gagging
i know people are going to cringe when i write this, but i don't care. i just can't pretend it's okay when it's not.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush expressed sympathy Monday for the families of the 4,000 Americans killed in the war in Iraq, promising to make sure their loved ones "were not lost in vain." President Bush addresses the press with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Monday. "One day, people will look back at this moment in history and say, 'Thank God there were courageous people willing to serve, because they laid the foundations for peace for generations to come,' " Bush told reporters after a meeting at the State Department.
i am just trying to figure out when that day is going to come. according to them, it should have come sooner. after all, the mission was accomplished about 2 weeks into the war if my memory serves me correctly, at least according to the white house. so shouldn't the day already be here when people think these lives were not lost in vain? yet the war drags on and on with no real end in sight, and i wonder when that day will come. i hope it will. i don't have any criticism for the soldiers, and i have no disrespect for them or their families. but when the world is a more dangerous place 5 years after the war started, how is it possible to think these people have not died in vain? they died in service to their country, in service to something bigger than themselves. but for what? i'm past the point of screaming 'bush is evil' and 'it's all about the oil'. it might or might not be. i don't know. i'm just a schmuck from the prairies. but please tell me when the day is going to come when all of this is going to make sense, because right now, i can't see it.
"He gets a report about every single soldier who passes away," Dana Perino, the white house press secretary said. "And he always pauses a moment to think about them and to offer a prayer for their loved ones and their family and friends."
what good are your prayers, mr. bush? i don't know much about prayer, and i don't claim to be an expert. my prayer life is broken at the best of times. but when God gives you the power to bring these men and women home and end the senseless deaths that are happening every day, and you refuse to do so, then you are ignoring God's answer to your prayers. he has given you the ability to make the call. so instead of praying for the soldiers and their families, ensure their safety and bring them home.
"No casualty is more or less significant than another; each soldier, Marine, airman and sailor is equally precious and their loss equally tragic," Rear Adm. Gregory Smith said.
i agree, mr. smith, but what about the 84, 000+ iraqi casualties that have occurred since March 19, 2003? do those count for anything? are american lives more valuable than these? i'll admit, he does not directly say this, and his obvious concern is for the american losses, but why aren't iraqi lives included in this statement? why do their lives hold less value than ours?
i know many are sick of this discussion. i know many don't think much of my views. i know the criticisms i face for saying this. but i can't handle this anymore. the news media has forgotten. we've been lulled into a sense of complacency. what has happened to us?
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush expressed sympathy Monday for the families of the 4,000 Americans killed in the war in Iraq, promising to make sure their loved ones "were not lost in vain." President Bush addresses the press with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Monday. "One day, people will look back at this moment in history and say, 'Thank God there were courageous people willing to serve, because they laid the foundations for peace for generations to come,' " Bush told reporters after a meeting at the State Department.
i am just trying to figure out when that day is going to come. according to them, it should have come sooner. after all, the mission was accomplished about 2 weeks into the war if my memory serves me correctly, at least according to the white house. so shouldn't the day already be here when people think these lives were not lost in vain? yet the war drags on and on with no real end in sight, and i wonder when that day will come. i hope it will. i don't have any criticism for the soldiers, and i have no disrespect for them or their families. but when the world is a more dangerous place 5 years after the war started, how is it possible to think these people have not died in vain? they died in service to their country, in service to something bigger than themselves. but for what? i'm past the point of screaming 'bush is evil' and 'it's all about the oil'. it might or might not be. i don't know. i'm just a schmuck from the prairies. but please tell me when the day is going to come when all of this is going to make sense, because right now, i can't see it.
"He gets a report about every single soldier who passes away," Dana Perino, the white house press secretary said. "And he always pauses a moment to think about them and to offer a prayer for their loved ones and their family and friends."
what good are your prayers, mr. bush? i don't know much about prayer, and i don't claim to be an expert. my prayer life is broken at the best of times. but when God gives you the power to bring these men and women home and end the senseless deaths that are happening every day, and you refuse to do so, then you are ignoring God's answer to your prayers. he has given you the ability to make the call. so instead of praying for the soldiers and their families, ensure their safety and bring them home.
"No casualty is more or less significant than another; each soldier, Marine, airman and sailor is equally precious and their loss equally tragic," Rear Adm. Gregory Smith said.
i agree, mr. smith, but what about the 84, 000+ iraqi casualties that have occurred since March 19, 2003? do those count for anything? are american lives more valuable than these? i'll admit, he does not directly say this, and his obvious concern is for the american losses, but why aren't iraqi lives included in this statement? why do their lives hold less value than ours?
i know many are sick of this discussion. i know many don't think much of my views. i know the criticisms i face for saying this. but i can't handle this anymore. the news media has forgotten. we've been lulled into a sense of complacency. what has happened to us?
posted by xblairx @ 6:22 PM
6 Comments:
At 8:09 AM ,
John, Angie and the kiddos said...
Convictions are never wrong Blair, you either have them or you don't. Thanks for sharing yours.
For the record: I agree.
The tough thing now is Hilary and/or Obama are now forced to clean up the mess. If they pull out without a strategy it could make things even worse.
Speaking of playoffs and underwear, my Oilers are hot!
At 10:36 AM ,
xblairx said...
ya man. they are. i'm rooting for them to make it and the avalanche to fall flat on their faces. it would be awesome for all the canadian teams to make it except for toronto. a dream come true for me.
