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September 10, 2003 |
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Important Note: Because we can't always determine your intentions, we need to ask a favor of you when you send us email. If you DO NOT WANT YOUR EMAIL PUBLISHED in the Mailbag or in the Contributors section, please write "CONFIDENTIAL" in the Subject line or at the top of your email. That way we'll know it's just a comment to BuzzFlash. Additionally, if you submit a mailbag item and DO NOT WANT YOUR NAME associated with your submission, sign your email, "A BuzzFlash Reader." If you send email unsigned, we will post your name with your submission, or, if that's not available, your email name (not the full address, just what's on the left side of the email address). Please try and keep your word count under 400. We can only post a small percentage of what is sent to us. The opinions expressed in the Mailbag are not necessarily those of BuzzFlash. Thanks again for your email and your patience.
Subj: counting the unemployed Dear BuzzFlash, In answer to one of the letters posted 9/8/03-- The current definition of unemployed is the same one used for at least 20 years, and I believe longer--out of work the past week and actively seeking a job. Along with discouraged workers (those who do not actively seek jobs because they don't think they will find one) the unemployment rate does not count the underemployed--the Ph.D.s working in book stores or college graduates in fast food restaurants. Or those who want full time work but can only get part time employment. It is also done by telephone, so if one's phone has been turned off because there is no income then that person also wouldn't be counted. This has been an ongoing problem. But in the past, the official statistic was often reported with statistics from various economic or labor groups, think tanks, etc., showing the full extent of the problem, including breakdowns by race. For instance, during Reagan's term some groups reported unemployment among African American men at over 20%, about twice as much as the "official" number. You are right that it is a faulty indicator. In addition, the number usually goes down at the end of "summer" since high school and college students go back to school and are not considered part of the labor force (I know, also not true for the many college students working long hours to put themselves through school.) What seems different to me is we are no longer receiving the additional statistics and explanations we typically used to get from the major networks and other outlets. I assume the numbers are still being generated, just not reported. So an additional question is why not? And why aren't the Democrats screaming about it, since the Nixon, Reagan, and Bush I administrations manipulated the "official" numbers which were then " corrected" 6 months later to make their unemployment numbers look better than they were. Or perhaps the additional statistics are no longer being generated, since the "K Street Project" has replaced the leadership of many such organizations with Republicans. If this is the case then the unions and middle-to-left leaning research organizations need to quickly start researching and reporting these important social indicators. Pat Buzz, As some of us new that George did not tell the whole truth last night. Too bad he did not have the cajones to tell the whole truth, but he thinks only of his re-election. How much of all this money does Halliburton get? This is so disgusting. Karen
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Subj: I didn't hear Simon Says . . BuzzFlash, We, the American people who are being asked to make all kinds of sacrifices for the Bush Cabal, need to start throwing tantrums. We are being taken for granted by our Congress and Bush. I believe that no one is making any sacrifices to pay for the mess caused by the Bush cabal, except the American people. Congress are willing to give themselves a raise. And Bush. . .how may people in the US get to take weeks and months of vacations during a single year and he gets a double salary that was proposed after Clinton left office. We pay thousands to security people just to keep this criminal in office. Ashcroft flies around the country on our bucks in a private jet, promoting the hanging of our Bill of Rights. If this Country were to really be run as a corporation. . .the Executive Branch and half the Congress should be fired. Congress is not making this regime accountable for any spending. We know that the Iraqi people could do a much better job of rebuilding their own cities. . .we know that the Pentagon and our treasury are already missing billions of dollars. This is what happens when people are allowed to spend other people's money. We are treated as if we are children. We are lied to repeatedly. We have no representation in any branch of this government. We are expected to accept everything Bush says and everything Bush and the Congress asks for without asking for any accountability or sane reasoning. The same results that we have had for almost three years. These same results by this regime that has created this Black Hole of Debt. The people who wanted this war can pay for it. We voiced our opinions. The world voiced their opinions. We said No to War. And, now Bush and Congress want us to pay and pay and pay and pay . . .we will never see the light of day again from this Black Hole and maybe this Black Hole will become a grave. . .a pauper's grave. . .indeed. I say. . .we Americans say NO!!!!! We didn't hear Simon says. . . Thanks Buzz, Shirley Smith Subj: Bush Out in 2004? Hey Buzz: Will wonders never cease? Check out this NYT editorial that calls it like Buzz sees it: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/09/opinion/09TUE1.html Susan Subj: One thing Rumsfeld didn't do in Iraq... ... he didn't ask how the WMD hunt was going.
