Bradley Guinn – 9/24/04

This page was last updated on September 25, 2004.

Questions worth answering; Bradley Guinn; Beaver County Times; September 24, 2004.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“On the news the other day, I saw the mother of a fallen soldier handcuffed by the police and hauled off in a paddy wagon.

“Her crime? She asked first lady Laura Bush why more children of members of the government were not serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The woman was subsequently released. I imagine she was shook up.

“Why didn’t Mrs. Bush answer the question? Perhaps such trivial subjects never occurred to the briefer.”

[RWC] I know readers of Mr. Guinn’s letters will be surprised – not, but he didn’t present an accurate picture of the incident. Mrs. Bush was giving a speech when Sue Niederer, a woman who lost her 24-year-old son while he was trying to defuse a bomb in Iraq and wearing a t-shirt that said President Bush killed her son, jumped up and screamed at Mrs. Bush. According to CNN, this was not an isolated incident for Ms. Niederer. This was just the most recent of her protests.¹

Regarding the question, how is it relevant? In case Mr. Guinn forgot, we have an all-volunteer military. Anyway, my research indicates about five to seven members of Congress have children in the military. Approximately 100 members of the House and 36 members of the Senate are veterans.

“During the Republican Convention, I saw many protesters arrested. I wonder what happened to the First Amendment to the Constitution. Perhaps it was repealed one dark night by an executive order. Perhaps it was negated by the USA Patriot Act.

“Your guess is as good as mine. But there is sufficient evidence to prove that the Bush administration does not tolerate disagreement or opposition.

[RWC] The protesters arrested in New York were violent protesters. Check the news accounts. In one case, the protesters knocked a policeman to the ground and beat him severely. Are these guys Mr. Guinn worries about?

Let’s compare how protesters were treated at the Democrat and Republican conventions. At the convention in Boston, the Democrats had the Boston Police limit demonstrators to a caged in “protest zone” away from delegates and the press. Republicans made no such effort to stifle demonstrators in New York. In some cases, protesters were allowed to march without a permit. So much for Republican lack of tolerance of disagreement or opposition.

“Do the more than 1,000 bereaved mothers qualify as Gold Star Mothers? It would be very sobering to see the gold star flags hanging in windows throughout the nation.”

[RWC] To answer Mr. Guinn’s question, mothers of servicemen and servicewomen who die in the line of duty – combat or not – can join American Gold Star Mothers. What might be even more sobering would be displays of flags outside the homes of people who lost daughters and sons in the 9/11 attacks, the first World Trade Center attack, the attack on the USS Cole, et cetera. What about it, Mr. Guinn?

1. Soldier’s mom interrupts Laura Bush’s speech; CNN; September 17, 2004.