4/12/2007
Act of disrespect
American Soldier says,
Last night AS and I went out to do some shopping. It was a spur of the moment “let’s get a sitter and go out” thing. We haven’t been out alone in a few weeks so we were both looking forward to the time alone.
So the sitter arrives and we leave. It’s a nice drive to where we are headed. We each talk about our day, the upcoming weekend, and the kids.
At the store AS does his thing. He’s getting ready for this job he’s been praying for so we’re out getting some new clothes (he hasn’t got it yet but is very close.) Anyways, he gets measured and picks out some pants and shirts. Then decides he would like a new pair of shoes and maybe a belt. Then he goes for the gusto and gets some ties and a blazer too. He’s looking sharp!
We were in the store for about an hour and a half. We head out to the car. We are the only car in the parking lot since all the stores, except one, were now closed. As we come out I notice a pudding cup on the ground on the driver’s side of the car on the ground. I think nothing of it- just of how some people are to lazy to put things in the trash. As walks to the back of the car and lets out a sound of astonishment. When I get there I can’t believe it, That pudding cup on the other side of the car is all over the side, back end, and read window of his car.
We were both very shocked. Was it a random act from some toad of a teenager or was this the deliberate defacing from an anti-war person? AS have a purple heart license plate with a very noticeable war related vanity name.
We went into the one store still open and asked for a roll of paper towels. I explained why and she handed us a roll. AS went to work cleaning it off the window and rear as best he could. We were going to find a car wash on the way home.
On that drive we were kind of quiet. Each of us wondering why someone would do that, was it on purpose, was it just some teen being stupid? If it were because of his plate and status it’s a heart sinking feeling. I mean, this man went away to help a people who do not know how to help themselves. He helped try to better a country and it’s people and he would do the same here in his own country if he had to. Heck, he did. He was in New Orleans for Katrina.
We talked about this. Was it an act of prejudice or just some random occurrence? How could someone be some judgmental if it were on purpose? What would AS have done if he had seen this happen? He would have just about jumped the person who did it.
All I know is that it saddens me to think that this could have been some anti-war person. That it was my husband who was there and was changed from his experiences. The look in his eyes on the way home broke my heart. He was very hurt by this act and the possible implications of them. You know, if you’re a long time reader, about the anti-war protesters he passed on the road. You know he does not hold a grudge. But this was something aimed directly at him, defacing his personal property.
How people can be so rude and disrespectful is shocking to me. Especially towards people who have given so much for others.
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41 Responses to “Act of disrespect”
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Sorry to hear that some idiot or idiots vandalized your vehicle. Such acts whether intended as a prank or a message are cowardly and speak volumes to the depravity of the violator.
My family appreciates all that our Brave and Honorable Military men and women do to protect us day-in and day-out. We support our troops and their mission. We are Pro-Victory.
Good luck on the job hunt!
My heart breaks for y’all… and I’m furious, too at the same time. ((hugs))
Nasty.
But I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, I’d assume stupid before prejudice.
But I have noticed that a lot of the “anti war” people (I think they are more pro-war, just anti-us, because they never say anything about stopping the OTHER side) are simply less decent than the rest of us.
Ben
I would check with the security on site and see if there is any camera footage. Nothing better than getting the ja who did it…
Hopefully it was just some kid acting stupid and nothing more. I had one throw a packet of McDonald’s barbecue sauce all over the hood of my car once right outside my house.
Be of good faith…..I am still praying for tht job. Think how much better it is to live inside your skin than that of the one who defaced your property.
Sounds to me like a childish prank, someone very bored, with alot of time on their hands, nothing better to do. A pox on their house anyway.
I think I speak for many. Had I pulled into the parking lot after you and noticed yer vanity plate with the purple heart I most likely would have followed you into the store and paid yer bill….Many of us feel that way. We are grateful for your sacrifice and honor. Would be OUR privilige to shake yer hand. You would see the love in our eyes.
Do not allow the action of one to defeat yer spirits…..shine on O Great One…..we got yer back.
