Category Archives: News
Quote of the Day
Trump
“Donald, you’re beginning to sound a little ridiculous, I have to tell you.”
— CNN’s Wolf Blitzer to Donald Trump about the discredited right-wing conspiracy theory that President Obama was not born in this country.
Just a little?
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Picture of the Day
Quote of the Day
“I think it’s interesting because I think it is very difficult to talk about the war dead and the fallen without invoking valor, without invoking the words “heroes.” Why do I feel so [uncomfortable] about the word “hero?” I feel comfortable – uncomfortable – about the word because it seems to me that it is so rhetorically proximate to justifications for more war. Um, and, I don’t want to obviously desecrate or disrespect memory of anyone that’s fallen, and obviously there are individual circumstances in which there is genuine, tremendous heroism: hail of gunfire, rescuing fellow soldiers and things like that. But it seems to me that we marshal this word in a way that is problematic. But maybe I’m wrong about that.”
– MSNBC’s Chris Hayes, on May 27, after speaking with a former Marine whose job it was to notify families of the death of soldiers.
Hayes eventually apologized for making such a crass statement the day before Memorial Day. And not a moment too soon! I don’t care how anyone feels. The word “hero” applies to a lot of people: firefighters, teachers, paramedics, police officers – and certainly our military personnel. The term definitely doesn’t apply to sports and entertainment celebrities, which I’m sure will piss off the NFL and fans of “The Hunger Games.” But, as always, I don’t care who I piss off with my opinions.
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John F. Kennedy – Born May 29, 1917
“And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”
– President John F. Kennedy, in his inaugural address, January 20, 1961.
Where’s someone like Kennedy now? JFK has always been one of America’s greatest national treasures and my own personal hero. He served in the Navy as an intelligence officer during World War II and almost lost his life in the South Pacific. Yet, he came back and entered the political arena, dedicating the remainder of his years as a public servant. He was the youngest man elected president and the first to be born in the 20th century. His detractors – extremist conservatives who denounce Kennedy as a womanizer and a liberal and seem to relish in his brutal death – are too arrogant to realize he did more for this country in his short life than most other presidents. Kennedy had a vision that defied the conventional staid boundaries of national discourse. He single-handedly helped propel our country further into the future. Happy Birthday, Mr. Kennedy. Your optimism still lives.
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A Memorial Day “First:” Lori Ann Piestewa
In honor of Memorial Day, I wanted to highlight this editorial by fellow writer and blogger K.B. Schaller, author of Gray Rainbow Journey and Journey by the Sackcloth Moon. While we often think of the war dead as casualties of conflicts from long ago, this piece discusses Lori Ann Piestewa, a member of the Navajo Nation who was the first female troop casualty in the Iraq War. Despite the oppression and degradation suffered by Indigenous Americans, they have been loyal to the United States and served in all branches of the armed forces with a higher percentage – given their small population – in comparison to other ethnic groups. They’re certainly braver than the sorry-ass draft dodgers who got our nation into the Iraq War in the first place. For better or worse, this is the country we have and it’s still a work in progress. We should all realize that freedom truly isn’t that free.
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Memorial Day
Thank you to all who served in the United States armed forces and everywhere else. Freedom is never free.
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Chief Writing Wolf 