Such a sad thing. I knew the family of the boy.
Posted by AKA ME on 09/10/05 at 09:30 AM
Okay, I just read the local paper (finally) and learned that the 25 year old Army Ranger died in Afghanistan, not Iraq. I don’t know why the kids were told Iraq. Frankly, I don’t know how I feel about that. Not anymore. Other than so terribly sorry for his family.
And I don’t know how in the world I managed to spend the day in this town without knowing what was going on, what with planes flying overhead in the missing serviceman formation and the twenty one gun salute.
Yes, Jen, it is so sad.
Cyn, I’ve been appalled by the whole Katrina fiasco since it started. From what I’ve read, very few of the people knew where they were being sent until they were either half way there or until they’d actually arrived. I try to put myself in their place and what I come up with is feeling overwhelmed and helpless with no control over my life. What a terrible position to be forced into.
I also have to practically choke when I acknowledge that Mitt Romney did something good, but he did good this time. And I’m glad to see that a few of the folks were able to bring their pets with them, unlike the little boy whose dog was torn out of his arms in NO. I have a strong suspicion that Romney had something to do with the pro-pet policy, too. And he’s realistic enough to warn that once they’ve experienced a brutal winter here, all bets are off as far as wanting to stay here. But it sounds as if they are free to leave once they’ve had a chance to get their bearings and make some decisions. I hope we can be good hosts in the longer term since I don’t imagine this is going to be a short term deal for them.
As for Barbara Bush...she is no different than some of the wealthy people I have known. They really do not have any idea what it means to NOT HAVE. They are not capable of empathy. Wealth is virtue and there is no amount of arguing that can displace people like that from their high pedestal of virtue and privilege. Gah. The best thing for them would be to live poor for a while.
Well, it is a sad story, in a sad world. No doubt about that.
But I have to say I don’t like the idea of the school telling its students that they must line the route for the funeral. That suggests some sanction of something. Respect for a fallen citizen? Yes. But also maybe a tacit approval of the elective war. The students don’t have a choice, and the media can draw whatever conclusions it wants. My sons faced the same sort of thing in the Scouts. Lots of agendas in the leadership and crowds of boys lined up, looking as though they approved.
Yes, I think you have a good point, Pablo. It should have been voluntary. I can tell you that Gillian was a wreck over it. I don’t find too much fault with older kids being asked to participate in paying respects to a graduate of their school, but it should have been voluntary.
What I didn’t mention was the turning out of the elementary school several blocks up the street from the high school. The little kids were given little flags to wave as the procession passed. Now tell me what exactly does a little kid really understand about that whole scene? That struck me as spectacularly wrong. It’s not quite in the same vein as a 4th of July parade. Somebody didn’t think that through or was too caught up in Rockwellian imagery.
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Neither do I!! I was just reading all about the services yesterday in the local paper.
Did you read the article about Barbara Bush’s comment on some radio interview? The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.......if you have nothing, you are expendable. Nothing of course, being a relative term, those so very high up only see what is around them, never what is beneath them.
In addition, I just sent you a link to an article in the front page of the Globe this morning. KATE, I am so damn mad, I have been sputtering all morning. My husband is getting sick of listening to me I think, but I want to DO SOMETHING to someone....may involve baseball bats and heads. The people who were evacuated to MA were NOT TOLD WHERE THEY WERE SENDING THEM until they were 30,000 feet high and halfway here. Read the article and see if it doesn’t get you, too. Joe just said that they HAD to send some here cause they (the admininistration) did not want to make our governor look bad by being all prepared and no one showed up. To that I say BLEHHHHHHHHH - he did the right thing (and you have to know that I am choking on those words). He had an army of the willing to help, he put the right people in charge (I nominate him to head FEMA) and he carried through and did an incredible job. He did what he needed to do and if no one came, that was not his fault. But to herd these people on planes and not tell them til it was too late is disgusting. Oh noooo, here I go again. Read the article if you have time!!