Something good is in yer future. Believe it. Hold it. Live for it.
Much love to you and yers.
“I think I speak for many. Had I pulled into the parking lot after you and noticed yer vanity plate with the purple heart I most likely would have followed you into the store and paid yer bill….”
I’ve been known (or unknown, as it was done anonymously) to leave “thank you” notes under veterans’ windshields….
What an awful prank if it was a prank that this person did. It was awful even if just a prank! They should never have done such a thing. Hopefully it wasn’t an anti-war person. If it was, it shows how stupid that they are to do that!
AS and those like him are definitely heroes in our eyes and we thank him for his service along with all the many soldiers who are serving our country and have served! You guys rock!!
People just suck sometimes. It could have been kids or a libtard.
Either way, it’s wrong. When will people get that. When the libtards threw paint on the Capitol steps and then weren’t even prosecuted? That’s what’s wrong with this country. It’s getting to the point of lawlessness. In regard to a few, who are allowed free reign.
AS, thanks again for coming on the show, you are welcome back anytime!
As my car is a moving ad for the Army and I live in moonbatville, I’m frequently getting “the look” or the finger. But one thing I can tell you is that there really are more of us than them. (Well, not in my town but then Santa Cruz is “special”, one reason we’re moving) I have found this out traveling to other states and talking to people all over the country.
Plus, it could have just been kids throwing pudding at each other.
If not, remember that about 30,000 vets and friends showed up in DC on 3/17. The tide is turning and we’ll be the ones doing the turning.
Jenn and AS ~ that was a great show!
Could some one be jealous of your car? Is it a new one? Thankfully it was only chocolate pudding. If thats the way they treat your car, try to always park where it can be seen by others. great to hear of your new car plate.
I am with the folks who want to believe it was random. I have said nothing in a while but I remember the disrespect for vets from years ago. The press and the Kerrys, Pelosis(sp) and Reids of the world so enlarged by a press, that would not be free were it not for you and your fellow soldiers, are all about denegrating you. They will get bolder and bolder until they reclaim the power they seek. Sorry, but been there, done that.
I hope it was random. Maybe a child with no manners…’twas puddin’ afterall.
At any rate, its over and done with. Chin up!
KNOW there are plenty of “us” that support, pray and care for you and yours.
Words fail me sometimes. When I read this, I was and am unsure why this was done. It could have been done by some teenagers who failed to read the plates, or it could have been done by some liberal anti-war people who hate Americans, Our Soldiers and everything else related to being an American. I would rather want to believe it was some teenagers who just chose your car at random, but in our world today, one can not be sure.
If I had been there, I would have been there helping clean the car.
Both of you are having to live a life that is so different than many who have never been in your shoes. They have no real understanding of the costs involved. My heart and love go out to both of you, and wish there was more I could do to help.
I know that in the battle of emotions (and scars) logic many times fails to take front seat. However, as stated earlier, there are more of us who respect and love the military than there are of those who despise and hate the military. I mean what other response can one have when looking at the actions of the Liberals in Washington?
Both of you have been in my prayers and thoughts. Be strong and of good courage. Just remember, you are not alone but remember, it is only distance that separates us from you all. Kindred spirits stay together and distance is no barrier in such cases.
I’m sorry. I hope with all my heart it was just a random prank. As for the job, I’m flapping my Angel Wings for ya!
You deserve the best.
I am so sorry you had to experience this. I had a slightly similar experience as well. I had just put up in the front bedroom window, belonging to my middle child, a son, a blue star flag. He was so proud to have it in his window which is closest to the front door. We went out to eat and when we came back there was a large hole in the window and a large stone below it in the flower box. It was scary, sad and very upsetting. It was hard to spend the next few days fielding questions from all of my kids about why someone would do this. The kids don’t want me to put it out again now that their daddy is away again. I want it out but am apprehensive for sure. I will try it again this weekend I guess and hope for the best. I know there have to be more supporters still out there. I just want the freedom to put something non-threatening in “my” window without reprisal. Isn’t it what this whole thing is about?….. I believe!
