A man in the arena

Of course, there is this entire Cindy Sheehan mess. Long story short: her son was killed in Iraq. She met the President. She later decided that the President is to blame. She now wants to meet with him again, so he can explain himself.

Now a grieving Mother is not someone you want to attack. I would guess that she is being manipulatated a little, and that she is truly suffering from the tremendous loss of a her child. But there is one thing about her situation that strikes home.

I joined the service in the Summer of 2000. I expected a Gore Presidency. This I did not want. I disagreed entirely with the Clinton administration on foreign policy. However, I still joined the military. I joined to serve my country. And at that point I knew if we went to war for a cause I did not agree with, I had no ethical recourse. I had made my decision to support my country and my country's President. Every Soldier makes that decision when he raises his right hand.

The point is this: the last thing a Soldier would want is his Mother repudiating that decision. This man chose to serve his country. And he gave the ultimate sacrifice. No protest will bring him back. And no protest will blemish the honor that Soldier earned.