When people say they support the troops, but not the war, nobody thinks twice about it. But when someone says they support the war, they have to defend their views. How can these people claim to support the troops when they want them to fail their mission by coming home before the job is done?
126002
I think most people think of our troops and think of the images they see on the news. They don't think about it being their neighbors or relatives. I keep hearing people say the troops should come home, which is a great idea and all, but to do it before the job is finished would be like pissing on the graves of all soldiers that died during the war, they would have died for nothing. It would be like going up the the thousands of veterans disabled by the war and tell them that they failed, they lost their arm, leg, vision, etc for a job that wasn't necessary and therefore wasn't followed through with. And to know that I lost close friends, some of the best soldiers in the world for nothing, I would lose it. It would be just like when we withdrew from Somalia less than a few weeks after all of those Rangers and SF guys were killed, nothing was accomplished and that place is still in chaos. This would be the same thing but 200 times more severe.
498830
Be a good citizen and vote when it is your time.  Oppose the war in a lawful way.  Make sure that politicians are blamed for the war and not the soldiers.   \nI am sure that there are a few in the military that think the war in Iraq is wrong.  But faithful to their oaths the go on serving.  You can support them best by lobbying your politicians and Voting!
305390
Been there, done that, Viet Nam.  The extreme right thinks you can do no wrong and the extremem left thinks you can do no right.  As I looked over the answeres here, just like in American society the majority of people will support you.  A soldier does not have a blank check to do what he wants during a war and is always responsible for what he does.  You state your feelings excellently and it is impossible for those who have never been through a combat experience to know what you are going through in your thoughts and in the actions you have to perfrom during combat.  You must  live with your experiences the rest of your life.  No, it is not easy being a soldier and I pray that you have made the right decisions in your experiences.  I would never judge you and neither should anyone else except God. You sound like the kind of soldier that all of America can be proud of.  Always do the right thing and don't worry about people that want to condemn you, they don't really count.
1248
I think it is more important for those troops in Iraq to have positive thinking so that they will have the basic support in their mind to complete their mission...sometime bad news didn't mean there is no good news out there, maybe it just doesn't have that kind of more value than bad news...so bad things may keep happening but good things do keep happening too.\n\nPlus while in the middle of war, there is also no time to think it is right or wrong, as the most important things is we must believe on what we do is right, this is the most basic thing to win a war as who wants to lost a war? once the American troops is inside Iraq, then no one among them will expect they are going to lost will be the correct spirit.
651722
Keep the items coming.  They help the troops a lot.  I fervently support our troops and our mission in Iraq.  However, what you are doing is the proof that you can support the troops while disagreeing with their mission.  What you need to understand is that that mother is probably very sick of people saying the cliched "I support the troops, but not what their doing" from people who in no way support the troops other than with lipservice.  Her emotions are invested in a young man who is in harms way.  You should forgive her for her mistake, passing it off as the emotions of a worried mother, and continue on with your service.  And if anyone ever tells you that you shouldn't speak out against the war, tell them to go to hell.  And if they resist tell them you were told to say that by someone who believes the war in Iraq is necessary and who is sworn to protect your right to make such statements with my own life, if required.
129552
Maybe I have a unique perspective from those that have posted so far considering that I am one of the "troops" and a veteran of the current conflict.  From my own viewpoint it is discouraging to hear all the anti-Bush/anti-war rhetoric--not because I support him/it personally, but because it belittles what we are doing over there.  Can you imagine what it would be like to be in a combat zone and know that your fellow citizens think that what you are doing is pointless, worthless, and/or "illegal"?  It is more than a little disheartening.\n\nAs for what I do: I correspond with a number of my fellow service members who are in Iraq and Afghanistan, I wear a Support Our Troops bracelet 24/7 to remind myself at all times of the sacrifices made by those in uniform, and I strive to educate those that I come in contact with about how not supporting the war that we are fighting hurts almost as much as being called "babykiller".
676236
Liberals/leftist/democrats/celebrities think that supporting the troops is de facto support of the government. And that goes against every grain of their socialist bodies.
100973
why would you think they would be thinking about our troops? most of them are self absorbed snobs who only think about themselves and next few million there going to make. so who cares if they mentioned the troops or not, as long as we keep them in thoughts is all that matters.
539913
We've all seen how libs support the troops , cut the budget , cut the budget , cut the budget .\nFrom Viet Nam to now , the troops always get the short end of the stick from the Liberals .
368034
Why was he willing to help get more soldiers in the guard. I would like to say that all soldiers are doing a job. They signed up for it. If he does not like the way they conduct business don't reenlist. I think he needs to get out and shut his mouth up. We has military family are proud of our soldiers. We support them no matter what. It is something we have no say where the go and what they do.
