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| November 22, 2005 |
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The BuzzFlash Mailbag The opinions expressed in the Mailbag are not necessarily those of BuzzFlash. Read the BuzzFlash FAQ for info on submitting to the Mailbag. THIS IS PART 2 OF THE NOVEMBER 22, 2005 BUZZFLASH MAILBAG. CLICK HERE FOR PART 1 Subject: Re: Congressman Murtha and the Band of Brothers I am the widow of a Marine lt col; I too congratulate Rep Murtha. And the congresswoman for Ohio with her red white and blue outfit was just so clueless. I am 78 yrs old so I have lived through a lot of US history and this has to be the worst administration of my lifetime. Connie Crowley Subject: Re: BuzzFlash Reader Contribution Reading the Buzzflash Reader Contribution from Marjorie L. Swanson, I have often wondered and expressed very vocally why our military personnel, both active and veteran, do not speak out with anger at the way the GOP smears their service. I understand what the mood of the country was for draft age kids against the Vietnam War during the 60’s. Truthfully, we all tried to get out of the draft anyway we could. I don’t blame people for getting their deferments and anyone that didn’t live through those times has no idea what it was like and no right to ridicule those of us that did. Now that being said, I was drafted in 1967 right out of college at a time when they seemed to be taking everyone. I was strongly opposed to the war but resigned myself to the fact that they got me and I would have to go. It was a time that taught me just what “band of brothers” really means. Since there was a draft, the mix of people thrown together gave me a different perspective of life. There were college graduates being best friends with grade school dropouts. There were suburban affluent kids hanging out with, for lack of a better word, hillbillies. There were inner city guys depending on farm boys. Yes we really were a “band of brothers.” We watched out for and defended each other no matter what. Someone always had your back. That is why I was so astounded with the deafening silence from the military, especially the veterans, when the smear campaigns against our service demeaned everything I thought the uniform that I proudly wore, was supposed to bring to this country. The swiftboat hate campaign was pitiful. The GOP convention purple heart band-aid was a disgusting, shameful disgrace. That alone dishonors every person that has bled for this country while in uniform. The smears of McCain, Kerry, Cleland and now Jack Murtha along with the cuts of veterans benefits and services should have every veterans group screaming at this bunch of right-wing fools. To this administration and their smaller and smaller number of supporters, “support our troops” really means, support our failed policy no matter how wrong or at what cost. By the way, as we look back, who was correct about Vietnam? The protesters including John Kerry, or the no matter what supporters of the government? Bob Lambert Subject: Who is Jean Schmidt? Congresswoman Jean Schmidt stood on the floor of Congress yesterday November 18, 2005 and called Congressman Jack Murtha a coward. Jack Murtha is a retired Marine Colonel who won 2 purple hearts and a bronze star while serving in Vietnam and has been a member of the House for 30 some years. Congressman Murtha had the courage to speak out against the war in Iraq, a war he initially voted for. Jack Murtha wants to bring our heroes home. They have done all they can do. The reasons for going to war are now highly questionable. And unlike President Bush who dressed up like a pilot and proclaimed "Mission Accomplished," Congressman Murtha stood solemnly and emotionally on the floor of the House and asked us to bring our soldier's home, Mission Accomplished. But, Congresswoman Jean Schmidt, herself a decorated war veteran -- err oh, no she is not that. Congresswoman Jean Schmidt a veteran?? No? Oh. Well, Congresswoman Jean Schmidt who has represented Ohio for several years? How about months? Okay. Anyway this woman got up on the floor of The House and called an American hero a coward. How nice. Jean must have finished first in her class of arrogant ignorant soulless morons. Was a contest held in Ohio with the dumbest person in District 2 awarded a seat in Congress? I would love to hear Jean sit and tell us of her personal experience with war and combat. I would love Jean to show us her battle scars, and tales of heroism. Does the old uniform still fit Jean? How much blood has Jean shed for her country? I challenge Jean Schmidt to recall a single moment of bravery in her life. Jean Schmidt along with many other fitting names is a Chicken hawk. Jean