I Supported You!

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By the "You" I mean the plural 3rd person... Like many people in the US, in my youth, I was well on my way to becoming a pretty good liberal. Listening to the lyrics of my favorite songs from the 60s and 70s, I found myself believing that things would be better if we would "Mold a new reality, closer to the heart"; "fight out parents out in the streets to find who's right and who's wrong", and I knew there was "something happening here" and agreed it "ain't exactly clear"... But leaning to the left as I did, I never even imagined not supporting the rights of those leaning to the right to speak out for what they believed. The turning point for me happened in Jr. High... More specifically, the 1976 presidential election. It was the first presidential election that I really followed and paid attention to. Believe me, I was horrified to learn that I agreed with more of what Ford had to say than Carter. In fact, I didn't agree with much of what Carter had to say at all. I wanted to like him because he was a farmer and sounded "closer to the heart"... But the more they both talked, the more I realized that I liked the idea and concept of the left, but when it came down to specifics, I sat more to the right of the aisle. By the time I graduated, I was a firm supporter of Conservatism. I proudly voted for, and served in the Army during the Reagan admininstration. Throughout my career in the Army and beyond, I exercised my right to free expression of support as well as opposition to what the government was doing. I also respected the rights of everyone else to do the same. "It is just as constitutional to protest any war as to fight in it" was almost a mantra for me. When my turn came for the "balloon to go up", I was lucky enough to be involved in a "popular" war. But I did read about the small, but vocal anti war movement at home. I also read about activists travelling to the Saudi Arabia/Iraq border as "human shields" (which made them war criminals under The Geneva Convention, but I digress). I remember being kind of sad that people spoke out against what I (and we) was doing, but still, I maintained my mantra... and still do to this day. So, now that the protests are against the left, what happened to all the mantras about protest and opposition that the left has preached to me my whole life? Is protest and dissent only a "right" if it's done by the "left"? When I realized that my leanings were to the right, did I surrender my right to question authority? Come on Lefties! Where did your convictions go? I thought you were all about civil disobedience and "sticking it to the man". Did that end whan your guy became "the man"? I have dedicated my life to the support and service of people.. equally, without reservations or discrimination. I sacrificed my very health to the service of the people of the US, without regard to party or ideology. I have volunteered to do medic support and/or security for everything from gay dances and events to Gore presidential campaign rallies. I've put my life on the line for groups of people who I fear now would applaud and celebrate laws chaining my mouth closed... and maybe even threatening my life and limb. So where's the support folks? Where's the love? Where's the campfire where we get to sit around and sing... ok, ANYTHING but "Kumbayah"? ;~D