Katharine,

I was sitting here imagining how wonderful it would be to see you in Iraq singing for the troops. Have you ever thought about doing this? I know it would bring the moral up for us troops here. I love your music. Music gets us through alot over here. We can relate to alot of it. Like I said, I was wondering if you ever thought about doing this. Thanks

Welcome to KMF!

I don't think Kat will be able to see this, but it would be great if she went to perform for you. It'd be like Marilyn Monroe all over again...

BTW, here's a tribute video that a member (a3boymom) here created for the troops. It's set to "Ordinary World" off her album.

So glad you posted here! Thank you for all you do...you and every other American serving our country are in my heart and on my mind every day!!!  God Bless You!!!  I know Kat has seen this video but I haven't had a personal response as of yet. Her mother did say they were blessed so I know you matter to Kat for sure!!!  WOW! How great would that be if she could come and sing for you all 

PS...thank you TRSF, for posting my video here again...pass it on and share the love and gratefulness!

Don' t do it Katharine! It isn't safe. They couldn't even protect 3 Senators, what chance will you have?

Please think carefully on this before helping it become reality.

What if something happened to Katharine?

Anyone travelling on any of the roads is exposed to IEDs. Helicopters are being shot down. Aircraft are being shot at. Mortars can be fired into any "safe" zone. There are snipers everywhere. Even the "friendlies" can't be trusted and might be part of the resistance. Some people are predicting a "Tet" like offensive soon.

It just isn't safe.

Don't go!

I think a USO trip would be great. As far as it not being safe I havent heard any other entertainer being killed or wounded over there. There are quite a few that go over there on a regular basis and have been coming back with great reports out of there. USO trips have always been a part of the Armed forces and they have always been taken care of better then the President!!! During world war 2 alot of entertainers went to the front lines to help the troops !! If you look at all the wars I do not believe that one entertainer was ever wounded or killed. Anyway it would be a great thing for Kat to do !!!!

Also dangkid38 thanks for what you do!!! Being a veteran myself and being in the 1st Gulf War I applaud you and will keep you and all our troops in my prayers!!!!!

Sorry EM745, but I would have to disagree w/ you, as well as with Groucho & Pheenomenon.  Instead I would agree with the young person who started this thread, "Dangkid368", as well as w/ trsf, popi, a3boymom, & Gregoriancant. 

Please understand, it's not that I'd be "eager" to send Kat over to Iraq, as it's surely a dangerous place, there's no doubt of that.  However, entertainers have always done USO tours for our wonderful troops, and I think it would be great if she did it.  Their lives are very difficult over there, and they are all making sacrifices to one degree or another, in order to serve & protect all of US back here at home.  Kat could bring so much joy to their lives, and help them to forget, at least for a little while, the daily drudgery & dangers that they are all facing on our behalf. 

Also, as a former serviceman myself & as the father of a young US Marine who is currently serving our country & defending the freedoms of all of us, (Both supporters    & critics    alike!), I think that we owe our countrys' defenders as much support & encouragement as we can possibly give them.  Say what you will, but - as it's always been throughout our history - it is because of people like THEM, that any of YOU even HAVE the right to speak your minds freely! 

On a more personal note;  to "Dangkid368", my thanks & prayers go out to you & to all who serve with you.  (including my own son)  You are the absolute BEST of our current generation of young people, as you have proven by enlisting to serve our country & a cause higher than yourself, and as you continue to prove on a daily basis with your service on behalf of us all!  May God bless & keep you, until you can all come safely, proudly, and victoriously, home to us again!

Thank you!!!
SoldOnKat

The troops are the first victims of George Bush and his neo-fascist cult. He has used 9/11 to increase the power of the Presidency to the point of a dictator and to weaken the constitution or "that damn bit of paper" as he called it. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 and nothing to do with Al Queda and no WMDs.

Not only was the war started based on lies and as a first resort, a war  of choice, but experts agree the war is already lost, the only question is how much longer the death and destruction are allowed to continue. I for one do not want Katharine to be seen to be promoting this debacle that is the poster child for terrorist recruitment.