Schmidt is a Republican from Ohio, a state fraught with corruption from the Governors' office on down. A state fond of corrupt coin dealers and of stealing the pensions of the people. A Republican, a party whose leadership is under investigation in the House, The Senate, and The White House. Jean Schmidt is part of a group that has cost us the lives of nearly 2,100 heroes thus far, drained our treasury, and went searching for an evil genius in a castle in Iraq when our enemy lives in a cave in Afghanistan. Jean Schmidt is as meaningful and as thoughtful as fly dung. And to think the people of Ohio narrowly put her in office over an opponent who was an Iraqi war hero. The President of The United States calls those that have recognized an error in giving this incompetent administration the authority to go to war, Revisionists. The Republican Party, those pathetic putrid politicians that they are, have made a practice out of revising the historical record of American soldiers. They are now attempting to do that with Jack Murtha as they did with Max Cleland and John Kerry. They are vile contemptible human beings. Jean Schmidt is just another typical Republican. She represents the truth of that party. She represents a call to war within our country. It is a call to civil war. Jean Schmidt and others like her must be treated like the enemy. Democrats, Liberals, Progressives, and True People of Faith must not waiver in the face of evil. Call Jean Schmidt or write her a letter and tell her that love of country and support for the troops is not a thoughtless act. Tell her that she is a disgrace to America, and tell her that over and over and over again. So who is Jean Schmidt? The answer is she is nobody. Jim Ridout Subject: Senator Tom Coburn doesn't uphold the Constitution! Dear BuzzFlash, This is the letter I wrote to Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma:
Thanks for all you are doing, BuzzFlash. Margaret Subject: Why is Bush/Cheney so insistent that we stay in Iraq? Dear Buzz, There is more to Bush's petulant refusal to leave Iraq than meets the eye. Bush and Cheney want to stay in Iraq, but not for the reasons put out currently by the media. Many have couched Bush's unwillingness to change his policy as stubbornness or a misguided sense of manliness that he can't back down on the mission. I strongly disagree. I believe it is about the military bases, the super embassy, the oil, the privatization of the Iraq economy, and the destabilization of the region. Why was Chalabi here last week? What has really happened to all the money appropriated for the Iraq occupation, including the (supposed) $9 Billion that went missing on Bremer's watch? We know it didn't go to the military and it didn't go to the rebuilding of Iraq. Who are these puppets that the Bush administration has running Iraq and what are they up to? Many months ago I read in a reputable source that oil fields near Basra were going up for tender. Did that ever happen? Is the privatization of Iraq's economy proceeding apace? Do our elected representatives know how angry it makes people to have an imperial power install themselves in their country and announce that they are liberators, when it is apparent to everyone in the world that Bush/Cheney is trying to set up permanent arrangements to steal from them? My suspicion is that Bush/Cheney don't care about the insurgency and lack of stability in Iraq as long as these two things can be a cover for their ambitions in Iraq. (It is their bloody version of "Duck Season/Wabbit Season" but in this case, it's not at all amusing.) One reason they are very angry at the legitimate expression of opposition to their conduct of this occupation (and indeed, this war) is their fear that they can no longer snooker the Dems into helping them steal from the American people and their children. Leslie Subject: Re: Congressman Murtha and the Band of Brothers Way to go, Marjorie. I am a daughter and a sister of Marine Corps. veterans. Don't let another proud soldier like John Murtha be smeared by lying, mealie mouth cowards. Kathleen Sarto Subject: What Does Bush Know of Sacrifice? Like many who have been against this heinous war in Iraq, I am truly thankful for the comments made by Congressman John Murtha for speaking out against this war and its failed mission. As someone who actually sacrificed thirty years within the Marine Corps, unlike our AWOL president, he knows what sacrifice is. Sacrifice to me means that you put your life on hold if you believe in the mission, suit up and actually serve in the military where you know your life can be taken at any given moment by the enemy. Does Bush know this? His stint in the Texas Air National Guard was not sacrifice, but