Most Certainly Not: If Pictures are Worth a Thousand Words...

is it okay if they are all expletives?

Michelle Malkin shines a light on the proverbial cockroach today. Ted Rall, the cartoonist the Left loves to exalt, is at it again. His disgusting depiction of Pat Tillman's service was enough to make me apply my W'04 sticker to my car's back window when my state, and my place of employment, were VERY heavily split. Granted, my views on many things "W" have changed since 2004, but that sticker meant something then and I still stand behind the values it purported to support then.

Before you think Ted Rall is just some Left-wing cuckoobird who draws junior-high level cartoons for a living, remember that he has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and stands as one of the most reproduced cartoonists the New York Times employs during three separate years. He's won awards for this kind of sickening 'work.'

Since Ted Rall and his sycophants seem to think we give a rat's crapper what he thinks, I suppose it's fair that I share with them what I think. I'm sure there are plenty of mouth breathers who don't even know who Ted Rall is, but share his sentiments, so this is for them as well. It's amazing to me that someone would attempt to equate our service members with the unwashed, mouth-frothing kabal of suicide bombers, but it isn't surprising.

In Ted's first cell, he refers to the subject he's depicting as a "male." Let me remind Ted that those who wear the uniform are MEN (and women). A concept, I'm sure, which falls outside his understanding. But, real men can recognize another real man. And, although Ted probably doesn't care, a woman can recognize a real man when she sees one too.

In Ted's second cell, he depicts a man who is contemplating reupping in the Armed Forces and calls it "willingness to die for a cause." Ted, I hate to break it to you, buddy, but freedom and liberties aren't "a cause." Causes are the things that weak minded individuals like yourself have the gall to glom onto, regardless of their worth, and then decry the loss of your freedoms if anyone dare point out to you how pathetically ridiculous you are. Without liberties and freedoms that these men and women are willing to fight and die to secure, you and your ilk would have to find real jobs. So, instead of sneering, you might want to reeducate yourself. Or, in your case, educate yourself.

Having faith isn't religious fervor in the same sense of those who are suicide bombers. Suicide bombers make no distinction between the innocent and the guilty, the meek and the dangerous, or the actual wrongdoers and law-abiding citizens. We aren't fighting terrorism because we demand subjegation and a religious conversion by those on the other side. We fight it because we aren't so interested in the options radical Islam has to offer -- submit, convert or die. Believing in God or having faith that you will be protected isn't religious fervor, nor is it weakness. And, if you look around, there are plenty of Pagans, Aetheists and Agnostics wearing the uniform today.

The fact that Ted Rall would show a man in uniform with the words "Poor Education" beneath him is so hackneyed that I'm surprised Rall is still beating that drum. Much research has been conducted to demonstrate what those of us who actually know service members knew long ago: the military isn't for dummies. The fact that Rall and his cronies repeatedly beat this worn out drum and refuse to relinquish this disproved stereotype shows them for who they really are more than any other element. Of course, since the mainstream media, including Ted's paper, refuse to print the truth in regard to our service members' demographics, maybe he just missed the memo.

Rall goes on to show an illiterate man in uniform (or, perhaps it's Ted who can't spell?) pledging blind obedience to the President. Seriously? Are we REALLY still thwacking that dead horse? A quick spin through any of a number of military blogs would show you that not everyone is crazy about the President right now for any number of reasons. However, for those in the military who disagree with certain things, the majority of them are grown-ups who have a job to do. They took their oath of service seriously and understand there is no caveat that says, "...unless I don't feel like it." I almost can't muster any offense to this as it's far from unexpected and it certainly isn't innovative. Same old, same old.

The poverty cell is especially funny. Ted, come on, buddy! EDUCATION and research are the key. You don't get fired for serving in the National Guard. If you do, there are recourses you can take to make your boss comply with federal law. Additionally, MANY employers are proud of their employees who serve and make extra provisions for their families during their deployments. Budgets can be strained and things can get tight, but that happens in many walks of life under many career choices. There are plenty of ways to represent this reality in cartoon form, but the way you've chosen to do it is lazy and erroneous. If you want to insult someone, it's a lot easier and more effective if your insult is actually true. Trust me, I'm insulting you right now and since it's all true, it's WAY better...even without the so-called 'art.'

The fact that you don't believe in any form of afterlife explains a lot about you. It also encourages me to clean up my act so that when the end does come, I'll have a bird's eye view of you and your buddies heading to Sulphur Springs for a nice, long, hot vacation. When a military family loses its service person and they cope by relying on their faith, I have the utmost respect for them. The goal, in case no one mentioned this to you, isn't for our men and women to die. It's for the OTHER side's bad guy to die. Our goal is not our own demise and taking out as many innocents as we can to terrorize others. THAT is the goal of a suicide bomber. Their glory comes in death. The military's glory does no such thing.

I find it fitting that you chose to label the last cell "Immaturity." The men and women serving in our military today are by far some of the most mature individuals I have ever met. Heads and shoulders above their peers, they rise to many occasions those sitting at their little art tables will never have to see. They understand the big picture and rather than whining, crying about entitlements and lamenting the so-called state of the world, they are out making a difference every day. I know it's hard when you see brave, strong individuals making history while you're holed up in an office somewhere smelling your own stink and sharpening your crayons, but there is work to be done, Ted, and they are doing it.

I've spent a great deal more time on this than Ted Rall deserves. However, there isn't enough bandwidth to spend as much time as our service personnel deserves. I hope each service member receives a copy of Ted Rall's cartoon. After all, it's always good to keep an emergency piece of toilet tissue handy. You never know when you're going to need it.

To clear your palate and delouse your keyboard and computer screen, please enjoy LTC Randolph White's Infantry graduation speech...man and soldier personified:

Comments

No better way to describe Ted Rall's "cartoon".
Thanks for the delousing speech from LTC White. A real man, a true American. I'm so proud of my Infantryman!
Rall would be surprised by my enlisted grunt husband. High IQ, well educated, well-paying civilian job that'll still be there when he returns...and I know that he's not the only one!

Posted by: TripleE | 15 July 2007 at 12:58 AM