If Katharine wants to support the troops she should get involved in a campaign to end this illegal war and bring them home, not sing and dance for them and spout some lies about how they are "defending our freedom" and "fighting them over then so we don't have to fight them over here" which will only lend legitimacy to the war.

There, I've said it. This is a highly charged political issue. If you don't want to see it dicussed at KMF then shut up about it and lock/delete this thread. I'm sick of reading this "Katharine should do a USO tour" crap as if this moral, political and strategic disaster is some kind of noble cause like WW2.

And once again, for you "support the troops" people - supporting the war does not equal supporting the troops. Supporting the war just gets more of them killed and maimed. If you want to support the troops, end the war and bring them home.

I didn't tell you to shut up, I said shut up if you don't want this talked about at KMF. In other words, if you don't want it talked about at KMF then don't talk about it at KMF. I'll retract the phrase "shut up" if you find it so offensive. I'm glad you don't disagree with anything else that I said.

I kept my peace up to this point but some of the pro USO tour opinions expressed are very political and offensive and I am not going to let them stand unopposed.

Mission accomplished.

And I will express my point of view and disagree with those views I find offensive in this space if that is what you want.

Once again, if KMF thinks this is an inapropriate topic for KMF then this thread should be deleted. I didn't start the political discussion but once started I am not going to let it go.

Ummm…. “Not particularly political”, zzyzx??  And how could that be, when “Phee” is the one who started throwing around highly charged, (and false) “Political” insults like “neo-fascist” & “dictator”, and referred to a “campaign” to end what he prefers to call an “illegal war”.  All purely political words & phrases.  In fact, I would say that Phee’s posting was the most Politically-Charged of them all so far.

And “Phee” - if you were referring to me - as this is not a “Political Blog” I deliberately made an effort to keep my posting relatively “Politically” neutral on the war itself, and yet still did my best to offer up my support for the Troops themselves.  (…and let us not forget that it was one of those troops who STARTED this thread, and who may be reading your words at this very moment!)  However, I see that you were neither wise enough, nor polite enough, to make even the slightest attempt to do the same yourself. 

As for what you said, “Phee”, considering that my own son is one of those U.S. Marines & he is currently risking his own safety to protect all of us back here, (including the likes of you), I was rather shocked at your rudeness.  I do not object to you’re having a different opinion than my own, only to how you choose to express that opinion.  In fact, I was all set & ready to put up a fact-laden counter-posting to your little temper tantrum, when I realized that I would just be engaging in a “Political” argument myself.  So instead, I’ll just repeat what I said before;…“Say what you will, but - as it's always been throughout our history - it is because of people like THEM, that any of YOU even HAVE the right to speak your minds freely!”   

SoldOnKat - it was your post that ticked me off.

Your post is full of inanities and lies like these:

 in order to serve & protect all of US back here at home

the daily drudgery & dangers that they are all facing on our behalf

serving our country & defending the freedoms of all of us

our countrys' defenders

it is because of people like THEM, that any of YOU even HAVE the right to speak your minds freely! 

enlisting to serve our country & a cause higher than yourself, and as you continue to prove on a daily basis with your service on behalf of us all!

(Actually, they may well have enlisted to "serve their country and a cause higher than themselves", an honorable choice which makes their mistreatment by the government even more agregious.)

How can you claim to be politically neutral when all of your statements indicate a strong support for this war and by association the policies of your current government?

That makes my blood boil.

I have never said anything bad about the actual troops, they have my sympathies for being used and abused by your government. Please read my post again. Especially the part about supporting the troops and supporting the war being two different things that you just do not seem to understand.

I sincerely hope that your son gets out of this alive and physically, emotionally and mentally whole, as I wish for all people who are serving. This wil not be accomplished by supporting the war and this idiot President's policies or by sending over a little song and dance troop.

This thread was not politically charged until Phee made comments about our country's president. This thread did not need to be closed until these inflamatory statements were made. And Phee...I do disagree with you on many levels but I chose NOT to go there because I believe that taking this discussion to the political gutter is inappropriate.  And, as your government had the "guts" to say "no" to the coalition, then why are you so pissed...none of your soldiers are even over there!  

