Don't you dare question my patriotism!

I just finished watching Real Time with Bill Maher, and I have to tell you, I'm pissed off.

One of the guests on the panel was Andrew Breitbart, a conservative author and radio personality who often subs for Dennis Miller on Miller's radio program. Breitbart pulled an old favorite from the right wing talk radio playbook and accused another panelist of being unpatriotic for questioning the war in Iraq.

I have had it up to here with having my patriotism and support for our troops called into question by the fact that I did not and do not support the war(s) in Iraq. Rather than engage in a reasonable conversation about differing points of view regarding war in general and the dubious nature of both of our forays into Iraq in particular, people like Breitbart shut down the discourse immediately by branding anyone opposed to war as opposed to and undermining our troops.

And I'm telling you, if you have a question about whether I support the men and women who put themselves in harm's way daily, perhaps the resounding smack of my palm against the side of your face will settle this question decisively once and for all. Because if you dare question my honor one more time, I am going to hit you. Hard. And probably give the response that the so-called liberal media seems too mamby-pamby to deliver: a heartfelt invitation to go fuck your collective right wing selves.

Because I firmly believe that I support our troops more honorably than the Bush administration and the talking heads like Mr. Breitbart who backed up that administration's decision to send the sons and daughters of America into the desert under false pretenses. I fail to see how asking them to put their lives on the line in service of a lie can be construed as support. If you ask me, a more authentic expression of support would be the careful consideration of any directive that puts them in harm's way.

I believe that the men and women of the armed forces deserve to engage in missions that allow them to truly be heroes. So don't tell me that I'm not a patriot because I believe that causing them to lose life and limbs for a deception was an inexcusable betrayal.

I'm not a believer in war. My preference would be that the troops were never sent into combat at all. But I am realistic about the fact that we are still in process of evolving toward a place where war is a distant memory, and that this process of development will include a few more skirmishes before it reaches that point. And the men and women who march into those skirmishes will always have my support and gratitude.

America is a free country, and the quandary of that situation was expressed beautifully in the movie "The American President" in the final speech of fictional president Andrew Shepherd:

"America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say 'You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours.'"

I believe in that quandary, and the inherent goodness in grappling with the problems presented by free speech. So I would never shut down the Breitbarts and Hannitys and Limbaughs of the world, even though they make my blood boil. But I will also claim my right, as a patriotic troop-supporting American, to shout back at the top of my lungs the most constuctive thing I can think to say at this moment...

"You hypocritical shitbag assholes!!!!"