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Reader comment on:
Spitting on Veterans
in response to reader comment: Yes -- it happened

Submitted by Anitra Freeman, Feb 9, 2007 14:59

The author is right in condemning abuse of soldiers. He goes too far in spreading the blame for that to Olbermann, Arkin, and everybody in the peace movement.

Every person who does a moral wrong is individually responsible. Every person who condones, instigates, or encourages a moral wrong is also responsible. Responsibilities do not cancel each other out.

If you protest the war, that is not the same as inciting people to spit on soldiers. If you have never seen anyone spit on, and doubt that it has ever happened, that is not the same as condoning it.

I do regard abuse of anyone as a moral wrong, and especially abuse of someone who has suffered a great deal in the belief that he was helping you, even if he wasn't really helping. I do consider Iraq to be an illegal war and an illegal occupation, an obstacle to effectively ending terrorism, a grievous harm done to our country by our own administration. I also believe that a majority of the troops that have gone to Iraq did so in the belief that they were fighting a legal war and aiding their country.

The leaders who sent our troops into extreme conditions, into stress that none of them has ever endured, gave them morally ambiguous leadership. Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld, and their "legal" advisers, all condoned pre-emptive war, torture, and other moral wrongs. They bear their own responsibility for any wrong that resulted. From generals on down, those who did not personally encourage or commit rape, torture, killing of civilians, or other moral wrongs, are NOT responsible for the wrongs that others did.

In the peace movement, people who spit on or otherwise abuse soldiers are personally responsible for their own wrongs. The people who condone such actions, instigate, or encourage them are also responsible. The people who do not spit on soldiers, do not condone doing so, do not incite or encourage doing so, are not responsible.

I understand moral outrage. Those who support the war and those who protest it are BOTH filled with moral outrage. We are both committed to supporting our constitution and our national values. We have some disagreement about what is necessary to accomplish that. We are going to have to learn to respect each other as citizens, to talk together and listen to each other, if we are going to accomplish any of it.

Without spittting -- on either side.

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Other reader comments on this article

Comment	By	Date
There are many of us that can attest to the treatment received by these veterans. Please contact me so we... [MORE]	D Faith	Sep 6, 2008 22:28
I am a Vietnam Era vet. I know of no spitting episodes. I talked to many returning vets, and was... [MORE]	?	Feb 23, 2008 19:55
Far worse than a few incidents of meanness, committed by (really) a few bad apples, is the neglect shown by... [MORE]	Granny Gail	Mar 22, 2007 00:01
I returned to the United States from Vietnam in 1972. We were warned not to wear our uniforms and put... [MORE]	Johnathan L. Abbinett	Feb 14, 2007 18:21
It was a pleasure to speak to you about my Vietnam experience, your dad is very proud of his son... [MORE]	Rudy Loupias	Feb 11, 2007 15:49
Are you the Rudy Loupias who attended Sylmar High School? [MORE]	Larry Giles	Oct 2, 2007 22:29
I went to desert storm with the National Guard. When we came home there were ribbons, speeches, and a welcoming... [MORE]	Steve O.	Feb 7, 2007 12:58
This is another "urban legend" When I returned from Vietnam in 1968 no one insulted or harassed me neither in... [MORE]	Art CW3 Retired	Feb 6, 2007 19:35
Someone should ask Mr.Arkin if we should paint all reporters with the same broad brush he does our military. Over... [MORE]	Lewbee	Feb 7, 2007 00:08
As an enlisted sailor returning from active duty in February 1961, I walked through Grand Central Station in dress blues... [MORE]	Steve Ross	Feb 6, 2007 16:54
The author is right in condemning abuse of soldiers. He goes too far in spreading the blame for that to...	Anitra Freeman	Feb 9, 2007 14:59
In response to Steve Ross, Feb 6, 16:54: We have every right to stand up to government when they are wrong.... [MORE]	care4all	Mar 13, 2007 15:44
Steve, watch film The Ground Truth, then tell me I don't support the troops if I don't support the war.... [MORE]	care4all	Mar 13, 2007 15:51
The morning after the Kent State shooting, as a 1st Lt. in the USAF, I flew, in uniform, from San... [MORE]	carl palm	Feb 6, 2007 16:05
In 1967 I remember being in a bus full of sailors returning from Pt Magu Naval Air Station where we... [MORE]	CW4 John Crowson (Ret)	Feb 8, 2007 12:52
I too served in Vietnam. I now have nearly 8 pounds of metal holding my legs and pelvis together as... [MORE]	Tinman	Feb 15, 2007 10:29
Excellant piece and right on the money! What is equally troubling if not more so is the disdain these people... [MORE]	Neal Hunt	Feb 6, 2007 15:34
It did happen.My hubsand came home in 1967 and was called a bay killer and spit on so I know... [MORE]	Judy Chapman	Feb 7, 2007 23:53
Former columnist Bob Greene wrote "Homecoming" to document the enormous response to his skepticism about Vietnam vets being spat on.... [MORE]	Mike Finn	Feb 6, 2007 14:00
That's what this Viet Nam era vetran was called. I remember it clearly although it was 35 years ago. Of... [MORE]	John Sutherland	Feb 6, 2007 12:00
I wasn't a returning Vietnam vet, but I was an ROTC student at Colorado State University from 1967 to 1972.... [MORE]	Art Durante	Feb 6, 2007 11:36
I still have not seen any comments from returning Viet Nam vets who were actually spat upon. Like Olbermann states... [MORE]	Jim Donohue	Feb 6, 2007 13:50
Spat on? After two years in theater, I began to meet old Army buddies returning from the "World" who told... [MORE]	Bruce L. Webb	Feb 8, 2007 17:57
I guess the "myth" has led to current action by todays protesters. Iraq vet Joshua Sparling was recently spat upon... [MORE]	Jim	Feb 9, 2007 18:40
I've talked to many vietnam veterans. I just got back from Iraq. They all have told us about how we... [MORE]	Candace	Mar 11, 2008 06:16
I returned from a tour in Korea (1957-1958) in the summer of 1958. I was in New York City, the... [MORE]	Michael M. Keohane	Feb 6, 2007 11:23
It's too bad your writer didn't mention the Watada trial. Soldiers only following orders, eh? Watada did the right thing by following... [MORE]	reuben lando	Feb 6, 2007 10:20
Mr. Lando apparently cannot make the somewhat easy distinction between what it means to support our troops and disagreeing with... [MORE]	Rod Crane	Feb 6, 2007 15:13
Mister Lando says Lieutenant Watada, who refused to deploy to Iraq, was merely upholding the Constitution. Hogwash! He is violating... [MORE]	John E. Kraft	Feb 6, 2007 15:56
Mr. Gitell remembers that Vietnam divided this country. Some callers to a show were unforgivably intemperate. All this is news?... [MORE]	Ben Dickinson	Feb 6, 2007 09:24
Unfortunately, the veterans serving before, during, and after this conflict, as well as those of the past, will be both... [MORE]	Jim	Feb 6, 2007 17:45
If the anti-war, lunatic leftists in this country turn on us literally, so what? They've been undermining our mission and our... [MORE]	CDR S	Feb 6, 2007 09:14
Sen John Kerry disparaged Vietnam veterans then and he is doing it now to our current veterans. [MORE]	m linden	Feb 6, 2007 08:41
Mr. Arkin should remember to thank all veterans who have ever fought for they are the ones who give him... [MORE]	Lisa	Feb 6, 2007 05:13
I am a combat veteran (LRRP) of Vietnam. When I returned from my service, I went to the San Francisco... [MORE]	Marvin Sinclair	Feb 6, 2007 23:18

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Reader comment on:
Spitting on Veterans
in response to reader comment: Yes -- it happened