Based on the response to my most recent post, Feats of Clay, it is obvious we’re going to have to clear the air here at TAH if I’m going to continue posting. As an old soldier who first began writing for the Internet in support of the Swift Boat Veterans back in 2004, I’ve come in for my fair share of criticism. When it comes from my liberal detractors I shrug it off as meaningless and inconsequential. For them I’ve developed a hard shell. I must confess, however, when it comes from fellow soldiers and veterans, it tends to sting a bit, especially when it is misdirected friendly fire.
First off, I am, in fact, a cantankerous old fart (a recent examining physician referred to me as irascible) with little respect for timidity or false bravado. If you believe something then be prepared to stand up and say so and then, more importantly, be able to defend what you say. I realize that many people aren’t capable of doing that by lack of forcefulness in personality. However, I’m not one of those which is why I sit here pounding this damned keyboard into expositions of my views which many of you seem to like but some of you don’t.
As has been pointed out to Ol’ Poetrooper by editors, if your humorous writing is not perceived as humorous by the majority of your readers and you find yourself having to explain it, then you are not a very good writer of humor, so it is best to stay away from that genre. That’s good advice. However, irascible old bastard that I am, I find that constraint upon my writing difficult to observe, having been possessed since childhood with a bent toward dark, sarcastic (yes some would call it black) humor that resulted in my Army superiors frequently referring to me as Sergeant Wiseass and more than a few of my professors, especially the lefties, definitely unamused by my caustic observations.
So periodically I return to the keyboard, hell-bent on being darkly (dare I use that word, Insipid?) funny. Obviously with this most recent piece, Feats of Clay, I failed. Few readers understood the word play of feats for the black idiomatic usage, “feets,” and the references to Greek mythology were over the top, with the upshot being I was called from the very first comments a racist and my supposedly humorous piece attacked as a racist rant and diatribe. Worse, some of you questioned Jonn for allowing the posting of such a racist rant.
If you read my own comment following the post, you will see I am not about to allow the Left to control my speech. When the liberal trolls such as Insipid, feel free by dint of their liberal bonafides to smack us in the face with the term Nigger, which by rules of political correctness only liberals like Insipid and blacks may use, I say screw you. If I want to use that term of invective in my writings to make a point, I damned well will, liberal scorn be damned. A society where only certain persons and groups within that society can use a specific word is not a free society. Here’s what LTC Allen West, a black politician I support, has to say on the topic:
“I don’t care about my critics; I understand that my country is at a very perilous situation and I’m going to use the type of words that are necessary to get the attention of the American people.”
Bravo, Master-Blaster, a paratrooper politician who always wears his master parachutist wings on his suit lapels, something no other of his congressional colleagues can or would do.
Colonel West also said this:
I really feel that it is demeaning to me to think that I need some individual to justify me and my existence. Look, I went through 22 years being in the military, I rose to the rank of Lt. Colonel, I have a bachelor and 2 masters degrees. And for these white liberals to believe they can have this condescending manner toward black conservatives that we need to have approval from our quote unquote, I guess “masters”, for us to be able to speak–see that’s where the true racism really lies, governor, is with the white liberals who don’t want to see someone such as myself that broke away from their dependency class and is out here and able to possibly contend against them with the policies that they are promoting that’s destroying the black community. I know I’m their #1 target and it just emboldens me to speak out even stronger.”
Sorry old racist bastard that I am to some of you, I’m getting ready to send the good colonel another campaign contribution and I’m ready to write another supportive blog post for him. While I don’t think he has the political experience to be Romney’s VP selection, I do think he would be an excellent Secretary of the Army in the Romney Administration. I have little doubt that he would do a tent fumigation of the Pentagon, sending all those politically correct roaches entrenched there running to a well-deserved drowning in the Potomac. Maybe he could just have orders cut sending them all to Ranger School, male and female alike. Yeah, that ought to please all the libs agitating for the feminization of our military. Gee, maybe I am self-censoring: the first expression that came to mind was the castration of our military.
So those of you who were too quick to label Ol’ Poetrooper a racist, need to walk away from this with a couple of thoughts: I’m not a racist and being called one by liberals doesn’t faze me a bit. However, when it comes from fellow warriors I feel the bite. I kid you not, it hurts. Secondly, and more importantly, just like Allen West, I won’t curb my opinions or my writings to conform to some liberal (or too-sensitive conservative) imposed concept of civility. I do not write to offend needlessly but I sure as hell will not self-censor because my writings might hurt some tender sensibilities on either side of the political spectrum. Consider the Poetrooper to be an equal opportunity offender.
And from my observation of TAH postings, if you’re too eager to be offended, you’re probably at the wrong blog.
