Comments on: Congressman Murtha

By: John

John — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 00:00:03 +0000

Mr. Cobb,

I find it ironic that you use the Socratic method since, according to what you’ve written, you teach relativism.

best,
John

By: Phil Zimmer

Phil Zimmer — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 02:36:17 +0000

Col. Murtha has disgraced his name and his Marine Corp service. His ready, Fire, aim approach to the Marines at Haditha was disgracefully and that of a backstabbing political HACK.

Col. you are a disgrace !!

By: Gary Williams

Gary Williams — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 21:54:34 +0000

War is hell and that is why it should be waged as a last resort not a first option; unfortunately, our current President did not understand that nor did his many underlings who miraculously were able to also avoid combat.

By: Casey

Casey — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 04:03:17 +0000

As far as the false patriotism: I level that comment at our whole country, with the exception of the families that have sent troops. We would have won ages ago if more people were willing to go fight and pay for the war.

We have let down the families of the 1 million men and women who have gone. 1/300th? Boy way to go! During World War II 14 million out of around 150 million served. 1.2 million Canadians out of 11 million served.

We need a leader who will ask us to suffer for our country and serve at home while our troops serve abroad. For example, why don’t we determine how much of our burgeoning debt comes from the defense budget and raise taxes to pay for it. The World War II generation payed for 46% of the most expensive war in history while fighting it. We are charging ours.

I ask again: for those of us not fighting, including me, how are we patriotic just by saying so? How are we serving if we don’t want to pay for the war in our own blood and treasure?

In fact, why don’t we start a drive for middle-aged business men, doctors, lawyers, etc to volunteer and go serve. Think of the life experience we could offer our nation. I’m terribly out of shape, but I will go if Lee goes.

How about we stop paying mostly foreigners $80,000 to serve food to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and ask for Americans to volunteer to do it for free. I’d give up my Summer to go over and work at Camp Victory if President Bush asked. That would be patriotic.

By: Casey

Casey — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 03:46:45 +0000

Terry, I’m going to give this one to you. I listened to the tape and became angry listening to the kid hound Murtha. But for all I know he may have done two tours in Iraq defending me. Might even have been wounded. So, the punk kid comment was out of line and backed up by no evidence. I would deduct points from one of my students for arguing so, nor should I have put words in your mouth.

Anon, you got me too, every citizen is free to hold an opinion. But, if you listen to this, the guy has no respect for Murtha. I get just as mad at the Cindy Sheehan loonies who try to crash the President’s speeches, not to mention the Congress. This is about respect, not politics.

Terry, I teach at Roane State full time and at Tusculum College Knoxville part time. You are welcome to come to my class. I’m as good at what I do, and as dedicated, as you and Lee are to your craft. Moreover, I’m very friendly to conservative students. Tonight the guest speaker in my Tusculum class was a Special Forces veteran of Afghanistan. He was awesome and I totally support him and the war effort.

I’m not a liberal, but use the socratic method to teach and must have the students argue with me to do so effectively. So I teach the liberal line in class to try and get conservative folk to argue with me. If If I taught in Boston, then I’d defend the conservative side to get Northeastern Liberals to argue with me as well. It works and most students willing to work hard love it because they GAIN points by arguing with me as long as they defend their perspective rationally and with evidence. They may discuss their faith in a historical context, again if backed by fact and reason.

TN, I’m a historian, so reading history is what I do. I’ve read history excessively since the age of 8, so thanks for the advice, but you should have noted my use of historical evidence above. Don’t you have more to say than a pithy one liner backed with no evidence and devoid of substance? And I know the value of freedom; it’s the rarest commodity in history.

By: Terry

Terry — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:31:38 +0000

You’re a professor, Casey. When you’re asked a direct question, do you answer it by questioning the background and profession of your students? Murtha’s a big boy. He can answer the question. Instead he chose to act as if he is somehow immune from questions. The wheels of his brain were turning, trying to figure a way out of answering for HIS OWN words.

The “punk” as you call him, was polite and firm.

I’m also looking for the part where I wrote anything about Murtha not “having the right” to ask the kid about his service. Did you pull that out of thin air, Casey? Because I’m not seeing where I wrote that. It made a fine straw man from which to preach about “false patriotism” of East Tennessee.

By: anon

anon — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:20:35 +0000

So if you never served then you can not have an opinion on the war and if you did serve you are right no matter what you think?

I guess about 95% of the left will be let down to hear that!

By the way what branch did Hillary and Barock serve in?

By: TNOPINION

TNOPINION — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 19:42:55 +0000

Casey, read your history. War is hell and you’re free because of it.

By: Casey

Casey — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 19:02:56 +0000

You don’t think Murtha has a right to ask this punk kid if he ever served in the military, especially during wartime? You would be livid if a liberal college kid spoke to a Republican veteran this way.

Plus, U.S. soldiers have murdered people in Iraq and a good number have been convicted. This happens in every war: 500 U.S. soldiers were charged with rape in France during World War II and 38 were executed for that crime. Any U.S. service member that crosses the line and murders someone without cause should at least be investigated. Blind obedience to Bush and the military are not American values.

This is the same as Republicans in Georgia calling Max Cleland a traitor when he was crippled on the field of battle in Vietnam.

Frankly, I’m tired of the false patriotism I encounter each day in East Tennessee. If you don’t want to pay taxes and aren’t sending your kids to fight, or going yourself, then hollow words and bumper stickers don’t make you a patriot.