One thing you can count on like the sun setting in the West is libs telling you that you don't understand the most obvious things in the world.

Here is another take on "questioning patriotism"

One relevant portion:
"A true patriot doesn't ignore the needs of the nation, nor its citizenry, and does not systematically revoke the very freedoms our democracy was founded upon. If you support the Bush regime, what it stands for, and what it has done, you are no patriot."

It would seem the questioning of patriotism is something the left does.

I currently have two close relatives serving. That puts my families participation above the national average. But that doesn't give me any greater or lesser right to discuss the war on terror.

When I complain about the NYT disclosing classified information on how we conduct the war on terror I don't feel that I have a need to be one of those who is most directly threatened by the weapons purchased to think that making it harder to track down the terrorists finances is a bad idea.

It is one thing to disagree with the choices the democratic process makes in selecting our leaders. It is another to help those who want to kill us.

And these people claim the NSA data-mining activities are dangerous.

Also,

There is too much deference to the military by those who have never served and seem embarrassed by that fact.

Actually, I think that's completely the opposite of the problem we have - too many people in Congress & the White House who have never served and show exactly _no_ deference to the military: Discarding their advice and experience whenever it conflicts with what those in power want to do. They do this with confidence that those in uniform will never call them on their bullshit, even when the ill-advised projects fail miserably & those who launched them blame everyone around them (inclulding the military itself) rather than take responsibility for their own poor decisions...

I cannot speak of how Max Cleland was injured, I cannot speak of the controversy surrounding John Kerry's battle wounds, apparently I cannot be a part of the democratic process of discussion and debate.

Some forget that these issue were raised when Kerry and Cleland staked out the morally superior ground since they have served. No one can do that. We are all equals or what is our democracy about?

Facts are facts and if anything thrown out there is false everyone has a chance to refute it. If we are going to exclude a certain portion of the populace from the freedom to speak and be heard where will we end it?

The chicken hawk argument is what people fall back on when they run out of ideas and facts. There is no excuse for using it. None.

Most politicians these days are unwilling to make the hard choices and stand by only their own aggrandizement. Veteran status doesn't give mystical insight into war but it does make it hard to retain uninformed biases against the military. War is bad, no one but the most pumped up novice believes otherwise. Leadership is getting through bad things with the least damage so that a better situation is realized.