[Peace-discuss] *Fools rush in with "political agenda"

[Ricky Baldwin]

Someone should write a letter to the editor in
response.  I just had one in there, but anyone who
hasn't recently written in can.  Just keep it short,
200-250 words.

Some ideas for a theme:

1. I wasn't there either, but a speaker in uniform is
an automatic recruitment ad.  Either Mr. Rudzinski
can't see this, or won't admit it.  That was Ms.
Kruse's point, I believe, even if Mr. Rudzinski would
claim to be ignorant of it.  Ms. Kruse was just
hinting at the rest of the story that Mr. Rudzinski
leaves out ...

2. Mr. Rudzinski betrays his own political agenda with
his slur painting anyone who disagrees with US foreign
policy as the "bash America always" crowd.  Is there
something wrong with having a different opinion now in
this country?  Some of us happen to think there is a
lot that is wonderful and great about this country --
for example, the right to disagree and say so -- but
extremists like Mr. Rudzinski can see only black and
white.  And only one of those is worthy of respect,
apparently -- even though "respect" was one of the
subjects of his talk.

3. When Mr. Rudzinski, in uniform, spoke to a group of
school kids, he says, he didn't tell them about the
illegal invasions and killings of civilians committed
by people wearing the same uniform.  Instead he told
them about readiness, safety, responsibility and
respect with a bit of humor, some pictures and an
Arabic lesson.  

But what message does he think kids get when a soldier
tells them to be "ready"?  When he talks about
"safety"?  Can he possibly believe that they do not
understand that he means that soldiers represent these
things?  That the current wars are for these ideals?

He says he didn't tell the kids why so many millions
of people around the world oppose US actions where
once they supported us.  He says he didn't tell them
that the US has squandered the good will of the world
and used it cynically to foster a narrow agenda of
domination and dependence.  Yet when Jan Kruse raises
these points, he says she is ignorant.  

It is Mr. Rudzinski who is promoting ignorance: 
ignorance about what is really going on in Iraq and
Afghanistan.  Why else would he stand in front of a
bunch of school kids and not tell them the whole
truth?  Why else would he write in to this paper, all
hurt because somebody disagreed with him, and fail to
tell the whole truth?  Why isn't "honesty" one of the
qualities Mr. Rudzinski included in his talk?

I'm sure you can think of others...

Ricky

--- "Morton K. Brussel" <brussel4 at insightbb.com>
wrote:

> Dear Jan,
> 
> Don't feel bad, even if feeling bruised.
> 
> I guess a response to this Rudzinski letter is:
> 
> What did the man in uniform not tell the students
> about their  
> country's actions in Iraq, and its reasons for
> attacking Iraq.
> 
> Words about "safe, ready, responsible and
> respectful" (but not  
> skeptical?) are cheap, as our current President
> makes clear. Actions  
> speak louder
, and the destruction of Iraq is an
> example of our actions.
> 
> Whose "safety" is to be safeguarded?
> What should we be "ready" for?
> 
> On what basis did that guy appear at the school? Can
> we have a  
> session with the students to respond to his talk?
> Would he give us  
> the text of his talk?
> 
> I'd ask for a rejoinder.
> 
> Mort
> 
> 
> 
> On Sep 6, 2006, at 4:44 PM, Jan & Durl Kruse wrote:
> 
> > <ng.gif>
> >
> >
> > School speaker critic shows her ignorance
> > Wednesday September 6, 2006
> >
> > Jan Kruse's letter to the editor in last
> Thursday's News-Gazette  
> > concerning the Army officer who spoke to students
> at Carrie Busey  
> > School was a blatant misrepresentation of the
> event and a cheap  
> > cynical shot to further her political agenda.
> >
> > I am the speaker at Carrie Busey School to whom
> she referred, and  
> > my talk was on how being ready, safe, responsible
> and respectful  
> > were universal qualities that have value in school
> and in life. It  
> > was not recruitment or indoctrination or any other
> phantasm usually  
> > imagined by the "bash America always" crowd.
> >
> > It was neither a political stump speech nor a
> treatise on why  
> > American military personnel are in Iraq. It was a
> personal  
> > perspective on the four qualities I mentioned. It
> was told with  
> > sincerity, pictures, an Arabic lesson, and a
> little humor.
> >
> > Kruse doesn't know what she's talking about. She
> wasn't with me at  
> > Carrie Busey nor was she with me in Kuwait or
> Iraq. I suspect she  
> > hasn't been in a lot of other places I have been
> either.
> >
> > But that's OK. Kruse has the right to be ignorant
> as well as to  
> > express her opinion. These are her rights as an
> American. I will  
> > remind her though, what Abraham Lincoln said:
> "Better to remain  
> > silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and
> remove all doubt."
> >
> > MICHAEL RUDZINSKI
> >
> > Rantoul
> >
> >
> >
> > Find this article at:
> >
>
http://www.news-gazette.com/news/opinions/letters/2006/09/06/
> 
> > school_speaker_critic_shows_her
> > Comments
> > <ng.gif>
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> >
>
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> 
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