American GI’s and kids…

Memo to John Kerry: You might want to stop carrying on about American troops terrorizing children in Mosul.

Especially when, all too often, children are running to the Americans to get candy and play some soccer, or baseball.

It is not the American GI who will hurt the Iraqi child, but the suicide bomber who drives a car into their gathering.

I love this photo, from my archives:

A beautiful child being treated with utmost tenderness, and am I the only one struck by how handsome the Iraqi people are?

I like this letter, sent from an articulate officer in Fallujah, to Jay Nordlinger at NRO:

I can tell you that, contrary to the Dems’ constant caterwauling, most of us are glad to be here, and in incredibly good spirits. But of course, that’s likely because we are culled from the dregs of American society, either a) too unenlightened to realize that we are but pawns in the machinations of an alternately stupid or cunning president (they can’t decide which, can they?) or b) bloodthirsty savages, who want only to kill the locals, or c) any number of other grotesque caricatures the Left foists on us.

Actually, there is much truth to the contention that the military draws from kids who don’t benefit from the American system to nearly the degree of those kids who don’t join up — and instead go to college on Daddy’s dime to get drunk and laid. Nah, the military kids come from rural dots in the South, or from barrios in cities like Phoenix, L.A., and Chicago. They aren’t full of irony and sarcasm, and don’t cream their jeans in anticipation of the next Radiohead album — you get what I mean. They are proud to serve.

Anyway, just ranting and raving. I am constantly dismayed at how the elites look down their noses at all we are doing here.

Indeed.

And writes Nordlinger: Here’s what Nancy Pelosi, leader of the Democrats in the House, said after Bush’s nationwide address two days ago: “Tonight the president acknowledged more of the mistakes he has made in Iraq, but he still does not get it. Iraq did not present an imminent threat to the security of the United States before he began his war of choice.”

Here is what Bush said in his 2003 State of the Union address, before we went into Iraq: “Some have said we must not act until the threat is imminent.” But “since when have terrorists and tyrants announced their intentions … If this threat is permitted to fully and suddenly emerge, all actions, all words, and all recriminations will come too late.”

Who is the one who doesn’t get it? Bush or Pelosi?

Still on Nordlinger – egad, his column is good today – : Another one, from a reader in Manhattan:

Mr. Nordlinger,

On my way to work today (I was on Lexington Ave. around 62nd St.) I overheard this guy saying how we helped Saddam kill all the people that he killed and that his elections were rigged just like ours. So I turned around and asked him, “If there were an election in this country between Saddam and Bush, who would you vote for?” Without any hesitation, he said Saddam. That is the face of today’s Democrats — so blinded by hatred of Bush that they’d rather have a mass-murdering tyrant as president than Bush.

Not in the least surprised.

I love this story, too, about the GI who is also a farmer.

Meanwhile – this father’s grief is palpable – so is his pride.