What about Them?
What the hell has happened in our world? Here it is a precious few weeks before Christmas, or whatever day you celebrate, and those of us who enjoy parts of this holiday will feel so damned guilty if we allow ourselves to enjoy it this year. We think about all the members of the military who won’t be home with their families, the ones in the hospital with parts of their bodies missing and the hundreds of families who will be spending their first Christmas since the funeral of their loved ones.
Do those people mind if we enjoy some time with our families and our traditions? Do they give a shit what we do? I don’t know, but I do know that if I had a loved one in Iraq, the hospital, or a fresh grave, I sure as hell wouldn’t care to see the first family yucking it up at Christmas. I wouldn’t want to see the Commander-in-Chief who had sent my loved one into a war based on lies celebrating Christmas and grinning to the camera. I sure wouldn’t want to see that.
Do those people mind if we enjoy some time with our families and our traditions? Do they give a shit what we do? I don’t know, but I do know that if I had a loved one in Iraq, the hospital, or a fresh grave, I sure as hell wouldn’t care to see the first family yucking it up at Christmas. I wouldn’t want to see the Commander-in-Chief who had sent my loved one into a war based on lies celebrating Christmas and grinning to the camera. I sure wouldn’t want to see that.
posted by pissed off patricia at 1:30 AM
26 Comments:
Amen to that. You know, for all the handwringing over Jim Webb's supposed incivility to Shrubya, I actually thought Webb handled the encounter remarkably well under the circumstances.
If I had a child in mortal peril in an immoral, pointless war, and I came face to face with the smarmy bastard who was responsible, I would knock his smirking block off. Webb showed considerable restraint, IMHO.
As for enjoying the holidays, I will. Life is a confusing maelstrom of sorrow and loss -- it's more pronounced to us in wartime, but it's true all the time. I think the best we can do is to try to alleviate the suffering we can, but also to enjoy our lives. We only get one.
PS: I did not make it into Tampa this past weekend and have rescheduled for the weekend after next. I will look for the shirt at the Bucs store then unless you find it in the meantime.
As the Bush twins party hardy.....Smirky the Chimperor grins on.
Having spent a Christmas or two overseas, I can honestly say I didn't think to much about it. The day was a little darker, the sand a little colder, and all my thoughts were inward. 25 Dec is one cold day in Kuwait.
Can one expect Bible thumpers or Republicans to grieve?
Enjoy the holidays, George.
Some day, The Shrub will have to answer for his crimes. If not in a court on this earth - then in the next.
And I hope his punishment is to have to continually try to wash the blood of hundreds of thousands off his hands.
I don't pay much attention to this holiday. But.... It's not his fault alone.
The women on this planet have to insist that their men (and women that think like men) cannot go fight each other.
The men are frigging idiots, the women have to take control of this.
Good post Pop! I still haven't heard from Michael since right after T-day. Never got any pics. I can only imagine how busy they have him. I have no nice words for the first family.
There are a lot of reasons to feel guilty & uncomfortable enjoying the season this year...but ya know, there are lots of ways to celebrate and honor life, too...and that includes the spirits of those whose lives have been lost because of our madman's lies.
Although I am not into the typical Christmas thing, I think the best way we can all celebrate this season is to honor our values and traditions, keep our families and loved ones close...and intensify our commitment to see that our smirking chimp receives justice for his crimes.
Yeah, but Dubya & Co. couldn't give a shit less what you and I think. Their utter lack of empathy and sense of decency is beyond appalling. It's atrocious.
Now that post is like pounding on the heart, but we have to do that to wake up the dead and hear them shout - Stop the war,you damn creepy bastard of a Presidunce.
Pop,
I do not feel bad about Christmas being a time for reflection vs. non-stop merriment. I enjoy a simple Christmas and have for many years, a time to spend a little time with family and friends, decorate a tree, remember when and where each ornament came from, roast a nice beef, and reflect. We don't do much about gifts, we donate to charity, and we have a little toast, knowing we are lucky, damned lucky, that's all. I guess we skip the guilt part because we are aware of and not afraid to speak of how bloody awful it is for so many others. I think that those with little kids are forced to make it a big deal, and forget all of their troubles, but I just play Judy Garland singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and think about the true meaning of that mournful song and reflect. My little doggie loves Christmas, so we wrap up a bunch of new toys for him and he opens them and has a bunch of fun. We wash some of the old ones and take them to the animal shelter. It is a peaceful holiday for us.
An attitude of gratitude is never out of place, and especially at this time of year. If you can't manage joy, give thanks - it sooths the soul.
PoP, you assume the souless assholes even consider such things (actually I know you don't). I hope that I miss the ridiculous "Laura hosts America for the White House Christmas decorations" and "White House chefs prepare incredible dishes for the first family" shows, and couldn't care less whether the preznit and his lovely dysfunctional family spend Christmas in DC, Camp David, Kennebunkport or Crawford - I just hope I miss whatever network drivel there is about it.
After 9/11 I remember the President taking the time to tell us how to assuage our fear and make America whole again, he told us to go shopping. So, really his attitude is perfect for the holiday season. For those who think about the war, and even for those who don't, the best medicine is to shop. The President knew what he was talking about. He always does.
