Stripes letter: "It's OK to criticize Bush"

[lebkuchen]

It’s OK to criticize Bush

On Aug. 22, Stripes printed “Pro-Bush camp counters ‘peace mom,” (article, The Associated Press, European print edition; “Patriotic camp springs up to counter peace mom’s anti-war demonstration,” Mideast print edition), about about the “patriotic” camp intended to counter Cindy Sheehan.

The headline was the same as on the AP feed, with the description of the pro-war camp as “patriotic,” perhaps to indicate Sheehan is “unpatriotic.”

In 1918, during World War I, former President Theodore Roosevelt wrote an excellent editorial. In it, he addresses questioning the president during wartime. He said: “The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or anyone else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.”

Whether you agree or disagree with his policies, you must never be afraid to question him; it’s patriotic. It’s essential in a free country that the citizenry be willing to question and criticize the president.

Saying “we should always stand by the president” is unpatriotic. If decisions must be made on which “camp” is patriotic, listen to Roosevelt.

Senior Airman John Nixdorf
Sather Air Base, Iraq

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=31435

[Selatius]

1. Republicans don't nominate folks like Teddy anymore

[lebkuchen]

2. It's been "open season" on Bush in Stripes letters for four years

As I recall, Clinton got two negative letters in eight years--I know because.... ;)

Now we'll see the flood gates open against Bush in Stripes.

I wonder how those reenlistment and recruitment numbers are doing? Ever since Rummy took them over, we don't hear much.

[gimama]

3. speaking of numbers..

where did the Military VOTES go? I've been reading Soldiers' views, military.com, VeteransforCommonSense.org, OpTruth.org, IVAW.net,etc,& I don't think Mr.bush got the Military Votes..

[lebkuchen]

5. That stat has been supressed by military protocol

All one has to do to release it is to lead by example. ;)

[HawkerHurricane]

4. They never did.

Teddy was a accidental president, they offered him the Vice job to get him out of the New York Governer's office... only to have McKinley assassinated. They didn't want to nominate him for reelection, but they knew they'd lose if they nominated anyone else... then they slipped Taft in on him in 1908, and Taft was such a prick that Teddy ran against him in 1912 (better a Dem than a non-progressive Republican)...

[cynatnite]

6. My favorite line:

"Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile."