A pic here, and a pic there....

Well, Analog Kid has his post about the rally/counter-protest up, complete with pictures. He also got a link from Instapundit, so if the site is slow to load, be patient. I wrote about it on Sunday, and aside from the troll attack I've received mostly positive responses. Well, there was the one idiot who liked to talk about "mullet clad, flag waving psycho rednecks", but he obviously doesn't get out much. By the way, anyone who had a troll crap in their comments, please see here or here. If you've been hit by the troll, please give me IP numbers, and if you have them, times and dates of the trolling. I'm loaded for bear, and the troll will be hit.

I've spoken with a few co-workers who gave me a look and said "I didn't think you were that type." That kinda bugs me. I wonder if these people actually make the distinction between protesting the war, and protesting the troops. I've also had one person give me the snide remark of "Well, so much for free speech, eh?". So let me spell it out for anyone who might be wondering.

If you want to protest the war, fine. If these people were going to protest in Olympia, or in Westlake Center downtown, fine. You want to march around Green Lake and scream "No blood for oil", go right ahead.

But don't you ever, EVER even think about taking your frustration out on our troops.

These men and women are being separated from their families, their lives, their jobs, and everything that they know. They're being sent overseas to the worlds largest kitty-litter box, where they might get shot at, they might get attacked, and yes, they might die. My buddy in Baghdad is going through crap that I can't even imagine right now.

The last thing these brave souls and their families need, is some addled-brain twit screaming in their faces as they report for duty. These wives who are clutching husbands and babies do NOT need to have some idiot who never served in the military telling them that their husband is a murderer and a baby killer. The children don't need to hear a moonbat howling out obscenities about their parents.

You want to yell at the troops? You've got to come through me first. You want to call someone a baby killer? You can yell at me, because I'm not letting you close enough to the troops for you to insult them like that. You want to dump red paint on a soldier? Not while I live. It happened to my father because of people like those protesters, and while I draw breath I will not allow it to happen again.

We can argue about the war all you want. You bring your facts, and I'll bring mine. We can debate until the cows come home. But the moment you abuse the troops, it's over. I'll debate the war, the president, the economy, it's all good. But you give crap to the troops who are being sent over, I will jump all over you. I have my limits, and they are set.

Does that clear things up for a few people?