Freeper Email and My Response

[HawkerHurricane]

Army Wife Speaks Her Mind

I was sitting alone in one of those loud, casual steak houses that
you find all over the country. You know the type--a bucket of peanuts
on every table, shells littering the floor, and a bunch of perky college kids racing around with longneck beers and sizzling platters.

Taking a sip of my iced tea, I studied the crowd over the rim of my
glass. My gaze lingered on a group enjoying their meal. They wore no
uniform to identify their branch of service, but they were definitely
"military": clean shaven, cropped haircut, and that "squared away" look that comes with pride.

Smiling sadly, I glanced across my table to the empty seat where my
husband usually sat. It had only been a few months since we sat in this very booth, talking about his upcoming deployment to the Middle East.
That was when he made me promise to get a sitter for the kids, come back to this restaurant once a month and treat myself to a nice steak. In turn he would treasure the thought of me being here, thinking about him until he returned home to me.

I fingered the little flag pin I constantly wear and wondered where
he was at this very moment. Was he safe and warm? Was his cold any
better? Were my letters getting through to him? As I pondered these
thoughts, high pitched female voices from the next booth broke into my
thoughts.

"I don't know what Bush is thinking about. Invading Iraq. You'd
think that man would learn from his old man's mistakes. Good lord.
What an idiot! I can't believe he is even in office. You do know, he
stole the election."

I cut into my steak and tried to ignore them, as they began an
endless tirade running down our president. I thought about the last
night I spent with my husband, as he prepared to deploy. He had just returned from getting his smallpox and anthrax shots. The image of him standing in our kitchen packing his gas mask still gives me chills.

Once again the women's voices invaded my thoughts. "It is all
about oil, you know. Our soldiers will go in and rape and steal all the oil they can in the name of 'freedom'. Hmph! I wonder how many innocent people they'll kill without giving it a thought? It's pure greed, you know."

My chest tightened as I stared at my wedding ring. I could still
see how handsome my husband looked in his "mess dress" the day he
slipped it on my finger. I wondered what he was wearing now. Probably his desert uniform, affectionately dubbed "coffee stains" with a heavy bulletproof vest over it.

"You know, we should just leave Iraq alone. I don't think they are
hiding any weapons. In fact, I bet it's all a big act just to increase the president's popularity. That's all it is, padding the military budget at the expense of our social security and education. And, you know what else? We're just asking for another 9-ll. I can't say when it happens again that we didn't deserve it."

Their words brought to mind the war protesters I had watched
gathering outside our base. Did no one appreciate the sacrifice of
brave men and women, who leave their homes and family to ensure our freedom? Do they even know what "freedom" is?

I glanced at the table where the young men were sitting, and saw
their courageous faces change. They had stopped eating and looked at
each other dejectedly, listening to women talking.

"Well, I, for one, think it's just deplorable to invade Iraq, and I
am certainly sick of our tax dollars going to train professional baby
killers we call a military."

Professional baby killers? I thought about what a wonderful
father my husband is, and of how long it would be before he would see
our children again.

That's it! Indignation rose up inside me. Normally reserved,
pride in my husband gave me a brassy boldness I never realized I had.
Tonight one voice will answer on behalf of our military, and let her pride in our troops be known.

Sliding out of my booth, I made walked around to the adjoining
booth, placed my hands flat on their table. Lowering myself to eye
level with them, I smilingly said, "I couldn't help overhearing your conversation. You see, I'm sitting here trying to enjoy my dinner alone? And, do you know why? Because my husband, whom I love with all my heart, is halfway around the world defending your right to say rotten things about him."

"Yes, you have the right to your opinion, and what you think is
none of my business. However, what you say in public is something else, and I will not sit by and listen to you ridicule MY country, MY president, MY husband, and all the other fine American men and women who put their lives on the line, just so you can have the "freedom" to complain. Freedom is an expensive commodity, ladies. Don't let your actions cheapen it."

I must have been louder that I meant to be, because the manager
came over to inquire if everything was all right. "Yes, thank you," I
replied. Then turning back to the women, I said, "Enjoy the rest of your meal."

