Getting It Right

It is no secret that the Mainstream Media has been more than a little biased in covering the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even if they were concerned with accurately reporting what was taking place in Iraq and Afghanistan, there are very few people in the Mainstream Media that could provide true understanding of the events, as well as in depth coverage. The Long War Journal seeks to do just that in a mostly non-partisan way.

The Long War Journal

Lindsey

A Little More Introspection...

Over the last few days, I've read some great materials regarding politics, the War on Terror (or as it is now being called, The Long War), Jihad, the increasing Muslim threat in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe, racism, and much more. It is deeply disconcerting to me that we in the United States don't pay more attention to what it is really going on in the wider world. We may be at War, but one would never know it. We are supposedly the great bastion of democracy in the world (and have been since World War II), yet now we have a large portion of our population actively working to hinder our efforts to defend our very existence.

Long-time readers will know how I've struggled with the direction of this blog. I don't want it to become overly political. There is a need for more art, literature, and music in the world right now. I enjoy all three immensely, and I enjoy sharing things I love with other readers. At the same time, I can't stand back, observe, and not share what I find concerning the most important political questions of our time.

In my opinion, we are rapidly sacrificing our Freedom of Speech on the alter of extreme Political Correctness. If you think that I'm being paranoid, you need to familiarize yourself with the plight of Lionheart in the United Kingdom. You can read much more about his plight here. RADARSITE does a great job of explaining the situation (read it here). The Midnight Sun takes it a bit further. You can read Aurora's take on things here and here. It simply amazes me that such things could be going on the United Kingdom, Canada, etc., even if only half of what is written is true (especially regarding the United Kingdom).

I think that it is best that people educate themselves on what is going on. It isn't pretty, it won't be easy, but I do have hope. I still hope that the U.S. will wake up and actually fight. If we are to once again be the hope of Europe, not to mention protect ourselves at home, we have to quit worrying about "offending" the enemy.

Lindsey

How About Protesting Real Genocide Indeed

This article by Bridget Johnson asks some tough questions of those protesting the upcoming fifth anniversary of the Iraq War. It amazes me how truly backwards things appear to me right now. I only wish that I lived near one of the cities where large protests are planned (Washington, D.C., San Francisco, etc.). I would certainly be a part of the counter protest.

In my opinion, it doesn't matter to me whether people agree with why we are in Iraq. We need to ensure that the troops aren't treated with disrespect as they were during the Vietnam War. That appears to be exactly what is happening right now with all of the attacks and protests surrounding military recruiting centers. It truly disgusts me, and the fact that the mainstream media has been relatively silent on what's going on makes it a lot worse.

I remember the declaration of war in 2003 well. I was in Mexico at the time with Alternative Spring Break. There was a lot of crying, hand-holding, etc., and I felt completely alone. Judging from the meeting that we had once war had been declared, just about everyone there was liberal, and they were angry and upset that war had been declared. How was I supposed to react as a conservative? Sure I had misgivings about the war, but no one else would even listen to the reasons why we were there. As I did many times while I was in college, I remained silent. The image in my mind of that meeting, those circumstances in Merida, Mexico, will always stay with me. The intolerance, misunderstanding, and anger I experienced there was just a prelude of what would occur in the years to come.

Lindsey

UPDATE - For those who were wondering, the people I talked about in the above post were largely U.S. college students and educators. I can only imagine what our Mexican hosts at the hotel were thinking.