This article, by Selena Coppa, was posted to her blog, July 21, 2009.
Man, this story has me cracking up but good. I'll probably be laughing all weekend.
For those on the sidelines, for a long time, a large part of the conservative sector has been loudly and vociferously protesting anyone who didn't want to deploy because they thought the war was wrong. From conscientious objectors to people who believed we should never have been there in the first place, there was pretty clear rhetoric: if you don't want to deploy, you're a traitor who's bringing the Army down. Any attempt to portray these evil, evil people as heroes was loudly decried as crazy talk.
Enter Major Stefan Cook. Major Cook says he refuses to deploy because his orders to war are illegal. He, however, doesn't challenge the legality of the entire war, just President Obama's piece. If he can't see President Obama's birth certificate, he won't deploy.
You would expect, if the right wing were internally consistent, to see condemnation on all sides. After all, this guy is depriving his fellow soldiers of a body/his experience!! He must just be a coward! Maybe a traitor! He is after all trying to get military folks all over to do the same!
To give the man his due, my frenemy(now legal in the OED, booyah) TSO, has attempted to be internally consistent and has condemned the man, and his crazy lawyer.
Let's have a look at what the right-wingers had to say, shall we? Normally I might not clip comments, but given that IVAW facebook conversations have become fair blogfodder, here goes:
2Generals3Wars1DVFamily Says:
July 15th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Sad but true you are all lead by your noses and no absolutely nothing about Our Constitution, the Supreme Law of this land…when you were being totally brain washed in OCS or military school, as I too, went to one…did you EVER learn to think for yourself, and see the truth, and want to know the truth…those who know how to lead, will question those who say they have authority…would you take a bullet for an imposter? Probably so, and that is not defending this nation, because with that type of mindset, we will not have a nation.
BRAVO to Captain Cook and Dr. Orly Taitz,esq. They are braver and smarter to look outside the “brainwashed box”…
They know the truth and are fighting for it…The are not SHEEP! They are the ones with courage! They are standing for the truth, when you cowards claim it…they are the ones defending and honoring the truth!
You are all so pathetic to diss on a fellow officer when you are so stupid that you do not even know what Article II Section 1 states?
He is the Hero, not you cowards!
Hmm. Deja vu, anyone?
Don't Tread On Me Says:
July 16th, 2009 at 7:41 am
Major Cook is a true American hero! He spoke out and wanted proof that the alleged usurper is entitled to hold the office many of us believe he is currently usurping.
This is a shameful day in the history of our nation when a true American patriot is penalized for wanting to protect and defend the United States Constitution!
And once again, this is different from the soldiers that refused to deploy took court martials so that they could put the war on trial....how?
Even funnier are the guys calling TSO a godless communist bastard for daring not to be uberimpressed by Major Cook's refusal to deploy. You know, the same ones that called Victor & co godless communist bastards for refusing to deploy...I wonder, is it just that they don't have any other insults?
Either way, I am sitting back with a can of pop and watching this hilarity unfold.
Now what I do think is kind of screwed up is that for this Major, rather than punish him, they simply canceled his deployment orders. So the way it seems to go is...if you're an enlisted soldier who refuses to deploy, you go to jail. If you're an officer, you must be taking a principled stand and so you shouldn't have to go.
Oy. However, this? STILL FUNNY
