Email for help from Marine in Iraq.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-05-2004
Email for help from Marine in Iraq.
35
Mon, 05-03-2004 - 9:08pm
"Hello Everyone,

I am taking time to ask you all for your help.

First off, I'd like to say that this is not a political message. I'm not concerned about domestic politics right now. We have much bigger things to deal with, and we need your help.

It seems that despite the tremendous and heroic efforts of the men and women serving here in Iraq to bring much needed peace and stability to this region, we are losing the war of perception with the media and American people. Our enemy has learned that the key to defeating the mighty American military is by swaying public opinion at home and abroad. We are a people that cherish the democratic system of government and therefore hold the will of the people in the highest regard. We love to criticize ourselves almost to an endless degree, because we care what others think. Our enemies see this as a weakness and are trying to exploit it.

When we ask ourselves questions like, "Why do they hate us?" or "What did we do wrong?" we are playing into our enemies' hands. Our natural tendency to question ourselves is being used against us to undermine our effort to do good in the world. How far would we have gotten if after the surprise attacks on December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor, we would have asked, "Why do the Japanese hate us so much?" or "How can we change ourselves so that they won't do that again?" Here in Iraq the enemy is trying very hard to portray our efforts as failing and fruitless. They kill innocents and desecrate their bodies in hopes that the people back home will lose the will to fight for liberty. They are betting on our perceived weakness as a thoughtful, considerate people. Unfortunately our media only serves to further their cause.

In an industry that feeds on ratings and bad news, a failure in Iraq would be a goldmine. When our so-called "trusted" American media takes a quote from an Iraqi doctor as the gospel truth over that of the men and women that are daily fighting to protect the right to freedom of press, you know something is wrong. That doctor claimed that out of 600 Iraqis, that were casualties of the fighting, the vast majority of them were women, children and the elderly. This is totally absurd. In the history of man, no one has spent more time and effort, often to the detriment of our own mission, to be more discriminate in our targeting of the enemy than the American military. The Marines and Soldiers serving in Iraq have gone through extensive training in order to limit the amount of innocent casualties and collateral damage.

Yet, despite all of this, our media consistently sides with those who openly lie and directly challenge the honor of our brave heroes fighting for liberty and peace. What we have to remember is that peace is not defined as an absence of war. It is the presence of liberty, stability, and prosperity. In the face of the horrendous tyranny of the former Iraqi regime, the only way true peace was able to come to this region was through force. That is what the American Revolution was all about. Have we forgotten? Freedom is not free and "peace" without principle is not peace. The peace that so-called "peace advocates" support can only be brought to Iraq through the military. And we are doing it, if only the world will let us! If the American people believe we are failing, even if we are not, then we will ultimately fail.


That is why I am asking for your support. Become a voice of truth in your community. Wherever you are fight the lies of the enemy. Don't buy into the pessimism and apathy that says, "It's hopeless," "They hate us too much," "That part of the world is just too messed up," "It's our fault anyway," "We're to blame," and so forth. Whether you're in middle school, working at a 9-5 job, retired, or a stay-at-home mom you can make a huge difference! There is nothing more powerful than the truth. So, when you watch the news and see doomsday predictions and spiteful opinions on our efforts over here, you can refute them by knowing that we are doing a tremendous amount of good. Spread the word. No one is poised to make such an amazing contribution to the everyday lives of Iraqis and the rest of the Arab world than the American Armed Forces. By making this a place where liberty can finally grow, we are making the whole world safer. Your efforts at home are directly tied to our success. You are the soldiers at home fighting the war of perception. So I'm asking you as a fellow fighting man: Do your duty. Stop the attempts of the enemy wherever you are. You are a mighty force for good, because truth is on your side. Together we will win this fight and ensure a better world for the future.

God Bless and Semper Fidelis,

1st Lt. Robert L. Nofsinger USMC

Ramadi, Iraq "

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-25-2003
Tue, 05-04-2004 - 9:26am
Thanks for that reminder. If we are defeated, it will be by ourselves. God help us and the world if that should happen.

