Protesting the Protesters.

There hasn't been an anti-war protest of note since January, so yesterday's large demonstration on the Capitol steps was something of a revival for the anti-war movement. Likewise, it was an opportunity for a bit of vile counter protest by some of the more mindless members of the populace who have swilled the toxic balderdash served up by such folks as President Bush and Senator John McCain. It's beyond fathoming how anyone with a grain of intellect could subscribe to the idea that, "Even though the parents have paid the price, they know the price of losing this war would be too much for any of us to bear." Equally stupefying, though considerably more revolting, is the thought expressed by Marilee Carlson, a chairwoman for Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission, that war protesters are "despicable."

I have news for folks of your persuasion. The WAR was won long ago, but the AFTERMATH of the war- you know, that critical part of the political/military operation that has been going on since the Commander in Chief, (the one I bet you voted for twice), stood on an aircraft carrier attired in a flight jacket sporting "Mission Accomplished"- was lost long ago. And though you may not care, for some time now a substantial part of the nation has decided it can no longer support the continued cost, in lives and taxpayer dollars, to maintain U.S. involvement in what is, by any reasonable assessment, an absolute catastrophe.

For my own part, I see no reason to compound the nation's already considerable discomfort on behalf of an endeavor that was clearly launched in bad faith. In defense of the anti-anti war crowd, (if the following can be considered a defense) they seem to be suffering from a kind of psychosis such that they simply can not admit into their consciousness the possibility that a.) a fundamental and profound mistake has been made, and b.) that extricating ourselves from the aforesaid profound mistake makes far better sense than wallowing indefinitely in a lethal quagmire.