A letter to the editor from a Wisconsin soldier serving in Afghanistan:
To the editor,Well said, sir, and may God keep you safe as you proudly serve this country. Thank you for your service.
I am a soldier serving in the U.S. Army currently serving in Afghanistan.
I am writing as a result of recent actions, or lack of actions, in the state Senate. I am fully aware of the situation and the terms brought to the table concerning the budget and the legislation to fix it. What concerns me are not the issues at all.
Regardless of party or political view, the actions of the Democratic senators were appalling! Running away from a vote because of the fear of failure is wrong on many levels.
First of all, as a politician it is an obligation to vote on matters regarding the state and the welfare of the people of the state. An American citizen has a right to vote, which means they may choose to vote how they see fit or not to vote at all. As a senator the right to vote is now not only a right but an obligation.
Also I see a very large double standard in a senator campaigning and asking for votes to run away from a vote themselves. The job of a senator in this situation is to vote "yay" or "nay" and let the votes fall as they may. This is how democracy works, not to act like cowards and run. Running abandons Democracy and all of the American people they swore to represent.
Regardless of any views on this war we are fighting right now, my comrades and I are American soldiers. As soldiers we fight to defend democracy. Democracy is based very largely on the right-and as a senator the obligation-to vote. By "running away" the 14 Wisconsin senators slap democracy in the face, therefore slapping all who defend it in the face! Being from Wisconsin I am heartbroken and extremely let down by the appalling actions of these senators on a public, national stage.
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter; So help me God."
The above is the oath of office which each Wisconsin senator swears to when entering office. The end of that oath states, "I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter; So help me God." This statement does not state, "I will vote when I feel like it and abandon my office which I have sworn to uphold when the result may be other than I would like to see." I know for a fact, having worked in the wonderful state of Wisconsin, that if any company employee blatantly decided to walk out on their job and to publicly disgrace the company they worked for they would be terminated immediately.
This may sound as a bold request to some but I am calling for the resignation of all 14 of the senators who abandoned their job, the people of the state of Wisconsin, and their duty as political officers, and publicly disgraced the entire state.
I fear what our state and furthermore our country will become if this type of action is allowed to continue without consequence.
A very concerned and insulted American soldier,
Justin Cook
Posts
How do you think the soldiers who have jobs at teachers feel about what some states are doing, there they are fighting and when they come back, they want them to come back to less then what they had, is that the welcome back they deserve?
ReplyDeleteFirst, I wouldn't begin to venture a guess as to how anyone feels. This was a letter from a soldier and I just posted it.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I think you've completely missed the point of the post. The soldier even said this was not about the issues, but about the democratic process. He was voicing his opinion on how the senate democrats, in HIS opinion, shirked their duties and therefore didn't uphold their oath. In HIS opinion, it threatens democracy.
and my point stands, he wants them to do their job, I agree, but he also should be concerned that the right is working hard to screw some of those same soldiers who are serving right now.
ReplyDeleteI think his letter was right on, but if he is going to step out on that and ignore the other attachments to why those 14 hid out (which I didn't agree with) then he should have addressed the whole spectrum, just not the actions of 14.
How do you know he's not concerned? He was writing about his feelings about the actions of those senators. Perhaps he wrote another letter "condemning" the budget repair bill. I have no way of knowing that, nor do you. This letter was simply his feelings on how the actions of the 14 AFFECTED THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
ReplyDeleteQuite frankly, it's not up to you OR to me to tell him what he should or should NOT be concerned about. Remember, this is a soldier fighting for our country in Afghanistan. And please don't start on whether we should be there or not. My point is he's over there putting his life in danger, and he obviously felt while he's fighting for democracy, our own elected officials are giving a giant fuck you to the process. And he felt it was important to write a letter to the editor.
ReplyDeleteSo how exactly is this soldier fighting for our freedom? If we pulled out of Afganistan today, what would change in the lives of the average American?
ReplyDelete