As a veteran of the war in Iraq, it pained me when Shorewood ran a referendum in April on an immediate withdrawal of our troops. I have no problem with people opposing the war. Indeed, one of the popular mantras of today's anti-war movement is, "oppose the war, but support the troops." I respect that point of view, and have publicly stated my thanks to opponents of the war who nevertheless actively and generously supported me during my time in Iraq. I believe our ability to make this distinction reveals an important way in which our nation has matured since the disgraceful treatment visited upon draftees returning from Vietnam.
That being said, I think we crossed a line of departure with the referendum, beyond which the nature and specific actions of opposition to the war negated the verbal and spiritual support offered to the troops. Organizing a village-wide statement of principle against the effort for which I fought, and some of my friends died, cannot be legitimately construed as supporting the troops.
I am a soldier. I will be a soldier until 2010. And I can tell you first hand, this referendum did not support the troops.
