I just wrote this to him, via email, because they locked the commentary after the article:
Mr. Fiorito,
Sir, this is a short refutation of your article,
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/08 ... orito.html I was just forewarned about the content of your article, where it was freely posted for all to read, others were free (until comments were blocked) to disagree with you and share their views with other people, and you were free to write it without any fear of repercussions, suppression, or rounding up by those who disagreed with you to languish in a concentration camp until your untimely death at the hand of a person who did not view you as human. Due to your lack of hindsight, and probably foresight, I am compelled to write to you about that freedom.
You see, sir, you are freely able to write what you do in large part due to the price paid by your fellow countrymen, some of whom were probably family members of yours, and definitely were family members of mine. Yes, as a US citizen, I have family members who served and paid high prices for the freedom of Canada, the US, and every other free country in the world today.
That freedom was provided by their sacrifices. Neither you, nor I, will ever be able to sit in their shoes and share the terrible cost they paid in personal anguish, loss of comrades, and the terrible horror that is war. A number of those people would prefer the quiet of a Saturday afternoon as you do, not remembering their sacrifices, and enjoying their day. I respect their opinion, as I do yours. However, I must respectfully disagree with you for a number of reasons.
We risk succeeding generations being lulled into complacency that their freedom is something deserved, something part of the package of life, and something not worth fighting for as a man or woman. The UN Charter, US Declaration of Independence, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms aside, there are many evil and dark forces out there which would deny those rights for their own blind ambition- the current crises created by Vladimir Putin, Boko Haram and ISIL in Ukraine, Central Africa, and Nigeria come to mind- without regard for the human cost of those ambitions.
Our duties as a citizen of the world is to be mindful of such trends and conditions, honest in our assessment of them, and supportive of any efforts to suppress or otherwise abate such dangers, which are dangers to all humanity and not just those directly effected by such events; this is a principle established at the trials of Nuremburg and other such venues which have often declared that prevention of such tragedies is much better than the cost of stopping them once in play. Could you agree with that?
Then you must agree that a citizen of the world should be at least passingly familiar with the nuts and bolts of their own armed forces, the skills and techniques used by those forces, and the content of the character of those who man those positions. It is the same as vetting a candidate for elected office. How can a citizen do that? In first case, reading, but in second, spending time witnessing their training activities and operations to ensure that they reflect the best your country has to offer for it’s world duties. One of the few places you have this opportunity to do this is at a public airshow, as these activities are often otherwise done in training environments which preclude public scrutiny.
The airshow offers you a chance to view the progression of technology, much as you learned to be a professional writer, starting out with building blocks (words and sentences, Harvards and Tiger Moths) to move forward to current technology (word processors, editorial software, and F-18 Hornets) and create positive forces in the world (free, well thought-out, logical editorial, combat operations) to move things in a positive direction in the world. Where else would you have that chance. While my logic may be a stretch, you can recognize the logical progression, can you not?
You mentioned boys and dreams in your writing. Right now, in your neighborhood, possibly next door to you, there are boys who one day will bear the costs of current un-checked aggression against the forces of good in this world (I’ll count Canada and the US as part of those good forces). Should they not honestly see the hardware, sense the operational tempo, witness the responsibility required for their service before committing their lives to protect you and I? Or should we just levy a draft, compel them to serve with just orders from people we elect, and only tell them, “Dulce et Decorum est, pro Patria Mori?” Look up Wilfred Owen if you don’t know the reference.
Sir, I appreciate you sharing your opinion. It is a bright shining example of the freedoms we have. As I said, I have to disagree with you in your conclusions and what seems to be a less than professional acquaintance with the military which you seem to have. Perhaps it would be a good idea for you, as a professional writer, to go do some research at the airshow, think of some of my points, and perhaps try to walk for a few moments in the shoes of those kind, great forefathers we share who provided you with the opportunity to do so, freely.
Best Regards,
John K. Seidts
Former US Army Special Operations Forces
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