Anti War Protesters Anonymous

If find it quite amusing to read about how devastating Operation Iraqi freedom has been, and how much blood is on the hands of our military and government which makes one ask what or who is driving the ‘we support the troops but not the mission’ mantra of the liberal left?

“This March 19 hundreds of cities across the U.S. will hold events to mark the anniversary of the war in Iraq and remember the tragic toll the world has and continues to pay; nearly 4,000 U.S. soldiers killed, 30,000 wounded, at least 100,000 Iraqis killed, four million displaced, and nearly a trillion dollars squandered."


Really? Let’s compare operation Iraqi freedom to past military engagements, shall we?

Korean War: 3 years, 1950-1953, 33,000 to 54,246 KIA
Approximately 18,000 US troops killed each year;

Vietnam War: 8 years, 1965-1973, approximately 58,000 KIA
Approximately 7,250 US troops killed each year;
Source

Operation Iraqi Freedom: 5 years, from March, 2003 to present, 3,977 KIA
Approximately 795 US troops killed each year.
Source

I believe these folks are driven to an emotional frenzy by a group of professional protestors that travel around the country, and are supported by certain liberal backers for the sake of creating divisiveness within the general populous. I can think of no other reason simply because their claims of horrific battle outcomes are so easily discounted based on historical evidence.

Here is my take:

People are driven to behave based on one of two motivations:
1. Emotions which we are all born with, or
2. Knowledge and understanding which comes from living and learning.

It is perfectly clear the protests attended by young people are predominantly driven by an emotional element simply because there has not been enough living in those young lives to have developed a baseline of knowledge.

What I find interesting is that in general, the groups like the one referenced above recruit high school students to join their cause simply because they understand high schoolers are learning they have a voice, but are exceedingly vulnerable to emotional motivations, yet have no life experiences to stand on. That is why their protests are frequently vociferous, emotional and occasionally violent.

Conversely, conservative counter protesters are generally older and carry a great deal of knowledge and experience, allowing them to behave rationally and intentionally. They are far less likely to engage in conflict unless they have direct personal experience with the loss of a family member or friend, and spend their energy supporting those who are standing for their freedoms.