As American's we can "support" OUR troops in any way we see fit and we DO have a unique perspective on how serving our country is serving us as citizens. That goes to the heart of how we honor and respect our soldiers. I hope this does get closed because your rants have been particularly nasty and have taken a simple discussion into the realm of out and out "war".

Never would I get on a thread here and attack the Canadian government or it's decisions as you have the American Government and President Bush.   BTW, this "little song and dance troup" happens to be a long-lived tradition in America as our way to express our thanks for those in the military overseas. Agree, disagree, right or wrong...it has been our tradition to put that aside and care for them wherever they may be. We don't have the power to stop the war on a dime but we can treat these people as if they are not forgotten and are valued.  As to whether or not Kat goes I'd rather her not but that's her choice as a citizen of the US.

I'll attack your fascist president and his fascist government every chance I get, thanks.

The best way you can support your troops is to make sure they do not get sent off to an impossible war by an incompetent President and his corporate allies who have no understanding of history or war or ethics or your own constitution or international law.

This thread became political when soldonkat decided to make it about supporting the war and by association the Bush government and not just abouit supporting the troops. I had kept my mouth shut until then, when it was just about a USO trip for the troops, except to express my opposition on grounds of Katharine's safety.

You can be be most loyal to your country when you oppose your government. Ask the founding fathers.

#1) Thanks for your comments, a3Boymom!  I believe that you understood me & got what I was trying to say, 100%!  My comments were not meant to be “Political” in nature at all, but were purely in support of our Troops.

#2) As for your comments, Phee, I think that I understand why you responded as you did.  However I also think that you’re confusing something here.  You’ve highlighted & claimed that my comments concerning; “in order to serve & protect all of US back here at home”, and “serving our country & defending the freedoms of all of us”, etc, were the comments that I made which – in your “opinion” -  are political in nature & which “made your blood boil”.  (hmmm... are you having a bit of a self-control problem there?...  better be careful, or you'll...   ) 

It seems fairly clear that you’re confusing “Patriotism” with “Politics” here.   My Civics, Political Science, & Governmental Affairs classes taught me that “Politics” was about national political party’s like; “Democrat vs. Republican vs. Green Party, etc”, or concepts like; “Liberal vs. Conservative vs. Libertarian, etc”; or perhaps about forms of government, like; “Democracy vs. Representative Republic vs. Dictatorship vs. Theocracy vs…”, well, you get the idea.  However, “Patriotism” is more about; “The Devoted Love, Support, and Defense of one's country;… National Loyalty;… a Love of and Devotion to one's country”.  (you can refer to Dictionary.com, for these exact quotes & definitions, if you doubt my word…. J )

So you see, my comments were really in the nature of “Patriotism”, while it was YOUR comments & opinions which were the ones that were more purely “Political” in nature, and which took us down the road to where we are now..  (ie: all your personal criticisms, propaganda, & false accusations of “neo-fascist”, “fascism”, “dictatorship”, etc…      )

Now, we could go on to a discussion of your “opinions” etc, too, if you want to, but as I was aware that here at KMF we all have our own political views that’s really something that I was trying to avoid from the very beginning.  As I said before, KMF is NOT a “Political Blog” & those kinds of discussions are inappropriate here.  However, if you really insist on pursuing the “Political” aspects of this discussion further with me, perhaps we should take it “outside” of KMF?  I invite you to send me an email via my profile, and I’d be happy to explore our differences of “Political” opinions further.  (BTW, in my opinion, your comment about; “You can be most loyal to your country when you oppose your government.” is nothing more than a big, steaming, pile of “Anarchistic Crap’ola”! )

I stand by & would defend your right to have an opposing opinion, so I don’t have a problem with that.  However, as for my comments about our Troops, & my own opinions, I also stand by those comments,… my opinions,… AND OUR TROOPS… with the UTMOST Conviction!!  

To our Troops I once again say; “Thank you!  And may God bless you & keep you safe!!”

Semper Fi!!

SoldOnKat