Yesterday, Memorial Day, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld introduced president George W. Bush as a "great man" and "historic".
"Let us be proud that America has again answered history's high calling. And let us be grateful for a commander in chief, an historic leader, a selfless leader who found that in the plain bath of duty the strength he owes to fallen heroes, to a determined nation, and to a higher power."
The first few minutes of Bush's speech were punctuated by whoops and whistles from the hand-picked crowd. At times, they sounded like NASCAR fans cheering their favorite driver. They sounded drunk. All this, at a cemetery. Arlington National Cemetery.
flip with me... vomit with me...
Someone should have told the hand-picked audience that this was to be a solemn, respectful event. I cannot remember when it was not, with past presidents. Can you? Did Bush's address make anyone else nauseated? We use that as a figure of speech, "made me want to throw up". I really almost did.
All the while, Bush used this appearance to pump yet more forced democracy in primarily Muslim nations. He told us the only way to honor the fallen dead is to support him... George W. Bush.
My father fought in the entire South Pacific island campaign in WWII. Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima, and more. He fought. Hit the beaches. Had bad dreams about it until he died, early, at least partially due to his getting shot in Korea.
Yesterday was supposed to be about honoring my Father, more about honoring men and women who did not leave those fields of battle alive.
What I saw yesterday honored George W. Bush.
Every presidential address on Memorial Day should include something like this:
"It is because we as governments fail that you have died in battle. You die in wars because those of us who govern, do so poorly. It has always been this way. It will always be this way."
When an American President includes such a message on Memorial Day, and does it every year he or she is in office -- thereby starting a tradition, then and only then will we have a great president.
I would apreciate hearing from those of you who saw this disgusting performance by our president and those in attendence at Arlington National Cemetery who turned this historically solemn event into a pep rally.
Also, if anyone in the media noted what we did.