US Army soldiers[/caption]Samantha Torrence - Sometimes being one of the few ethical journalists out there is beyond frustrating especially when you want to help people who are afraid to speak. These same people are often misrepresented in the media that lives and thrives off of sensationalism and biased reporting. One group of amazing men and women I wish to support are the veterans of America, specifically the ones that have been injured in the line of duty and thrown under the bus by their chains of command. There are many veterans who will speak out, but most of them will flee from the media for fear of retribution or yet another public character assassination
I blame the equally all sides of the political spectrum, to the violent anti-war protesters to the Cult of the Uniform gung-ho "patriots." It does not matter if a person is left or right, if they are attacking military members they are causing a problem. Anti-war protesters will take anything written about an injured soldier and claim they deserved all the horrible things that happened to them for being monsters. The military cultists, civilians and former military that romanticize military life and sacrifice, claim the injured soldier deserves their trouble for their weakness or like of pride. Typically the latter lash out at military members that have invisible injuries like PTSD.
The cultists like to come after media personnel like me, who criticize leadership or procedure that endangers our troops. They will attack me claiming that I hate the military or that I am unpatriotic. I have also been accused of giving aid and comfort to the enemy while exposing wrong doings of leadership which was later confirmed as wrong by NATO. My family has also suffered from my conviction to the point that my husband, one of the last great NCOs in the Army, was harassed out of the military for not being able to keep his wife in line.
I do not report on these atrocities for the fame, the glory, or the money. I have not recieved any benefit at all for commiting to my mission. Yet because of the other media members who have harmed trusting veterans I am held at arms length and under suspicion. There is nothing glorious or comfortable about my position. Days like today when I read privately about the horrors a family must go through are the most frustrating because I cannot publish anything without their consent. I simply will not do it. I will not betray the trust of veterans or their families. I will not betray myself and my resolve to be above the negative tactics of modern journalism. It is frustrating, sometimes, when you want to support the troops by doing more than baking cookies ( which they very much appreciate so please if that is what you do keep on doing it!)