Right is Right
By Geoff Metcalf (08/20/07)
"Ah! The best righteousness of our man-of-war world seems but an unrealized ideal, after all; and those maxims which... we busily teach to the heathen, we Christians ourselves disregard." --Herman Melville
I recently wrote about the embarrassing hypocrisy of our government persecuting Gen. Vang Pao for plotting the overthrow of Communists in Laos http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2007/7/16/91648.shtml
It is a national disgrace that the 30,000 plus Hmong who helped Americans were abandoned and ignored by our government after we crawled out of Southeast Asia.
I observed with regret that selective memory loss and denial became policy. However, apparently our collective sins are worse than just gutless unappreciative wonkishness.
It has been brought to my attention that ‘The Real Identity Act’ includes language that states that any refugee who has borne arms against his/her country (even if it was to aide the United States) is considered a ‘terrorist’ and as such is refused entry into America. What is wrong with this picture?
Hmong who provided unbridled aide and comfort to the United States are considered ‘traitors’ by their government and the communists for having helped us. They have been, and are being, hunted like rabbits in Australia and Laotian government policy is genocide.
Those courageous and resourceful Hmong who have managed to get out of the jungles eventually learn they have been branded ‘terrorists’ and are being refused entry into the very country they fought to defend.
We have a regrettable history of supporting bad guy regimes for wrong minded strategic rationalizations. Noriega, Saddam Hussein, al Qaeda, were all allies…until they weren’t. Our own genocide against Native Americans is an embarrassment routinely ignored.
It is being suggested we need a campaign to change American thinking specifically about the Hmong Lao. However, there is a more basic necessity that Americans (regardless of political affiliation) need to acknowledge and accept. There are United States Secret War Veterans and dependants that want, need, and deserve our support.
Notwithstanding official protestations to the contrary, there WAS a secret war in Laos and Cambodia. Studies and Observation Group (SOG) routinely engaged in extraordinary missions that were largely ignored and/or denied (until they were fictionalized into movies).
John Plaster has written three or four amazing books about the exploits of MACV-SOG http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/002-0292637-8516012?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=John%20L.%20Plaster .
A group of Vietnam vets are trying to create a certificate and are hunting for someone (ANYone) without the federal leadership to conduct a ceremony to thank those US Secret War Veterans for their service. Good luck!
It is a simple task. We have apologized to Hawaiians for crimes we did not commit. We have apologized for slavery. We have apologized for a gaggle of real and imagined sins. However, despite the forthcoming elections, is there anyone of rank with the stones to offer a simple official ‘thank you’ to our Secret War Veterans and dependants?
American citizens (although they don’t know it) are funding a bank that is the driving force behind the Laotian genocide.
· The Genocide order (captured 1/4/07) states, LAO PDR Government orders "complete extermination" of Hmong.
· The stated ‘reason’ for genocide is to clear the way for Ethnic and Urban Projects that are funded by Asia Development Bank (ADB).
· ADB is partially funded by the US.
US Veterans from Laos who fought for US during Vietnam:
· Stopped troops and shipments of Ho Chi Minh Trail.
· Saved countless American lives during war.
· We have turned our backs on their pleas for help
· Christians are now being murdered in Laos.
o The Communists believe that Christianity is an "American" religion and believe that any Christian automatically supports America!
August 6th the Prime Minister of Thailand announced they will return 8,000 Hmong refugees back into the hands of Laos. The refugees will most likely ‘disappear’ like thousands of others have who previously surrendered.
However the most outrageous and egregious wrinkle is ‘The Real Identity Act’ (under the Patriot Act) which states that anyone who has borne arms against their country (even if it was in support of the United States of America) will be considered a terrorist and not allowed to enter this country.
The fact that some Hmong who have been rescued from Laos have been denied entry into the US because of this myopic legislative brain flatulence is Ionesscoish. It ain’t right!
Our government asked the Hmong to fight their communist government FOR US…and we reward them for their loyalty and dedication with a death sentence?
To paraphrase Sarah Patton Boyle, the Hmong placed “fairness above profit, generosity above possessions, hospitality above comfort, courtesy above triumph, courage above safety, kindness above personal welfare, honor above success.” Such allies deserve better than we have given.
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