NBC = http://www.whiznews.com/article.php?articleId=13605

Zanesville (OH) Times Recorder = http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200512...

Why did I just link you to those news reports? First of all, I recently volunteered to take part in a petition delivery that demanded for my Congressman (Bob Ney...yeah, I know) to support a measure that would bring our troops home by the end of next year. Alongside myself, was the Raynors (Lindsay Raynor being the host of the event) and Mona Parsons. Mona is the mother of a soldier that is in Iraq right now.

There were only four of us, but that doesn't matter, because whether it is one or one thousand; our cause is still just. Ms. Parsons read two letters from her son that reportedly hasn't been able to sleep without nightmares for some time now. One letter was originally addressed to his little daughter, and was so heartfelt that it brought tears to my eyes and the emotion was obvious in Mona's voice.

However, after we delivered our petition. We went home to discover the reports that I linked above. The following quotes were the response from Bob Ney's office:

"This is an organization, according to Ney, that represents the far, far-left of the political spectrum and if they had their way, Saddam Hussein would still be in power and al-Qaeda would be running rampant around the globe."

"Ney's communications director Brian Walsh released a statement Wednesday afternoon: 'This is not an organization that represents the views and values of the vast majority of Ohioans," Walsh wrote. "Congressman Ney supports our troops. He supports their mission and he hopes to bring them home as quickly as possible. To turn tail and run now would embolden terrorists around the globe and it would put those troops in Iraq now in even greater danger'"

Of course, this angered me. So, I decided to write a letter to the editor of the Zanesville Times Recorder and a response to NBC's Affiliate in Zanesville on their blogsite.

My letter to the editor:
"Recently I participated in a petition delivery that asked Congressman Bob Ney to support a withdrawal of our forces from Iraq “at the most practicable date”. Alongside myself was a nice young lady, (I assume) her husband and the mother of a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq, Mona Parsons.

In response, Ney claimed that – if it was up to us – al-Qaeda would’ve run rampant around the world, and this was in addition to his claim of “support for the troops.” To claim we – especially Ms. Parsons – would support al-Qaeda and not our troops is ignorant, and dangerous. His claims regarding our support or lack thereof are ill-informed and extremist on the right-right wing of the political spectrum. We oppose this war for the false pretenses of our invasion, alongside the poor planning in winning the peace.

Mr. Ney owes us – especially Ms. Parsons – an apology. Mona is sacrificing her son in a war that she disagrees with. Why does she have to do such a thing; especially when there are supporters of this conflict that refuse sacrificing anyone including themselves for this cause? Bob needs to reevaluate his position and make the right decision for all of us.

Daniel Harrison Crawford the Third"

My Blog post at http://www.whiznews.com/forumsimple/index.php/topic,4507.0.html :

"I’m one of the four 18th District Residents that participated in MoveOn.org’s petition delivery on Wednesday December 14th, 2005. We were honest, polite and very passionate about our cause. Ms. Parsons (the mother of a U.S. soldier that is stationed in Iraq) was actually kind enough to go out of her way and pick me up from my home in Newark, Ohio, so that I could attend the event. She and I became acquainted shortly after a vigil that was held in October that marked the sad 2,000th U.S. Death in this misbegotten conflict. I was inspired by her sacrifice and honest concern for the welfare of – not only her son, but – the nation we call home.

When I returned from work today; it was brought to my attention that Congressman Bob Ney responded to our petition by stating that we were extremists that were on the “far left-left of the Political Spectrum” and that if we had had it our way, al-Qaeda would’ve been permitted to run rampant all of the globe. I consider Ney’s response not only to be offensive to me personally, but irresponsible as a public servant. I don’t care if my political allegiance was with the Revolutionary Communist Party or the Constitution Party; he REPRESENTS US ALL. Whether we are Democrat, Republican or a bunch of people that claim Lord Zorak will return from the planet K-PAX to establish Utopia; Mr. Ney answers to us and he should respect all of our views equally. With that in mind, it is my belief that he should examine treat each and every petition/letter/call/email equally, regardless of what side of the “political spectrum” that it emanates from.

Mr. Ney’s uneducated rhetoric about our beliefs is reprehensible. His assumption that our demand for a withdrawal from Iraq by the end of next year is equal to not supporting the troops while wanting terrorists to run freely is an obvious sign that he lacks “critical thought”. The Rayners, Ms. Parsons and myself do – in fact – support our troops. We support them by wanting Congress and their so-called “commander in chief” to make the right decisions regarding their deployment in conflicts both at home and abroad. We support them by wanting them to have the veterans benefits that they were promised. We support them by urging our government to supply them with the essential equipment that they need to fight and protect themselves. We support them by wanting their SAFE RETURN HOME!

Ms. Parsons is sacrificing someone that is dear to her heart in a conflict that she has never agreed with. That’s more than I can say for most of these people that support this quagmire; whom refuse to even lift their own finger – let alone sacrifice a loved one – to aid in the effort that they strongly support. Why should any of us that weren’t blinded by the propaganda that surrounded the build-up for the war, have to sacrifice our loved ones in it? What gives Ney or anyone the right to call us cowards when we oppose this war and yet still give those that we hold dear to fight in it?! It is Ney, Bush, Rove, Cheney, Delay, Schmidt, DeWine, Voinovich, Rumsfeld, Tiberi and all of these other CHICKENHAWKS that are – in fact – the cowards.

Call me a liberal all you want, it is a label that I am damn proud of, but don’t call me a radical. If there is one thing that I am certain of, it is that I know that Ms. Parsons, Cindy Sheehan, the Rayners, MoveOn, Michael Moore, Howard Dean, John Murtha, many others and I are right. The facts are on our side. If standing up for peace, human rights, women’s rights, labor rights and the poor makes you radical; THEN I AM A PROUD RADICAL. In that case, I elect to stand proudly in that spotlight along with my greatest Idol, whom stood up for the VERY SAME THINGS = Jesus Christ.

Next time that Mr. Ney wants to make ignorant comments like what he made today; I suggest that he utilize critical thought and watch what he says before he inserts his foot in his mouth. Thank You."

This is not the end of this battle. I will be involved in many more of these events. I'm becoming ten times as active with my local Democratic Party (even joining the club). I've got a personal mission aside of the war and the 2006 election that also fuels my drive to make sure that everyone is aware of the pure ignorance and arrogance of the Neo-Con Fascists that run our country. Until further notice...