Monday, March 24, 2003

British MP writes in the Guardian about the 'peace' protestors.

They think that doing so is cheap and easy. I think it is despicable. Some of the people who are fighting and may die are people whom I know and love; whom I represent; whose mothers or fathers I represent, and know and love. One man issued a press release asking whether I would send my own small children to fight. The answer is that if my children were older, and in the armed forces, I should feel just like every other parent does at a time like this: terribly worried but immensely proud. The reason I mention it is that it is such a despicable question.

To accuse those of us who voted to commit forces of taking a cowardly option is pathetic. It is far from easy to go and vote in the House of Commons to send at least some British soldiers to their certain death. People I know and love may die. I take that very seriously. I think about it all the time. I feel acutely my part of the responsibility for any and every British soldier who suffers or dies. I voted to send them. I am responsible.

My local office premises, local staff, family, friends and self have all been abused or assaulted by people supposedly lusting for peace. My office in Erdington was attacked on March 20. My caseworker, who works in that office, has been doing the job for 15 years, and is known by all the people who assaulted the office, has a son - and is universally known to do so - in the Irish Guards, who was in Kuwait on March 20, moving, we, presume, into Iraq the next day (his 21st birthday). I can't tell you how unpacifistic it makes me feel when they assault his mother's office the very day he goes into battle. It's disgusting.

But let's be clear that not every protester deserves the same credit. There is a hard core of the same old opportunist, every-issue, easy-option usual suspects. And they deserve nothing but contempt.

< email | 3/24/2003 03:32:00 PM | link