Stephen Beecroft wrote:
> Gary, I agree with almost every point you've made here. So as not to > make this solely a me-too post, let me add that when a writer (US > citizen or alien) makes a statement like, "I love America but I hate > Republicanism", Why? Are you disallowing a journalist the right to a political point of view like the rest of us? I know of at least two general authorities who came to "love America" but decided that joining the Democrats was a better way of expressing that love (N. Eldon Tanner and his uncle, Hugh B. Brown). > that writer has shown himself to be duplicitous and > untrustworthy. Any "good points" he goes on to make are then completely > lost on me, because he has already proven himself a liar. > > Stephen > > Gary Smith wrote: > > This is the problem with many liberal writers-they make statements from > > the heart, regardless of whether they back up their statements with > > facts, or if those facts are correct. > > First off, the president has shown himself not to be a "mental > > lightweight." Second, where is the evidence that Cheney is an "evil > > power", especially when no actual misdeeds have been shown at Haliburton > > Oil? Third, Rumsfeld never was a senator, perhaps the author should try > > looking up in the dictionary the difference between Secretary of Defense > > and Attorney General???? > > So, if anyone is a "lightweight" here, it is the author of the article. > > I know we USAmericans do have an enormous patriotism (at times), but we > > also have a lot of suspicion. Isn't it interesting that discussions on > > whether we should go to war with Iraq are right or not are going on in > > this country? A blind patriot wouldn't have such discussions going on. > > As > > for "evil", I'll bet this guy still supports Clinton as a great > > president. And how about those Democratic senators involved in Enron and > > Global Crossing? Are they "evil" also? If you're going to call one > > person > > evil, then you at least need to be consistent. Finally, show you've at > > least done some homework (who was this guy's copy editor, to let such > > slop slip through?), and get the facts straight. > > > > I'm a historian (among other trades), and I've not only seen Ken Burns' > > Civil War, but I've read several studies on it. yes, it was a tragedy. > > But massive deaths on both sides only shows the tragedy of war, not its > > justification. The North fought for union and to defeat slavery, while > > the South fought for states' rights and to keep their slaves. All very > > key issues for anyone calling himself an American. But a Canadian may > > not > > fully understand that, as Canada has never had to struggle with slavery, > > states' rights, or a major fight to maintain its unity. It's kind of > > like > > an American today not understanding poverty or slavery, because we just > > don't have it as drastic as other nations, unless they travel and live > > in > > another place for some time and learn to appreciate it. I like what > > ex-Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver said when he returned from Russia, > > "there is more freedom in an American jail than on the streets of > > Moscow." > > > > Should cost only be counted in body bags? What is the total value of > > freedom from terror, or to maintain our sovereignty? Ten body bags? > > Twenty? One hundred? Or should we just curl up in a corner and accept > > the > > idea that no amount of body bags are worth the cost of freedom. > > > > Americans do not honor war. Americans honor freedom and those who defend > > that great treasure, which only a minority of homo sapiens enjoy in this > > world. Flags fly, because unlike the flags of other nations (including > > Canada's), ours represent our freedom and vision. It is a vision that > > has > > endured since Thomas Jefferson inked those sacred words on a piece of > > parchment: "We hold these truths to be self-evident...life, liberty, and > > the pursuit of happiness." > > > > Few nations have made a love of freedom so innate with the human spirit > > as have Americans. This inspires some, and infuriates many who do not > > have the same vision. The French, who seek equality and brotherhood, > > cannot understand what real freedom is. This is why their revolution > > failed. Most nations do not have a Jefferson or a Thomas Paine. Few have > > men who are anything but "summer soldiers" that sneak home when the > > winter chill is in the air. Few have a group of men willing to sign > > their > > death warrants on such a parchment as the Declaration of Independence, > > or > > to truly seek that freedom for all men; allowing that freedom to expand > > to other groups not originally included, such as blacks and women. > > Today, > > there are many nations that still have slaves, and that still treat > > women > > like dogs. We stand as symbol which those nations hate. Should we be > > ashamed of the truth and light we've brought to the world? "A city on a > > hill cannot be hid, neither does one light a candle and place it under a > > bushel." > > > > Perhaps what irritates me most is liberal duplicity and using the Iraq > > war as an extension of their (and in this case, Canadian) vanity. > > > > K'aya K'ama, > > Gerald/gary Smith gszion1 @juno.com http://www > > .geocities.com/rameumptom/index.html > > "No one is as hopelessly enslaved as the person who thinks he's free." > > - > > Johann Wolfgang von Goethe > > > > Marc quoting article: > > On the other hand, we have the axis of Bush-Chaney-Rumsfeld. What a > > triumvirate. The President is a mental lightweight. The Vice President > > is the evil power behind the throne, the man who walked away from his > > insider misdeeds at Halliburton Oil. (Remember too that two of the three > > of the sacred triumvirate are oilmen.) Then there is Rummy. He has > > visions of some kind of military sugarplums dancing in his head. He is > > and was a devout right-wing fundamentalist who lost his senate seat to a > > dead man's wife....Perhaps what irritates me most is that the Iraq war > > is > > an extension of > > American vanity. > > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// > /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// > ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > -- Marc A. Schindler Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada -- Gateway to the Boreal Parkland “We do not think that there is an incompatibility between words and deeds; the worst thing is to rush into action before the consequences have been properly debated…To think of the future and wait was merely another way of saying one was a coward; any idea of moderation was just an attempt to disguise one’s unmanly character; ability to understand a question from all sides meant that one was totally unfitted for action.” – Pericles about his fellow-Athenians, as quoted by Thucydides in “The Peloponessian Wars” Note: This communication represents the informal personal views of the author solely; its contents do not necessarily reflect those of the author’s employer, nor those of any organization with which the author may be associated. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// /// ZION LIST CHARTER: Please read it at /// /// http://www.zionsbest.com/charter.html /// ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ==^^=============================================================== This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?aaP9AU.bWix1n.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^^===============================================================