At 4:43 AM ,
Anonymous said...
Blair - I am losing my eloquence daily because I am just not sure the best way to articulate the thoughts moving around the comments you (always eloquently) present. Regarding things related to the battle waging in the middle east. I agree that when you have convictions you have them. The only thing I would like to share, is that information about Iraq War (and Afghanistan) for that matter is jaded as it moves through media channels. I encourage you and everyone who wants to understand more about what is going on to go to a reliable source like http://www.mnf-iraq.com/ where you can get a really honest perspective of things that Soldiers and Civilians are doing to accomplish great things in Iraq like - consistent power, clean drinking water, and training for security forces. I would never dream of attacking your opinions because they are your own. The only thing I will continue to ask everyone out there who considers President Bush an inadequate leader is to support the troops, and support people like my husband who are doing great things to make a difference in the lives of the Iraqi and Afghanistan people. In the hopes of not causing offense - Rachel
At 11:07 AM ,
xblairx said...
hey rachel,
thanks for responding and sharing with us. i know this issue is closer to your heart than it is to any of ours, and so your opinion is greatly valued!
that website is pretty cool. i was unaware of a place to go and see the good things that are happening. i would encourage others to check it out as well. i loved the story of school's opening and seeing that the kids are getting a chance at a bright future.
anyway, i completely agree with you. just because we disagree with george bush and his leadership strategy does not automatically mean we lump the troops in with that. it shouldn't, and too often it does. we slam the president and his war, but that often trickles down into hard feeling towards soldiers that put their lives on the line everyday. that was not my intent, and if i didn't make that clear, i apologize sincerely. my goal is to stay away from left/right politics and talk about issues, and the danger is always that we go to one extreme or the other. people who slander the troops for fighting a war they were told to fight by their superiors is one extreme i want to stay away from. it is false and does not benefit the discussion whatsoever.
i also completely agree that news media is completely jaded and reflects often the bias, one way or the other, of their political stances. this is something i have become aware of recently, and i think to listen to a talking head on CNN and just agree with everything he says because "My goodness, he must be right, he's on CNN!", is foolish. try as we might, our personal opinions and reflections will always come through in some form, even when we claim to be unbiased. thanks for that observation. i used to accuse only FOXNews of doing this, but now i see it widespread throughout the media.
one final thought...unrelated to all the rest.
i find it humorous that you speak of my eloquence when my last post was talking about the possibility of eating poop stained underwear...thanks for your kindness in the face of my obvious immaturity!!!
At 11:13 AM ,
xblairx said...
sorry, i know i am lame to continue posting so much on my own blog...
one more thing i was thinking as far as media is concerned. my frustration with the media is obvious to those who know and talk to me. but one thing that isn't a lie are the numbers. the numbers of deaths.
4,000 American soldiers and up to 80,000+ Iraqi soldiers and civilians. Those are the numbers that alarm me, and that was my reason for this post in the first place. My frustration was with George Bush and his cronies and how they can so easily brush off those numbers. yes, they care about human life. but i am sick of hearing promises that have no fulfillment. phrases like "We will prevail!" and "There will come a time..." give hope where we see little.
also, i don't disregard the 4,000 American lives lost. that is tragic. what frustrates me is when people only care about their own and can't open their eyes wide enough to see the broader world around them.
anyhow, that is all.
At 2:13 PM ,
Anonymous said...
Well, although you might be a guy that considers eating poop stained underwear a fair deal on things related to hockey.... I have come to know and realize that people who are passionate in many facets --- I think as long as you are letting your passion show, and can avoid some toxic disease from poop eating.... good on ya.
Regardless, that website is one that I check all the time. Not only because it has great stories about what Units are doing - but also because the military press releases are released there. So, when I am hearing about the mortar attacks on the green zone and maybe this many are hurt, or many this many are injured, I can go right to the PAIO (public affiars information office) website channel of release and find out more accurate information.
You are right in saying that this is close to my heart. However, one thing that I have articulated many many many times over the years (as I am a Canadian who married an American Soldier) is my supporting my husband as a Soldier is a completely separate issue from supporting the American Government Administration's Decisions. Many do not understand how those issues for me are separate, but they are.
Plus, I will be completely honest and tell you that when people try to engage me in a heated political discussion (which is happening more and more this year) I happily play my grew up in Canada card and ask if they are aware of the Roughriders winning the Grey Cup, or if they know if KU made it into the sweet 16 in March Madness (my hockey knowledge is lacking - I admit) and I get left alone.
We are different Blair, because I struggle so much more on what my opinion really is. I know and realize that 4000 Soldiers lost in combat is TRAGIC, because I have stood at their funerals and seen the folded flags. What is further troubling for me is the Soldiers who have been harmed and wounded permanently - and the way that they continue to struggle after combat.
I like that you talked about "Hope" granted - you talked about the unfilled promises, but there is this organization that has commercials all the time in Army Europe that says their mission will continue "Until they all Come home." My constant prayer each day is for the safety of every troop, until it is time for them to come home. For the record, I am also glad I don't have to make that decision.
Well... now I might be rambling (you know me and the words and words and words)..... thanks for checking out the website, means a lot to me because I know - regardless of the differences of our perspective, you have never been disrespectful. Gross for wanting to eat poopy panties -- but never disrespectful.
Tchuss. - Rachel
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