Emily, You Just Don’t Get It…

Back on December 16, I posted a blog titled “A Thin Line Between Love and Hate…” which was a response to Emily Weinstein’s blog over on the Huffington Post. Well, Ms. Weinstein has replied and seen fit to single me out. (Her “new” post is dated January 5, and I’d have posted it sooner but…honestly…I had no idea it was even out there. It wasn’t until I was looking through my logs today that I noticed some Huffington traffic.)
OK…here it is: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/emily-weinstein/a-patriot-at-gunpoint_b_13318.html
In her introductory paragraph, and just before she refers to my comments, Weinstein writes about the reaction of her first posting:

While I hesitate to dignify these predictable reactions with a response, some of them have been so powerful and so overtly violent that I am compelled to respond to them, if only to let them prove my point.

Powerful? Overtly violent? I’d say you overreacted a bit there, Emily.
Here is the next paragraph from her blog:

The most popular fantasy of my detractors is that I be forced to stand for the national anthem, preferably at gunpoint. Mr. William Smith of Conservative Blogger, (a web site that proudly bears the stamp “Blogs for Bush”) writes that he “can only hope that when Miss Weinstein decides she ‘won’t stand for it’ that there’s an entire platoon of United States Marines standing directly behind her to point out the error of her ways. I betcha she stands then.”

Her citation of my quote is mostly accurate, though it is slightly truncated. The important part–which she left out–is where I address her freedom of speech:

Weinstein is absolutely entitled to exercise her freedom of speech, political or otherwise. However, much like my stance on flag burning, I can only hope that when Miss Weinstein decides she “won’t stand for it” that there’s an entire platoon of United States Marines standing directly behind her to point out the error of her ways. I betcha she stands then.

I said nothing about guns. Where are the guns? Further, if you’d actually read anything on my site, you’d see that my disagreements with the President have been many. Still, he was a better option than that blowhard from Massachusetts who has been right in my back yard for twenty years.
Emily, it has nothing to do with properly appreciating your freedom, as you say. It’s got everything to do with disrespect. I don’t care one bit how you feel about the Bush Administration or their policies. You protest however you see and say whatever you want, because that’s your right.
However, when you decide that you’re going to make a statement that you’re not going to stand for our national anthem you blatantly disrespect anyone who has put their life on the line to defend this country. I don’t care if it’s the Anthem or our flag—it’s disgustingly childish and dishonorable. If you can’t see that, then I truly feel bad for you.
Standing for the Anthem isn’t about Halliburton or Iraq or 9/11 or Bush or any of the conspiracy theories you seem to believe in. I’m amazed that you don’t understand that.
And by the way, the job of the United States Marine Corps is to protect your way of life regardless of whether they agree with it or not. Regardless of whether or not you agree with how their services are employed, you should at least respect that much. They would lay down their lives to protect your right to spew forth why you won’t stand. Do you at least respect that?
Look, Emily, I have no feelings toward you one way or the other. I do think you’re remarkably short-sighted, but this is America and divergent viewpoints are the rule. If you don’t want to stand for the current administration, then great. You should at least do it for the generations of Americans who have come before them and paid the ultimate sacrifice.
William Smith
ConservativeBlogger.com