Dear Abby: My husband serves in the U.S. Army. I am a proud Army wife. Lately, more and more people are openly speaking out against the war in Iraq, as is their right. However, people are also speaking out against soldiers, even their wives.
I was recently confronted by a message on MySpace. The writer, a woman, called Army wives everything in the book. I was heartbroken. She said we were all uneducated. (I have my psychology degree.) She also said the Army paid us to have kids. This is not true, either. We do not get paid any more for having one child or seven. She said Army wives whine about missing their soldiers overseas and that it’s not that dangerous – you could die from any job. Not many wives outside the military have to go weeks without talking to their spouses and not knowing if they are OK. Jobs outside the military can be dangerous, yes, but people are not trying to harm them.
I just want people to know you can disagree with the war, with our leaders, with what happens in the world, but please do not group people together and look down on them. We military wives have it hard, but we keep things together the best we can. Our men fight for the rights some people take for granted.
– Katrina
Dear Katrina: Although many people are against the war in Iraq, and it is their right to speak openly about it, that does not give anyone the right to scapegoat the wives of the people who are fighting there. Scapegoating any group reveals more about the ignorance of the person doing it than the target.
Just because something appears on the Internet does not mean that it is true or factual. There is a lot of misinformation floating around out there, and the statements you quoted in your letter are part of it.
I am pleased to help you get the message across. But please do not stop with me. Spread the word on any site you feel the need to – and that includes MySpace.
…
Dear Abby: Just a note to ask the people who make clothing to help the public by putting a “B” or an “N” for “black” or “navy” on the label.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to just glance at the label and know if it’s black or blue? Hope this will come to pass.
– Charlotte
Dear Charlotte: You can make it come to pass. All you need to do is put a “B” or an “N” on the label of the garment with an indelible marking pen after you purchase it.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby at DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
