Shut-up Stupid Sunday: Support our Troops

It isn't easy being in the military in the best of times, and these are far from the best of times for the military. We are occupying two countries in the worst way possible, something that most Americans want ended.

But men and women still volunteer, mostly because the military serves a vital role outside those wars. The Navy makes sure overseas trade can be carried out without pirates roaming the seas. The large standing Army means that if a country has a problem with the US it has to try diplomatic channels. The national guard is ready if disaster strikes.

Many progressives like myself don't like how the military is currently being used, but still appreciate the role that the men and women in uniform play in society.

So it sickens me that they are now being attacked by conservatives.

Atheist Veterans were booed in the Annville Memorial Day Parade 2011 in Pennsylvania.

At the GOP debate an openly gay serviceman in Iraq asked a question and was booed by the crowd. Not one of the candidates said anything.

And recently Andrew Breitbart ranted to teapartiers that they should “fire the first shot” and start a civil war, like a real life recreation of the South Park episode, “Grey Dawn”. He continued to say that he wasn't joking when he called for Senior Citizens to start firing on the military.

To anyone with a brain the idea the teaparty, average age 71, arming their electric scooters and going head to head with a tank is ridiculous. But the level of contempt that these people have for the men and women who are ready to lay down their lives to protect the freedoms we enjoy in this country is shocking.

From cutting the budget for the Veteran's hospitals, and cutting veteran's benefits, to now openly booing veterans and active members of the military, conservatives are doing all they can to disrespect the hard work that our servicemen and women do to protect our country.

So to all those conservatives out there who think it is a great idea to boo at veterans and active servicemembers, who think sending dozens of senior citizens in their scooters and oxygen masks to attack them is a good idea, all while voting for more wars to get them killed in, I say, “Shut-up Stupid, those people that you are booing and threatening to attack have vowed to lay down their lives to protect the system of government that allows you say the hateful things you say about them. You might not like the reality's well known liberal bias that means that the military isn't full of cowardly chicken hawks like you and has members from all walks of life, but learn to live with it. These men and women are serving to protect you.”

By Darrell B. Nelson author of I KILLED THE MAN THAT WASN'T THERE