I’m glad to hear things are looking promising for the job AS wants!! We continue to pray that he gets it.
Please don’t let one person’s childish, immature act, whether random or done as an attempted insult, get under your skin. All of our soldiers, past and present, who serve our country are the most honorable, selfless, and giving people our country has! AS and all of our soldiers make us so very proud!
Very nice!! Keep being the bigger man. Sorry this happened! Now.. Americans stand with you always.
Yup. The “intelligent left” are nothing but childish fools. They can’t get what they want, so they throw a fit, and attack people personally. Cowards is what they are. That’s why it is important that we continue to fight the good fight. Kick a little ass now and then, and stay focused on the mission.
There is a GROWING anger for the aggressive, violent foreign policy of the US government and believe me, trying to accuse all those against these policies of the US government as simply being Anti-American or American haters is simply self delusion and a missing of an opportunity to read the MAJORITY of American opinion……Americans , in the majority want the USA OUT OF IRAQ. They believe the US military leaders that have stated time and again that there is NO MILITARY SOLUTION to Iraq. Even General Patreus has stated as much. Only a political solution will work ultimately.
I think the “pudding attack” was symptomatic of the anger some aging granny, that can only eat soft food like pudding, feels towards Bush foreign policy. When grannies start throwing their food we would do well to pay attention.
Sadly, jerks of all ages and types are out there. I will pray that you and your beloved are safe and respected wherever you go. I know, go read some Bill Whittle, he does a stupid smack down like no one else can.
Well said, all of you. My son has been to Afghanistan twice ( the first right after 9/11), his wife with him the second time. He is now preparing to go to Iraq. I hope I never catch anyone desecrating something of his or any other vet I know.
There are many small minded people in the world. You really should go back to that store and have security check the videos. They will do it again to someone else for whatever reason because they were not caught.
On another note: my seventy-seven year old mother went to a local grocery store. My nephew, the first grandchild and my sister’s only” child was killed in Kuwait. Mom has all kinds of Navy stickers Mike gave her before he left. Some she added or we gave to her.
When Mom came out of the store, she found a piece of brown paper bag under her wiper blade. It caused her quite a bit of trepidation at first. Then she removed the paper and read it. It said, ” God Bless you and thank you for your service!”
It took well over a year to find out how Mike really died. So our family has experienced almost a reoccurance of that trauma. A simple note on a piece of a brown paper bag stuck under my Mom’s windshield came at such a low point and lifted everyone’s spirits. Mike did not die in vain. He was not forgotten!
We have often talked about that simple act of kindness, its impact, and our wish to thank the person who left that note. That piece of paper has an honored place among other momentos of Mike we cherish!
God Bless you AS and your family. We love you man. Good luck on your job!
You served your country, and they should respect your service even if they don’t agree with the war. What they did reflects badly on them. I really don’t think I’ll ever understand that kind of behavior. So from me and mine….. THANK YOU! and God bless you AS and family.
Hope you get the job
Get some perspective people! It’s not like you had to clean the blood of your loved ones off the dashboard after someone shot them at a random roadblock for no good reason. IT’S JUST A LITTLE PUDDING AT THE MALL!
It’s all relative though… (read heavy sarcasm here)
Seriously, only in a country as pitifully ignorant and insulated as ours can we get weepy over a sticky car or describe shopping as an act of “gusto”. People are dying because you’re shopping when you should be educating yourselves and your children. But hey…if our country’s people went to a library half as much as they went to the mall I probably wouldn’t be writing this.
I’m truly sorry you got sold on a bogus war (most of them are by the way) but, now that you’re back and have your rights of free speech again, you can actually make a positive difference and help to educate the voters about what a war that is based on ignorance and indifference ultimately creates.
In closing I’d like to thank “AS” for his service and apologize to him for not being able to keep the BUSHIES from sending him into the Iraq/Afghanistan nightmare. Well it’s obvious…I’m still angry, but somewhat hopeful because, as a country, we’re slowly learning from our mistakes and it seems voters have finally learned enough to recognize the disastrous consequences of the current foreign policy.
