Wingnuts heads explode

That's the sound you hear from the cognitive dissonance on the Right over the decision by the Pentagon and the U.S. Postal Service to discard or destroy mail addressed to "Any Wounded Soldier."

Since the Sept. 11 attacks and the anthrax scare, the Pentagon and the Postal Service have refused to deliver mail addressed simply to "Any Wounded Soldier" for fear terrorists or opponents of the war might send toxic substances or demoralizing messages.

Mail must be addressed to a specific member of the armed forces — a rule that pains some well-meaning Americans this Christmas season.

"Are we going to forget our soldiers because we are running in fear?" Fena D'Ottavio asked. The suburban Chicago woman was using her blog to encourage friends to send mail to unspecified soldiers until she learned of the ban, which she called a sad commentary on society.

Here's the dilemma (I was going to use the word "paradox," but it's unlikely the wingnuts have the mental acumen to know that word doesn't mean "two physicians"): if they don't send a bunch of meaningless cheerleading mail to the soldiers, the wingers will feel like they're not "supporting the troops." But on the other hand, homeland security 9/11 terrorist anthrax 9/11 scary threat brown people terrorist.

What's a nutjob rightard to do?

"A lot of this is because of security concerns because it's unsolicited mail that someone is going to have to go through," [spokesman Terry] Goodman said. "Also, being a democratic society, there could be inappropriate mail from someone who, say, doesn't support the war, and then you've got a wounded soldier getting it."

Oh, noes! How horrible if a soldier got a letter from someone who doesn't support the war! You know, that would just ruin our propaganda machine that makes them think all the killing and raping and torture they've seen is, you know, good. We're winning!! Clap harder!! We're a democratic society!! (Or we were, anyway, before the Bush crime syndicate took over.) Surely no one would express opposition to the war in a letter actually addressed to a specific soldier -- only those crazy anonymous letters would do such a mean, mean thing!! Liberals are meanies!

Look, I don't know whether preventing this mail from being delivered is a good thing or a bad thing. I do, however, find the rationale about protecting soldiers from anti-war commentary laughable at best, and appalling at worst. Do these people not realize that plenty of soldiers oppose the war? Do they honestly believe that opposition to the war and support for the troops are mutually exclusive?

Never mind. I know the answers to those questions. And the country just gets more and more insane every day.