Get off my property

[Redleg]

The suspension was issued to deal with people who 'aided and comforted the enemy', not with bereaved mothers who questioned the necessity of their sons' deaths. In fact I dare you to come up with one example of the latter in Lincoln's career. He was tough whenever it was necessary, but he was also a gentleman and he was compassionate whenever it was possible in ways that our own day and age seems to have forgotten -- in that sense, the historians I quoted surely have it right.

And would you care to quess how many anti-war protestors were arrested because of that suspension. It seems that you want to use Lincoln's compassion to widows and mothers of soldiers who were killed from the reality of how the anti-war protestors were treated by the North. You brought Lincoln into the discussion to make a point about compassion - but face it Lincoln's adminstration was much worse on protestors and the anti-war crowd then Bush. Think the New York roits which were partly based upon opposition to the draft laws - where soldiers fired into the crowd.

And I question the President's motives. I saw a letter in The New York Times that adequately sums up what is wrong in that Crawford picture:

A Soldier's Mother Waits in Crawford (5 Letters)
Published: August 17, 2005
To the Editor:

I found President Bush's comments last Saturday callous when he defended his decision not to meet with Cindy Sheehan, the grieving mother of a soldier killed in Iraq.

"I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and sensitive to those who have got something to say," he said.

But then this president, under whose orders more than 1,840 of our troops will never be able to go on with their lives, had the temerity to add, "But I think it's also important for me to go on with my life, to keep a balanced life."

In "Lives Blown Apart" (column, Aug. 15), Bob Herbert recounts the heroic story of a soldier, Cpl. Bobby Rosendahl, who has been wounded and maimed in Iraq - one of more than 10,000 similar casualties.

His brave mother says that she will stay with her son until he "is ready to go on with his life."

There are various ways a person "can go on with his life." The way the true heroes of this unfortunate war, and their loved ones, are - or are not - going on with their lives should be honored with compassion.

Yes indeed question President Bush's intent - that is your right granted by your government and more important to Mrs. Sheehan it is her right granted by the constitution of this nation. It also gives me the right to question her motives and statement under that same condition.

When she makes her issue into a political agenda - which she has by her own statements - it gives me the right to discuss her agenda in civil discourse by the same amendment that allows her to question the President.

I find it amazing that you defend her right to question the President - a right that I have not advocating being denied her, but it seems from your tone and your posts - that you would like to deny me the right to question her motives.

How very noble of you.