A word from Col. Stephenson
Power Line
Tomorrow' Minneapolis Star Tribune carries a column by Lt. Col. Bob Stephenson on the television advertisement that prompted one of Nick Coleman's hysterical columns as well as the Democratic campaign to suppress the advertisement. Col. Stephenson's column is "I appeared in that ad to help spread the truth." Col. Stephenson writes:
<<< As a Marine who served at a forward operating base in Iraq, I was discouraged to read Nick Coleman's misleading column about an ad supporting the War on Terror that I appeared in ("Troops back from Iraq being deployed on the front lines of spin war," Feb. 11).
Every day, we see reports of terrorist attacks, wounded soldiers and kidnapped journalists. If I hadn't been there myself, I would guess that the whole operation has been a failure. Nothing could be further from the truth, and if an advertisement is the only way to get that point across, then so be it.
While car bombings might make for exciting news, they do not encompass the broad reality of our efforts in Iraq. Our soldiers are busy rebuilding schools, bridges and infrastructure. They are paving the way for democracy in an extremely oppressive region. And I can assure you that America's fighting men and women are pleased with our incredible progress and willing to see their mission through in the Middle East.
I volunteered to go to Iraq in October 2004 because, as a 20-year Marine, I felt that was my duty. To be honest, I wasn't sure what I would find upon arrival. What I saw there is drastically different from the Iraq most Americans see on their news reports or read about in their newspapers. Certainly, I saw hostility, as my base endured more than two dozen rocket and mortar attacks. But I saw a more complete picture, and that picture is largely positive.
Iraqis are far more appreciative of our efforts to secure and democratize their country than most Americans stateside realize. A survey by the nonpartisan, taxpayer-funded International Republican Institute found that 62 percent of Iraqis feel their country is headed in the right direction. This is a far cry from the collective opinion of mainstream media.
Perhaps because we live in a free nation with rights and liberties, we forget that they are a tremendous gift. Thanks to our efforts, millions of Iraqis are just beginning to open that gift.
Let us examine what has taken place in three short years. A tyrant has been apprehended and now stands trial for crimes against humanity. Iraq has held the first three free elections in its history. Since then, Iraqis have ratified their Constitution. To put this into context, the United States of America declared its independence in 1776. Yet our own Constitution was not ratified until 1789 -- 13 years later.
I know firsthand that the Iraqi people are deeply appreciative of our success. I only wish we could say the same for detractors here at home. Ads reporting the positive side of the war are necessary because our nation's media outlets are unwilling to acknowledge that progress is being made. And that's a travesty.
Lt. Col. Bob Stephenson served with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in Iraq during 2004 and 2005. He is cochair of Minnesota Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission. >>>
For the background to this column, see "The compleat Democrats' disgrace."
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