- A Citizenís Appeal to a General in a Time of War
(at Home)
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- September 12, 2003
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- Dear General Wesley Clark,
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- I've been meaning to write to you for some time. Two
days after the Oscars, when I felt very alone and somewhat frightened by
the level of hatred toward me for daring to suggest that we were being
led into war for "fictitious reasons," one person stuck his neck
out and came to my defense on national television.
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- And that person was you.
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- Aaron Brown had just finished interviewing me by satellite
on CNN, and I had made a crack about me being "the only non-general
allowed on CNN all week." He ended the interview and then turned to
you, as you were sitting at the desk with him. He asked you what you thought
of this crazy guy, Michael Moore. And, although we were still in Week One
of the war, you boldly said that my dissent was necessary and welcome,
and you pointed out that I was against Bush and his "policies,"
not the kids in the service. I sat in Flint with the earpiece still in
my ear and I was floored -- a GENERAL standing up for me and, in effect,
for all the millions who were opposed to the war but had been bullied into
silence.
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- Since that night, I have spent a lot of time checking
you out. And what I've learned about you corresponds to my experience with
you back in March. You seem to be a man of integrity. You seem not afraid
to speak the truth. I liked your answer when you were asked your position
on gun control: ìIf you are the type of person who likes assault
weapons, there is a place for you -- the United States Army. We have them.î
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- In addition to being first in your class at West Point,
a four star general from Arkansas, and the former Supreme Commander of
NATO -- enough right there that should give pause to any peace-loving person
-- I have discovered that...
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- 1. You oppose the Patriot Act and would fight the expansion
of its powers.
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- 2. You are firmly pro-choice.
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- 3. You filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in
support of the University of Michigan's affirmative action case.
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- 4. You would get rid of the Bush tax "cut"
and make the rich pay their fair share.
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- 5. You respect the views of our allies and want to work
with them and with the rest of the international community.
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- 6. And you oppose war. You have said that war should
always be the "last resort" and that it is military men such
as yourself who are the most for peace because it is YOU and your soldiers
who have to do the dying. You find something unsettling about a commander-in-chief
who dons a flight suit and pretends to be Top Gun, a stunt that dishonored
those who have died in that flight suit in the service of their country.
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- General Clark, last night I finally got to meet you in
person. I would like to share with others what I said to you privately:
You may be the person who can defeat George W. Bush in next year's election.
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- This is not an endorsement. For me, it's too early for
that. I have liked Howard Dean (in spite of his flawed positions in support
of some capital punishment, his grade "A" rating from the NRA,
and his opposition to cutting the Pentagon budget). And Dennis Kucinich
is so committed to all the right stuff. We need candidates in this race
who will say the things that need to be said, to push the pathetically
lame Democratic Party into have a backbone -- or get out of the way and
let us have a REAL second party on the ballot.
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- But right now, for the sake and survival of our very
country, we need someone who is going to get The Job done, period. And
that job, no matter whom I speak to across America -- be they leftie Green
or conservative Democrat, and even many disgusted Republicans -- EVERYONE
is of one mind as to what that job is:
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- Bush Must Go.
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- This is war, General, and it's Bush & Co.'s war on
us. It's their war on the middle class, the poor, the environment, their
war on women and their war against anyone around the world who doesn't
accept total American domination. Yes, it's a war -- and we, the people,
need a general to beat back those who have abused our Constitution and
our basic sense of decency.
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- The General vs. the Texas Air National Guard deserter!
I want to see that debate, and I know who the winner is going to be.
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- The other night, when you were on Bill Maher's show,
he began by reading to you a quote from Howard Dean where he (Dean) tried
to run away from the word "liberal." Maher said to you, so, General,
do you want to run away from that word? Without missing a beat, you said
"No!" and you reminded everyone that America was founded as a
"liberal democracy." The audience went wild with applause.
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- That is what we have needed for a long time on our side
-- guts. I am sure there are things you and I don't see eye to eye on,
but now is the time for all good people from the far left to the middle
of the road to bury the damn hatchet and get together behind someone who
is not only good on the issues but can beat George W. Bush. And where I
come from in the Midwest, General, I know you are the kind of candidate
that the average American will vote for.
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- Michael Moore likes a general? I never thought I'd write
these words. But desperate times call for desperate measures. I want to
know more about you. I want your voice heard. I would like to see you in
these debates. Then let the chips fall where they may -- and we'll all
have a better idea of what to do. If you sit it out, then I think we all
know what we are left with.
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- I am asking everyone I know to send an email to you now
to encourage you to run, even if they aren't sure they would vote for you.
(Wesley Clark's email address is: info@leadershipforamerica.org). None
of us truly know how we will vote five months from now or a year from now.
But we do know that this race needs a jolt -- and Bush needs to know that
there is one person he won't be able to Dukakisize.
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- Take the plunge, General Clark. At the very least, the
nation needs to hear what you know about what was really behind this invasion
of Iraq and your fresh ideas of how we can live in a more peaceful world.
Yes, your country needs you to perform one more act of brave service --
to help defeat an enemy from within, at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, an address
that used to belong to "we, the people."
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- Yours,
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- Michael Moore
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- Lottery # 275, U.S. military draft, 1972
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- Conscientious Objector applicant
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- mmflint@aol.com
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- www.michaelmoore.com
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