We have been asked to do absolutely nothing, make not a single sacrifice for this war. George and Laura are the quintessential role models of contempt for the absolute sacrifices that soldiers are asked to make.
A sickly humorous note about the White House X-mas festivities: Did you read the menu? The guy who used to be the White House chef before Laura Bush canned him has remarked that Bush "doesn't like green food." There is only one vegetable item on that list of shite, and it's some kind of asparagus fiasco. Maybe all the fatty rich foods will cripple them.
Total self absorption and indifference to others is a hallmark of this "ruling family" and their followers. I certainly feel badly for the people stuck in Iraq in Bush & Cheney's Bloody Fiasco,but even worse to me is the number of them, along with their families, who actually believe they are "spreading democracy." I empathize with those who realize this is a huge disaster, but there are many for whom it's just the business of the military. And bloody fighting's very good for the military business...
I wonder who sets the presents out for Dubya to be able to wake up screaming "Santa was here, Santa was here!!! I told you there was a Santa!!!"?
Bush doesn't like green food. Oh, my fricking god. Isabelita, I just lost it with your comment.
But yes, POP, I am with you: though I don't have a loved one in Iraq, I am not happy to see Bush grinning like the idiot frat boy he is, celebrating anything, while our young men and women die in Iraq.
It's the decadence that makes my blood boil when it comes to the Boyking, PoP.
Remember last year after Katrina how the WH continued to celebrate with one lavish party after another all the while ignoring the homeless and sick folks along the Gulf Coast.
You'll never understand the logic of these criminals regardless of how hard you try.
Even thinking about these neo-cons at Christmass time, makes me sick. I could write pages on how fake and uncaring they are, but I will just forget about them till next year.
I'll be thinking about people who deserve my attention, espically people in need. Don't wait for the government to ask you to make a sacrifice; give till it hurts, to those who are hurting.
The world needs to move on, not forget.
Courtesy, Love, and Memories are some of the most important parts of the holiday season.
Often they're forgotten. I wish the happiest and most peaceful holiday season to those in need and pray that their families and loved ones are safe.
I most surely know I would loathe seeing Bush on my Television mugging with his ugly face.
I saw 41 today in the news making a speech about his Jeb in Florida...I think it's because he won't be Governor there soon...so it was some sort of tribute. Before I could turn it off it showed him break down and blubber on...Jeb came to his side. It made me sick to see it. "If" it was genuine...and he isn't being senile...he probably is so disgusted by the actions of 43 that he just couldn't get through it. How proud he is of his boys...yeah...one is commiting genocide in a foreign country, one is a sheister in Florida, one like prostitutes and bilking old people out of their savings...and the other one must be retarded...you never hear anything about him. Dysfunctional doesn't even cover these jokers...yet they party on like no tommorrow regardless of others. The French Revolution ramifications could come into play here. Oh!...and don't even get me started on the Cheney's!
Here is my humble suggestion. Why don't we make it mandatory for the leaders to march first to meet an enemy? Get rid of anything that was invented after the 13th century in the war technology but let a fellow like Bush have an horse of his choice to show his rank. Peace on earth would become a possibility instead of a pipe dream.
Well, the Bushies won't be having any such somber thoughts about the troops in Iraq. While they are dining on MREs or maybe another plastic turkey this year while dodging bullets and roadside bombs, the White House will be putting on a spread that would have delighted that other King George, the one we fought in the revolution. Check out the Web site at the White House for an over-th-top feast of truly gluttonous proportions:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/11/20051130-7.html
copy and pase the entire URL. Then get ready to hurl when as you view the holiday excess of this Wartime President.
I wonder what Laura gets George for christmas? lets hope a history book
those of us who enjoy parts of this holiday will feel so damned guilty if we allow ourselves to enjoy it this year.
At the risk of incurring the wrath of the blogiverse, I will be enjoying it this year. I am a Vietnam Vet. I care about our troops 365 days a year as we all do. But I know I have no control over how they're used, or abused. I do recall sitting in the twin fifties gun tub of our swift boat on Christmas day, a rainy, shitty day, and I remember well my thoughts: "I hope somebody is enjoying this damn day!
Would I gush on to someone that had family in the war about how marvelous my day was? Certainly not. But as much as I'd like to be able to, I can't atone for the "sins of the world", as it were. Why should we feel guilty? We didn't start that war; we didn't send those men and women there! We haven't tried to kill them. It's my opinion we're doing them a bigger service by continuing on a great American Tradition, on their behalf. Some will not return to see another Christmas. That is one of the horrible facts of war. But unfounded guilt won't change any of that, will it?
I spent two crappy Christmas's in Nam, but on each one, being able to call home, hearing the whole family laughing and chattering in the background, being able to snatch a few precious seconds to talk with each one, that cheered me up immensely. I knew there was something stable and sensible to return to, vs where I was at.
I always felt my family was celebrating Christmas FOR me, and to hear the normal sounds of home at that time of year, in that place, was priceless.
future, Thanks for that. My nephew was in Iraq last Christmas and it SUCKED. PoP I say, if you don't have a loved one there, rejoice and give thanks, and enjoy the season.
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