Renee

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 05-04-2004 - 10:06am
The lieutenant is entitled to his opinions. I guess FrontPage magazine (absolutely unbiased reporting, ROFLMAO!) wants to make sure he has an arena in which to air those opinions. My research didn't show any biographical information about the author but I'll give this letter the benefit of doubt that Robert Nofsinger really exists and is stationed in Ramadi. If he isn't the public affairs officer there, he ought to be! He's eloquent even if his analogies are less than perfect.



For example, he compares the attack by Japan on Pearl Harbor where Japan was clearly the aggressor to the situation in Iraq. When I last checked, Iraq had not invaded the US, nor bombed it but we had certainly done both invasion and bombing of Iraq.

He also somehow knows exactly what's being said in the US press (perhaps he's online a lot) about civilian casualties. Maybe we've tried to minimize the destruction to those who aren't actually fighting us but it's the nature of the beast in war to be unable to confine damage to militants alone. We've used depleted uranium shells in Iraq and the bomblets too. And neither of those technologies is sufficiently advanced to target only fighters. Ironic that he talks about fighting to protect the freedom of press (how?) in the US and then castigates that same press for taking a quote from an Iraq doctor.

I admit to being flabbergasted by his statement that the only way to bring true peace through the region is through force. HELLOOOOOO?! Go back to psychology, go back to history, go back to lessons about democracy. Peace at the point of a gun is usually either a tyranny or a delay on a fuse to a bomb that ultimately blows later. And then to top it all he has the nerve to reference the American Revolution–when we conducted a guerilla war along with conventional warfare of the time. It ultimately undermined the willingness of the British public to continue to enforce a pattern of government that we didn't want! It sounds familiar alright but the Iraqis are the ones trying to get rid of us!

Lt. Nofsinger is ignoring the reasons for the war (part and parcel of why we are hated) and the principles of democracy. Because of that, the letter comes off as huge piece of propaganda. My duty as a citizen of the United States is to ask questions, look for answers from a variety of sources, weigh what I know and come to some sort of conclusion on my own. And if that means coming to the conclusion that this war was waged for spurious reasons and because of that looks like a losing proposition–so be it.

Gettingahandle

Ignorance is Nature's most abundant fuel for decision making.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-05-2004
Tue, 05-04-2004 - 10:26am
I didn't get this from FrontPage Magazine. Where did you get that? I had not heard of FrontPage until you said this, so I looked it up. I will peruse it later, thanks for turning me on to that site!

And, even if it is posted on a right wing site, do you expect to see it posted on a left-wing site??? How about the mainstream media??? Do you think they'd post it when their blatant agenda is to turn the will of the American people AGAINST the war??? Give me a break. Of course if a patriotic American received this email he would post it on a website for people of like minds to read.

Here's what I think about our tactics over there. Clearly we are making every effort to spare innocents, but it is reported exactly the opposite. I hope they don't decide that since we are suffering the bad press ANYWAY, to just forget about sparing innocents and go on and get it over with and put down the agressors. You know this would already be over if we had that attitude.

Go ahead and side with the enemy. This is America, you have that right. I can't tell you how I feel about it without violating the TOS.


Edited 5/4/2004 10:32 am ET ET by iminnie833

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 05-04-2004 - 1:01pm
FrontPage magazine's website is one of the first responses to come up in a Google search for Robert Nofsinger. You did not quote source and the whole tone of the letter is so gungho that it makes even the usual stuff one sees in military media seem pallid by comparison. I was extremely curious about the letter's author.

Do get over the absurd notion that criticizing the causes and conduct of this war is somehow siding with "the enemy"! It's simplistic to argue that and you should know it by now. Goodness knows, enough of us have posted our support for the troops even if we oppose the war. Are you saying that patriotism is limited to just those who support the kind of letter you posted? Because if that's the case I'd like to know WHO decides what's patriotic and what's not.

You may disagree with any publication you like. You can go to other publications, right wing, left wing, no wings, whatever! You have a choice in a democracy. I'm curious. Do you realize how vital having a free press is to a democracy even if they regularly publish dissent with the government in power? Are you angry because they don't just publish what the administration and/or the military want them to say? Do you know what sort of press places like North Korea ("axis of evil") or Uzbekistan ("coalition")have?

