The Making of partisan patriots:

How did my political perspective develop? I am the son of a Vietnam vet. I grew up on Air Force bases around the world. I went into JROTC in high school. I was an Airman at 17 years of age. I graduated from the USAFA in 1989. I have lived and breathed military and love of country my whole life. I moved here to PTC in 2001, pre 9/11. I was inspired and encouraged by the national unity of late 2001 and most of '02. I was on fire to go after Al Qaieda and the Taliban in '02. My "fire in the gut" turned to shock and awe when I saw our focus being dilluted with banter about the threat of Iraq (banter from both sides of the isle, by the way). I became even more dissillusioned as I watched unprecedented national unity squandered by attack politics. For most of my A-10 career, I was a small part of the large US force that contained Sadaam. There was never a question in my mind that Iraq was contained, and that the focus needed to remain on our attackers in Afghanistan. Every time I expressed that opinion, as citizen Kevin King, either on these boards, or in the paper, my love of country was attacked; attacked by people who don't even have the demonstrable service that I have. If you are going to attack someone's love of country, you'd best have a long list of very overt service of your own. Otherwise your attacks seem hollow. I'm pointing out that my love of country was attacked by people who have never risked life for country. And that p@ssed me off. I changed my logon name to AF-A-10, inspired by ArmyMajretired, as an instant insight to my perspective. Basmati, JeffC, Bladder, Dollar, and the other voices bold enough to go against the Fayette County conservative grain are doing so because our opinions were not honestly debated, but attacked as "yellow, cut-and-run, hate America first, terrorist-appeasing, cut-and-jog, bleeding-heart liberal, etc." I have never contributed to political campaigns, and never been partisan in my conversations until I felt forced to interject what I felt was a very much needed counterpoint to the "axis of evil" simpleton talk. Even with bi-partisan disappointment in and disapproval of the President's policies, so many in this country still try to say that it is just "democratic whining." A certain incredulous lawyer who blogs here suggested that the only reason republicans are speaking out against our Iraq direction is that they have given in to democratic whining. If I were Walter Jones, Chuck Hagel, or Olympia Snow, that attitude would infuriate me! The idea that I cannot think from the depths of my soul that occupying Iraq during sectarian civil unrest is not a good thing, without being called a terrorist or democrat appeaser. Add to that a President of all of these United States, who actually said here in Ga., that a vote for democrats is a vote for terrorists. Well, America voted, and I am starting to feel we are gaining our liberty back, along with our freedom of thought and expression. I tried my best to be a non-partisan, down the line guy all of my life, but the very tangible attacks on anyone opposing the invasion and occupation of Iraq forced my hand. My sense of allegiance to the US Constitution will not allow me to remain silent. Patriotism is non-partisan. Attacking people's love of country because of their party is UNAMERICAN. And I will not remain silent. God Bless this country, and the voices of all of her citizens, and cheers to all!

Kevin "Hack" King

ps. I am sending a framed portait of a T-38, my current vehicle, to Walter Jones (R-NC), because this man has remained focused on veterans and their families throughout the last several tumultuous years. Read up on the bill he has sponsored to protect survivor's benefits (H.R. 657)