Rosamond Subj: Polite Democrats BuzzFlash, Can you imagine the response from Republicans if Clinton had requested 87 Billion dollars to save Yugoslavia from internal strife and genocide? Why are Democrats so polite? Larry, Subj: The media betrayer of the american people BuzzFlash; How can the media continue to ask the question, "can any democrat candidate possible defeat Bush"? This is nothing more than media spin! The more logical question should be, can Bush even be considered for reelection with its failed administration policies?? The media has continued to give this imitation of a president a pass despite all his short comings and failures which leaves one to wonder why are they protecting him so faithfully. The invasion of Iraq was criminal and the post invasion occupation has been a nightmare for our military. What the news media is allowing to happen to our young military men and women by not exposing this corrupt administration is a travesty not only to them, but to their families and the American people. The United States is the most despised country by a majority of other countries worldwide and we need not ask the question, why!! There is no way that America can defeat terrorism without collective cooperation of other nations. The Bush chicken hawks will never succumb to this approach. Its not to late if the media would stop protecting these ingrates and level with the American people and maybe not only will we save American lives, but also regain some respectability from our allies. There are a silent majority waiting and praying that the media will act before its to late. James Epperson Subj: Bush and cars In George Bush's speech he reminded me of a rich teenager who gets drunk and smashes up his dad's Mustang convertible. Instead of being contrite when he faces his parents, he informs them that he's doing them a favor by not asking for rides and, since he obviously can't stop driving, they must now buy him a Maserati. Sincerely, Claire Plume Subj: Side story Hi Buzz, The Houston Chronicle story on Shrub's math skills had next to it a story that merits wider mention. [LINK] this is part of the domestic terrorism being visited upon us by BushInc. Thanx 4 existing. Peace, CV Subj: Who will pay? Dear BuzzFlash Mailbag, The President is sure to get most, if not all, of his $87 billion from the wimpy congress that refuses to admit this man and his policies are a disaster. They simply won’t stand up to him. Why is it that time after time, we hear that our grandchildren will pay for the Iraqi debacle? The press is once again in denial. As my wife and I make our way through middle age, that pansy ass in the White House is whittling away at my future retirement income. And what about our daughter's? Today she’s in college, but this is going to erode her income throughout what we had hoped would be a long and successful career. And that’s just the monetary results. What about the eroding freedoms? I see no reason for any optimism while they’re running a clown college out in D.C. Wake up America! We are all victims of Bush’s scorched-Earth policy. David Midkiff Subj: An eerie coincidence
One day after the dreadful piece of propaganda on Showtime. Feel free to compare and contrast their respective work. Mark White Subj: Is This Barbara's promise? Dear BuzzFlash, I remember during the 2000 elections Barbara Bush's recorded telephone messages promising that her son would bring back dignity and honor to the white house. I would dearly love to ask her if she thinks that lying to our nation and taking it into an unnecessary war, lying in the SOTU address, lying about the cost of the war, is honorable. A lot of folk have now come to the conclusion that whenever George Bush's lips move, he is telling a lie and duping a nation. Now this nation has to cough up 87 billion dollars to pay for the biggest blunder in our history. I also have a suggestion for this miserable failure - since the only thing he has shown to be good at is collecting funds for his election campaign, perhaps he can go around and get his rich business donors to help pay towards that 87 billion plus that he needs to pay for the mistake he made in Iraq. Dick Cheney and Halliburton should be asked to contribute too!! A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Powell confirms the turd in the bed! My God, did you see it yesterday on Meet The Press? An sleep-deprived U.S. Secretary of State confirmed for the surprised host the source of the stench surrounding a Bush administration that thinks nothing of sending him out on Sundays when things are going badly. The long-denied Bin Laden family escape flights from America after September 11, 2001? Yep, says