As I returned to my booth applause broke out. I was embarrassed
for making a scene, and went back to my half eaten steak. The women
picked up their check and scurried away.

After finishing my meal, and while waiting for my check, the
manager returned with a huge apple cobbler ala mode. "Compliments of
those soldiers," he said. He also smiled and said the ladies tried to pay for my dinner, but that another couple had beaten them to it. When I asked who, the manager said they had already left, but that the gentleman was a veteran, and wanted to take care of the wife of "one of our boys."

With a lump in my throat, I gratefully turned to the soldiers and
thanked them for the cobbler. Grinning from ear to ear, they came over and surrounded the booth. "We just wanted to thank you, ma'am. You know we can't get into confrontations with civilians, so we appreciate what you did."

As I drove home, for the first time since my husband's deployment,
I didn't feel quite so alone. My heart was filled with the warmth of
other diners who stopped by my table, to related how they, too, were proud of my husband, and would keep him in their prayers. I knew their flags would fly a little higher the next day.

Perhaps they would look for more tangible ways to show their pride
in our country, and the military who protect her. And maybe, just
maybe, the two women who were railing against our country, would pause for a minute to appreciate all the freedom America offers, and the price it pays to maintain it's freedom.

As for me, I have learned that one voice CAN make a difference.
Maybe the next time protesters gather outside the gates of the base
where I live, I will proudly stand on the opposite side with a sign of my own. It will simply say, "Thank You!"

(*Lori Kimble is a 31 year old teach and proud military wife. A
California native, Mrs. Kimble currently lives in Alabama)
From Karen B. Robbins, Psy.D.
In God We Trust

My response:
Except for the 'baby killers' comment, I agree with the two women. And to be shouted down by a woman that 'to be grateful for your right to free speech you must not exercise it' is a tragedy.
Think about this, also:
President Bush has tried to cut combat pay.
He has cut Veterans Administration medical benefits.
He has arranged deals with family friends businesses to profit over 'rebuilding' Iraq.
He has made every effort to prevent a investigation in 9/11.
He has lied, repeatedly, about the link between Iraq and 9/11.
He has lied about Iraq's attempts to acquire WMD.
And when someone exposed that lie, he had the man's wife exposed as a CIA agent. A CIA agent whose specialty is the Middle East and WMD.
And remember the motto of the United States is NOT 'In God We Trust'. It is E Pluribus Unam: From many, one.

[el_gato]

1. that whole story sounds like bullshit anyway

[trogdor]

7. It screams 'freeper chain email' to me.

I would never call anybody a 'baby killer' because they went to Iraq. I don't think any of you would, either. Our soldiers do what they're told, and they know what an unlawful order is. Any and all carnage that occurs there is the sole responsibility of George W. Bush.

I'm pretty sure this is a made-up story, and if you tried to google this lady, all you'd get is copy after copy of this letter.

Edit: I did google 'Lori Kimble' and I got the following:

A screed on the CA recall.

The following comments from snopes.com:
The piece quoted above was written by Lori Kimble, a 31-year-old California native who is now a teacher in Alabama and the wife of a serviceman. She contributes occasional pieces to The Washington Dispatch, and this item was her contribution for 14 April 2003, published under the title "The Price of Freedom."

(At this point we're noting here that this item is "true" in the limited sense that it can be traced back to an identifiable first-person source who affirms it as true, not necessarily in the sense that the event related took place exactly as described by the author.)

The Washington Dispatch is, you guessed it, a right-wing fundamentalist-leaning website that reads sort of like World Net Daily.

[JHB]

8. Agreed. Funny how the "wife" ran up against a textbook caricature...

...a perfect example of "a liberal antiwar protestor" as described by Rush, Hannity, and the whole RW propaganda machine, complete with the "rape", "baby killer", and "we deserved 9/11" lines.

Not to mention that whole contrived "preacher's sermon" vibe, with the pacing, the building wrongdoing, the Virtuous Act, and the Sincere Praise As Unexpected Reward.

