Monday, February 13, 2006

"The Full Quote"...




The rest of the quote
by Rhonda Winfield
February 6, 2006

This is in response to a column that ran in your Feb. 3 edition written by Hunter Mabry of Waynesboro.

I was quoted in Mr. Mabry's article but, unfortunately, only partially so.

I am the mother of Lancer Cpl. Jason C. Redifer, of Stuarts Draft, who was killed by an IED explosion just south of Baghdad on Jan. 31, 2005. Jason was a nineteen-year-old Marine who was proudly and bravely serving in the "triangle of death" to insure that all Americans will continue to be blessed with the many freedoms we so easily take for granted.

It is just one such freedom that Mr. Mabry exercises while failing to understand just how that freedom is sustained.

I attended the Jan. 16 town hall meeting that Mr. Mabry wrote of, and I addressed those in attendance. While I did remark that no one wants their sons and daughters dying in combat, that was only the beginning of the statement.

Mr. Mabry , speaking on behalf of the Augusta Coalition for Peace and Justice, has apparently decided that he speaks for me and that the Coalition represents the thoughts and feelings of my family.

Mr. Mabry, my son would be shattered to think that you and your group have used his death to attempt to further a cause that doesn't even understand the ideals for which he gave his life.
I have stood by and witnessed your anti-war displays that include photographs of my son. I agree that facts and statistics are exactly that and we all will certainly have our own opinions with regard to them. However, your group takes advantage of those facts by insinuating through the photographs you display that you represent these felled service men and women. You try to give the impression that you speak on behalf of their now silent voices.

Mr. Mabry, you do NOT speak for my family and certainly not for my son.

Jason, at only 19 years of age, knew what a precious gift our liberty is and valued it enough to lay his young life down for it. He volunteered for his duty knowing that there is always a human cost of war. He was also wise enough to understand that there would be a far greater human cost to avoiding this war.

Let me remind you that innocent Americans were attacked on American soil. Citizens, whose only crimes were going about their daily lives, were murdered that September morning and the evil forces that orchestrated and supported those horrific events, as well as the others that yet await us, could not be allowed to prevail. Jason believed that these terrorists must be engaged on their soil before we would all be forced to defend ourselves on our own.

While I defend a democratic process that allows our citizens to freely speak their minds and openly question our leaders when we are concerned with their representation of us, as well as to hold those same individuals accountable for the decisions they make on our behalf, I would ask that everyone please remember who ultimately pays for those luxuries for us.

Yes, no one wants American lives lost for any reason and we all want our troops home. The fact is, our service men and women have a job to complete to continue the liberties and ideals that this country was founded on and that we exercise daily. "No one wants their sons or daughters dying over there."

So, while we may not agree on many issues, I ask that we all pray for their mission to end as quickly as possible. I believe that we should all pray for their accelerated advance to victory, NOT their rapid withdraw to defeat.

Make no mistake, Mr. Mabry, just because you see yourself as "anti-war," that does not place me as "pro-war" by default. I am not pro-war. I am Pro-America.

Might I suggest you try it?

America is the land of the free because of the brave and freedom isn't free. Let THAT be the rest of the quote.

Rhonda Winfield is a Stuarts Draft resident

6 comments:

Lynn R. Mitchell said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Sadly her son, as well as many others have given their lives to their country. I am sadened that Mrs. Winfield mistakes the conflict in Iraq with the attacks of September 11, 2001. I find it hard to connect the war in Iraq with defending America. Being that the CIA says that Iraq was not a terrorist haven until we invaded makes the war seem like a self-fulfilling reason, not a legitimate justification.
I would hope that Winfield and others recognize that being "anti-war" is also not being "anti-American."

God bless us all.

RightsideVA said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
RightsideVA said...

Yes but I stood next to Rhonda Winfield at that town hall meeting and at no time did any of the members of the Augusta County Coalition for Peace and Justice come over to say anything to the mother of a soldier that they claim to suppport.

In fact at all of the many anti-war protests that I have seen I have never seen any type of true support from these people. They claim with their signs and statements that they support the troops just not the war but how do they support the troops? Do they support the troops when they show photos of the soldiers lost and the families are there to see these photos? Do they support the soldiers when they stand there with signs that have the number of soldiers lost? Do they support the soldiers when they yell out that we are at war because they claim the President lied but yet the administrations before came to the same conclusion, Hillary, Schumer, Daschle, Reid, Rangle, Kerry, and many other Democrats stated that Hussein had WMDs in the past and that he should be disarmed? Do they support the troops when they claim there was no terrorist in Iraq but yet Hussein had at least 3 large terrorist training camps in operation and he supported suicide bombers? Do they support the troops when these same troops re-enlist & request to go back to Afghanistan & Iraq to finish the job? Do they support the troops who are injured and some lose arms\legs yet request to go back when they can to finish the job and be with their comrades? Do they support the troops that come out of retirement and re-enlist to request to go to Iraq & Afghanistan to fight in the war on terror?

Do they support the troops when they openly support Cindy Sheehan who's son was killed in action but also VOLUNTEERED to be a Marine, VOLUNTEERED when he renlisted, and VOLUNTEERED on the rescue mission in which he was killed?
http://www.blackfive.net/main/2005/08/army_specialist.html

Better yet, tell me how do they support the troops? What have they done? Is it support to protest every action of the war on terrorism because the troops don't know better then be in the military? Tell me how they support the troops? What have they done?

Should we have waited another 11 years of Hussein ignoring the almighty United Nations resolutions and inaction? What about Iran who is close to having a Nuke and has openly threatened Isreal and shown hatred towards the United States? Do we wait to see the Mushroom cloud before we react?

Anonymous said...

"Iraq was not a terrorist haven until we invaded makes the war seem like a self-fulfilling reason, not a legitimate justification."

Not a terrorist haven for it was being run by a fruitcake that gassed his own people!!! He paid money to the families of suicide bombers who walked into pizza parlors and kill innocent people!!!
That is not a terrorist or supporting terrorism?

I would hope that Winfield and others recognize that being "anti-war" is also not being "anti-American."

Then what is being American? Tolerent to all people even if they are practicing killing people they do not want? Maybe we should all meld together into one big group that will take care of each other and "Talk with" those who get out of line. We must feel compassion for those who do not develop their countries but just oppress their people, Kind of like a United Nations thing... Oh yeah, that didn't work...

"Lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way"...

Lynn R. Mitchell said...
This comment has been removed by the author.