Liberals Vs. The Pentagon’s Freedom Walk

16 Aug, 2005 by John Hawkins

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Want to read a telling story about the nature of the left today in America? Somehow, I just knew you would 😉

The Pentagon, along with the Washington Post got together and were going to sponsor a “Freedom Walk” on the anniversary of 9/11. What’s a “Freedom Walk,” you ask? Here’s a description from the Freedom Walk website:

“The America Supports You ‘FREEDOM WALK’ is an event on September 11 that allows citizens the opportunity to remember the victims of September 11, honor our American servicemen and women past and present, and commemorate our freedom.

The America Supports You ‘FREEDOM WALK’ is a walk of remembrance and support. Remembrance of the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the Pentagon and the Twin Towers, and support of the many American men and women in uniform past and present who protect the freedom the walk is commemorating.”

That seems pretty innocuous, doesn’t it? I mean, certainly no one but raving kooks could be opposed to supporting the troops and remembering the victims of 9/11, right?

Wrong.

A typical reaction to this event from the left side of the blogosphere could be found at the Daily Kos, where Kos described the event as a “creepy 9/11 propaganda event.”

So much for the old, “We all support the troops,” line the left was shouting from the rooftops last year. Remember how angry and offended they’d get when anyone suggested they’d forgotten 9/11? But, of course, that was an election year. Now, in an off-year, supporting the troops and remembering the fallen is “creepy 9/11 propaganda.”

After a barrage of criticism from within and without, the WAPO decided not to co-sponsor this “controversial” event:

“Critics of the war in Iraq gathering for demonstrations in Washington beginning on Sept. 24 also had criticized media outlets for co-sponsoring the Pentagon event. The Washington Post was one of several local media organizations that had signed on to promote the walk.

“As it appears that this event could become politicized, The Post has decided to honor the Washington-area victims of 9/11 by making a contribution directly to the Pentagon Memorial Fund,” Eric Grant, a Post spokesman, said in the newspaper’s Tuesday edition. “It is The Post’s practice to avoid activities that might lead readers to question the objectivity of The Post’s news coverage.”

The Post article said the newspaper had notified the Department of Defense that it would no longer donate public service advertising space to promote the Pentagon walk.

The Post spokesman was not immediately available for further comment.

Leaders of the newspaper’s unit of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild Local 32035 delivered a resolution to publisher Bo Jones’ office stating its concerns over linking the paper to the Pentagon event, unit co-chairman Rick Weiss said.

“The statement urged Post management to reconsider the decision co-sponsoring this event in the interest of maintaining the paper’s reputation for neutrality on polarizing issues of public policy,” Weiss said.”

Here, here! We wouldn’t want the WAPO to compromise their neutrality. I mean, geeze, what would people say if they seemed to publicly support the troops more than the terrorists or the victims of 9/11 more than Al-Qaeda? How could they ever bear the shame?

Well, all I can say is that if liberals remembering the victims of September 11 and honoring our troops is too “creepy,” “polarizing,” and “politicized” for their tastes, that’s fine. Luckily, not everyone shares their opinion and I’m sure the event will be a success whether liberals frown on it or not.