It's possible it's true -- I have met ding-dongs who talk like that, except for the "baby killer", "rape", and "911" bits -- but I find it suspicious that that there's not even a hint of a more nuanced view.

[HawkerHurricane]

10. I concur

with WHY and JHB. It smells fake, but I posted it 'as is'; to do otherwise would be dishonest.

[HawkerHurricane]

12. I stutter, too.

oops, double post.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

25. In Alabama no less

[RapidCreek]

28. No it isn't

It isn't possible it's true. It is a fictional account and exemplifies the proclivity of Bush supporters to attempt to frame an argument by those who threaten to expose their game....in terms which were never voiced by their opposition. Such crudely engineered sophistry is diligently marketed.....as is evidenced by the fact that Hawker received such drivel in his mailbox.

It is difficult to argue against logically stated truth...that is why they NEVER attempt to do so. It is either ignored, inaccurately restated or referred to as elitism. One need only point out, to those refer to truth derived through logic as elite, that most humans have the capacity to quantifiable implement such a skill by the age of three. The only people for whom such a skill might be considered elite are mentally challenged individuals and or those suffering from a tendency to lie pathologically. Someone suffering from moderately sever mongoloidism....or a severely low IQ, would quite probably view an average 9 year old as elite...taken in that context, and speaking from that point of reference one can understand why a neocon would operate under such a misconception. To assert that they are the norm, is absurd, however.

RC

[HawkerHurricane]

32. Of course

It is much easier to defeat a strawman of your opponent's position than it is to counter your opponent's actual position.

[janx]

18. That's because it is. It's just one of those corny myth letters.

"True Stories," etc.

[Wetzelbill]

34. Precisely

it was too filled with stereotypical notions. Sappy and corny.

[mac56]

2. Good reply, HH!

Short, respectful, and to the point.

Do you mind if I bookmark that for future use?

[HawkerHurricane]

4. Bookmark away

I claim no originality.

[mark0rama]

3. As seen on snopes.com

It really was written by one Lori Kimble; here's what else snopes says about it:

"At this point we're noting here that this item is "true" in the limited sense that it can be traced back to an identifiable first-person source who affirms it as true, not necessarily in the sense that the event related took place exactly as described by the author."

It has the same sheen of artificiality that one would see in a Penthouse Forum letter.

[HawkerHurricane]

6. It is 'TRUTH'

which, of course, is different from 'factual'.
The fact is, this does sound made up.
The TRUTH is that this is one woman's opinion.

Now, go wash your hands.

[LynneSin]

5. Half the time these letters are bullcrap

You go to SNOPES.com or other 'urban legend/email chain letters' and you'll find that these letters are filled with half truths and embellishments.

They'll find there is no Lori Kimble (the name of the soldier's wife at the restaurant) or her name will vary from the various versions that get sent around the country. Obviously the story is embellished to make the wife seem more heartbroken over missing her husband and the progressive patrons seem more shrill about their free speech discussion about what's going on with the war.

These types of letters have been going on years with the soul intent that neo-con fundies are warm and loving/progressives are evil and shrill.

My sister-in-law use to send me this crap which I would just delete automatically. I had asked several times not to send me this stuff but she continued to. One day she sent me the "50 people close to Clinton who were 'mysteriously' murdered" - I replied back with information from Snopes & BreaktheChain websites which showed what a load of crock all of this way. I found articles that even backed my information and I made sure I "REPLY ALL" the email (plus kept the original handy incase she decided to start blind copying the emails).

The emails ceased to come anymore.

[HawkerHurricane]

15. I didn't dare hit 'reply to all' on this one...

It came through the ship's email, using the 'all hands' key...
I'm sure the poster will get a nice call from the CO/XO/CMC about appropriate use of ship's email.

[IrateCitizen]

17. Unless it was sent by the CO/XO...

[HawkerHurricane]

33. It wasn't.

Current CO/XO/CMC aren't into chain letters.

[TNOE]

9. Gag

Yea, this is no doubt a "made up" letter. Pathetic.

[Cat Atomic]

11. Don't quit your day job, Lori.

That story was such obvious bullshit it's pathetic.

