You know what I think the problem is: most people have not been up close to a bomb going off.
I don't want to sound too wacky here, but I worked across the street the day the plane flew into the Pentagon. I fought my way through DC to pick up my daughter when the radio was saying bombs were going off in front of the State Department a few blocks away. I went to Washington Hospital Center to give blood. I drove into work the next day through a giant cloud of smoke covering 395. I watched it burn for three days until the fires went out. I saw the soot covering everyone's car in the parking garage and smelled the foul air. That day when the Pentagon blew up changed me and a lot of people I know. Some folks seemed more interested in war, some folks seemed more interested in seeing things worked out another way. For me, I am much more careful in what I say about things, how I think about what is going on in the world. A bomb is a horrible, meancing thing that no one in their right minds really wants any part of. Why anyone would do it to anyone else is a hard thing for me to comtemplate and an even harder thing for me to accept. Seriously, I almost threw up today watching the TV during lunch. For me, watching bombs go off in Baghdad takes me right back to that day. While I don't want to sound like a hippie (God forbid), I can't see how bombs solve a thing. I talk to people and they think that this is some kind of TV show, and they seem enthusiastic about setting bombs off in other people's countries. It is really hard to think that, because it's somebody on 'our side' setting off a bomb, it's all good. First thing this morning I had to watch the news, where this lady was sitting with her little cup of coffee on a couch endorsing bombs going off. She wouldn't know what to do if one went off near her, and that's what makes me mad. Not that many people living in America have been in a bombing, near a bombing, or really have any idea of what one is like up close. But some of these same people are saying it is a good thing. Again, for me, bombs solve nothing and people using these terms without knowing what it is like have no clue what they are saying. I am not saying anyone is right or wrong or good or evil, and could care less about these terms. They mean nothing when there is fire all around, and I can't imagine they mean much to the average footsolider over there either. God bless our fighting troops, it is horrible to think they have to go through that. And god bless the other guys, please let this be over sooner than later. And god bless everyone who has never had to see such a thing, if there was one thing I could wish for the world it is that no one would ever have to go through that sh*t again. But, returning to the question, my belief is that the great divide in American right now is a result of the disconnection people feel between what is going on and listening to the voices telling them that it is right. For me, and everyone else reading this can have their own opinion, bombing is the worst thing that can happen. My only hope is that it ends quickly and benefits the world by there being less bombs to kill people with. I'll stop rambling now... M -----Original Message----- From: Jerry Johnson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, March 21, 2003 4:53 PM To: CF-Community Subject: RE: Prime Minister's Address to the Nation... I think it is a matter of perspective. You think you are "middle". Folks way out on that right hand side can barely see you, so to them you are "left". Folks way out to the left hand side can barely see you, so to them you are "right". At the moment, the loudest voices have shifted decidedly right. It used to be the middle right would shush the far right when they got too vocal. It was embarrassing for them I think. Now, they cheer them on. (Same goes for the Left). I think the entire country has shifted markedly right after 9-11. I know I have. And everyone I know has. Just a couple of slots. What was dead moderate has become moderately conservative (I know I am mixing conservative with right wrongly). Still a wacky lefty to my dad. Still goose stepping a little too excitedly to my sister. Cherac makes me mad, and I actually listened to Newt for a few minutes yesterday. Look what "they've" made me do! Jerry Johnson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=5 Structure your ColdFusion code with Fusebox. Get the official book at http://www.fusionauthority.com/bkinfo.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
