By Dave Petteys (dpetteys@comcast.net) To the academics and left wing “progressives,” our volunteer military is now allegedly a mercenary army. The same point is cropping up from coast to coast. It is as if a switch were turned on somewhere. The plan, of course, is to make it so unfashionable that no one will volunteer. At least the Left would paint those who do as semi-literate and brutal killers.
The latest example from San Francisco high schools is a clear demonstration that they are working at younger and younger ages to achieve the purpose of rendering our democracy unable to defend itself.
But understand: the "mercenary" slur only applies to our military forces, not those of our enemies. Recently, Canadians were discovered fighting for Al Qaeda in Somalia.
The only comment by Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day was “I'm always disappointed when I hear that, but that's an individual's right." I wonder what Minister Day will say when his Canadian Muslims start suicide bombings in Toronto. Will that be their “individual right” as well?
Nor does the Left say anything derogatory about the militarization of Venezuela. Rather, Hugo Chavez is praised for his “heroic stand against Bush”.
One has to look at the long-term consequences of letting this internal depredation of our democracy continue without any response. To say “in a free society, people can say what they want” is becoming a fast track to societal suicide. To assume our free society is so strong that it doesn’t need defending is preposterous.
The effort to weaken our military, when it descends to actually calling for the deaths of American service men and women is not legitimate dissent. It verges on treason -- and such traitorous voices must be held accountable. Disloyalty is not a constitutional right.