one of convenience and privilege. Where he got to play soldier without the pure sacrifice knowing your life can be taken in an instant. Do any of these “chicken hawks” who did not serve in our military know what sacrifice is all about? Do they even know the horrors of war? Or are our soldiers just pawns on a chess board? Mr. Cheney, Mr. Rumsfeld, Mr. Wolfowitz and the list goes on: Do any of you know the sacrifices our soldiers are truly facing when you have not suited up yourself? As I read this sentence in a Newsday article: “Democratic leaders praised Murtha's courage in adopting what is an unpopular position but stopped short of endorsing it,” it made my blood boil. If we are truly going to be an opposition to this Republican regime, we must become the opposition. We must stop being weak in the face of adversity. Our soldiers are dying and for what? They were sent over to Iraq where many did not come home and it is time for every single Democrat to cover Congressman John Murtha’s six. They must sacrifice their political careers as our soldiers have sacrificed their lives in order to prove that these soldiers’ lives meant anything to us as a nation. If they don’t, they have shown America the true meaning of being a coward. When Bush used the term “sober” in this following quote: “there would be no early troop withdrawal because 'sober judgment' must prevail over emotional calls to end the military mission before Iraq is stabilized,” I found the use of that term interesting, especially coming from a president where it has been alleged he is not as sober as he wants everyone to think. Choked on a pretzel? Uh huh. As this president uses our men and women in the armed services as his backdrop for campaign stops, fundraisers or as he did when he pled his case back in June to bolster American’s support for this war: He has never attended one single military funeral. Oh sure, he will fly onto a naval ship and stand before a sign that says: “Mission Accomplished” where nothing has been accomplished. When Bush stated to the Iraqi insurgency: “Bring em On!” the loss of life to our soldiers escalated, and to me that is treason. There is no righteous command in making a statement such as that, but only false bravado. If anyone has shown the American people the right stuff, and what a true commander in chief is made of, it is none other than Congressman John Murtha. Mary Subject: Re BuzzFlash letter from Steven C. Day Dear BuzzFlash: I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Day's letter to Al Gore. I am convinced that Al Gore is the ONLY man in the country who can put the United States and the world back on track. Below is the text of a letter I sent to Mr. Gore a month ago.
Diana Gallagher Burke Subject: bush incompetence Dear Sirs, Everyone has been talking about the incompetence of the bush administration. I would prefer if we could get across the idea that it is not incompetence that has messed up our country, but wrong ideas implemented by the republican administration. Ideas that do not work and made the messes that we have now. Before the war, I knew it was wrong, and so did a lot of other democrats. That is because we could see that those stupid ideas would not work. We supported Saddam and we gave him weapons, now we topple him and torture Iraqi people and work to install another government over them. It is only reasonable that the Iraqi people would not want this to happen and feel very much as if we are treating their country as a fiefdom. Only getting out and letting them run their country as they see fit will have any effect. A buzz reader Subject: OK, I'm torn between despair and hope Dear Buzzers: Having just read Monday's headlines, I'm torn between despair and hope. The Dems -- and some GOP-ers -- I won't call them Rethuglicans or Repukelicans, terms I usually apply to this fiasco of an administration. (As in "Mandate?? My *ss!!) Maybe another reader can suggest something I haven't thought of. As an online writer/editor whose clients don't pay on time (yep, when it comes to personal issues, I'm a wimp; when it comes to public ones -- those of you who've read my previous letters may recall that I began fighting for civil rights at age nine, was active (never arrested, but active enough to earn my very own FBI file) during the latter part of the Vietnam War; fought against the launching of BOTH Poppy Bush's Gulf War and the *ssh*le-in-chief's neocon grab for power. I fight (but only via email; I can't even afford a turkey for Thanksgiving, unless a client pays up very soon) against tax cuts to benefit the rich at the expense of the poor among us. I rant about the shameful treatment of the poor/Afro-Americans in New Orleans during and after Katrina. What's