Gazette Times Letter:
Are all U.S. Marines automatically assumed to be in favor of war?
(May 14, 2009)
I read Pat Wray’s May opinion piece, “A response -. ,” and I wish to respond:
His biased description of Benji Lewis would have made Rush Limbaugh and his cronies applaud. And what about those young, military-looking men in the audience? Were they necessarily pro-war?
I had to smile at his patronizing admission that Lewis had “heart,” but Wray’s judgment that if (Lewis) were a true Marine, he wouldn’t disobey authority made me shake my head.
Are all Marines — past and present — pro-war? In a civilian setting, will they never question authority? I think there are some members of Veterans for Peace, who would beg to differ.
Just one more question: Don’t two previous deployments to Iraq substantiate Mr. Lewis’ faithfulness and patriotism?
If a Marine/human being has seen enough first-hand evidence of the wrongness of a war that had no justifiable grounds to be waged in the first place and his conscience instructs him, “I can no longer support this waste of life, physical and mental health, resources and money,” when should he disobey?
Let me add that I do appreciate Mr. Wray’s commitment to our country. And to Mr. Lewis: I salute his courage, sacrifice and — yes — loyalty.
Tom Chase, Corvallis
