letter from a peace activist...& my reply

[wrbones]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Karen Pease"
Sent: Sunday, March 02, 2003 11:09 PM
Subject: To a military guy...


Hello WR (I never learned your name; if you wouldn't mind, it would be best
if I could refer to you by it ). My name is Karen Pease; I'm a friend
of Yelena (she runs Iowans For Peace With Iraq). I had written to you
previously (through her).

First off, you should try not to be too hard on her. She's felt
uncomfortable talking to you, because she feels you'll think she has no
right
to talk to you because she wasn't born in the US. But it's not her fault.
People like her family were part of the reason why we became enemies with
the
Soviet Union under Stalin in the first place (concerning human rights), in
that her family before her was one of the millions shipped off to the Gulag
in Siberia by Stalin. She doesn't like to talk about it. She grew up in
Siberia, and eventually managed to come to the US. Please don't think any
less of her just because of her place of origin.

You had forwarded to her a posting from Sgt. Grit's forum. I tracked down
the URL, and did an investigation. It's an Urban Legend. There are a
number
of things that should have clued you in; that it was a "friend of a friend
who shall remain nameless" story; that the airline supposedly did nothing to
a loud, angry, drunken, boisterous, disruptive couple during an entire
flight
from Philadelphia to Des Moines. That in both cases, the exact same kinds
of
slurs were used. And many other things. Regardless, the story is a myth;
you can call camp Pendleton yourself - here's their main switchboard:
(760)-725-5617.

Just so you know, if you buy into a legend and find out that it's not true,
etiquite requires that you let everyone who you forward it to know that it
isn't true; otherwise it continues to spread.

We deal with defamation like this all of the type. We're not upset; it
happens, and we takes it. We're used to being considered unpatriotic, and
thus, taking the blame for such things. Part of this reputation is our
fault, or at least, our predecessor's fault. During the Vietnam war, a
number of people took out their anger about what was going on on the troops.
It was a source of shame to many in the movement afterwards (and even
during)
- the people who did that - because it made us all look bad, and in the
future as well. We all know that the troops have no choice over there as to
where they went and what they had to do. I have a friend who's son was a
pacifist and was sent over. He refused to load his gun; he was killed
without firing a single shot.

I have never met a *single* person this time around who blames the troops
(many do blame Bush soley, though). Are such troop-blamers out there? Of
course; there are 280 million people in this country who can and do speak
their mind. And of course the cameras seek out those people for photos.
But, I'll say it again: out of all of the thousands of antiwar Americans
I've
talked to, not a single one has placed an ounce of blame on the troops.

At our rallies, I see it every time. "Patriots For Peace". "Support Our
Troops: Bring Them Home!". "Keep Our Troops Out Of Harm's Way". "Peace Is
Patrotic". I myself sometimes even wear a red white and blue shirt to
protests just to show that I love my country. It is because I love my
country that I don't want it doing things that make the world hate it.
Because I love my country, I want it to follow international law. Because I
love my country, I don't want it bombing civilian infrastructure and making
a
new generation of terrorists. Because I love my country, I oppose the war.

I hope you understand. Thank you for putting your life on the line for us;
I
deeply respect your bravery, as I do all of the peace activists who are
veterans that I know (of which there are many). I pray you won't put it on
the line in vain, nor will any of the several hundred thousand staged in the
middle east ten thousand miles from home. Sacrifice is truly noble, but
sacrifice for nothing is a wasted life.

- Karen Pease
Iowans For Peace
daystar_setting@myself.com



Karen,

I appreciate your contacting me concerning the ' urban legend'. I will
forward your warning to others concerning this.Camp Pendleton's official
point of view concerning such incidents will never see the light of day,
i.e. publicity. If ,indeed, such an incident has occured, they will be
performing their own internal investigation.Once, again, any results of such
an investigation may or may not be publicly revealed by them. The other
incidents that I forwarded are true and at least one has been reported as a
news item on national tv and cable in addition to local media reports.The
Bangor, Maine news media report efforts by those who are teachers who
espouse peace who have been verbally abusing their students, the children of
United States military service members. It is a statewide phenomena there,
currently under invstigation by the media, the school system, the US
military and the law in that state. Many of the peace organisations I've
researched have active memberships and even 'clubs' that are based in the
public school system across the United States. In Chicago, there have been
reports in the media concerning physical attacks of military family members
who have done nothing other than wear a shirt or carry a coffee cup with a
military logo on it. These attacks have been by those who proclaim peace.

I have little problem with who came from where or endured what. People are
people.We each reveal our own character to be seen by others as we interact
socially or privately. Defamation is not a factor when friends of MINE were
attacked by the peace protesters at 8th and I in D.C. on the 28th of
January. That is a fact attested to by men of honor with whom I will trust
my life at any time in any place. A number of news articles reported by the
national media have addressed the increasing violence in recent weeks by
many who espouse peace. The financing of many of these peace protests have
been called into question as well.....in national media oulets. There is
some question as to why many labor unions have spent funds on peace protests
without the union members knowledge or consent. In additon, much of the
money required for such activities has come from organisations that have
questionable goals for the United States. Some news media outlets have
described those organisations as being of neo-communist in origin. My own
investigations have also identified them as such. Others are actively
attempting, in public, to encourage the men and women of the armed forces of
the United States to desert their posts. Peace protesters don't have much
concern for the nation or for those who defend it.

Many people are sincere in their beliefs. My interaction with many peace
activists to this point has proven to me that most have no idea of any facts
in relation to Iraq or terrorism. Others have been antagonistic and even
threatening, including members of the organisation to which you belong. This
is not defamation. It is fact. Men I knew died in Beruit, Lebanon. On a
peace mission. Under UN authority. Their deaths meant nothing. Others that I
knew and have friends who knew them have since died...on peace
missions...under UN authority. Other men of honor have died at US embassies
in a number of places around the globe....legally on US soil. Legally under
the protection of the nations to which they were posted. All of these
attacks were by terrorists...funded by men like Saddam Hussein. While other
nations have agreed to bring terroists to justice, Iraq has not and
continues to fund and promote and offer training for those who use
terrorisim.

My time of active service was over some time ago. I do not wish you to be
misled in that. I had thought I signed my last note with the years of my
service.

There is much in addition that I could say, to include dates and times and
references concerning many things that have been espoused by those who
advocate peace with Iraq, but I am afraid that I would un-necessarily bore
you and others with whom you fellowship.

Defamation is an attack that used to destory others without the use of
factual evidence. A lie. I offer you the truth.The actions of those whom you
claim to be in unity with through your organisation and the organisations of
others. Actions reported in the national news media and by the men and women
of the armed forces of the United States.

Actions speak louder than words. I've served my country. How have you served
yours?


s.
Warren Bonesteel
Sgt USMC 1976-1983



The URL to Sgt Grit's forum that she was speaking of.

http://www.grunt.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1187