going ON here: are we supposed to rebuild New Orleans as a city where only the wealthy can afford to live? (Apparently so.) It's good, at least, to see some dems and even some moderate GOPers standing up. But I'm still scared to death that these people will, when cornered, turn even more vicious than they've already shown themselves to be. The American people (cf. the poll numbers) seem to be waking up. But they -- including us Buzzers, who saw through all the lies and manipulations from the start -- BEFORE the start, actually -- don't seem to have a handle on how to wrest power away from this gang. (Believe me: if these thugs HAVE power, they'll use it to beat the rest of us into the ground.) I really would appreciate suggestions about what we could do. Being (I hope temporarily) poor myself -- as in not being able to contribute financially -- all I can do is use my voice (well, more accurately, my fingers) to reach out and recruit others. People here in GA (very Red state) are all Bushites who bring each other their Presidential Christmas cards -- as I've said before, they use them for "show and tell" sessions. Of course, they receive them in return for contributing megabucks to Repukelican causes. In other words, there aren't many "neighbors" I can approach face to face. I have to reach out via the Internet. OK, here's my email address: catsmeow0528@aol.com. Feel free to suggest (and I WILL get back to you). In case you're wondering, 0528 is my birthday, as in May 28th. Maybe if we pool our ideas, we can work out a strategy rather than -- this is NOT a slur on BUZZ, but we DO seem to be preaching, mainly, to the choir. What I hope we can do is reach the people who have finally seen the light (as I said, there aren't many of them that I've met here in GA) and get them involved in the cause. Our country's future is at stake, so we have to do SOMETHING. FAST. Barbara Lee (Barb) Blazyk Subject: Marines Do Cut and Run Representative Schmidt, in addition to being Karl Rove's whore, is an ignoramus. Marines do indeed "cut and run". Sometimes they even surrender and they are honored and respected for it. In the winter of 1950/1951 Chinese forces flooded into Korea. Elements of the the 1st Marine division were cut off and written off by US command. Recognizing an untenable situation, they "bugged out" and fought their way to the coast. This is widely considered one of their finest moments and one of the "great" retreats in military history. . In Late 1941, the tiny garrison of Wake island made a heroic stand. When their calls for reinforcement or evacuation went unmet, and facing impossible odds, they surrendered. This too, is considered the actions of brave men. One is entitled to one's own opinions, but not to one's own facts. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: America's Drunk and Lurching Toward Rock-Bottom, Addicted and Strung Out My name is Carol and I’m an alcoholic. There. I had to establish my credentials right off so you will believe I’m qualified that I know what I’m talking about. Oh, one more thing. I’ve been sober twenty-two years so you don’t have to wonder if I’m drunk while I’m writing this. That said, what I want to talk about is our nation of addicts. In addition to my own experience in the matter of addiction, I was fortunate to have gone through a resident treatment program and have been exposed to years of being around recovering addicts in the AA program, so I understand a bit about what drives addiction. What’s really amazing is that it took this long for it to dawn on my over-heated brain that everywhere I look, there are signs of addiction. From the White House and high halls of governance of Congress, to my friends and neighbors among whom I live each day, we are a nation suffering from, and nearly incapacitated by, addiction. The “ah-hah!” moment came on the heels of viewing the latest episode of “Trading Spouses” recently on the Fox channel. It was only the third time I’d watched the program, the second being the week before when the first installment aired where a Christian Fundamentalist wife/mom from New Orleans traded places with a “new-age” type from Massachusetts. The program quickly became about Marguerette, the fundie mom. It was a human train-wreck of epic proportions. We got to watch while this woman completely and totally unraveled before our eyes. A complete mental meltdown. It couldn’t have been more horrible if a hideous monster had erupted from her body. But it was, at the same time, very puzzling. What had apparently triggered the reaction was that this woman believed she was under siege by the “dark siders” in her host family of new-agers. At one point she demanded hysterically to be taken to a church NOW! Most