THANK YOU! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
By Isaiah Z. Sterrett (11/25/05)
There is nothing illegitimate about opposing the war in Iraq. Political dissent rests at the core of American political culture. What is illegitimate, however, is mendacity in the name of political opportunism, the offense of which Washington Post columnist Harold Meyerson is guilty. At the onset of the holiday season, traditionally a time for coming together and forgetting differences, Meyerson disregards the pursuit of honest political commentary in an attempt to smear a wartime president and anyone who may support his foreign policy.!
Meyerson has the liberty to write was he’s written, and no one—no one—wants to take that blessed freedom away. But that doesn’t make him right. Questioning policy is the duty of every citizen; opposing policy by fraudulently inflating a policy’s opponents is immoral.
How does Meyerson know, for example, that Rep. John Murtha, latest advocate of a troop pullout in Iraq, is the “toughest” Marine in Congress, as Meyerson recently claimed? “Toughest” on whom? Is Murtha “toughest” when it comes to the elimination of the terrorist threat in Iraq? Doubtful. Why does Exiting Immediately represent toughness? Why would remaining in Iraq, holding true to our promise to Iraqis, show weakness?
And since when does it matter where Murtha’s district is? Murtha “represents a Pennsylvania district straight out of ‘The Deer Hunter,’” Meyerson has written, apparently unaware that we’re living in what’s known as “real life,” as opposed to “a movie.” Murtha served in Vietnam, which serves as the basis of “The Deer Hunter.” That’s the only conceivable connection. The idea that Murtha is somehow justified in making absurd policy arguments because he’s from a district that resembles a movie from the ‘70s is as preposterous as Murtha’s argument itself. Just because Rudy Giuliani served as Mayor of New York does not mean that “Annie Hall,” Woody Allen, or Diane Keaton in a necktie have anything to do with his beliefs about American foreign policy.
Most laughable is Meyerson’s audacious declaration that, on the question of Iraq, “Democrats stay largely mute.” Yes, and on the question of the Stamp Act, farmers from Massachusetts were “largely mute,” too.
To prove that “Democrats stay largely mute” on Iraq, I’ve compiled several examples of recent Democratic silence:
--“The Bush administration misrepresented and distorted the intelligence to justify a war that America should never have fought.” (Sen. Ted Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts)
--“Our presence [in Iraq] is just fueling the insurgents.” (Sen. Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California)
--“The fact is that [the Defense Intelligence Agency is] now trying to rewrite the rationale for the administration going into Iraq. Instead they really ought to be trying to fix the problems that they've created with their incompetence over the last few years.” (Sen. John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts)
--“We all know the Vice President's office was the nerve center of an operation designed to sell the war and discredit those who challenged it....The manipulation of intelligence to sell the war in Iraq...the Vice President is behind that.” (Sen. Harry Reid, Democratic Minority Leader)
-- “It is time that we give the American people a true timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. If we do not set a timetable, then this war will drag on consuming more money and precious American lives.” (Rep. Stephanie Tubbs, Democrat of Ohio and a new member of the Out of Iraq Caucus)
No one opposes the right to dissent. But responsibility is important; if Meyerson is going to make an assertion—especially in the Washington Post—he should first consult Google. Disagreeing with President Bush’s Iraq policy is reasonable, but arguing that Democrats have been silent on the issue is outlandish.
Like Meyerson, Rep. Murtha, in opposing the war, exercises his right. Where he lives is irrelevant. His combat experience is irrelevant. His relative strength is irrelevant. Let’s deal with his ideas—not the various facts of his life and career. This is policy, not a Robert DeNiro movie.
© Copyright 2005 by Isaiah Z. Sterrett
(Printer friendly version) Email: Isaiah Z. Sterrett
