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Saturday, Sept 22. 2007
So will evil triumph? Is good dumb?
by
F. Patrick
O'Keeffe Lititz, PA
One person cannot make a
difference. It’s a comment that we have often heard, and often
believe. Still, one of my heroes is known for his admonishment, "Do
Something." So here is my "Something" for the month. Fair warning,
this is political opinion, so you may want to hit the delete key now.
I won’t mind, really.
I am a proud Eagle Scout,
so it caught my attention when I learned of a group called the
Gathering of Eagles. With a little research, it was easy to see that
this grass-roots organization was actually very well financed and
organized by prominent businessmen and politicians, similar to the
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Here’s a release announcing their
formation;
Leftist activists who
march to the Pentagon next month will discover that their path won't
be as clear as it has been in the past.
The group, led by Cindy
Sheehan, Jane Fonda, Ramsey Clark and their ilk, plan to gather March
17 at the Vietnam Memorial Wall to begin a march to protest America's
involvement in the Iraq war. The date marks the fourth anniversary of
the war's beginning.
This time, however,
protestors will see objectors if they spit on Iraqi veterans again, or
throw paint on a war memorial. This time, they will encounter a buzz
saw of Vietnam veterans and supporters who will gather to protect the
Wall, and show their support for U.S. troops. The counter-protestors
are calling themselves the Gathering of Eagles.
"… An eagle knows when a
storm is approaching long before it breaks. The eagle will fly to some
high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets
its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the
storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it."
An unknown author wrote
that description, but it describes how the veterans see their mission.
They are angry that the Wall is being used as a jumping off point for
a political protest and they are gathering to protect it from another
storm of anti-war activists.
"The anti-war/anti-America
group cannot be allowed to use the Vietnam Memorial Wall as a
back-drop to their anti-America venom and stain the hallowed ground
that virtually cries out with blood at the thought of this proposed
desecration ... it must not happen," said veteran Bud Gross. "… All
Americans are invited to support our effort, which is intended as a
defender of hallowed ground and intended as a non-violent competition
between those that would sell out America and those of us who support
freedom and keeping the fight with the enemy on distant shores."
The group defending the
Wall will be wearing armbands to identify themselves. Those who are
unable to stand with the defenders are being asked to wear armbands
with small U.S. flags to show their own communities that they abhor
the Fonda-Sheehan tactics.
"We'll be there to act as
a countervailing force against the Cindy Sheehan-Jane Fonda march from
the Vietnam Memorial to the Pentagon," retired Navy Capt. Larry Bailey
said. "We will protect the Vietnam Memorial. If they try to deface it,
there will be some violence, I guarantee you."
The rhetoric would be
laughable if they were not serious. I particularly want to note the
last line guaranteeing violence. That will become important later.
There are a couple of
points that I would like to make. First, I have been to some of these
rallies with the "Liberal Activists". Marianne and the kids were there
too. I have never heard of any desecration of any memorial ever being
considered. No one that I know in these groups would allow or condone
it. For the record, the Vietnam Memorial does not glorify or recognize
the war, but remembers the war’s cost in human suffering, those who
sacrificed greatly for their country and are missed, honored, and
respected by everyone that I know. It is hallowed ground to everyone
that I know in the anti-war movement. I love my country, and would
never tolerate anti-America venom to go unchallenged from anyone. Most
of the people I have met, also love their country. Many are veterans
and parents and family members of soldiers. The idea that they would
spit on veterans is absurd. I could cite many quotes about an
American’s right to gather peaceably and speak out. Here’s my
favorite;
Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;
or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
Government for a redress of grievances.
Our enemies in the world,
the Taliban, and Al-Qaeda, really hate that one. If they could get us
to turn our backs on it, I’m sure that they would consider it a great
victory.
That brings me back to The
Gathering of Eagles. Granted, we have our share of loonies on the
left, the Move-On ad was a bit over the top, but no one got hurt. The
people calling themselves The Gathering of Eagles have every right as
Americans to express their opinions. However, well, here’s another
clipping;
Carlos Arredondo, 47 year
old father of two sons, arrived in the nation's capitol on Monday,
09/10/07 to share a memorial he has made to honor for his eldest son,
Alex. Carlos has visited thirty of the United States with the
traveling memorial to his son Alexander. Lcpl. Alexander S. Arredondo,
USMC was killed on 08/25/04. He was 20 years and 20 days old. The
memorial consists of a casket, poster- size photographs of Alex when
he graduated from boot camp, before his second tour in Iraq, lying in
state at his wake, and a photo of Alex with his younger brother Brian.
