There's a difference between support the war and support the troops.?

Question

Why do so many believe that if you are against the war, you're against the troops? I support the troops, but I believe that they have no business in Iraq; not saying pull them out immediately, but that's a different story. My question is, why is it not thought possible to be against the war and for the troops? And another thing, why the animosity? A few of the soldiers have done things that were callous, but they don't represent the most of them out there. The fact that they're figthing is brave, quite brave. Comments?

Answer 1

The troop's don't choose the battles!! They don't make the wars!! They fight them because they have a love for their country, and feel the way to serve it best is to defend it! I totally agree with you!! Why do people harbour so much hatred to our troops? Their doing their job's! My husband served a tour in Iraq, and is still in the Marine Corps. But he doesn't agree with the war. Is he a evil person? NO! But he made a commitment that he has to keep. It hurts me to know that he risked his life, and sacrificed his time away from his family. We missed him terribly, and worried, and cried, and put our lives on pause awaiting his safe return. So he can ensure our freedom, to criticise him and his brothers for doing it.

Answer 2

Everyone has the right to support or not support both the war and the troops. But before you start ranting about how wrong and unjust the war is remember this. You don't really know the reason for the war. All you know is what the media is telling you and what the politicians are saying to further their careers. You're sitting at home safe and sound out of harms way criticizing something you don't have a clue about. Over 3,000 troops have been killed in 3 or 4 years. In 1968 15,000 American soldiers died in a war a Democrat put us in. That is in ONE year alone. We have used Nazism and communism as excuses to defend other countries and Saddam Hussein is no different than Hitler and all of the commie leaders thru the ages.

Answer 3

First human beings might want to separate the conflict and the troops. It has wrongly been held in case you disagree with the politics in the back of the conflict you do not help the troops or you may't help the troop or you may be assisting a conflict. they don't look to be an identical situation in any respect. which finally ends up in 2 undesirable consequences. First the outcome of the human beings who do not question some thing wars and second the human beings who mistakenly blame the protection force contributors who're doing their jobs for what they see incorrect with conflict (at the same time as it really is the politics). assisting the conflict mean agreeing with the rules and moves directed to be done by the authorities interior the conflict. no longer assisting them skill disagreeing with them. assisting the troops skill giving the contributors of the protection force the appreciate and gratitude they deserve for answering the countries call, even if you sense that call became precise or no longer. Many contributors of the protection force do no longer believe the politics of being there or why we are there many cases. they try with an identical subject matters as anybody else.

Answer 4

I agree that you can be against the war without being against the troops. There are gradations of feeling, as in all things. Reading the comments so far, there are so many extremist opinions, too many people who think you can be only one thing or another, black or white.

Obviously, there are peaceniks who are just anti-military in general, and inappropriately vent their feelings on the troops in war or in peacetime. The military will always have enemies in the United States, people who dislike the military as an institution. But I believe that's a tiny segment of the population.

I'm a military veteran, and I disagree with the war, and I did not vote for this President or his party, and I think the war was wrong from the beginning, and has gotten worse since then. I believe it's my right to do so, and to express my opinion freely. The framers of the Constitution purposely pitted the different branches of government against each other and enshrined some basic individual freedoms in the Bill of Rights because they distrusted power and distrusted government. They foresaw there would be situations when the President, or other members of the government, would act irresponsibly. And they encouraged dissent. A lot of them were newspaper owners, and the newspapers of that period were fiercely partisan, not even remotely concerned with objectivity. They routinely slandered each other and wrote scathing critiques of the government in power. That's the America I love, the America I thought was worth giving my life for. Members of the military swear an oath to the Constitution, not to the President, although they obey his orders as Commander-in-Chief, and are more limited in their right to criticize him when they are in uniform.