who watched the show probably believed Marguerette was insane, and so did I. But upon further reflection, I concluded that what we had witnessed was a person addicted to her religion and her small, like-thinking circle of friends, facing a new and unfamiliar experience, and was unable to cope because she was cut off from her drug of choice. Every recovered alcoholic and drug addict can tell you that addiction is a form of insanity. Under the influence, all rational thought is suspended, and often the addict will engage in self-absorbed and destructive behaviour, often stopping at nothing, even lying and breaking the law, rationalizing and hurting others to get what he/she wants. On a very large scale, this is what the world is seeing as they view America today. The most obvious place to begin is with our president. Just look at him. (I know it’s not easy, especially just after you’ve eaten) http://www.unknownnews.org/051108a-y.html I’ve been observing for more than a year now, that our president has gone from being a dry-drunk to a wet drunk. I was able to make that assessment because I had seen similar puffy eyes and alcohol-saturated facial muscles in the mirror each morning for years. But alcohol is just one thing George Bush is helplessly addicted to. The American president, along with most all of his peers in the Republican Party, as well as a significant number of Democrats, are addicted to power and to huge amounts of political money from big corporations. They will lie, cheat, break laws, harm the environment, ignore our Constitution, destroy people who get in their way, and rationalize that they have to do bad things in order to “do good”. Politics has become a competition of “winning partisan control” at any cost, including dirty tricks and ignoring the will of the general citizenry. All of this is behaviour of people trying to maintain a connection to their “drug of choice”, money and power. It’s not just the American leadership that the world is seeing as being out of control. Almost every single, ordinary American is addicted to something, engaging in selfish, destructive behaviour that is harming the rest of the world and the earth itself. We drive everywhere we go, using too much of the world’s oil reserves. We’re addicted to cheap goods and having “stuff”, not bothering to think that those affordable things may come at the expense of the well-being of people in other parts of the world and may be irreparably harming the planet. And many of us, like Marguerette, are addicted to religion. Our leaders have been able to manipulate us by exploiting our addictions as with a cheap drunk, tricking us into going along with their treacherous schemes, permitting them to get away with instituting laws that discriminate against entire groups of citizens, undermining science for the purpose of greed, waging wars on countries who haven’t harmed us, selling off our public lands to private enterprise, and much, much more. We rationalize and justify and condone because we are addicted. There is help for us. As in a huge dysfunctional family, for healing to occur, we each must recognize our role in what has gone wrong, and the first step is to admit we have a problem. We have to get reacquainted with the truth and demand it of ourselves and our leaders and of our corporate media. We need to take a hard look at ourselves and our relation to the big picture, then ask if this particular behaviour might be hurting someone or something. And stop doing it. It’s taken America a long time to get this sick. It’s time to get her back on the road to recovery. She’s drunk and stumbling toward certain disaster. Let’s not ignore the problem until after we hit rock bottom. Carol Rawle Subject: Maureen Farrell Thank God - she's back. Kate Subject: Buy a tabloid and support the stories that show how wacky Bush really is! Just thought of this great idea! Every time you see one of these Tabloids, like the Globe with a story about bush and his "Breakdown and his drinking binges and treatment or some such story, buy it. Increase their circulation when they have a Bush story as a front page teaser. Read it and then pass it around or leave it on the subway or at the counter in a Starbucks. These stories are just too great to not support the effort. BuzzFlash Addict Subject: Consuelo Luz's Missing Water (CD) From Taos! This is so great! The song, 'How much can our hearts take,' is awesome, and was being sold around Taos 2 years ago! Now, BuzzFlash has discovered her! Tell everyone, you won't be disappointed! http://www.buzzflash.com/premiums/05/11/pre05161.html Rex Subject: Clueless on the Dead-End Straight Ahead That's where we are and are going to remain until we the people get on with