Send your loved ones to war?

elwoodblues · #1 08-30-2004, 11:37 AM

Is it a fair question to ask of someone who supports the war: would you send your son/daughter to fight in Iraq?

Michael Moore asked that of O'Reiley. O'Reiley refused to answer the question and only kept saying "I would fight" not "I would send my son/daughter to fight." Moore replied stating the obvious, we (older generation) aren't the ones who fight - it's our kids.

It reminds me of this (paraphrased) question asked to an anti-capital punishment presidential candidate: "If your daughter was raped and killed would you want the death penalty for the perpetrator?"

Both seem like cheap questions to me. I also think that both can be answered in cogent ways while still supporting one's original position.

Are questions like these fair questions to be asked of our political leaders?

BeerMoney · #2 08-30-2004, 11:45 AM

Funny, i just posted a similar question...

It is definitely a fair question, and although the death penalty comparison is similar, it relies on a different foundation. When you ask someone if they would still be against the death penalty, you're really asking if they could control their emotions and still have the same opinion. I don't see where that comes into play with a war. Given any circumstance where someone is a victim of a serious crime, most people are going to want the maximum penalty given to the criminal.

Bottom line, if you support the war, go fight or send someone to fight.. We need more people.

elwoodblues · #3 08-30-2004, 11:50 AM

I've been thinking about posting this for a while --- your post is what prompted it. I didn't want to reply to it with my questions because I didn't want to hijack that discussion.

MaxPower · #4 08-30-2004, 11:58 AM

I think it is a cheap tactic. It is fair to ask the question, but the questioner should not be proud of himself.

daryn · #5 08-30-2004, 12:04 PM

it's clearly a bogus question for this reason:

the people who were sent to iraq SIGNED UP for the military. they were not grabbed from their homes and sent there. o'reilly says he would go fight, and that's a fair enough answer. why would he send his own child off to war when they have no say in the matter?

now if a child of his willingly joined the military, and then was called to iraq, i'm sure o'reilly wouldn't have a problem with it.

elwoodblues · #6 08-30-2004, 12:04 PM

That's kind of where I come down.

For what it's worth, would you feel better about a candidate who answers the death penalty question with something like:

"I would want him executed. That is precisely why I support dispassionate juries to decide these things. We want cool minds to make these decisions beginning with a dispassionate legislature and ending with an unheated jury. If my son were killed, I hope and pray that our system of justice wouldn't want me deciding the fate of his killer."

vulturesrow · #7 08-30-2004, 12:05 PM

I think its a stupid question. Parents dont "send" their children to war. The children make their own choice to join or not join. No parent wants their kid to go to war. But its not a parent's choice.

BeerMoney · #8 08-30-2004, 12:10 PM

[ QUOTE ]
it's clearly a bogus question for this reason:

the people who were sent to iraq SIGNED UP for the military. they were not grabbed from their homes and sent there. o'reilly says he would go fight, and that's a fair enough answer. why would he send his own child off to war when they have no say in the matter?

now if a child of his willingly joined the military, and then was called to iraq, i'm sure o'reilly wouldn't have a problem with it.

[/ QUOTE ]

He can't sign his own kids up to go to war, but he certainly could say "Hey, your country needs you, this is really important, I've been supporting it on TV, I feel this country is in danger, we need your help."

So, just because people voluntarily join the army means you can send them whereever the hell they want for any reason????????????? You may have a view that everyone that is there is just doing it for financial reasons, but some people sign up because of patriotism. They do it under the assumption that they will be sent for a just cause. Not as an expendable resource.

BeerMoney · #9 08-30-2004, 12:14 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I think its a stupid question. Parents dont "send" their children to war. The children make their own choice to join or not join. No parent wants their kid to go to war. But its not a parent's choice.

[/ QUOTE ]

Really? Is that what history has shown?

vulturesrow · #10 08-30-2004, 12:15 PM

[ QUOTE ]
So, just because people voluntarily join the army means you can send them whereever the hell they want for any reason?????????????

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, yeah. Its part of the deal.