Good Luck to all, cause we’re gonna need it.
Pro-Library,
I am currently in Afghanistan and the “Bushies” didn’t send me here, I volunteered because it was the right thing to do. AS, I am sorry you had to deal with a jerk doing that to your vehicle. I hope you won’t stop displaying your military pride because of it.
Good Luck w/ the new job!
Dear Pro-Lib-Demotivator—Yer words give you away. What would you know of ANY positive thing. Your goal is to demean and practice an intellectual form of one-up-man-ship. Most likely you think of yerself as soooo much more loving, peaceful, and kind.
Yer words are barbs. You have never been “truly sorry” for anything in yer small insulated life. Get over yerself.
Pompous arrogance
Dear Mamabear,
I’ve read your response three times now and I still can’t make any meaningful sense of it. Please try to focus your statement a little before you press the submit key, then we might be able to have a coherent and rational discussion. Also, please use words that are part of the recognized English language or at least common slang terms. Out of curiosity though, what is a “Pro-lib-Demotivator”?
Take a breath, write a response, re-read your response (this is important), make any necessary revisions to improve clarity and spelling then, and only then…press the submit button.
Good Luck MamaBear!
Pro-lib; maybe if some of the Tower’s bricks had fallen on your arrogant head you might understand. You would have remained at home after Pearl Harbor too. And Mamabear knew what she wrote and was aware your arrogance would cause you to respond.
Dear Pro-Lib—You who profess to love words. Can’t get the meaning out of mine? It is you who need “perspective”
It is obvious you are still angry. As a member (most likely) of the hate America first club locked in the echo chamber of self what would you know of blood on a dashboard other than as a sarcastic joke on someone else’s blog.
Hello……This is America……I may choose to speak and spell as I choose in great part due to the sacrifices of brave honorable men like the writer of this blog. What have you done for me lately?
Waiting……………….
You are a nay-sayer not really interested in a coherent rational discussion. You sweep in with yer (yeah-you read it rite!! Ha!) sarcastic little blurbs. Yer not really interested in dialogue as much as pointing out how ignorant, insulated, and stupid we all are.
Condolences to yer mother who most likely tried as best she could to raise you to be respectful. Had you the quality of introspection and HEART you would read and understand.
Let you read and understand what I really feel.
You are an inelegant, overbearing, pompous, holier-than-thou, intellectual snob.
I hope tht was clear and concise and tht you got the full measure of my thought.
I would wish you good luck but I feel more than luck will be required in YER particular case.
Good day.
Ahhhhhh, breathing deep……cleansing breath.
I feel sooooo much better now.
Dear AS & R2A,
Thank you so much for thinking I am worth fighting for even though you don’t know me. This means more to me than you will ever know.
Dear Mr. Moon,
Wow…it’s truly amazing that at this point you still haven’t got the memo…Iraq had no connection to the events of 9/11! Saddam Hussein loathed al qaeda and all the religious extremists within his country’s borders, under his rule they were crushed in a manner far more brutal than we’ll ever be able to fathom much less mimic.
George W Bush has said (And I encourage you to Google it!) “No, we’ve had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with September the 11th.”- (Washington Post on September 18, 2003). Italy/This being the case as described by the COMMANDER IN CHIEF so why are you so fired up to destroy a country and its people who were not connected to the horrors of 9/11? Further more, according to your indictment of my position, I’m, “arrogant”, because I haven’t chosen to join a military force which is destabilizing/destroying a country whicht is wholly unconnected to the events of 9/11. In actuality I’m just doing the right thing even by the admonitions of your President.
Comparisons to Pearl Harbor are completely ridiculous. On December 7, 1941 a massive flotilla of Japanese Warships manned by thousands of their country’s seaman and airman were steaming towards Hawaii under the clearly marked flag of the Japanese nation. Even during the devastating attack on the US base at Pearl Harbor Japanese “Zeros” were clearly displaying the flag of their country of origin.