167267
The whole purpose of protesting the war is because people don't want to see our troops dying (particularly when there is no reason for them to do so, other than expanding Cheney's pocket book). \n\nI can't think of anything that supports the troops more than that. Fighting for the troops lives is greatest support one can give. Protesting the war at home has no real effect on the troops in Iraq, they are fighting for their lives, and when fighting for your lives, a few obscure protests at home isn't going to make one bit of difference to you.\n\nThe mental problems troops have when they come home is primarily due to the effects of war as well. Either because they have been exposed to harmful chemicals/radiation (e.g., gulf war syndrome), or because they are devastated from what they have seen/done.\n\nI heard of young troop, for example, who committed suicide after returning from the war because he couldn't come to moral terms with the fact that he was ordered to kill an innocent iraqi child. His commander ordered him to shoot the child in the head, and he obeyed, and the psychological effect was too much for him to live with. Now his parents are actively opposed to the war in Iraq. \n\nWhat do you think devastated him more? People he doesn't even know radomly protesting the war? Or the fact that he shot a kid in the head at point blank?\n\n20,000 soldiers have been wounded in the war. Many of those injuries will criple them for life. What do you think affects these troops more? Seeing people protesting on the news? Or the fact that they will never walk again? Over 2000 troops have died. What do you think effects them more, protests at home, or the fact that they are dead?\n\nIf you support this war, you essentially support troops losing their lives, losing their ability to walk, having to get medical attention for the rest of their lives due to brain injuries (the most common type of injury in Iraq right now due to concussions from explosions, estimated costs are 1 million dollars in health care per troop over their life), dealing with the psychological effects of war, etc. \n\nThat isn't supporting the troops. Supporting the troops is demanding that they not continue to have to lose their lives, to lose their health, to lose thier minds, just so that some fat bastards can continue to get rich.\n\nAnd smcin, you don't have the foggiest clue what liberal media is. The mainstream media largely covers up the vast majority of stuff that is going on in Iraq. I bet you never even heard of the troops whom I just mentioned who was ordered to kill a child. Why? Because the mainstream media is corporate owned and they don't want you to actually see what is going on over there, apart from the obvious stuff they just can't hide. You want real liberal media? try http://www.democracynow.org \n\nSee what real liberal media is and then maybe that will help you see the reality that the mainstream is anything but liberal.\n\nLiberal media my ass. More like conservative media.
62006
Yes.   I've seen that video lots of times, and the Marines are yelling at people to not move.    They also had an interpreter telling people to remain still.   When your ass is on the line, you should NOT continue to give people the benefit of a doubt because you'll end up dead.\n\nOur military is ALL VOLUNTEER.   Members know the risk when they sign up.   I know this because I have several family members who served in different branches of the military.\n\nWhether or not you agree with how/why our troops ended up in harm's way, you should consider it your civic duty to publicly support our troops.   To do anything less would be an act of ungratefulness.
570573
They need to come home as soon as the job is done.\n\nYou are bound to miss them, thats human nature, but when they took the money and the government gave them a gun, they and everyone around them must have known that they would be expected to use it.\n\nI fully support all the allied troops out there, but have little patience for people who join the military without being prepared to go to war, and also preparing their familes for that reality.
264969
Because in their mind every death is a little more validation that their opinion was right.  And these sick people would rather be right than achieve a rebuilt Iraq.\n\nThey say that they "support the troops".  But they dont.  Their real message is at best: "We want you to come home safely, but we don't want you to accomplish anything over there" - thats not support.\n\nIf the troops have victory, they see Bush as having victory... but the bigger picture is that a FREE Iraq with a stable government is a victory for the Iraqi people and the entire world.\n\n>insert bushlied;oil;oilbuddies;wmds; halliburton;etc.. here.\n\nand ignore the dozen reasons listed in the iraq war resolution that passed 77-23.
334762
They do not support the troops.  The only thing they support is their own political opinions.\n\nTheir claims to support the troops are as hollow as their claims that they care about the Iraqi people.
445403
People have the right to protest.  However, the men and women in the military fighting the war are the ones that protect that right to protest.  By protesting, you just fuel the fire and encourage the enemy to attack harder.  The enemy or terrorists know exactly what is going on here.  They know that protesting brings morale among troops down.  It just gives them more ammo to fight with because they know the people don't stand behind the troops and what they're doing or fighting for.\n\nSome say that protesting brings the troops home.  That's not true.  It did nothing for us ever in history.  The only thing protesting does is tells the troops that the people don't care about them.  \n\nAlso, don't give me crap that you support the troops but not the war.  You can't have it both ways.  War is what the troops do in some form or the other.  If you can't support what the troops do, you can't support them.  Saying that you do both is 2-faced.  Supporting the troops is total and unconditional.  It's not based on if they do or don't fight a war.  Besides, if the troops believe in what they're doing and the cause they're fighting for, then who is anyone else to say that it's wrong??
575801
Yes, it would appear that most immediate family do support both wars. If you were to watch unbiased coverage on television, you would get this impression from family members interviewed as well as audience responses where they are in the audience. Most parents of soldier killed in action believe if we don't pursue the war to it proper resolution--a self-sufficient Iraq--the lives of their sons would have been lost in vain. As a tribute to the fallen, they believe the war should be continued until it is won honorably by us. I'm not an authority on the subject but I do listen a lot as I'm a "news junkie" and a reporter once-upon-a-time.