We HATE the troops.

Sorry kids, I'm just a cranky "evil conservative" these days. I blame it on Berkeley, my teachers and peers who drilled into me to always question - never take anything at face value; they've created a monster.

So congressman Pete Stark 2 weeks ago had these lovely remarks about our President and our troops.

"Republicans sure don't care about finding $200 billion to fight the illegal war in Iraq. Where are you going to get that money? Are you going to tell us lies like you're telling us today? Is that how you're going to fund the war? You don't have money to fund the war or children. But you're going to spend it to blow up innocent people if he can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the President's amusement."

Even House Speaker Pelosi had the decency to call him out on this at the end; reminding congress members to refrain from personal attacks on the president. My respect for her grew a bit as she chastised the clearly insane congressman. (Though we all know that deep down George W. Bush HATES children and delights in our soldiers being decapitated by explosives.)

I suppose I'm naive for wanting everyone on the same page, for all of us to just accept certain things. The president and our troops deserve respect. The 9/11 hijackings were not perpetrated by our government. I must be out of my mind.

Eventually Stark apologized, and seemed genuinely remorseful for his remarks. Fine, we all say stupid things, apology accepted. But what bothers me about his remarks most, is that I suspect deep down - that not only do some people not like that our troops are in Iraq, they simply just don't like our troops.

Case in point, "Redacted" is a movie that's out, directed by Brian DePalma, that details the true life story of marines in Iraq who raped and murdered a young girl and killed her family as well. Horrible stuff that should certainly be held up to the light of truth, exposed for everyone to see and the perpetrators brought to justice.

In fact. this is a story that has been covered by most media outlets; and the soldiers involved are all likely to spend the rest of their lives in prison - and may even face the death penalty thanks not to the diligence of the anti-war crowd, but the military itself which brought the story to light in the first place and has been exemplary in providing both a vigorous investigation and prosecution of the monsters that did this.

But DePalma wants to take it further; it isn't enough to point out a few bad apples. His movie and his mindset are pointedly directed at proving that fundamentally, the military is predisposed to this behavior. And our unjust and illegal war is making monsters out of our men.

Of the systematic and mass torture, rape and murder that went on under Sadaam Hussein for a quarter of a century - he remains mum.

Of the mutilations of our soldiers, and the mass killings of Muslims by al qaeda over the last five years - DePalma has nothing to say.

He has to make a movie, graphically detailing the very worst thing a soldier could do - and hold it up as what is representative of our military as a whole. Let's not kid ourselves, this is what he's doing.

No mention of the lives our troops have saved, of the infrastructure they are helping rebuild. The recent success of the surge, the flat out crippling of al qaeda.

He can't even put together a thoughtful look at the many legitimate arguments against the war. He has to sensationalize and brutalize - both the victims of the crime and the US military at large.

He is also ignorant of history and the nature of war itself - bad stuff happens. Ever hear of Sherman's march? By his reasoning, DePalma thinks that because some soldiers raped and murdered civillians, we should have just let the south win and condemned the union army.

This moderate, meaning me - (pro-choice, anti-censorship, anti-death penalty, etc.) is convinced that DePalma, and many on the anti-war fringe, HATE our soldiers and see them ALL as nothing more than potential rapists and murderers.

I may be wrong, but this is in fact, the impression I get. If it's not the impression I'm supposed to have, then here's a suggestion -

STOP DOING DAMAGE TO YOUR OWN CAUSE BY DEMONIZING OUR TROOPS, PATRONIZING OUR ALLIES AND EMBOLDENING THE ENEMY. GIVE OUR BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN A CHANCE TO WIN, GIVE THE IRAQI'S A CHANCE FOR FREEDOM.

If the fringe can't see that the tide has now turned in Iraq, then they are truly blinded by ANTI-MILLITARY ideology. (Notice I didn't say Anti-War, these folks are flat out anti-soldier period.)

Meanwhile, Depalma and his ilk are cranking out anti-war/anti-troop Hollywood movies that are not surprisingly bombing. Millions of dollars to get shove anti-millitary dogma into our faces. "Lions for Lambs" is the next slap in the face, due out next week - that is overflowing with talent behind the scenes. Redford, Streep and Cruise head an all-star production. The story line will probably scream '" WE HATE OUR TROOPS." And it will bomb.

Hollywood needs to wake up. It's 2007, not 1967. This generation ain't playing that shit.