I'll agree with you that <> I think the Marines outside Fallujah are trying to figure out a solution that will enable all parties to save face and spare the kind of outright conflict that would almost certainly result in "collateral damage" as well as troop injuries and deaths too. Bear in mind, Minnie, that you were one of those who cheered our "retaliation in Fallujah". As with many of the actions of this war, it didn't resolve a thing and may have actually caused more harm than good.

Gettingahandle

Ignorance is Nature's most abundant fuel for decision making.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-25-2003
Tue, 05-04-2004 - 2:54pm
<>

And you should act like a grown up and realize how your words and actions effect our soldiers and our enemies and how they play into their hands.

With every right, comes responsibility, and it's yours to use your words wisely.



Renee

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-05-2003
Tue, 05-04-2004 - 3:26pm

With every right, comes responsibility, and it's yours to use your words wisely.


It isn't the healthy debate on the correct direction this country needs to take in fighting this war on terrorism and handling this debacle in Iraq that is putting our men and women into danger.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 05-04-2004 - 3:57pm
Somehow you seem to be equating the stifling of free speech with being grownup. Sorry but the logic doesn't work. I speak as a mature woman of some years. The fact that you don't agree with my words doesn't change that.

And speaking of speech, I don't think you meant to use the word "effect"--when used as a verb, it means "bring about". The last time I "effected" a soldier was over 23 years ago when I gave birth to a baby boy--who is now a soldier.

I will not endorse policies, that as James points out, put our troops including my son, in danger in the first place. If I do not speak out, I have tacitly accepted and become complicit in what this administration has done. So I have spoken, speak now, and will continue to speak against the idiocies of a war that was totally and completely avoidable.

I pray for those troops in Iraq, help in an organization that sends packages to them, and long for the day when they come home--but will not stop exercising the right of free expression.

Gettingahandle

Ignorance is Nature's most abundant fuel for decision making.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2003
Tue, 05-04-2004 - 4:04pm
Looks like one of those chain mails. should be deleted of the board the way chain mails are discouraged.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-05-2004
Wed, 05-05-2004 - 9:04am
Your talking points, though well rehearsed, are a bit out of date.

The president didn't go to war without making the proper case for war. The congress, from BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE, overwhelmingly supported him with their VOTES. It has now come to light that the holdouts on the security council of the UN were BRIBED by Saddam Hussain.

I think that it's funny that the image of President Bush on that aircraft carrier was so strong that it threatened liberals to the point that they are still harping about it today! And every time they bring it up, the patriotic Americans are reminded what a strong leader the president is! It makes me laugh that they think that by complaining about it it does their side any good, when in fact it only instills into the hearts and minds of Americans how out of touch the extremists on the left are with the American people.

And the "bring it on" complaint from the left, too, only serves to make the left look weak and to further the belief that there is NO WAY that they should be in charge of this. The terrorists' best friends are the American left-wing who would sit placidly and shake in their boots until the murderous thugs came over here and put them out of their misery by killing us all, just like they want to do.

The president DID say that this war was a LONG TERM war on terrorism. He never said it would be easy or immediate. There are things that he didn't expect, AS IN ANY WAR, that is the nature of war, you can't know everything that is going to happen ahead of time. Most people understand this despite the outright war the press has brought against this president and against our own country.

And your SPECULATION that the leadership is lacking is only wishful thinking, since you aren't privy to war plans or to what's going on behind the scenes. It is easier to speculate that our leaders and stupid and ill equipped if you are left wing than to give them any credit at all. What is transparent though, is that if this were Bill Clinton in the president's seat, and everything had happened exactly the same way, many of the more "religous" left-wingers would be spinning this in his favor. When I say "religous" I am referring to the left-wingers who's religion IS politics - the leftist variety.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-05-2004
Wed, 05-05-2004 - 9:06am
Are you that threatened by it? Doesn't this soldier have a right to free speech, or is it only America-bashing leftists who have free speech rights?

Minnie

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