Message Points, Military, Politics, Worst President Ever
Blogger and lawyer Suzanne Miller with her son, Army Specialist Matthew “Cory” Beard
Michael Bloomberg isn’t the only one discarding the Republican party. A war mom who twice voted for Bush but defines his “stop loss” policy as indentured servitude has also left their ranks.
If, like me, you gritted your teeth when Cindy Sheehan spoke…well, don’t expect to feel warmer or fuzzier about Suzanne Miller, Jacksonville lawyer and mother of Army Specialist Matthew “Cory” Beard. Local alt weekly, Folio, whose stories are only available offline, interviewed Miller after she launched a blog called End Stop Loss Now.
Miller disputes that the open-ended occupation in Iraq qualifies for stop loss — the policy of rescinding the release of service members who have already served deployment terms and sending them back to battle, sometimes for three or four tours. Folio writer Jane Akre:
Miller the attorney believes stop loss is an illegal and unconstitutional policy. The military vehemently disagrees, and points to paragraph 9c in the enlistment contract: “In the event of war, my enlistment in the Armed Forces continues until six (6) months after the war ends, unless my enlistment is ended sooner by the President of the United States.”
But Miller takes exception of the military’s definition of war, which she says is being defined loosely to mean any conflict. “I’m pretty sure we have not declared war on Iraq and I’m pretty sure they haven’t declared war on us,” she says firmly.
Officially, she’s right. The U.S. hasn’t officially declared war since World War II…
…in the now-famous “Mission Accomplished” speech of May 1, 2003, Pres. Bush declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq. “In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed,” he announced. “And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country.”
Miller’s blogging style could best be termed, “full-contact.” She posts replies to almost every comment, which are mostly from active military or their families and are about 60 percent in favor of her wave-making and 40 percent of the “leave the decision-making to our leaders” variety. But Miller pulls no punches and her opinions are decidedly right-wing.
We are losing dozens of soldiers each month for a country that will never be civilized. For the most part, they are barbaric. The cultural difference is too great. We gave them the greatest gift on earth and that is “freedom” and look what they have one with it. Not one more of our soldiers needs to die trying to make these people get along. They are simply not worth it.
Nor does she regret voting for Bush.
If Gore had been elected, he would still be bunkered down somewhere worried about the 3 trees in Afghanistan and nothing would have been done. At least George Bush did something.
Yet the only love Miller has found has been among Democrats. She petitioned all the cable news talk shows, she said, but none of the conservatives would touch her. She was embraced instead by Alan Colmes, we venture to say, for her wit and sarcasm.
I was, again, on the Alan Colmes nationally syndicated radio show responding to comments Laura Bush had made regarding how much she and the President suffered over the loss of our troops. I lay awake thinking about their suffering all night long and finally the solution to their problem came to me: BRING OUR BOYS AND GIRLS HOME.
Florida’s Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson and California’s Democratic Rep. Lynn Woolsey have also responded to her campaign.
I was greatly honored that Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey chose to quote me on the House floor. I agreed with everything she said about the civil war in Iraq. Ten billion dollars would have brought our kids home. So to Congresswoman Woolsey, I say “thank you” for not only recognizing that this is a useless war but also recognizing the fact that the stop loss policy is a policy that needs to end. I no longer call myself a Republican. I am American. I will vote according to my conscience and not a party affiliation.
Topics: Message Points, Military, Politics, Worst President Ever
Tough luck lady,you’re the one that voted for the shrub.You made your bed,now lay in it.
I guess the personal is still political.
I find this illegal war of aggression beyond disgusting and opposed it from the start. I also raised my sons in such a way that when the military tries to recruit them the military fails and we have taken measures so that if they ever try to draft them we’ve covered those bases as well.
Ms. Miller is a lawyer. She should know better than most to read the fine print on any contract. Ms. Miller voted for Bush II twice and denigrates Al Gore by saying that, “at least George Bush did something” and the logical extension of that is that if that “something” results in her boy coming home in a body bad, oh well, you have to break a few eggs, right?
If Specialist Beard agrees with his mother’s position then he should do what the heroic First Lt. Ehren Watada did and refuse to fight in an illegal war of agression under the doctrine of command responsibility, it would make him party to war crimes if he continued to serve.
