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I saw this very early this morning on Fox and Friends and wanted to get it out to people, but the information hadn't been posted yet.
The issue that's getting so much attention — and rightfully so — is the hate letter written to PFC Joshua Sparling.
In case you missed the show, Josh was wounded in Iraq on November 20, and by the time he arrived at Walter Reed Medical Center he was almost immediately carted in for surgery. With a down moment he opened up a card which — on the surface — seemed like a patriotic "get well soon" kids' note, only to open and see it said this verbatim:
Dear, Soldier
Have a great time into he war and have a great time dieing in the war from Solider Miguel
P.S. DIE.
This was the only card on his wall. As much pain as he is in he insisted on leaving the card up and in view. He, by the way, is proud of his service misses his buddies and wants to go back and fight — as did everyone I met last Friday. Please write him and his fellow wounded war fighters Christmas/holiday/get well cards to let them know that Green Day and this sadist does not represent the America public.
Send your get-well and holiday wishes to:
Joshua Sparling
C/O Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20307-5001
If you have the time, please try and include the others I met along with Col. North and Col. Hunt at Walter Reed:
Capt. James Ollinger
Sgt. Zavian Simspon
Specialist Brian Radke
Specialist Jason Braase
Sgt. David Nevins
Sgt. Jose Ramos
Cpl. Todd Bishop
Sgt. Ryan Donnelly
Sgt. Eva Diane Cochran
Honestly, since I've been around the blog world, that sounds like the sentiments of some adults. I was actually at a site pointed to by Mudville Gazette and this guy wrote on the soldiers site that he was a "baby killer" like "Vietnam vets" or something to that effect (I know he called him a "baby killer"). The guy claimed to be from San Francisco. Surprised? Not really, but I do believe that there are people that would a) say this to a soldier and b)use some sort of stealth to get it recognized.
On the otherhand, it could be one of those mass card writing programs that let the message get by through lax review by the organizers.
Either way, I'm putting this up to tell everyone (since Fox already put it in the open), to send this soldier a real "get well soon, Merry Christmas" card. Let's replace the one bad one with one hundred (or more) good ones. Let's get these other soldiers a Merry Christmas, too.
Thank you.
Update: Greyhawk highlights Soldiers Angels activities at Brooke Medical Center. Find out how a little can go a long way.
1 comment:
There was a somewhat similar thing a while ago from one of those class assignments where everyone is supposed to write to a soldier. I tend to disapprove of those sorts of assignments in any case but I definately can see how this happens. When the desire to write is completely absent people given a choice *don't* *write*. Not given a choice, are the kids supposed to write something they don't believe?
Yeah, this kid obviously hears this kind of crap at home. It's possible that he got the idea to "share" all on his own. But something people should realize is that children often deal with frightening things in odd ways. The children of a friend of mine, after 9-11, spent quite a bit of time building block towers and flying airplanes into them. I told my friend to keep his eyes open but to just let his kids work through it. The world is large and uncontrolable and frightening, given a pile of blocks and a toy airplane a child is god. Nothing can hurt him.
When I see that note, I see a frightened child who is powerless to stop the horror he hears his parents talk about (do they discuss in front of him the immenent fall of civilization into chaos?) and takes "control" the situation by telling a soldier to die.
Too bad the return address is missing (was probably not the home adress anyhow but the school) and a letter could be returned. Something like, "I didn't die but I was hurt. Soldiers learn to be strong and brave. I liked to meet the children in Iraq. I would like to meet you. You'd make a good soldier when you grow up."
Seriously.
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