Colin, they happened, all true, we did it. Well, not me, but they were well-known and coordinated by the government. Why don't you check with the FBI on that? I sat up on the couch and said, "Damn, Honey, Colin's drunk or pissed off. Those flights never happened, not officially." Here it would be nice to report that the host immediately asked why our government would obstruct an investigation into the historic attacks that changed everything. Or if this now-true tale had anything to do with the 28 pages blacked-out from the 9/11 Commission Report about a certain foreign country. Instead he said, basically, How about those Saudis? Like he didn't want to be told what the hell that smell was. Now it's a day later, and Russert's on Imus, and he doesn't mention the exchange at all. Like the smell was only a fart, sure to blow away, a moment of astonishingly bad journalism from one of our high priests. This country deserves better. John Westermann, author of Exit Wounds, High Crimes, The Honor Farm, Sweet Deal, Ladies Of The Night, teaches at Stony Brook University. http://www.johnwestermann.com Subj: Bush Offers Parents School-Rating Tool Check out the statements about the taxpayers picking up half of his fund-raising trips! [LINK] Cynthia Subj: SCUM, Outrageous Scum Though the request for $87 billion includes the full suggested raises for soldiers in Iraq, it doesn't for soldiers in Afghanistan or any other hot spot. Since the entire world hates us, all spots are hot spots. Federal employees will be getting less than a 2% pay raise, but congress agreed that their own FULL raises were needed to protect our security. Increases in pay to the tune of an average $93,000 tax cut to each and every millionaire, billionaire, trillionaire and the sky is the limit. Nothing is too much for the likes of Pat Robertson, Rupert Murdock, and the Rev Moon. At least one Oklahoma congressional delegate signed on to rescinding pay raises for congress. That would be Brad Carson, the democrat. There is only a one word description for the rest of the Oklahoma Delegation and the remainder of congress who think National Security warrants them a raise and that is SCUM. All of my delegation, Cole, Inhofe and Nickles are money hungry SCUM who haven't produced a single job for anyone I know and they all voted for a war with no verifiable reason than to line the pockets of their contributors. We need to make them worth their pay, GIVE CONGRESS GUNS AND SEND THEM TO IRAQ TO FIGHT THEIR OWN DAMN WAR AND NO PAY RAISES UNTIL EVERY GI IS HOME. NOT ONE DAMN DIME!!!!!!! Karen Webb, Moore, Ok. Subj: Paula Zahn In reference to the Paula Zahn interview with former President Bush, would someone please tell me which channels he's watching? Often I find myself ready to throw something at the TV but for exactly the opposite of the disingenuous reasons given by 41; The cheerleading of the mainstream American media is appalling. The best sign seen at the antiwar demonstration in Seattle last month: Bush Lies -- Media Complies. My question is WHY? Oh, I have a second one? Does anyone believe 41 that 43 is a man of shining character? Stubborn, entitled and in your face, maybe, but when did that become the definition of good character? A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Victims' kin, Bush take different paths
And the California Democrat, who cast the sole vote against handing President Bush a blank check to turn the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks into an excuse for military adventurism abroad, is precisely right. A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: Is payback coming: Justice Ken Starr During yesterday's oral arguments about regarding McCain/Feingold, Olson (the guy who argued for Bush in Bush v. Gore), accidentally called Ken Starr, arguing for the government, "Justice Starr". Wonder what discussions are going on behind the scenes? A BuzzFlash Reader Hey -- No Lie Left Behind by Bush. :) -- Jake * * *
Subj: Another Bush Lie BuzzFlash, Bush's latest argument is that terrorists are pouring over the borders into Iraq, and if they weren't going to Iraq they'd be coming to the U.S. Therefore, he tries to convince us, Iraq is serving as a sort of "shield" against terrorism for Americans in the U.S. How bogus is this? Never mind the fact that he considers Iraqi lives, and the lives of our troops, to be so dispensable. If a terrorist has money, a sponsor, and a plan, would that guy go to the United States, where he could murder Americans and get an outcry like on Sept. 11, or would he go to Iraq, where all Americans are either heavily armed or surrounded by bodyguards, and where another American death would, sadly, be just an item and a moment of silence on some of the nightly news programs? Iraq is not serving as a substitute place where terrorists go instead of coming to the U.S. It is an additional venue--yet another avenue for killing American troops and innocent civilians. Let's face it. Any person with an ounce of sense must come to the conclusion that this guy has increased the chances for Americans and others to be killed, by putting them into Iraq. He just doesn't make sense on ANY level! A Friendly Reader Subj: USA TODAY, page 5A
