Dfariswheel
New member
I wrote my original editorial in the heat of anger, and have been asked to reconsider my views. I wrote a correction to the original yesterday, while watching the daily sceen of NYFD firemen carrying another Flag draped basket up the ramp.
I have reconsidered, and here is a revised addition to the original.
If you want to use the editorial, please paste this into the appropriate position on the original.
ANGRY-An editorial, by Dave Faris--Addendum
And my anger finds targets. Of course the terrorist's, and those countries who aided them, funded them, and trained them. But also those people and countries that supported them, who taught them to hate and who at best, looked the other way. I'm tired of being told I have to be careful not to offend murderers and the friends of murderers. Why shouldn't they be careful not to offend me? There is no smoking hole with the vaporized remains of 3000 people in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, or Iran. Why do I have to be fearful of "upsetting" or "offending" foreign-born people living in America, with displays of patriotism? Why should they be disturbed by Old Glory? Under it's colors is the only truly free place on this earth. In American, seeing a young soldier on the street doesn't bring us sudden fear that he will kill us for what's in our pockets.
America is the only nation on earth that you can tell your boss to stick his job, pack up your possessions and guns, and move across the country to start anew. In most countries you aren't allowed to have guns, and you need an "internal passport" to go anywhere. America doesn't have military governors with private armies roaming the countryside. In America if you don't like some politician, you can not only vote against him, you can publicly call him an SOB.
In most of the world what elections there are, are farces and daring to speak your mind will get you a visit from some thugs who make no pretence of answering to the people.
If they are so fearful and "offended", perhaps they should return to their own lands where they won't be "offended" by their own flags. I'm sure that their country's "El Presidenti" will be most happy to hear any complaints they might have.
Once, people came to the dream that is America, because they wanted to BE an American. Now, apparently America is just a handy place to make plenty of money, and not have to worry about those inconvenient midnight knocks on the door by the secret police. Where once we were "From Many, One", we are now "have it your way, you don't even have to like us". Once where all new emigrants spoke a fractured English, that somehow, we all understood, we now have a government that must do business in 79 languages. In a land that people still fight and die to get to, we must "accommodate" their every whim, lest we "offend" them.
Well, 3000 dead citizens, smoking wreckage in New York and Washington, airports that now look like armed camps, and a military in a globe-spanning war "offend" the hell out of me.
I'm angry with some people in my own country. The news media who can find nothing decent or honorable in America.
Bernard Goldberg, a liberal reporter who wrote the resent best-selling book "Bias", believes the TV media elite's are in fact biased, but cannot perceive their biases. This is because they have completely insulated themselves from an America they cannot comprehend. An America they are incapable of believing doesn't share their every view. In their heart-of-hearts they truly believe they are Right. Since they are Right, this must mean everyone else is wrong. In their narrow world, people who are wrong and won't admit it must be evil. How else to explain people who stand in the way of Right.
In their world, formed in elite schools, solidified by the Viet Nam war, and codified in the restricted world of Washington's beltway and New York's posh neighborhood's, the military is not to be trusted, certainly not to be celebrated. In their world America is usually wrong, often corrupt, and always a danger to a peaceful world. Waving of the flag is a disturbing display, one step away from goose-stepping thugs.
They seem to be bent on replaying their glory days during the Viet Nam war.
I grew up during the Viet Nam war, and I remember the TV reports. The assurances that we couldn't win. The slaughter our troops were sure to meet.
The undefeatable enemy we foolishly faced. The ill concealed glee with which we were shown American casualties. The constant inferences that our military and civilian leaders were incompetent, corrupt, and dishonest.
I see the same reports now. Only the faces of the reporters have changed.
In most businesses, when a competitor strips your market share away, heads roll, and explanations are demanded. In TV boardrooms there is no acknowledgement, and complete disbelief that there is a problem.
Needless to say, these days I get my news from Fox.
I'm angry with our "friends" in Europe and Asia. The British Left and most of France is shocked at our horrific conduct. That is, defending ourselves from attack. The Germans, Norwegians, and Italians are upset. At least the British government stands by us. Most of the time, when it's not too inconvenient.
I guess I can excuse the French for being the French. Being slimy, backstabbing, self-serving, and oh, so superior is part of the French character.
To paraphrase David Niven's famous remark about his good friend Errol Flynn,
"You can always depend on the French, they always let you down".
True, we can only live on our laurels so long, but I'd think that countries we fought two bloody wars for in 30 years would remember a little better.
When World War Two ended, most of Europe was a smoking bomb crater. Somewhat like the World Trade Center, only on a larger scale. After winning their war for them, and liberating their countries, we didn't pack up and leave them to the tender mercy of the Russians. For the first time in the history of the world, an all powerful, conquering nation, didn't enslave the destroyed and weak. We launched the Marshall Plan, and used vast sums of the American taxpayer's dollars to rebuild their countries, winners and losers alike.
I don't expect these countries to kiss our feet for the next 100 years, but I do expect them to remember that America is unused to being blown to bits in our own country. I would expect them to be a little forgiving of our daring to publicly defend ourselves.
Europe has a long history with terrorist. There has long been a "wink and a nod"
relationship with them. A terrorist is, after all, another man's freedom fighter, they say. Just as long as the "freedom fighter" doesn't embarrass you by blowing somebody to a bloody tatters in your country. And if, worse comes to worse, and he gets arrested in your country, why it's no great task to secretly hustle him across the nearest border.
