False Pacifism

Hat tip to Little Green Footballs for this entire post.

It seems as if the good Quakers are finding unique ways to undermine the sacrifice of our troops in Iraq. Fine. They are just one of many preaching to their own choirs.

No link for them, but if you want to see: http://www.afsc.org/eyes/default.htm

But. They are using the names of heroes without the consent of their families and this is an outrage.

A spokesman for the families had this to say:

Dear Friends,

My name is Michael Becker, I live in Phoenix, AZ and my son is a US
Marine.
I am writing to you because it has come to my attention thru several
Marine Corps family support groups to which I belong that the American Friends
Service Committee (AFSC) is sponsoring a tour of an exhibit they call “Eyes Wide
Open”. As I understand the exhibit, they have acquired combat boots and attached
a name label for each fallen soldier, sailor and Marine in Iraq.

I - many of us, actually - have real objections to this display. The
primary reason, from our perspective, is that AFSC has not contacted any of the
families of the fallen to request their permission to use their service member’s
name in their tour. We consider this to be an outrage, and is an affront to our
belief that the war in Iraq is both just and is yielding very positive results
in the Middle East.

We feel AFSC, with this tour, is attempting to associate our fallen heros
with their effort at an anti-war protest. I have sent two emails asking for
clarification and requesting that they contact the families of the fallen to get
permission to use their names. I am aware of at least 5 other similar requests.
AFSC has not responded.

I am aware that they will have the “tour” in Dallas in the next couple of
weeks. I am also aware that a protest is being organized and that a number of
Gold Star families will be requesting the name tags of their fallen service
member at that event.
I’m writing to you for two reasons. First, I believe
you folks actually care about our troops and their families. Second, you’ve got
clout, we’re just military families that AFSC could not care less
about.

I am asking that you take a look at this display, contact AFSC and see if
they will justify their actions to you. We would just like to get some light on
the subject. If there are families of fallen who support AFSC and their tour, we
have no problem with their service member’s names being used in the tour. We
simply feel that each family should have the opportunity to be NOT represented
in this tour de farce if they do not agree with AFSC.

Thank you for the great job you do reporting and commenting on the news.

Sincerely,
Michael Becker Phoenix, AZ
Proud father of LCpl Josh, the best man we know...

Now I have no problem with families of the fallen participating in this exhibit. It is their right. I think of their loved one as a hero and that is what I would tell them if ever given the opportunity.

But for a gaggle of pacifists like the Quakers, who would depend entirely on others for their defense, to use the names of the fallen, without the permission of their families, is vile, disgusting and beyond contempt. These dead are heroes not victims and for them to be portrayed as such without their permission or the permission of their families is an affront not a tribute.

I don't have a problem with a memorial - even an anti-war memorial. But make it an honest one and leave politics out of it otherwise you are just using dead heroes to further your own political goals. And we know what that makes you.