What are these? Army staff sgt killed by truck while changing tire in Kuwait City? Wha? Is this hostile or "non-combat related?" A BuzzFlash Reader Subj: USA Today, page 2, "NO WMD'S" BuzzFlash— Did you see page 2, USA TODAY? Confidential report: "Inspectors found no sign of Iraq nukes" Bush lied, soldiers died. Subj: Von Bushy can give! Dear BuzzFlash, We need money for the invasion/occupation in Iraq? Why can't little von Bushy donate the money he got from his fat cats in fundraising? He raised $34.4 million in the second quarter of this year! How much is in his vault? We all know that he can do it! If he does a good little tap dance while Cheney pulls the strings, I am sure his wealthy donors will even throw in a 20% gratuity! It is your invasion, Georgie, you pay for it! IrmaS Subj: Good NPR discussion on Iraq and Bush's lies on "To the Point" Buzz, Last night I heard a great interview on the NPR program “To the Point”, called “President Bush Addresses the Nation on Iraq.”Stan Goff, Retired Special Forces veteran who served in Latin America, Viet Nam and other conflicts; member of the steering committee of the Bring Them Home Now campaign, and David Corn, editor of The Nation, among others, at least did not mince words in pointing out what a liar the pResident is. I didn’t get to hear the entire show, I will listen to the rest on line tonight, but it is available at the following link: [LINK]. Enjoy! Linda Ireland Subj: This Maniacal Leader Dear BuzzFlash, I feel like everyone else does about the request for 87 billion...let him get it from some of those rich oilionaires who are buddies of his and Cheneys....we will never ever profit from it anyway. I hope Congress gets some guts and refuses...what do you think will happen then? Maybe, our soldiers will all have to come home..we will be in horrid danger, because this idiot has made the entire middle east mad at us! He was lying with every breath he took...go back and look at the state of the union message...the one where he told us the whopper about Nigeria...look at it...at that precise time...he looked that way through all of this speech. He is thinking by now, that we pampered him so much right after 911, that we will give him the moon...many of the things I heard back then that were poo poo'd by just plain dems...are so coming true now...the thing about the planes of saudis and binladin relatives flying out of the country when so many were stuck for a week out of town. My sister's husband, her daughter and son..were all stuck for a week in LA...while planes full of Saudis were being escorted out of this country...how can any self-respecting Republican, even....stick beside this numbskull??? I am just sick with all the worry...You are never sure now...because he is making everyone in the world either laugh at us...or hate us! Our only prayer is that he does not get the money..and has to let Nato take over and on THEIR terms.....! Shirley................St. Louis Dear Buzz, Instead of Congress agreeing to give Mr. Bush his $87 billion, how about Congress suggesting to Mr. Bush that: 50% of the profits to be realized by Halliburton, et al, in Iraq be allocated to an Iraqi infrastructure re-building fund as a result of our bombing or to a fund to pay reparations to innocent civilians who were killed. 50% of the Bush re-election campaign funds, of which he has spent a large percentage of his time raising on the public’s dime, be allocated to build schools and hospitals for Iraqi children, particularly the many thousands that have been maimed and orphaned. 