Saturday, September 15,
2007 consisted of first a rally, a march towards the capitol and then
a die-in. Carlos pulled the memorial along the march route approaching
the rotunda near the capitol building. Several of the marchers
requested for him to speak about the memorial where a crowd gathered
around him. After finishing, several people walked with Carlos as he
pulled the memorial. Several pictures of Alex dressed in his blues
were attached to the display.
As Carlos passed counter
protesters, one man ripped a picture of Alex from the memorial. Carlos
leaped on the man to retrieve the picture. It was at that point that
approximately five others all began to attack Carlos by kicking him in
the head, legs, stomach and back.
The Capitol police bicycle
patrol then appeared to break up the fight. Several officers including
a female officer were engaged in breaking up the fight and were able
to stop any further injuries from occurring. Hannah Jones who was
walking with Carlos was also assaulted.
A bystander named Ramesh
witnessed the whole encounter and also retrieved the picture of Alex
for Carlos. He was quite distressed at how he watched the men yelling
epithets follow Carlos as he pulled the memorial, and eventually take
Alex's photograph. Soon, an ambulance showed up as well as many
concerned activists. The paramedics provided first aid to Carlos but
he did not seek further medical attention. Carlos sustained bloody
cuts on his shins. He also reported bruises all over his torso and
head where he was kicked.
I’m not saying that I
agree with or support the way that Mr. Arrendondo has chosen to
memorialize his son. Still, if I lost Jack to violence and did not
feel that his sacrifice was being noticed, I honestly don’t know what
I would do. How can anyone support an organization that encourages
using violence to deny his ability to be heard? How can anyone support
a group attacking and beating the father of a fallen soldier?
Jack and I were talking
today and joking about one of his favorite movies, "Spaceballs". Jack
always remembers the line from the main bad guy, "So, Lone Starr, now
you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb." Is good
dumb? First, I’d have to decide whether I thought that it was fair to
characterize the Gathering of Eagles as evil. Let’s see, gathering in
a crowd to beat a man whose son gave his life for his country. Yep,
that clears the bar for me.
The whole crowd with
intimidation through violence smacks of fascism to me. I know that
term gets thrown around casually too much today, but I really think it
fits here. Read some history, and I think that you’ll agree.
So will evil triumph? Is
good dumb? Well, evil is definitely better organized and financed, as
evidenced by The Gathering of Eagles. Fascists love to march around in
groups, get organized, listen to authority. They are known for making
the trains run on time. Big business loves this about them and is
happy to finance them. Politicians love the part about listening to
authority. At the other extreme, we have the anarchists. Not
antichrist, but anarchist, someone who believes in anarchy. Get out
your encyclopedia and look up anarchist organizations. You’ll find it
listed under oxymorons. Will Rogers used to say, "I belong to no
organized political party, I’m a Democrat." I’ve seen with my own eyes
the difficulty in getting these leftist groups together and moving,
they are never on time, and seldom stay on topic. Stop The War! Save
The Rocky Mountain Spotted Owl! Really, the whole group suffers from
ADHD. How will they ever stop a war?
So who wins? Evil? Good?
Mostly, I think that is up to the vast majority of us in the middle,
not really part of either extreme. We may not be up on the lines of
conflict, either beating or getting beaten, but by what we say and do,
or choose not to say and do, we support one side or the other.
I know people whose
fathers and uncles died in Vietnam. I know people whose sons,
daughters, nieces, and nephews have died in Iraq. I know there are
times when war is justifiable, the church even has teaching on what
justifies war. I know people who died when the Towers fell. By
happenstance I learned last week that my name will be on the memorial
at the World Trade Center, since Patrick O’Keeffe died there. He was a
fireman trying to save people. It sends a chill up your spine to hear
your name called out at a memorial service. I wonder what he would
think of the people who beat Carlos Arrendondo?
Politicians used to
persuade us by appealing to the power of our dreams and our better
natures. Now they appeal to the power of our nightmares and our fears.
Still, it’s not all their fault, we allow them to persuade us. We
decide, good or evil. We decide who we will listen to and support.
You’ll get a chance to pick a side next year.
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