Abracadabrah

I create as I speak

Presence Through Absence

My co-blogger at Kesher alerted me to a must read post at Michelle Malkin's. It shows, explicitly, that the NYTimes used the occasion of the "grim milestone," of 2000 deaths to twist the words of a soldier who died serving Iraq to fit its own "grim" agenda. In this case, Cpl. Jeffrey B. Starr, was on his third enlistment. He didn't get there by being oblivious to the risks.

Here is the entire portion of the article the NYTimes devotes to Cpl. Starr:

Another member of the 1/5, Cpl. Jeffrey B. Starr, rejected a $24,000 bonus to re-enlist. Corporal Starr believed strongly in the war, his father said, but was tired of the harsh life and nearness of death in Iraq. So he enrolled at Everett Community College near his parents' home in Snohomish, Wash., planning to study psychology after his enlistment ended in August.

But he died in a firefight in Ramadi on April 30 during his third tour in Iraq. He was 22.

Sifting through Corporal Starr's laptop computer after his death, his father found a letter to be delivered to the marine's girlfriend. "I kind of predicted this," Corporal Starr wrote of his own death. "A third time just seemed like I'm pushing my chances."

Here is what they left out of the letter, because it didn't fit the constant agenda of the NYTimes.

I don't regret going, everybody dies but few get to do it for something as important as freedom. It may seem confusing why we are in Iraq, it's not to me. I'm here helping these people, so that they can live the way we live. Not have to worry about tyrants or vicious dictators. To do what they want with their lives. To me that is why I died. Others have died for my freedom, now this is my mark."

Also, this letter, at Tim Blair's site, to Byron Calame camplaining about the article's slant is a must read.

On a different note, the NYTimes article tell us this:

"So far, the emotional turmoil of repeated deployments has not taken a toll on re-enlistment rates for the Army or the Marine Corps, which provide most of the American forces in Iraq. Both exceeded their re-enlistment goals this year, aided by signing bonuses of $20,000 and more. But many experts said that could change if the war dragged on and troops were asked to serve more tours in combat."

So many anonymous experts with the same agenda as the NYTimes said that, huh? Gee, that's authoritative. I'm persuaded.

posted by Alcibiades @ 9:40 AM