50% of the annual residual pay that Mr. Cheney receives from Halliburton be allocated to pay increases for military personnel and their families in our armed services. In addition, the so-called “true patriots”among us can offer up the following: Bill O’Reilly can contribute 50% of his base pay plus a 100% percent of any book royalties to support our returning wounded soldiers and their families. Tom DeLay can contribute 100% of the new pay increase he just voted himself last week and his annual federal paycheck for the duration of time he is in elected office to provide bottled water (that French one) to our soldiers and millions of Iraqis. So can every other representative and senator! Rush Limbaugh, likewise, can contribute any royalties and 50% of his base pay to provide electric generators to quickly re-establish basic services for our troops and the Iraqi people. I could go on ad infinitum, but buzzers, I’m sure, will add to the list. Oh, and since we are having trouble maintaining our “volunteer”military, I would expect to see a host of “true patriot”children and grandchildren lining up at their local recruiting office to contribute their skills, talents, and probably, lives to Mr. Bush’s war. Respectfully, Linda BuzzFlash, You have to give junior and pals credit. Brilliant plan. Steal the second largest oil reserves in the world. Then with Saudi pals corner the world oil supply, a coveted monopoly. Monopoly, a license to rob as much of world as they can. The politics only a smoke screen. Lies just a cover. And there is no risk or down side to the plan at all. None. If all goes wrong, no matter. No jail time. They are the law. No loss of money, others will pick up the tab. In fact even if they lose the gamble they will end up with a great deal of the US treasury in their pockets. Oh there might be a dip in the polls. But the spinmeisters and press can take care of that. And who cares about the rise in terrorism and endangering the US? Notice how bush, cheney, rummy all have remote hide away estates. Safe and sound. Also private jets, never have to fly commercial. Crumbling schools, health care. Again no problem. They will have world class services for life as will their kids. Others will pick up the tab, others will pay with their lives. Junior and pals will retire in luxury no matter what. It was a gamble with other people’s lives and money. The only kind of gamble these coward crooks ever take. Cassie Priam Subj: When will mainstream media ask the questions? Dear BuzzFlash Readers: Can someone help me out here? When will the “jet-stream”media get on board and start asking some real questions? I am baffled as to why an administration of this caliber continues to receive such protective treatment in the media. Let’s face it, not enough people take the time to seek out responsible media sources like BuzzFlash. So, the are fed daily doses of propaganda and jibber-jabber. When will we request that our news sources actually become the press again and do the research of an investigative journalist? To the press I say…who among you will ask the questions? Why was it OK to fly Saudis out of the country when our air space was closed? Why is it that this administration “sensed”they were in danger? How does the State Department not “know the details of what happened”? Tim Russert, et al, where is the follow up question on this? Where is the 9/11 report? Where are the details of Cheney’s energy gate? Isn’t accountability and credibility of this administration important too? What happened to the President meeting the press…you know, the press conferences where reporters get to ask their own questions? Why doesn’t the press actually press for these and how are these staged media events tolerated? Did you get 30 days off this year? How come there are 9 million people out of work? Why is 12% of our population (more than half of them children) now living below the poverty level? Who answers for that? Why do we still have 12 hours of Laci Peterson a day? What will the real costs of rebuilding Iraq be? What will the real deficit cost us? What about the trillions to rebuild our own crumbling infrastructure? When will you guys actually play hardball and ask the real questions?
What…that was it! Who among you believe the Saudi’s are on our side? So, I ask you…who among you will help make the press accountable to us, and not Bush Propaganda Machine? We got rid of one Weiner (a.k.a. Savage), let’s keep the pressure on the rest of them! Barry Baker Subj: Mrs. Ah-nold This morning (Tuesday) on Today and on certain evening newscasts, there was a very interesting piece regarding the California recall. Maria Shriver went to a Wal-Mart where she was to give a "stump" speech for her husband. Within ten short minutes, she was hustled away by her security. In the easiest lip-reading ever, I was able to see that one guard said, "get her the hell out of here". The crowd, in the understatement of the year, was extremely hostile--booing, catcalling, etc. With all due respect to the Kennedy clan--and. believe me, I do respect them--someone must inform Ms. Shriver that she cannot have it both ways. And neither can that neanderthal to whom she is married. Liz Subj: 87B is 9B more than all 50 states need to balance their budgets!