So I respect and support those members of our armed forces that stand and obey their orders, and go over to that pit of Hell we call Iraq, and do their duty, despite the fact that we're losing, and that we were lied to as to why we needed to go over there, and that the elected civilian leadership that got us into that conflict is incompetent. That's the beauty of serving in the military of a democracy - your service is much more valuable BECAUSE you serve in a questionable cause. You serve the people of the United States and its Constitution, no matter what. Even when the cause is hopeless and stupid. It is that which ennobles those who serve.

I also agree with those who question the folks who say they support the troops but don't support the war, asking HOW exactly it is they support the troops. By not spitting on them when they come home, as in Vietnam? That's nice, but I agree that it would be better if everybody who says they support the troops were doing something about it. Check with your local VFW, even if you disagree with their views, and find out how you can help. Somewhere in your neighborhood or community is someone with a son or daughter over there. Find out what they need, what you can do to help. Write a letter. Bake some cookies. Don't just stick a yellow ribbon magnet on the back of your car.

Answer 5

I basically agree with you. Not supporting the war (or whatever it is chosen to be called) is actually being against the decisions of our President.
The troops did not start or go there on their own. They were sent/ordered. Regardless of what they think they had to go, sort of like herds of cattle being driven to the slaughter house. They follow orders.
I empathize with the troops. I go out of my way when entering a base, seeing them in a store to say thank you and maybe even pay for a coffee or treat.
As to the wrong things done by some military, at least some of them would have been done if they were not in the war zone. But depending on the personality war can/does make or contribute to stress factors that results in actions even the individual troops would say, I can't believe I did that. But they were sent by our President.

Answer 6

People who think supporting the war and the troops is a package deal are not thinking about what support really is.

My husband, and many of my friends' husbands, serve in the military and my heart supports them 100%. However, I feel the war is a disgrace and a terrible waste of this countries military power and funding. That said, even though I hate the fact at times that people I care dearly for are in the sandbox, there is little the common citizen can do but be proud of how our troops are handling the task given to them.

Answer 7

You can be one or the other:
To support the war is to believe and agree with the reasons why we are there.

To support the troops is to support the men and women whose jobs it is to serve and not make the decision to go to war. And to die and get injured and be away from loved ones because it is their job.

...see the difference?

There have been troops who have done things that do not represent the ways of the majority of them, but you have to remember 2 things: 1- not everyone who is deployed volunteers, you can get volun-told to go. Even if your job in the military is something like a dentist or something. 2- military members are people too. We are just like everyone else, we make mistakes and some people have more common sense than others. We are the same as civilians in that sense, we just have different jobs.

Answer 8

I am for the troops, yet disagree with the war, as do many others like me, namely the troops. Our troops did not make the judgment call to go "over there", nor did their loved ones, but felt the desire to "serve", long before the "war", my son included. I agree that there have been a few that abused their power during their commission, but DO NOT represent the overall majority representing our country. I love, and support our troops without a doubt, and can only hope that the general public understands that it was not their judgment call to make being over there. Now let me go on to say that my son loves his country, but doesn't always agree with the policies of our government, nor do any of us. To our loved ones whom serve, or have served, I deeply thank you for the sacrifices you made. My prayers, and love are with you all. Best Regards!

Answer 9

I support the soldiers 100%, and I would probably not be brave enough to face what they are going through on a daily basis. I also partly support the war-not the killing of 1000s of people, but I support getting Saddam Hussein out of power. there were many reasons for the war, and that is the reason i support. But that said, i do not support any other aspect of the war.

Answer 10

During the Viet Nam situation, the media was able to vent the frustration with the way the situation was being handled by Washington on the military. American military were shamefully treated by American citizens. They were referred to as baby killers. For reasons I have never understood, the politicians who stabbed out military in the back have never been made to answer for it. Robert Strange McNamara even admitted he was lying during the conflict. Why hasn't he been held accountable?

Today, people realize that the military doesn't have much to say about where it is sent. They are trying to accomplish a difficult mission. Most American support them. The tiny number who have committed atrocities need to be singled out and punished. Otherwise, the taint the rest of us. The military profession needs to maintain its honor. That is the huge gulf between the military and the politician. We will never be able to understand each other.