Spamaganda

Please quit forwarding me spamaganda.  These are the messages about supporting our troops and loving our nation.  I'm sure you're just trying to be patriotic and show your love for the men and women in our armed services, and that's great.  But I don't need any more messages that start playing God Bless America when you open them.  And I've already seen the open letter from a WWII dad to his son.  Or the column about what's at stake in the war against terror. 

I support our troops, and am praying for some people I know who are in Iraq.  I don't need to be reminded about what a great thing they are doing.  And I don't need right wing propaganda waved in my face. 

The latest spamaganda is a picture of some soldiers praying.  It says support our troops; send the ACLU to France!  I guess the ACLU is targeting group prayer lead by commanders because soldiers are federal employees and it violates the separation of church and state.  I don't have a problem with prayer.  But they shouldn't be forced to pray.  The military has long supported religion for troops and rightfully so.  They even have a position for chaplains.  If you're going to send young men and women off to face terrible deaths, they should have someone to pray with them and administer last rites. But come on, people have all kinds of religion, and some none at all.  So it's not right to make anyone pray if they don't want to.  I've heard most come to God in battle anyway. 

And send the ACLU to France?  Enough of the wishing bad things for people. We're not going to hand them over to the terrorists, or make them leave the country.  That's silly.  The ACLU has an important role in America.  Protecting our civil liberties.  Our Freedom.  That's really what is at stake in this war against terror.  In these days of the Patriot Act, our lives are less protected from government than ever before.  And that's a bad thing.  I'm sure I'm on some watch lists for things I've said here.  But that's my right and no one can take that away in America.  Well, at least they couldn't used to...

I support our troops and the ACLU.  And I don't need the government to tell me what to think.  I can do that on my own, thanks. 

Comments

[marty]

I was hopping about the net and found this post about the ACLU against the troops praying. Last i heard it was a only a joke. Also, as some trivia for you, the military actually employs spiritual leaders from many various religions, at least those willing to come aboard and head to the lines, but those who do not wish to pray do not have to, but they are asked to remain silent during the silent prayers of other service men.
There is a great book that explores this topic called Faith of the American Soldier. It lays heavily with the christian side, but it explores the dynamic changes the military has gone through and it shows how other religions are expressed in the forces, even if there is no representative.

[JW]

Thanks for the info.