[Skittles]

13. I'm hoping this is bullshit

because that is one sadly brainwashed Army wife.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

14. free apple pie

Lol, i like the whole free apple pie thing. BAHAHHAHA. ahh, apple cobbler and baby-killing - can there be anything more american?

[Wetzelbill]

37. Yeah that cracked me up

These guys shore are original.

[TLM]

16. WHat has Saddam done to hurt my freedom?

I ask the pro-iraq occupation types this one and they never have an answer... unless they are real stupid and say 9-11.

These soldiers are not over there protecting my freedom... they are over their, quite against their will for the most part, taking over another country.

[Taxi Driver]

24. Amen. This isn't the American Revolution. This is an occupation of Iraq NT

[radwriter0555]

19. How is a soldier in iraq defending MY FREEDOM?!

what a line of BULLSHIT.

[Taxi Driver]

23. I agree. That propaganda line doesn't even make any sense. n/t

[arcane1]

20. my dad chain-mailed this to me a couple of months ago

typical freepish attempt to define your opponent's positions, instead of letting them define it themselves

strawmen, all

[OldSoldier]

21. No way this is even slightly true

Baby killers? Rape and steal? Jesus, this sounds like something out of a Rambo flick with the protestors spitting on the returning GIs.

Got news for ya: This looks like something someone in the White House Office of Propaganda wrote.

How come we never get these kinds of e-mails coming from the left? Hmmm...

[HawkerHurricane]

35. Because we are more honest?

Or because we THINK, and therefore don't use fake strawman arguements?

[Taxi Driver]

22. Yeah. Those troops are "fighting for our freedom". laugh my ass off!

I'm sure we took down the Baath Iraqi Republic so we can preserve our right to freedom of speech at home. Funny how we have less freedom of speech now than we did before Bush's little war.

Oh and I agree with the two women. Do you know how many Iraqi children were murdered by the "shock and awe" attacks? It's almost Hitlerian.

[PAMod]

26. Good response HawkerHurricane

People in the military and their families deserve to know that they or their loved ones are making a positive difference in their service; defending our country, making the world safe, etc.

Even when it is proved that their service has been wasted by the people they trust to lead them, they often turn on the messenger and block out the truth.

Because of that, people like Lori Kimble have to be treated with special care - it's not her fault that her husband has been used, has been sent into harms way for God knows what.

It's awful, isn't it?

I went to a "support the troops" rally in April which was great, albeit a bit over the top, until it turned into a pro-Bush orgy, at which point I told everyone around me "bye bye" and walked away.

They had 6000 people at that event eating it all up.

[GiovanniC]

27. HOW I KNOW THIS IS A COMPLETE FRAUD

This Lori Kimble is a 31-year-old Army wife living in Alabama. I live in Jackson, Michigan. While my town trends toward the Republican/conservative as compared to the rest of the state, Michigan is still a pretty liberal state. Granholm is our governor, Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow are our senators.

If I went into a steakhouse and loudly proclaimed that I hated Bush, thought that the Iraq war was unjust, that the war was about oil, that there are no WMDs in Iraq, that the war was increasing the risks of another 9/11 (all of which I personally believe), and that our military is a bunch of baby-killers and that we deserved 9/11 (which I don't believe), the entire restaurant would get up, crucify me, and throw rotten vegetables at me.

But this woman would have us believe that, in Alabama, these women went into what is presumably a country-western type "peanuts on the floor" steakhouse establishment in an area that we could infer has a military base nearby (several military men in the restaurant, woman's husband in military) and loudly spouted off the supposed liberal "talking points" loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear, within earshot of MILITARY guys (while calling them "baby-killers", etc.)

What kind of idiot do they think I am?

* Don't answer that. Rhetorical question.

[HawkerHurricane]

36. Good analysis

I knew it sounded 'phony', you've hit the nail on the head.

[Eurobabe]

29. written by freeper obviously

[GiovanniC]

30. Also, notice how self-aggrandizing the narrator is

"Tonight one voice will answer on behalf of our military, and let her pride in our troops be known."