unreal. meb Re: Bush Speech: the greatest sacrifice BuzzFlash I was glad to see President Bush call us to sacrifice, and he and Vice President Cheney can lead the way by directing Halliburton, Bechtel, and any of their other campaign contributors who got contracts in Iraq to do them for cost, with any of the profits from selling oil to go primarily to rebuilding Iraq and secondarily to paying for the invasion. To insure no cost over-runs, executive salaries will be lowered and tied to those of military officers, and military accountants should keep the books, to insure workers are paid. Stockholders in those companies should also forgo dividends or sales of stock until the situation is stabilized and our good intentions in the region are recognized by all. If, because of continuing unrest, they are unable to pump enough oil to pay for rebuilding and occupation, the dividend and inheritance tax will be re-instated to cover the costs of the war. If those taxes prove too onerous, the wealthy could be given one loophole-send their own children to fight in the war along with those of the middle class and poor. Of course the chances of that happening are about as likely as George W. showing up for Guard duty during Vietnam. A BuzzFlash Reader Hi Buzz... What a wonderful editorial about "GROUND ZERO" I was able to vision the site in my minds eye for the first time through your description of it......KUDOS for a wonderful article Thank You... Keep up your wonderful work ...... Genie Sent to: tonightshow@nbc.com Subj: Tell us your thoughts on a particular show I am amazed at the regular visits of Dennis Miller on the tonight show. I figured that since Dennis was hired at Faux News, that his regular tonight show auditions would be done with. Surely by now he has earned his Presidential Kneepads. It is fitting that he appears on the very day that Hitler's propagandist Lani Reifenstal dies. How about booking someone like Al Franken, Michael Moore or Janeane Garofalo as often as Miller to provide some balance. Is GE purposely booking the Bush apologist Miller on as a sort of subliminal Goebbels to prop up the Bush machine. After all it does benefit the GE to sell the war, and ultimately their military equipment. Is the tonight show subtlety becoming the Karl Rove preferred method of swaying the mindless masses? Is GE booking Jay's guests, or does Miller have some bondage pictures of Jay with Sandra Bernhard? Just asking? thank you, stevie gardiner Subj: To our BuzzFlash comrade, the Firefighter Dear Buzz, This email is in response to the 9/11 Firefighter's reader commentary. * * * I was very moved by your commentary. You are definitely NOT ALONE in your feelings about this President. I'm not a firefighter but I find it hideously offensive that Bush portrays himself as someone as brave and selfless as our first responders and our soldiers when he doesn't understand the first thing about putting his life on the line and has never done anything in his life but avoid responsibility and let other people get him out of jams. I think it is a terrible irony that the one thing he is good at seems to be deceiving people into thinking he really cares about them and that he understands their plight. It's been hard all these months to feel like I see him for what he is so clearly, yet I hear these supposedly informed and intelligent people go on and on about how resolute he is and how great he is on security, how compassionate he is, as if all words in the language now mean their opposite. The media and this administration (even a lot of the Democrats, I might add -- I'm still a little mad at them!) trivialized and denigrated the antiwar movement and the go-more-cautiously-with-the-UN pro-war movement and anyone who dared to suggest that the Bush cartel's thinking and motives might be off. For months no one dared say a negative word about Bush. I wrote constantly to CNN, NBC, and MSNBC to complain and to counter their uberpatriotic flag-waving hypocrisy but to no avail. I found myself watching the polls. The continued high support for him in the polls seemed almost unbelievable to the point of making me wonder if the results were deliberately skewed. (This administration has brought out the paranoia in me!) How can people see him as "a man of integrity," I wondered? I have more integrity in the cartilage in my nose. It still baffles me that his support remains so high (even though it has dropped lately). For months I felt very isolated even though all my relatives and friends, including the ones from other countries, were also very upset with Bush. Then about six months ago I saw Eric Alterman talking about his book, What Liberal Media, on CSPAN2. One fateful day, I went to his website, read his blog, and hungering for more, I clicked on the link to BuzzFlash. It was love at first site! My life has never been the same! Not only am I REALLY well-informed, I feel like I have found a great community of people. Reading the BuzzFlash mail is one of the high points of my day. It has made me cry, it has made me outraged, and it also makes me laugh a lot, often very hard. I now feel certain that there are hundreds of thousands of people out there, possibly millions, who feel the way you and I do about how this administration has comported itself since 9/11. Lately, I really have begun to feel that the tide is turning in our direction. I feel cautiously optimistic, like the country as a whole is moving out of an episode of a psychiatric illness. The really important thing is that we have to keep speaking up, speaking out, writing, demonstrating, communicating, getting mad, and not taking any more crap! Sincerely, Leslie in