The criminals who attacked the Pentagon, crashed United flight 93 in Pennsylvania and destroyed the World Trade Centers in New York City were not displaying the flag of Iraq, Afghanistan or any other nation for that matter. They were doing the bidding “al qaeda” which is an international criminal organization not unlike the “Cosa Nostra” of Italy and Sicily. The objectives of Italian and Sicilian based Mafias are vastly different from the objectives of Al Queda but the size and scope of their damage are not dissimilar…so… why not attack Italy and Sicily for their citizen’s heinous crimes?
As the massive investigation of the 9/11 attacks has shown: the 19 assailants came from the following countries of origin:
1 from Lebanon, 1 from Egypt, 2 from the United Arab Emirates, and…(wait for it…) 15 from SAUDI ARABIA. There was not a single assailant was a citizen of Iraq or Afghanistan.
To impugn my character or patriotism based on my commitment to the current administration’s reaction to the events of 9/11 is ridiculous. If the planes that destroyed the twin towers had been flying the flag of Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia or any other COUNTRY I would be the first person in line at the nearest military recruiting office…but that did not happen…it did not happen at all as it happened on December 7, 1941.
The current administration’s response to 9/11 is going to be seen as a tragic overreaction to a monumental criminal act. Any reaction to the events of 9/11 should have been directed by the FBI with help from the CIA. The blunt tools of military force are simply not suited to the precise investigative and prosecutorial necessities of a case that involves international terrorism, and, as we have now seen, only helped to make these matters far, far worse.
(The number of terrorist acts have increased by over 600% worldwide since the United States’ 2003 Iraqi invasion)
In closing I will say that there is a big difference between being arrogant and being informed… and, you would be well served to learn the difference.
If you have verifiable facts about this situation that I am unaware of I would be more than willing to take them into consideration.
Peace to you and yours
Dear MamaBear,
Those red lines under the words mean you… well….(I’m not the best speller though so I shouldn’t cast the first stone then?)
Oh… maybe you could give us all a link to the “hate america first club” website so I can figure out what exactly you are talking about.
By the way, this blog doesn’t belong to “someone else”. Free speech belongs to us all and is supposedly a right that is being fought for in Iraq/Afghanistan by our “brave honorable men”.
Yers Sincerely…
-PLV
AS-So sorry to hear about what happened with your car. It is too bad that some people are so ungrateful and are lacking in proper upbringing. It is as though they were never taught to hold their behavior to any kind of standard.
Just remember that for every one person who wants to trash your car, there are ten people who would help you clean up the mess, my husband and myself included. I hope you are able to find out who did this.
Good luck with the job. I hope things turn out well for you. We are praying for you. Best wishes.
Just found your blog while browsing the net….got ignited to read an AMerican blog after reading the Newsweek that tells about the US soldiers who died in the war…..God Bless
Justr criminals, eh? You are welcome to your opinion sir. You are just what I said. You are not informed, you are brainwashed by an admittedly extremely liberal press and truth spinners. Saddam was a weapon of mass destruction and his people welcome us. In Afghanistan they have street vendors, medical clinics, schools are opening and any number of other things people of your ilk choose to ignore. Iraq voted for change and it will not help over night. If we do as you advocate we will cause the slaughter of tens of thousands of innocent people in that land who asked us there and welcomed us. Criminals slaughtering almost 3000 of ours, not mention the hundreds since the early eighties, is not a criminal act. It is an act of war and wars do not always include a single flag. In WW2 we fought peoples of many lands that had been dragged into the fight under the broad guise of Nazism as well as the Far Eastern enemies. You obviously choose to ignore anything but revisionist history and that is your right. If people like you tie the hands of our troops and by your dissent encourage those who want to kill them, then you may as well have helped aim the weapon. I have seen it first hand. Those are facts, not the propoganda you espouse.
I do wish you peace and happiness but not the political power to get our own killed.
