UPDATE: 20MAR08
It seems as though some who have read this have also misunderstood it. Well, I am not sure if misunderstand is correct, but lets work on that idea.

No where have I said that the Gathering of Eagles are themselves "housefly's". I have said they are "LIKE" housefly's to IVAW, in an answer to the question of "What does GoE mean to IVAW?". That means that the organization of GoE is like a fly to IVAW.

I give my full respect to those who have served and do not try to insult them personally. I have heard them call IVAW members traitors, cowards, faggots and a number of other names. I find that ironic from a group who holds that they want to support the troops and formed to "protect the Vietnam Veterans Memorial". Doesn't it seem a bit weird to want to protect the memorial and then proceed to use such names to describe and talk to people who simply have differing views than you?

Overall, this is not about name calling. This is about IVAW members staying focused, not being distracted and not being provoked to strike back. I think we can all agree on the worth of that.
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In the buildup to IVAW’s Winter Soldier there are many individuals and a few groups who are opposed to the hearings. Their voice is mostly silently broadcast on the internet through their blogs but one group has a different level of desire attempting to confront IVAW. That group is the Gathering of Eagles. Recently I saw them standing in the cold rain in order to protest an event with one IVAW speaker, so if nothing else they have dedication. Yet what does this mean to IVAW?

During the 1700’s after King George of England’s war, an anonymous pamphleteer in Massachusetts wrote that “Poverty and discontent appear in every face (except the countenances of the rich)” “Lust of power, Lust of Fame and Lust of Money” got certain men rich during the war. They went on to say that its “No wonder such men can build ships, houses, buy farms, set up coaches, chariots, live very splendidly, purchase fame, posts of honor” and stated that they are “Birds of prey, Enemies to all communities- wherever they live”.

Could it be that the Gathering of Eagles are Birds of Prey? After all their name would suggest so.

I firmly say no. The power that the pamphlet speaks of, the money to buy power and live splendidly, is certainly not where the Gathering of Eagles are “swooping” in from.

Could they be the gadfly that Plato wrote of Socrates? Ever pestering in order to debate and incur change? If you have ever met GoE in person you know there is rarely a desire for healthy debate, and a lot of profanity and snatching of signs and photos. One active duty IVAW attempted to speak with them online and was swiftly deleted from their message board.

So if not a bird of prey or a gadfly what then? A common housefly? Buzzing around causing distraction, following you around, causing you to swat and lose focus on the task at hand yet having no real power or size?

Certainly that is the best description I have heard yet.

A bird of prey has the ability to cause actual damage. GoE has no power to keep this war going. They have no power to stop IVAW. They are not even the reason this war started. Any time and effort we give to arguing with them is what lends them any power they have, and IVAW is not in the business of lending. In fact, its time for the American people and the world to be paid back. The world deserves truth and accountability and we are here to collect and end this war.

A gadfly has a bite and buzzes around constantly. They serve purpose to the horse. The GoE have no bite. They have message boards and a new flag they designed. They are more of a fraternity than a gadfly. Their means of operation are following around IVAW and protesting by way of yelling and attempted intimidation. They are on video attempting to steal signs during protest marches and their members were the people who stole the picture of Carlos Arrendndo’s son, a Marine who died in Iraq. This sounds like last-ditch attempts of disruption, not a gadfly.

So what does this mean to the movement and more directly, what does this mean to IVAW, the recent focus of their of their rhetoric?

It’s one thing to form friendship with people who disagree with you in order to bridge gaps and find common points of agreement that can lead to some positive change. It’s another to be drawn into useless arguments that only drain energy. The GoE have shown a desire to only do the latter. Much like the common housefly they follow us around. If we take the time to swat at them we take time away from meaningful efforts to end the war. Most of GoE are not in the service now, and many of their members never served. Most are currently too old to serve. They are not popular among current service members. While some go around looking for photo ops with people they think are important they themselves are on the same side of things we are in regards to real enemies, the birds of prey who profit off this war.

There are people profiting off this war. It seems more important for the leaders of GoE to get photo ops with the people who are making money off the blood of our service members then to hold them accountable. Instead they waste their time following around IVAW. It is a great divide and conquer technique on the part of the war profiteers. The current situation is one of veterans fighting each other instead working together to hold responsible the people whose interest in war is not one of national security. We have people who profit in a time where people are losing their homes hand over fist while any money that might have been available to stem that tide is being spent in Iraq to drive empty trucks around so Halliburton can get paid. If there is anything we raised our hand to protect when we enlisted it was the American people. Instead we have companies treating their lives as if they are expendable, making billions in war while moving off shore so they don’t have to pay taxes and buying power through political payoffs. Some things haven’t changed since the 1700’s. One thing that certainly has not changed is the will to oppose injustice and a desire for accountability, two things IVAW proudly stands up to fight for.

I urge all members of IVAW as well as the peace and anti-war community to rember that GoE are everyday human beings just like us, not a Goliath to our David.