Boston Re: 911: A Firefighter Speaks Out Dear Sir, It is 5:45am Wednesday morning here where I am - as I like to say, "Mere MILES from Crawfish, Texas" - and I've just read your letter on BuzzFlash, one of my favorite spots on the net and that I support on occasion by buying the odd book or two. I've not yet been to bed. Thank you very much for your letter and for making it publicly available on BuzzFlash. In answer to your question, Yes: we are going mad, and Yes: we are becoming sane. I am a Vietnam combat veteran, yet I have only the faintest of clues what you and your fellow firemen, the police, the Port Authority workers, the doctors, the nurses, the paramedics, all the rescue workers (official and unofficial), the workers in the Towers and the surrounding area, and the residents of your City went through on that day. I have recently been corresponding with an email acquaintance who lives 3-4 miles from the WTC site; this has been an interesting correspondence for me as in a couple of recent emails she's written about what if was like for her on that day and then in another on what it was like going out to dinner weeks after September 11, 2001. This has been helpful for me, as her story is not particularly dramatic but reflects the view of "Jane Doe" on the ground. I say it is helpful because when I arose about 1:30pm CDT on that day, booted the trusty notebook and watched the screen slowly fill with scenes and news of the tragedy, I knew that I could not possibly by any stretch of my imagination understand what it was like there, and so rather than participate in a futile attempt to "help" through participating in a communal breast-beating, I turned to what seemed to me at the time to be the most logical place I might be of any possible assistance: I began what became an obsessive search to find out "what REALLY happened" on that day that subjected so many of my fellow citizens to such horror. Two years later, and this is what I know for sure: the Official Story is a Fairy Tale, and not even a very good one at that - not even as good as a story about a pet goat - and this is precisely what I knew on the early afternoon of September 11, 2001. I wish I had the answer, I truly do - it would not raise the Towers back or restore the lives of your brothers and the others, but it might be of some...let us say, "righteous usage". Believe me - those of us who are anybody KNOW WHO THE "HEROS" OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 ARE - and we don't forget; we didn't forget after the mid-term elections of 2002, we do not forget during the "silly season" of the building Presidential campaign, and we will not have forgotten after the elections of 2004, for you see, we have nothing to gain or lose - we hold no franchise on heroes. If you would care to communicate the address of your firehouse via BuzzFlash as an intermediary if you wish, as a token of my esteem for you and your fellow firefighters I would like to send you a copy of a book written by a friend of mine, Larry Vetter; it is titled "Never Without Heros: Marine Third Reconnaissance Battalion in Vietnam, 1965-70". Bless you Sir, and the other fine people who gave so much on that day and in the days that followed and the days that follow this; we WILL prevail. With utmost respect, --ken Kenneth
J. Sawyer Subj: Texas Deal Dear California, We, as loyal "Texans for regime change," would like to offer the great citizens of California a deal. We will stop electing morons if you will stop electing actors. Deal? Geoff. H. Subj: AS USUAL THE AP GETS IT ABOUT HALF RIGHT (FT. LAUDERDALE PROTEST) Buzz, We were there. As Bu$h's motorcade passed the free speech PEN, there were at least 150 of us STILL there screaming our heads off... and we moved as close to the police car/ambulance barricade as we could get. The AP story did capture some great quotes though. This was a group of upwards 500 people - very passionate and energized, but as usual the corporate media did not cover the event properly. Incidentally, local talk show host Randi Rhodes (www.therandirhodesshow.com ) helped to organize this event and she insists that up until JUST before BU$H arrived, the local police and Sheriff departments assured her we would not be corralled into a free speech pen. The order to do that didn't come from them. Bu$h: Fighting for "freedom" in Iraq, but squelching it wherever he goes in America.. What's wrong with this picture? Carolyn Subj: Honor Buzz, Don't you sometimes wish that you had been wrong? (I know I do) Congratulations on your prescience -- ever feel like Cassandra? Veritas |
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