I agree.

FWIW, the U.S. is not a direct democracy it is in fact a republic (small 'r'). The difference being that in a direct democracy the people vote directly on proposed laws, and government (to the extent that it exists) serves only to put their laws into action. By contrast, a republic is a representative democracy, where laws are passed not by the people, but their elected representatives.
All quibbling about definitions aside though, 1217 is right people should express their feelings in the voting booth. Everyone's got a right to believe as they wish here. They even have a right to protest. However, I believe that when such protests will endanger our fighting forces common sense should prevail and other means of expression should be used.
To me it's much the same as exercising freedom of speech. We have this freedom but it does not, however, give anyone the right to yell "fire" in a crowded theater.

Originally Posted by Rotty261

I have been seeing a lot of real negative press on the war in Iraq lately, and it also seems that some of the American public are not supporting the troops over there anymore. That is hell for morale on the guys trying to fight a war over there. I was just curious if anyone knows what could be done to get everyone back behind our troops again.

I just hate to see something like Vietnam start happening again. I just pray for the guys over there that Bush gets re-elected so they have the full support of the Commander in Chief.

And another thing I want to add. Remember the National song Stars 'n' Stripes:

"Its folds protect no tyrant crew;
The red and white and starry blue
Is freedom's shield and hope."

This tells everything.

In my opinion, the negative spin in the media is a direct result of the highly liberal opinions held by those teaching in institutions of higher education across the country. As more and more young malleable minds make their way through journalism classes at American universities, the media leans farther and farther to the left. My biggest proof of this is a class I am currently enrolled in.

They are attempting to teach me (a conservative journalism major) how to cover issues in ways that do not offend anyone. We are being told that "Asian-American" is wrong, but "African-American" is somehow more continentally acceptable; that being "masculine" is degrading to women; that we must seek out someone of every race on every issue just so they are included; that even though a white guy might be the definitive authority on a minority topic, we should find a minority to talk about it so we're not perpetuating the "big responsible smart white man taking care of the poor helpless minority" "stereotype"; that even though there are more white people in the U.S., use of the term "minority" is offensive to non-whites; the term "Hispanic" is wrong; the term "Latino" is wrong; that when we MUST refer to someone's race, it is proper to use their exact nationality (i.e. Chinese-American, Mexican-American, Chilean-American). They might as well call this class “Politically Correct and Beyond.”

My point here is that the “please-everyone | offend no one” liberals have taken hold of the educational system in this country and it’s having a negative effect on the news media. In their attempt to be this great almighty Politically Correct news machine, they lose their American values. Instead of backing the soldiers and the cause we’re fighting for, they sit with the terrorists in Iraq, and watch as they shoot down American airplanes, just so they can tell the other side of the story. And don’t ask them to betray their journalistic ethics and reveal the identities and location of these terrorists so that they might be apprehended – that would amount the end of the free world. So somewhere in all of this, we cease to be Americans, and we become a country that baptizes its youth in crude oil and interfere in international affairs on a whim.

Having served in the desert, I was outraged to see the kinds of things being reported to the American public regarding our actions overseas. Only the negative spin on things, never anything positive.

Just my conservative college student 2-cents.

[end rant]

Iraq, you're right about the extreme effort exerted to be politically correct being the bane of journalist and the media in general. I believe that the very PC that the liberal media wears as a badge of honor has been the biggest contributor to their loss of credibility among those of us in mainstream America.
It is difficult for impartiality to survive in an academic environment. PC and liberalism act as a set of blinders resulting in nothing but self-perpetuating left wing elitists. It is no longer possible to hear fair and unbiased news stories on television. Believe it or not, there was once a time when you could hear just the facts from a TV anchor man and actually make up your own mind as to how those facts applied to you. Now a “news person” would relay that same story with the accompanying drivel about how the current administration is to blame.
You said you were in Desert Storm. Perhaps you'll appreciate this little anecdote. I was in Hollywood a couple of months ago and as I was walking along the street when I noticed a man who appeared to be hitchhiking. As I got closer, I noticed he wasn't hitchhiking, he was holding a sign that said "Homeless Gulf War Veteran - Bush Put Me Here". Even though I was with my wife, I stopped the man. I said can I ask you a couple of questions? He said sure. I said "Is that sign true? He nodded yes. I then asked him, knowing full well what the answers were "Did you get drafted?". He sort of smiled. I said "No you didn't and neither did I. We all volunteered, didn't we?" I told him that I was in that war too and I said "Look at me and look at yourself". "My car is parked in that garage over there, I'm wearing a new suit and I'm here in Hollywood on business. Guess what pal? Bush put me here too."
It was just another case of blaming a politician, the military, or just plain anyone else other than himself for anything that's not handed to him for nothing. I think it was symptomatic of the type of attitude fostered by the left wing finger pointing media. I'm sure that if there was a news crew around, that I would have been portrayed as the conservative businessman harassing the poor homeless veteran and we all know how politically incorrect that is. It must be, that what the media says.
I just love a good rant in the morning.

It was Iraqi Freedom, not Desert Storm. I'm just a youngin',

I hear you all the same. It's a no win situation.

Sorry about that, same stage, different show It takes true objectivity and indepence of thought to see beyond the cookie cutter set of values that schools will force upon you if you let them. Keep up the good work of using your own mind to formulate your own views and I'll be looking forward to reading what you have to say in the future. Good luck with your career in journalism.