The Final Word on Operation Yellow Elephant
Posted by Adam Graham in : Iraq WarMark this on your calendar. This is the last day, the last time I say anything on Operation Yellow Elephant.
Karl over at Operation Yellow Elephant was baiting Iraq War supporters at Michigan State University, particularly 2nd Vice-Chairman of the College Republicans David Cooligan who explained why his baiting was wrong and quite ridiculous:
The first post on Mr. Olson’s Operation Yellow Elephant Web site is in July 2005. Apparently the creators of this Web site, Mr. Olson and his cohorts, believe that once the war becomes unpopular, a line of personal attacks against supporters becomes an acceptable way to voice anti-war protests…
Mr. Olson does not want me to join the armed forces. He wants me and other supporters of the war to feel embarrassed and ashamed for invoking our freedom of speech and for defending our position on the war.
It is the right of every American to either support the war or to not support it. No American should be attacked or forced into feeling ashamed for their point of view. These are the rights that the American military so valiantly fights to protect and these are the rights that the American men and women are fighting for Iraqis to have. Someone feeling ashamed of their opinion or holding back their opinion flies in the face of everything the young men and women in the military fight to protect.
Mr. Olson does not know me or my situation. If Mr. Olson had taken the time to inquire about my situation, he would have found out that I’m currently in the process of applying for the U.S. Marine Corp Officer Candidate School. If accepted, I will be trained at Quantico, Va. and serve as a U.S. Marine Corps Officer for three years.
Our old buddy, Karl won’t relent:
Because Mr. Coogan declined further comment to OYE re the timing, we credit our Letter to the Editor of the campus newspaper for helping Mr. Coogan to find the strength to match his courage with his convictions.
Yeah, like people are going to make an important life decision based on some idiot on a blog taunting them. This is a sham and Olson should have the decency to apologize. But given some of the stuff we’ve heard from Operation Yellow Elephant (see my August Post) there’s not much decency in this movement’s Chickenhawk garbage:
Not only that, I had it applied to my husband who is a disabled veteran. The sad thing, is if it wasn’t for his disability, he probably would love to reenlist, and fight right now. But the liberal blogger in question, still inferred that he was a chickenhawk, for not fighting right now.
As I said, enough with this utter nonsense.
Comment by Michael [Visitor]
This is typical of the left. They claim to be the party of “choice” and
of “tolerance.” Yet they are the first to insult and defame. there is no attempt to be intellectually honest. They simply make accusations and hope some of them will stick.
I personally was called a “chickenhawk ” for backing the war by your blogger friend who simply made an assumption based on my financial status.
Of course this is a foolish tactic used by those who have little to back their opinion.
The fact that I served does not elevate my opinion on matters of geopolitical conflicts. Nor does the fact that I am not serving nor have I ever served as a police officer or firefighter impact my ability to form an opinion on whether we should keep the streets safe and houses protected from conflagrations.
Can you imagine all the examples we could make of things on which liberals should not be allowed to form an opinion. Maybe they will shut up about matters on wealth and taxes until they actually earn the money to give them the right to formulate an opinion.
Comment by Adam Graham [Member]
Exactly. I’ve tried this on Russ, and raised many of the points and comparisons. I also pointed out you didn’t need to be a trash collectors to have an opinion about your city’s garbage collection, or to be on the police force or fire department to have opinions about how those departments function. All to no avail. Too often stubborness is accepted as proof of a strong argument, rather than just being bullheaded.
Comment by Karl Olson [Visitor]
Thank you for commenting re Operation Yellow Elephant. You’ve clearly got those Chickenhawk Talking Points down pat.
The fact is, Operation Yellow Elephant would like very much to publicize every strong supporter of the war and/or our governing party who decides to volunteer for military service. Given the current recruiting problems, it’s part of their national leadership responsibility to set a good example for the rest of us.
While our motto is, “Sign Up or Shut Up,” we really want to see our audience Sign Up for our all-volunteer military. But if they have considered doing so, and decided not to (which is their right), that fact is relevant to public discussion on the war.
Of course, people may not pay much attention to them if they advocate a war only if “other people” actually fight in it. That’s not Operation Yellow Elephant’s decision; that’s what can happen in the free marketplace of ideas.
Comment by Adam Graham [Member]
With retention high and troops drawing down in Iraq, the whole thing is going to quickly become irrelevant.
Comment by Karl Olson [Visitor]
I see, so it’s irrelevant now?
Comment by Adam Graham [Member]
Yes.