute and cross-post widely…)
© 2005 Jeffrey Feldman