Scott Tibbs
blog post
November 27th, 2005
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The following is a letter to the editor I submitted to the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette in response to another letter:
I think people like Sagendorf are one of the main reasons why George W. Bush was elected to serve four more years as President. The personal hate and vindictiveness displayed by the far Left turns off moderates and galvanizes conservatives. Despite arguably the most energized Democratic campaign in a generation, John Kerry still lost.
To the Editor:
I was disappointed by the letter from Rev. Thomas Sagebdorf in the November 24 Journal-Gazette. It is one thing to suggest that supporters of the war in Iraq be the first to put themselves into battle, but to extend that to their children and grandchildren reveals a bitterness and personal vindictiveness that is inappropriate for a follower of Jesus Christ and a leader in His church. Sagendorf's fantasizing about President Bush's daughters being in the middle of combat was particularly disturbing.
Sagendorf's entire argument is based on an ad hominem logical fallacy. This is a common mistake, but needs to be refuted. Whether or not going to Iraq enhanced our national security, furthered our objectives in the War on Terror, or was the morally correct thing to do are all independent of whether or not supporters of the war are, as some war opponents would say, "chicken hawks".
Opponents of the war can do better than to personally attack supporters of the war or wish harm upon their children and grandchildren, who are completely innocent of perceived wrongdoing by war supporters. A leader in Christ's church should be the first one to take that step.
Scott Tibbs
In addition, putting politicians' children (especially the President's daughters) into combat would be stupid. They would become prime targets for enemy forces, endangering their entire unit and civillians in the area. Imagine the headlines al-Qaeda would get if they nabbed Jenna Bush and paraded her across national television.