changing the world. How many items must there be on our table before we accept the fact that "this ain't working, got to try something new". Serious items, too; wars, New Orleans, health care, jobs, old age security, global warming, attacks on human rights, a lying commander-in-chief & his cronies, da da da, on and on and on; while we continue to do nothing about any of the above items; to date not a single one of them resolved - all hanging! That's ok when folks are sitting around and drinking coffee, but it's definitely not acceptable if one's goal is to shift from advantage goes to the powers that be to advantage goes to we the people. Maybe some individuals believe there'll be a miracle that'll save us all - like in the "Life of Bryon" - just when it looked like he was a goner, he pulls a fast one and escapes. On the other hand, for someone who'd rather not depend upon miracle(s) and who, perhaps, is looking for a practical approach to changing the world. just switch one's modus operandi from advantage powers that be to advantage we the people while at the same time taking on whatever items are on the table. Best if everyone pitches-in. That way nobody gets stuck with all the work. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Cowards Let me get this straight. The Bush administration says that if you wear a uniform and are a member of an organized army, you are entitled to be protected by the rules of war as set down by the Geneva Convention. If you are simply an innocent civilian who is suspected of being opposed to the United States, then you may legally be subjected to torture and you are not entitled to any sort of due process. Innocent civilians may also be legally subjected to death or serious injury by chemical weapons. The Bush administration's latest cover story for the reason they started the war in Iraq is to bring democracy to the Iraqi people. I fail to see how we can claim to be bringing democracy to Iraq if we deny the citizens of Iraq due process and subject them to being burned to death by white phosphorous or subject them to torture. America is rapidly developing and image around the world of a bully and an outlaw that has no respect for human rights. Republicans have a pat answer for anyone who suggests that we pull our troops out of Iraq, “Cowards cut and run”. That may be true but cowards also torture, deny due process and use weapons like white phosphorous and napalm. I believe it is time we knock off the cowardly tactics and start practicing what we preach. Whatever our reasons for invading Iraq, we have started a civil war there and it would surely be a cowardly act to pull out without bringing some kind of stability to that country. I have no idea how we can stop the civil war that we have caused, but whatever we do it is time we stopped torturing people and throwing innocent civilians in prison. If we can’t win this war without committing crimes against humanity, then we are cowards. Cutting and running would probably be less cowardly than staying and causing more hate and discontent. Richard Stencil Subject: War Resolution They keep saying that our Representatives voted for this war. I thought it was given to him to keep the peace. Does anyone remember in one of his speeches to Congress, when he was asking for this power, do you remember him saying, I need this resolution to keep the peace. I seem to remember him saying this but have not been able to locate the speech. If anyone remembers having heard him say this, please post it in the mailbag Senate approves Iraq war resolution (10/11/02, CNN Archives) http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/10/20021002-2.html Keep Buzzin. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Welcome Back Maureen! We missed you! Thanks for coming back! A loyal reader, Jocanda Baldo Subject: Re: Congressman Murtha and the Band of Brothers Thank God for the congressman. Most people believe it is time to bring the troops home. A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: When I Look Out My Window
