Stand off between riot police and Iraq war veterans

Ron Kovic was at the protests

they signed up to defend the constitution, the constitution the bush administration wiped their assez with , not to mention the lie. i see that you write movie reviews have you seen the movie Redacted, if so what are your thoughts

oh yeah i wanted to add they fought for our right and theirs right to freedom of speech, i think they deserve the right to speak their mind, dont you?

I have not seen that film. I netflix a lot, so I'll netflix it. Then I'll have to get back to you on what I think.

I've seen other films about the war such as (not great films) Lambs for Lions and Stop-loss. Though I didn't particularly like the films they still had a point to make and the points were interesting. The way of going about it was not.

As for them having their say, that's fine with me, but I can't take someone seriously when they signed up to be in war. Whether or not one can justify their actions by wanting to defend the constitution the fact of the matter is they signed up for war....war either to protect America or fight for it. There's no deciding which kind you fight when you sign up, and they knew that.

I'm not going to pretend that that kind of thinking removes the fact that they gave their word that they'd do as the government says and the retract it because it's not how they like to do things.

Well guess what that should have already been known based on history alone....don't pretend Bush is the first to do this kind of thing. There has been several wars prior that would point to this as a possible outcome.

if you love war so much why dont you go and fight you x man you? nice pic. at least some of us have the guts to stand up for what we beleive in.

Wonder how many the Veterans killed.

I do not understand why so many Americans do not really listen to what is being said, Obama has said that he will bring home within sixteen months but he also said that they are needed in Afghanistan, and Pakistan, if anyone believes that our troops will come home to stay there sadly mistaken because out of one into another, which is really the same war just different places. On top of this you have Russia which is out for the oil and will move right in if we leave, thats why McCain said 50 to 100 years meaning as we do in many countries not for war but as we do all over the world

The IVAW is opposed to the Iraq War.

"From its inception, IVAW has called for:

* Immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces in Iraq;
* Reparations for the human and structural damages Iraq has suffered, and stopping the corporate pillaging of Iraq so that their people can control their own lives and future; and
* Full benefits, adequate healthcare (including mental health), and other supports for returning servicemen and women."
http://ivaw.org/about

thanks for the link sdln , now thats a group i will be happy to donate money to

hey now thats the real sh*t! Thanks for sharing. I dont really follow the rap scene but I am down for that. MNM has got my attention.

I've never been a huge Em fan but "Mosh". WOW.

It's amazing how words and rhythm can awaken even the most brainwashed drone.

Thanks for sharing!

well thank you buttcrack..

We have tried, he didn't listen. It's time to look to the future and stop grasping at the past.

What war are you talking about man? I'm somewhat confused.
I didn't know there was a war going on.

That's precisely the attitude that kept us in Viet Nam so long.

What the soldiers, sailors, and pilots need is to end their participation in the occupation of a sovereign nation. I have heard stories of soldiers who served two tours or more and saying that it has changed that they no longer feel like liberators but more like a police force.

"Songbird" McCain has even said he will begin withdrawing troops when the body count reaches zero. He wants to get these heroes to stop fighting to protect our freedoms and make them fight for their freedom to come home to their families and friends. These are our brothers and sister, sons and daughters, and fathers and mothers who are over there. They are not a thermometer to be used to measure success or failure.

"fifty veterans do not speak for all our military personal"

IVAW has over 1,200 members; only around 50 were marching at this event.

"Most of the military that are in Iraq would say we have to be careful of how and when we leave"

You're right. In a 2006 Zogby poll, "72% of American troops serving in Iraq think the U.S. should exit the country within the next year, and more than one in four say the troops should leave immediately".
http://www.zogby.com/news/readnews.dbm?id=1075
The immediate withdrawal isn't very popular, but they also don't seem to think it should take more than a year to leave.

Although it is respectable that you took the time to find data on the matter, and it seems more than plausible that the troops stationed in the middle east would hate to be... "selected" for stop-loss. I have to point out that Zogby's polling methods have come under fire due to the fact that their polls are conducted on people who have registered to be polled. Although, most arguments are aimed primarily at political polls, its easy to see how all their polls could be a tad bit skewed. But you can all decide for yourself

http://mediamatters.org/items/200711280004

http://www.bayoubuzz.com/News/Louisiana/Politics/US_Senator_Landrieu_Campaign_Sa...

These are pretty harsh critiques but you can go to zogby poll and see their retorts.
http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1064
scroll down past the big ol' chart.

I was a soldier in Iraq. I'm a life long military man. I have to say that most troops is Iraq see the larger picture of what we are building. They understand that a new constitution has been created in the world and that the people of Iraq have an opportunity for democracy. Groups like "Iraq Veterans Against the War" have my respect and they are free to voice their opinions in America. However, they are the extreme minority. They get all this attention because it is "Interesting News" The fact of the matter is they are a tiny fraction of how the military feels. As for the polls you mention, wouldn't you want to be out of combat within a year if you were fighting insurgents? It doesn't mean they are not prepared to answer the call of their Commander in Chief. They respect the Generals and trust in their judgement. So much good is happening in Iraq right now it's unbelievable. Reconstruction and stabilization is at an all time high. See the big picture. Not just what comes on TV.

Thanks for the heads up on Zogby, danyfell. That's good to know. I'll have to make sure I check polling techniques before I use one.

The poll I cited was "conducted in conjunction with Le Moyne College’s Center for Peace and Global Studies... included 944 military respondents interviewed at several undisclosed locations throughout Iraq. The names of the specific locations and specific personnel who conducted the survey are being withheld for security purposes. Surveys were conducted face-to-face using random sampling techniques. The margin of error for the survey, conducted Jan. 18 through Feb. 14, 2006, is +/- 3.3 percentage points."

Dabne.

Its pointless to try to explain the common Iraq War Vets point of view. You'll just be labeled as a right-wing Republican lackey.

If you were to do any research into the backgrounds of some of these so called anti-war vets you'll find that most of them are activated reservists or guardsmen and not military regulars, and the very few that are, you will find that are one termers who are passed their EAOS. And thats assuming that some of these guys are really vets considering anyone can spend $100 at an army surplus store and become an instant "Iraq War Vet". With as rabid as the anti-war movement is in this country I wouldnt put it passed them.

End it now? I wish I had your patience.

Blackwater works for the Republicans.

Blackwater works for the highest bidder (in this case, the republicans). That is a mercenary's only rule.