Randy Cassingham's Blog

"I may not agree with what you say, but to the death I will defend your right to say it." ~Voltaire

In the Vietnam draft era, I enlisted. And though Stan pisses me off, I did serve to protect his right to say it. And it's my right to say that he is one incredible jackass.

I am not military, but my late husband was. He retired MSgt from USAF after 21 years 3 months and 28 days. He always said "but who's counting?" He would have been one of the first to jump on Stan's case for his attitude. He hated nothing more than someone who thought they had the right to tell everyone how to think and act after they got out of service. He has been gone for four years now, but I still get weepy. Guess it will take a long time for it to quit hurting.

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Yes, it will -- and that's OK. He sounds like a great guy. The kind of guy I want to be a career man, unlike Stan. -rc

Stan, Stan, Stan... Where do I start?

I'll grant that you are senior to me in many ways: age, depth of military experience, ...narrow-mindedness.

This person whom you berate does his level best to be fair, and, while his decisions are not always the ones I would make, they DO cause me to think. Sometimes I change my mind, and sometimes I don't.

The one thing he does NOT do is trivialize the best part of the American Way: Freedom: of Speech, of Action, of Opportunity, of Choice. Nor does he trivialize the efforts and sacrifices that so many have made throughout the years. Well he understands the Jeffersonian concept that "The Tree of Liberty must from time to time be watered with the Blood of Patriots and Tyrants."

With that understanding comes the sense of fairness I spoke of: if he had been a small-minded person, he would not even have bothered posting your rant; he would have shied away from the criticism. Instead, he pointed out that you might have missed where he DOES support the men and women in uniform; and you replied with a childish rant.

Right now you might be asking me by what right do I have to address you in this fashion? I admit, not as a fellow who wears or once wore a uniform. Rather, I am a son of a WWII veteran who was wounded in action in France, the son-in-law of a retired 25-year-man SSgt. in the Air Force, brother-in-law to a husband and wife who have both served in the Colorado Air Guard, and the gentleman does have occasion to find himself in Iraq.

In short, I FULLY appreciate what has been done for my freedom, and I routinely thank those who wear the uniform for their service. I know they get enough grief from those who don't understand (as Jane and Arlo didn't) that it takes a person whose mind is solidly grounded in right and wrong to make sure they don't do terribly wrong things in the time of conflict.

I have never seen a column of Randy's that disagrees with the above. Pity you couldn't have had an open enough mind to review past editions to see that yourself.

With all that, Stan, I wish you 'Happy Trails', and hope that age will bring wisdom.

Yesterday (the celebrated Monday of Memorial Day) I had the privilege of touring the USS Midway, the retired post-WWII carrier on display in San Diego. I say privilege because that was how it felt as I relived some history and interacted with many retired servicemen.

While there my girlfriend, her mother, her son, and I all filled out post cards to Navy personnel serving overseas. I'm proud to say none of us even hesitated when presented with the opportunity by the on-ship people. And while I was still in that area of the ship I definitely noticed those people who were presented with the same opportunity and declined.

While my thoughts were not nearly as caustic as Stan's I did have some negative thoughts.

When I read Stan's remarks I classified him as either 1) someone who has not read True much and has a medical condition causing his knee to jerk, or 2) Just an unthinking jerk.

I have read True since it was This Just In and you have always had stories about the military in your publication.

Thanks! And keep up the great work!

And to our military: Please never doubt that you are thought of frequently and with great respect!

I am a Navy vet. I was on poseidon missile subs through the last years of the cold war (I left the Navy in 1982)... so, I figure I did my part to help keep us out of a nuclear conflict for about 8 years. After having said this though, I have little to add to the comments already posted above and those linked to from the original letter.

There have been very, very many occasions when I have agreed with Randy and very, very few when I've disagreed. I am proud of the fact that I get to support Randy in his exercise of his 1st amendment rights, and thereby exercising my own. Without having the freedom to read what we want, the freedom to say what we want has little power.

Back to Stan in Texas - I won't use the words that float into my mind as this is a "family" publication and web site. Suffice to say, in the words of Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged (a character from Douglas Addams' books) "you're a jerk Stan. A complete kneebiter." Thanks for being a petty, narrow-minded clod. At least you've given me something to laugh at today. Fortunately our Military tends to turn out better people than you most of the time.

<Sigh> ... I know that I came out of the Navy a much better person than I went in. Our Military tends to improve the majority of people who volunteer these days. Alas ... a few do slip through the cracks, but most of us are much better for having served. We have a much better appreciation of what our country is all about, and a very strong appreciation of the freedoms which we have helped to protect. Thanks to all who have served, and continue to fight for our freedom and the freedom of others.

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Amen. -rc

Stan wants our hero to rot in hell. Too bad that will never happen because he has a GOOHF card already!