I wrote this poem a few weeks ago. You're welcome to print if you like. Steven Stone Subject: The Only Story About Zarqawi Worth Talking About Is he still alive?? Does he exist?? Who cares? The only story about Zarqawi is that the Pentagon had a plan, that they presented to the President to get the man, back before the invasion. But Bush said NO. Why? Why would he say no, and then have the temerity to bring his name up in the future? And if there wasn't a right-wing takeover of the lapdog media, then why didn't they hammer away at this until they had an answer? Hey righty, don't bring up Clinton, answer the question, why didn't he just say "YES, by all means, kill the terrorist?" Here's one, why didn't Kerry hammer away at this? If someone stood by and let the swift boat jackasses call me out on my real military service, I wouldn't have responded to them. I would have said "hey Bush, why did you say NO to killing the terrorist?" and that's all I would have said. Over and over. Perhaps Kerry didn't want to win that badly. I don't know. Seems like a "slam dunk" to me. Correct me if I'm wrong, has this story been debunked? Media largely silent on WSJ report: Bush admin "stopped the military from attacking" Zarqawi before the start of the Iraq war (Media Matters) SE Subject: Cheney Believes In Fairies CHENEY: You know, I believe in Fairies, and if you can't prove to me that they don't exist, get outta my face. And I believe in this administration's good will, and in the President's plan for victory, my selfless service to this country, 9/Saddam/11, Intelligent Design... A BuzzFlash Reader Subject: Stuck Landing Gear Oh my ,I read your site nearly everyday and i'm not kidding this avid newspaper reader is usually snorting with laughter with all of your headlines, but I just had to write and say thanks for one of your best which I haven't even linked to yet re. "since when did stuck landing gear become the news story for our generation?!" i happened to have the tv on for all 3 of the landing gear traumas which is why I gotta say: YOU GUYS OUTCLASSED YOURSELVES ON THAT ONE,THANKS! I start to laugh all over again when I point it out to friends and family.... When did "stuck landing gear" become the news story of our generation? 11/22 Nancy [BuzzFlash Note: "Attytood" (pnionline.com) gets the credit for that one.] Subject: Iran Really Wants Us Out I wonder how Bush and co. are going to spin they're way out of this. Iraqi Leaders Call for Pullout Timetable (AP/Yahoo) Michael Pace Subject: US Admits White Phosphorus Is a Chemical Weapon Dear Sir/Madam, The following link leads to a US military document from 1991, declassified in 1995, which states quite clearly that the US Military and Government considered White Phosphorus to be a Chemical Weapon when used by Saddam Hussein against the Kurds in the aftermath of Gulf War I. It would appear that, quite apart from lying about the use of WP in the Fallujah offensive, the current stance of "White Phosphorus is not a Chemical Weapon" only applies to its use by the American/British Military. News sources such as yourselves have a moral obligation to report upon the blatant hypocrisy and outright lies being perpetrated by our leaders in the name of "democracy." http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/declassdocs/dia/19950901/950901_22431050_91r.html Regards, Graham Bell Subject: Thankful To Be an American It’s a fine thing to be an American. Even at our worst we have so much that many others never have at their best. We should be thankful to be Americans. Being an American should come with some obligations. Sitting back and congratulating yourself for where and to whom you were born is foolish. Being thankful to be an American means you always vote. For or against you always vote. Voting is your ticket to complain; long, loud and often. Who wants to pass up a ticket like that? Be thankful that you live in a country where you can vote without being shot at, threatened, or intimidated in some way. Dodging bullets at a polling place would never find it’s way onto my to-do list. We need to make sure that this essential right is never threatened for anyone. If we are not all free then none of us is free. I’m thankful I was taught that. Being thankful to be an American doesn’t mean you’re somehow superior to other people who don’t have the same freedoms that you enjoy. It means you were luckier. Lucky you. Celebrate that. Being thankful to be an American is part and parcel of who we are. We are proud of who we are and what we have achieved. There are many improvements still to make. America is always evolving. That seems a good thing, doesn’t it? In this time of such terrible divisiveness in our country we all need to step back and just take time to be thankful. Be you Hawk or Dove you should be proud of and thankful to our troops wherever they serve. Whether you believe supporting them means bringing them home or finishing the mission, be thankful they are willing to do whatever America asks of them. Sometimes she’s a bedraggled old lady, this lady liberty, but she lives here and I am thankful that I do, too. One of our great strengths as Americans is that we have insisted that our country be the very best that it can be. For all those who came before and insisted on that excellence we should be very thankful. Happy Thanksgiving! Marjorie L. Swanson |
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