Hi folks,
Remember Jani from Sweden a few weeks ago? I think we have another new friend for her in Pro-Library-Voter! Ignorance is still aloud to be bliss in this country, apparently. Oh, that’s right there are great men like AS and my husband and his unit in Afghanistan giving people the right to be ignorant and give wings to their rant and opinion. Feel lucky people. We really could become a society that is shot or tortured for virtually nothing. Let’s also keep in mind the comments made about the ethnicity of our infamous terror pilots. Osama Bin Laden is also of Saudi Arabian descent. His own country took away his citizenship and his training camps and terror traps are all in Afghanistan. Don’t reason about descent when speaking of terrorists. They have all been from different countries. I have the pleasure of living less than a mile from the small airport and apartment complex where Muhammed Atta trained and lived in Arizona. Let’s talk about having a very serious fear of these people despite their ethnicity. Did it really matter where they were from when they trained in the Middle East? Think about it.
In every crowd there will a few feint hearted souls who tremble at the thought of having to stand up and fight for what is right and noble. In turn they will denigrate those with the sense to see the need and the courage to respond to those needs. They will blather on about with non-sensical arguements, rhetoric and such in the face of reason and past experience. You won’t change them and you shouldn’t give them much thought. They are inconsequential in the grand scheme. I see you have one such individual in this crowd.
You will also find people like those in the Patriot Guard Riders and Soldiers Angels. People who see the need and realize what is at stake. People who support those at the pointy end of the spear unconditionally and completely. Many of them have been at that pointy end and faced the scorn of the cowardly few hiding behind the rights they fought to defend. The PGR has grown to 88,000+ in just over a year. Soldiers Angels is bigger and more involved than anyone imagined a couple years ago. Take heart my friend. You are loved by many you don’t even know. Count me amongst them.
[…] A.S. and the Mrs. went shopping for some new duds for A.S.. He’s about to start a new job. When they finished shopping they went to their car to go home. What they found when they reached their car was very shocking and left me feeling very angry for them. Go pay A.S. a visit and read “Act of disrespect”. I visited Iraq War Today and Pam has several really good stories about the progress in Iraq and Afghanistan. She has a nice article about a new soldier’s war experiences as he sets his mind to meet the challenges thrown at him. In “New Soldier sees reality of war”, Pvt. Eric Rundquist talks about how much his attitude changed after arriving in Iraq and getting a first hand view of what is really happening there versus what he had heard from the media back home! It is an excellent read. […]
Some people are jerks. Back in high school, I was part of my JROTC unit, and one particular girl had the nerve to scream out “baby killer” to me whenever I walked in uniform amongst my comrades.
News flash: Vietnam ended 30 years ago! Come on!
Nevertheless, the soldier is the elite of America, and he, or she, deserves our unconditional loyalty and respect. My dream is to become a soldier, and I’ve trained all my life for it, but I recognize the unfortunate ignorance of some Americans in that they blame the soldier for the wars he or she is ordered to go fight on the government’s behalf.
It sucks, but we have to deal with it all the same.
People like this absolutely disgust me! These soldiers, whether they’re overseas or not, joined the military to help defend this country and all its citizens, and this is the thanks they get? Thankfully most people don’t act like this, and some even go out of their way to show gratitude towards soldiers. I’ve witnessed an example of this. I’d say it was a few months over a year ago, I went with my parents to go pick up my brother from the airport. He is a soldier in the Army, and was coming home from Iraq for my other brother’s funeral. Since we were picking up a family member who was in the military and who was coming home for a leave, the airport allowed us to go to the gate to meet him (and for those of you who aren’t aware, airports don’t generally allow just anyone to go up to the gate to pick up someone anymore due to security issues…you have to show either a plane ticket or the ticket the airport gave us along with an ID to get through security). My brother was still in his uniform, so it was obvious that he was a soldier. As we were walking out of the gate to go pick up my brother’s baggage, a random guy came up and thanked my brother for doing what he was doing as a soldier, and the guy shook his hand. Not only did that mean a lot to my brother, it also meant a lot to me to see someone just come up and show that what my brother is doing is appreciated like that. I am proud to be the brother of a U.S. soldier.