I'm very critical of America's first black President, not because he's black - so am I. I'm critical because I didn't think he should have run so soon before he had more experience.
I've criticized his lack of experience, indecisiveness, and inability to take criticism (I criticized George Bush for two out of three of these - he never was indecisive because he just did what Dick Cheney told him to do!)
However, I am now applauding President Obama for taking the time to really think about sending more troops to Afghanistan. This thoughtful approach to war is so refreshing after the Bush/Cheney "rush to war" mentality.
The first and only time I've been touched during the brief Obama administration was last night when the President took the time to honor the dead coming home from war in Dover, Delaware.
I am a confirmed pacifist and think all conflicts should be settled using the approach used by my heroes Mahatma Ghandi, Nelsom Mandela, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Muhammad Ali.
Peace at all costs is my deeply held conviction. HOWEVER, I ALWAYS support those who go to war, regardless of who sent them or why. My father fought in two wars (WWII and the Korean Conflict) and I respect fighting men and women.
I respect their willingness to fight for their country and the bravery of those who volunteer to be in our armed forces now. One of those soldiers is my nephew, Sgt. John Anthony Burrell, doing his third tour in Iraq.
No matter how I feel about whatever war is being fought, those feelings take a backseat to my respect for the men and women in our armed services. Therfore, when the President honored those who died with his presence, he made me proud.
Proud to be an American.
Thinking before he acts on the recommendation to send 40,000 more troops into the hell hole that is Afghanistan gives me more hope than any of his speeches, slogans, or campaign promises.
My hope is that maybe, just maybe I've been wrong about him all along. Maybe he is the right one for the job, af ter all. I hope so. I also hope that he remembers the dead heroes when he finally makes his decision.
President Barack Obama salutes as a carry team carries the transfer case containing the remains of Army Sgt. Dale R. Griffin of Terre Haute, Ind., who, accordng to the Department of Defense died in Afghanistan, during the dignified transfer event at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Del., Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009.
President Obama discusses troop surge proposal with General McChrystal in Copenhagen on Air Force One
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As for Nelson Mandela he was convicted of sancioning the Church St bombing where lots men, women and children, all white, were killed and maimed. He has since admitted his part and said this bombing was his signing off act to terrorism.
So why would a pacifist support and praise a self admitted racist and terrorist?
Good point about the photo ops, catnlion.
Didn't know anything about Mandela being involved in any kind of violence or, obviously, I wouldn't have listed him with peacemakers like Gandhi, King, and Ali.
However, if you think resistance against apartheid is terrorism, what do you call the colonists who resisted British rule in the late 1700s, fighting and winning the Revolutionary War and creating this nation?
You didn't mention how many black South Africans were killed by the apartheid rulers of that nation for decades, leaving me to believe you only think it matters when whites are killed.
I agree that the attacks on the white South Africans shouldn't have happened, but apparently peaceful demonstrations weren't enough to turn the tide in South Africa any more than the Boston Tea Party was enough to turn the tide here in the colonies.
As peace-loving as I am and as much as I'd like for every conflict to be resolved without blood shed, I know that human beings may not be capable of doing that in every single case.
Therefore, as I said, although I don't condone or like war, I do respect those who fight ALWAYS!
If you kill a leader or blow up a federal building then I'll let you make the case it's part of the fight. If there is a good reason for those targets, you will win the argument. To carry a bomb into a market with the intent to kill all the women and children you can who just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, you will never win. In this case it was the blacks who targeted whites. It would be equally wrong if it was whites targeting blacks. Race here has no bearing on the attack.
Mandela referred to himself as a terrorist. There is no claiming he isn't if that is what he calls himself and admits to attacks on others. His long prison sentence was for not denouncing acts of violence against white people. He never was convicted of murder even though he freely talked about his terrorist attacks.
While it may be unfair to target on person for the acts of their spouse, Nelson married Winnie when she was 16. One would have to assume that there was some bond in beliefs as he never did denounce her until he got out of prison and her actions put his political career in trouble. Her favorite thing was the "necklace". That is where you take someone you want to get rid of, tie them up and put a tire full of gasoline around their neck and lite it on fire. One would hope the flash of the flame would put the poor soul out of their suffering quickly. In fact Mrs. Mandela told a crowd in April 1986 that ''with our necklaces and our boxes of matches we will liberate this country.''
Did he do the necklace? Not that I've ever seen reported. Again they supported each other until she hurt his political career, then she had to go. One would wonder how much he supported her actions since he admits to doing the same types of things.
Did the rest of the people on your list fight for what they believed? Of course they did. They were arrested for a wide variety of charges, some of which I'll bet were not true. The fought for what they believed in during their time but they took their fight to the people who caused their problems. They didn't blow up and set fire to the people who were in the wrong place.
Big difference between history and the revised history that we are all taught.