I would expect these countries to understand that we don't have their vast experience in appeasing murderers and perverts.
I have reconsidered, and here is a revised addition to the original.
If you want to use the editorial, please paste this into the appropriate position on the original.
ANGRY-An editorial, by Dave Faris--Addendum
And my anger finds targets. Of course the terrorist's, and those countries who aided them, funded them, and trained them. But also those people and countries that supported them, who taught them to hate and who at best, looked the other way. I'm tired of being told I have to be careful not to offend murderers and the friends of murderers. Why shouldn't they be careful not to offend me? There is no smoking hole with the vaporized remains of 3000 people in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, or Iran. Why do I have to be fearful of "upsetting" or "offending" foreign-born people living in America, with displays of patriotism? Why should they be disturbed by Old Glory? Under it's colors is the only truly free place on this earth. In American, seeing a young soldier on the street doesn't bring us sudden fear that he will kill us for what's in our pockets.
America is the only nation on earth that you can tell your boss to stick his job, pack up your possessions and guns, and move across the country to start anew. In most countries you aren't allowed to have guns, and you need an "internal passport" to go anywhere. America doesn't have military governors with private armies roaming the countryside. In America if you don't like some politician, you can not only vote against him, you can publicly call him an SOB.
In most of the world what elections there are, are farces and daring to speak your mind will get you a visit from some thugs who make no pretence of answering to the people.
If they are so fearful and "offended", perhaps they should return to their own lands where they won't be "offended" by their own flags. I'm sure that their country's "El Presidenti" will be most happy to hear any complaints they might have.
Once, people came to the dream that is America, because they wanted to BE an American. Now, apparently America is just a handy place to make plenty of money, and not have to worry about those inconvenient midnight knocks on the door by the secret police. Where once we were "From Many, One", we are now "have it your way, you don't even have to like us". Once where all new emigrants spoke a fractured English, that somehow, we all understood, we now have a government that must do business in 79 languages. In a land that people still fight and die to get to, we must "accommodate" their every whim, lest we "offend" them.
Well, 3000 dead citizens, smoking wreckage in New York and Washington, airports that now look like armed camps, and a military in a globe-spanning war "offend" the hell out of me.
I'm angry with some people in my own country. The news media who can find nothing decent or honorable in America.
Bernard Goldberg, a liberal reporter who wrote the resent best-selling book "Bias", believes the TV media elite's are in fact biased, but cannot perceive their biases. This is because they have completely insulated themselves from an America they cannot comprehend. An America they are incapable of believing doesn't share their every view. In their heart-of-hearts they truly believe they are Right. Since they are Right, this must mean everyone else is wrong. In their narrow world, people who are wrong and won't admit it must be evil. How else to explain people who stand in the way of Right.
In their world, formed in elite schools, solidified by the Viet Nam war, and codified in the restricted world of Washington's beltway and New York's posh neighborhood's, the military is not to be trusted, certainly not to be celebrated. In their world America is usually wrong, often corrupt, and always a danger to a peaceful world. Waving of the flag is a disturbing display, one step away from goose-stepping thugs.
They seem to be bent on replaying their glory days during the Viet Nam war.
I grew up during the Viet Nam war, and I remember the TV reports. The assurances that we couldn't win. The slaughter our troops were sure to meet.
The undefeatable enemy we foolishly faced. The ill concealed glee with which we were shown American casualties. The constant inferences that our military and civilian leaders were incompetent, corrupt, and dishonest.
I see the same reports now. Only the faces of the reporters have changed.
In most businesses, when a competitor strips your market share away, heads roll, and explanations are demanded. In TV boardrooms there is no acknowledgement, and complete disbelief that there is a problem.
Needless to say, these days I get my news from Fox.
I'm angry with our "friends" in Europe and Asia. The British Left and most of France is shocked at our horrific conduct. That is, defending ourselves from attack. The Germans, Norwegians, and Italians are upset. At least the British government stands by us. Most of the time, when it's not too inconvenient.
I guess I can excuse the French for being the French. Being slimy, backstabbing, self-serving, and oh, so superior is part of the French character.
To paraphrase David Niven's famous remark about his good friend Errol Flynn,
"You can always depend on the French, they always let you down".
True, we can only live on our laurels so long, but I'd think that countries we fought two bloody wars for in 30 years would remember a little better.
When World War Two ended, most of Europe was a smoking bomb crater. Somewhat like the World Trade Center, only on a larger scale. After winning their war for them, and liberating their countries, we didn't pack up and leave them to the tender mercy of the Russians. For the first time in the history of the world, an all powerful, conquering nation, didn't enslave the destroyed and weak. We launched the Marshall Plan, and used vast sums of the American taxpayer's dollars to rebuild their countries, winners and losers alike.
I don't expect these countries to kiss our feet for the next 100 years, but I do expect them to remember that America is unused to being blown to bits in our own country. I would expect them to be a little forgiving of our daring to publicly defend ourselves.
Europe has a long history with terrorist. There has long been a "wink and a nod"
relationship with them. A terrorist is, after all, another man's freedom fighter, they say. Just as long as the "freedom fighter" doesn't embarrass you by blowing somebody to a bloody tatters in your country. And if, worse comes to worse, and he gets arrested in your country, why it's no great task to secretly hustle him across the nearest border.
I would expect these countries to understand that we don't have their vast experience in appeasing murderers and perverts.