I went to her website and put my 2 cents in also. I just cannot understand how she can still say that she doesn’t regret voting for Bush. Surely, it’s ok to say you were wrong but she still sticks to this notion that the war on Iraq was necessary to fight “terrorism” and had Al Gore been elected (Well, he really WAS, but that’s a different story) he wouldn’t have done anything and the terrorists would still be out there doing their dirty work. Wait? They ARE still out there, Suzanne, because the man you voted for has put all of our manpower and money into attacking a country that had NOTHING, repeat NOTHING to do with Sept 11, 2001 or anything else of consequence, for that matter.
I have to laugh at these comments. I do regret voting for Bush the second time but that was before Saddam was captured and we had not determined there was no WMD. Secondly, do you think that the ARMY actually brought the contract to me to approve before my teenage son signed it??? Also, to have a contract you must have offer, acceptance and meeting of the minds. My son’s interpretation was not the same as the ARMY’s and the ARMY was the drafter of said contract so the contract is voidable by my son because there was no meeting of th minds. He truly is an indentured servant and he is being forced to return to a civil conflict between two factions of the same religion who have hated each other’s guts for centuries. I didn’t say I would never vote for a Republican again. I simply said I would vote according to my conscience and these soldiers are being used to fuel a war in which the US has no business being. I stand by my position that these young men are being killed and maimed because they are indentured servants. I am, at least, trying to do something about it. What are you doing????
To lmwilker:
I assume that you are receiving some benefits from living in this country. If we were attacked, as we were on December 7, 1941, you have taught your sons how to avoid service to their country? That’s akin to letting someone else’s children die for yours and your sons’ freedom. That is sickening and you probably should look for another country. Whether we received bad intelligence and/or the president lied, is now a moot point. We should all be supporting our troops by bringing them home. That’s the bottom line. I have been called names and had totally irrelevant terrible things said about me and it doesn’t bother me. I’m a lot tougher than that. I CAN take the heat but for someone to openly admit that they have taught their children how to avoid service even if we were attacked is quite disturbing. I believe that we had every right to go into Afghanistan and I know that Al Gore would not have done it. If we truly believed that Saddam had WMD, let’s face it, France was not going to stop him. I do regret, and have openly said, I regreted voting for George Bush the second time. When we found there was no WMD, we should have withdrawn. That’s all the power Resolution 114 gave the President and yet, Congress can’t seem to bring our troops home, either. At least, I am a person who can admit when I make a mistake and now I am trying to right a wrong not only for my own son but others. AGAIN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING BESIDES TEACHING YOUR KIDS HOW NOT TO SERVE THEIR COUNTRY IF NEEDED?
To Suzanne Miller,
I hope you realize that I am actually on your side. I really am. Now that I understand that you regret voting for Bush the 2nd time it all seems to be coming together. I think that after your son finished his first tour of duty he should have been allowed to leave if he wanted to. This force re-enlistment is tantamount to slavery but then the same thing could be said about conscription.
I hope you do realize that the real reasons we invaded Iraq were not, in any way, what was officially being put forth by Bush. We know this because they kept contradicting themselves. Colin Powell would say one thing, Bush would say something else and Condi Rice even something else. Now that all this time has elapsed it’s obvious that this was a Neocon designed invasion to bring about 2 things. Number one: To secure a large amount of petroleum reserves for the U.S. and Number Two: to have a long-term strategic position in the Middle East. Since they wanted to do this very badly they lied repeatedly to “sell” the war to the Congress, the press and the people. The question is: Are you willing to have your son lose his life over these Neocon goals? Remember, this war had nothing to do with terrorism or what happened in the U.S. on 9-11-2001. And I do appreciate that you are speaking out. More people need to speak out loudly against this injustice.
[...] Pensito Review – Blogger and lawyer Suzanne Miller with her son, Army Specialist Matthew “Cory†Beard. [...]
Good article on the new movie “Stop Loss” that will be releaased in March 2008 and my son, Spc. Matthew Cory Beard, who is a victim of stop loss on injury board.com (2 part article). The only inaccuracy is that I remain a “staunch Republican”. I am most definitely not a “staunch” anything but I do know those who have tried to help my son. Senator Bill Nelson in Florida and Senator Saxby Chambliss in Georgia.