Pure glurge.

[bluestateguy]

31. Take a look at this one. It is almost exactly the same:

http://www.snopes.com/rumors/egghead.htm

I arrived in Moscow, Idaho (Home of Idaho University one block from Best Western) and went to dinner at Best Western. About 85-100 people were in the Restaurant. I'm at a table for about 5 minutes when this "Group" comes in (20 people). They have Anti-War Picket Signs with them. It appears that two of these demonstrators are Professors.
They all sit at a large round table behind me and begin to talk very loudly about US atrocities in Afghanistan. One of the "Professors" stands up and gives a brief talk about how the "US is famous for atrocities" and Afghanistan will be no different. One of the students asked a question about Viet Nam POW's. The "Professor" makes a comment about how that was only US propaganda about poor treatment of POW's.

OK - I'm really mad now and I jump up and go over to their table. (In retrospect - Over the entrance to the Restaurant is a huge American Flag. On each table is an American Flag and a small hand painted sign "United We Stand"). I excuse myself and ask the Professor if I can ask him a question. He says yes. I said that he appears to be of age to have served in Viet Nam, and asked him if he had served. His answer was, "NO - I defended this Campus and told the truth to the students. I then asked if he remembered what he was doing on February 16, 1969. When he answered, "Of course not - that was too long ago," I responded, "Really, I remember what I was doing. That was the second day of my capture and I had been standing in a bamboo cage for 24 hours with water up to my chest". I then said "Sir, your comments about how POW's in Nam were treated are a lie and I personally say to you, you are a ******* liar, as you never were there. I was a POW and they did not treat our POWs humanly. The only other person I have ever heard make the statements like you have is Jane Fonda. Is she telling the truth and not me?" He stood up and after about 10 seconds said, "Jane is a great patriot and I cannot visualize her lying." With that, I reached over and grabbed the small American Flag and United We Stand sign and said, "I'm taking this back to my table where it can be appreciated".

No one said a word to me as I started to walk back. However after a few seconds, people started standing up and applauding all around the restaurant. Two men got up from a table across the room and walked over to me. The first identified himself as former US Marine Lieutenant Flynn and the other man was former Gunnery Sergeant Graboski. In a loud voice after introducing themselves, Lt. Flynn said they were former Marine Guards at a US Embassy. He then said, "We are over at this table to defend the US Flag from all foes, both foreign and domestic." They then sat down and asked their Waitress to bring their meals over to my table. A few more minutes went by with loud comments from the "Anti-War" table. All of a sudden, "Gunny" Sergeant Graboski stood up and in a loud voice said "All of you heard what the President said the other night. You are either with the United States or you are with the terrorists." He then said, "Please stand and join me in God Bless America."

As he started singing, people all around the restaurant stood up and joined in. Several of the students at the "Anti-War" table also stood up half way through the song and joined in. Both Professors and the majority of the students remained seated and refused to sing. At the end there was a great ovation.

The Manager came up to my table. (He and his staff came out from the kitchen and sang). He thanked me for what I started and then went over to the Anti-War table and asked them to leave. "I will pay for what you have had so far but I cannot in good conscience serve you - get out now!!

One of the Professors then made a remark "Well, we are not going to pay one dime for how shabbily we have been treated." As they were leaving, one customer stood up and said, "Manager, here is $5 towards their bill, anyone else willing to chip in to get this scum out of here?" All over the restaurant, people stood up reaching for their wallet and saying, "I'll chip in" The Manager, in tears said, "My family is from Poland, I am now a citizen and am so proud of what I see tonight." He started crying and a couple of the waitresses helped him into the kitchen.

The two Marines and I were there for about another 20 minutes and finished our meal. The Hostess came up and showed us more than $100 dollars that all the other tables had told their Waitresses to give towards our bill. I thanked her but said I could not take the money. Lt Flynn suggested donating it in the Restaurant's name to the New York Relief Fund, so I guess that's what will happen. I just can't believe how Americans are coming together now.

Just thought you would like to hear how the rest of the country is reacting to what happened!!!