[Rhodes22-list] jokes

Thu, 5 Sep 2002 11:53:21 -0400

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 sat in a movie theater watching "Schindler's List," and
asked myself, "Why didn't the Jews fight back?"

Now I know why.

I sat in a movie theater, watching "Pearl Harbor and asked
myself, "Why weren't we prepared?"

Now I know why.

Civilized people cannot fathom, much less predict, the
actions of evil people.

On September 11, dozens of capable airplane passengers
allowed themselves to be overpowered by a handful of poorly
armed terrorists because they did not comprehend the depth
of hatred that motivated their captors.

On September 11, thousands of innocent people were murdered
because too many Americans naively reject the reality that
some nations are dedicated to the dominance of others.

Many political pundits, pacifists and media personnel want
us to forget the carnage. They say we must focus on the
bravery of the rescuers and ignore the cowardice of the
killers. They implore us to understand the motivation of the
perpetrators.

Major television stations have announced they will assist
the healing process by not replaying devastating footage of
the planes crashing into the Twin Towers.

I will not be manipulated.

I will not pretend to understand.

I will not forget.

I will not forget the liberal media who abused freedom of
the press to kick our country when it was vulnerable and
hurting. I will not forget that CBS anchor Dan Rather
preceded President Bush's address to the nation with the
snide remark, "No matter how you feel about him, he is still
our president."

I will not forget that ABC TV anchor Peter Jennings
questioned President Bush's motives for not returning
immediately to Washington, DC and commented, "We're all
pretty skeptical and cynical about Washington."

And I will not forget that ABC's Mark Halperin warned if
reporters weren't informed of every little detail of this
war, they aren't "likely - nor should they be expected -- to
show deference."

I will not isolate myself from my fellow Americans by
pretending an attack on the USS Cole in Yemen was not an
attack on the United States of America. I will not forget
the Clinton administration equipped Islamic terrorists and
their supporters with the world's most sophisticated
telecommunications equipment and encryption technology,
thereby compromising America's ability to trace terrorist
radio, cell phone, land lines, faxes and modem
communications.

I will not be appeased with pointless, quick retaliatory
strikes like those perfected by the previous administration.

I will not be comforted by "feel-good, do nothing"
regulations like the silly "Have your bags been under your
control?" question at the airport.

I will not be influenced by so called, "antiwar
demonstrators" who exploit the right of statement to chant
anti-American obscenities.

I will not forget the moral victory handed the North
Vietnamese by American war protesters who reviled and spat
upon the returning soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines.

I will not be softened by the wishful thinking of pacifists
who chose reassurance over reality.

I WILL embrace the wise words of Prime Minister Tony Blair
who said at the Labor Party conference, "They have no moral
inhibition on the slaughter of the innocent. If they could
have murdered not 7,000 but 70,000, does anyone doubt they
would have done so and rejoiced in it?"

There is no compromise possible with such people, no meeting
of minds, no point of understanding with such terror. Just a
choice: defeat it or be defeated by it.

And defeat it we must!

I will force myself to:

 -hear the weeping

 -feel the helplessness

 -imagine the terror

 -sense the panic

 -smell the burning flesh

 -experience the loss

 -remember the hatred.

I sat in a movie theater, watching "Private Ryan" and asked
myself, "Where did they find the courage?"

Now I know.

We have no choice. Living without liberty is not living.

 --Ed Evans, MGySgt., USMC (Ret.) (Not as lean, Not as mean,
But still a Marine)

- submitted by Melinda Sisk

--

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<DIV>&nbsp;sat in a=20
movie theater watching "Schindler's List," and asked myself, "Why =
didn't the=20
Jews fight back?" Now I know why. I sat in a movie =
theater,=20
watching "Pearl Harbor and asked myself, "Why weren't we=20
prepared?" Now I know why. Civilized people cannot fathom, =
much=20
less predict, the actions of evil people. On September 11, =
dozens of=20
capable airplane passengers allowed themselves to be overpowered by a =
handful=20
of poorly armed terrorists because they did not comprehend the =
depth of=20
hatred that motivated their captors. On September 11, thousands =
of=20
innocent people were murdered because too many Americans naively =
reject the=20
reality that some nations are dedicated to the dominance of=20
others. Many political pundits, pacifists and media personnel =
want us=20
to forget the carnage. They say we must focus on the bravery of the =
rescuers=20
and ignore the cowardice of the killers. They implore us to =
understand the=20
motivation of the perpetrators. Major television stations have =

announced they will assist the healing process by not replaying =
devastating=20
footage of the planes crashing into the Twin Towers. I will =
not be=20
manipulated. I will not pretend to understand. I will not=20
forget. I will not forget the liberal media who abused freedom =
of the=20
press to kick our country when it was vulnerable and hurting. I will =
not=20
forget that CBS anchor Dan Rather preceded President Bush's address =
to the=20
nation with the snide remark, "No matter how you feel about him, he =
is=20
still our president." I will not forget that ABC TV anchor =
Peter=20
Jennings questioned President Bush's motives for not =
returning immediately=20
to Washington, DC and commented, "We're all pretty skeptical and =
cynical=20
about Washington." And I will not forget that ABC's Mark Halperin =
warned=20
if reporters weren't informed of every little detail of this war, =
they=20
aren't "likely - nor should they be expected -- to show =
deference." I=20
will not isolate myself from my fellow Americans by pretending an =
attack on=20
the USS Cole in Yemen was not an attack on the United States of =
America. I=20
will not forget the Clinton administration equipped Islamic =
terrorists=20
and their supporters with the world's most=20
sophisticated telecommunications equipment and encryption=20
technology, thereby compromising America's ability to trace=20
terrorist radio, cell phone, land lines, faxes and=20
modem communications. I will not be appeased with pointless, =
quick=20
retaliatory strikes like those perfected by the previous=20
administration. I will not be comforted by "feel-good, do=20
nothing" regulations like the silly "Have your bags been under=20
your control?" question at the airport. I will not be =
influenced by so=20
called, "antiwar demonstrators" who exploit the right of statement to =

chant anti-American obscenities. I will not forget the moral =
victory=20
handed the North Vietnamese by American war protesters who reviled =
and=20
spat upon the returning soldiers, airmen, sailors and =
Marines. I will=20
not be softened by the wishful thinking of pacifists who chose =
reassurance=20
over reality. I WILL embrace the wise words of Prime Minister =
Tony=20
Blair who said at the Labor Party conference, "They have no=20
moral inhibition on the slaughter of the innocent. If they =
could have=20
murdered not 7,000 but 70,000, does anyone doubt they would have done =
so and=20
rejoiced in it?" There is no compromise possible with such =
people, no=20
meeting of minds, no point of understanding with such terror. Just=20
a choice: defeat it or be defeated by it. And defeat it we=20
must! I will force myself to: &nbsp;-hear the=20
weeping &nbsp;-feel the helplessness &nbsp;-imagine the=20
terror &nbsp;-sense the panic &nbsp;-smell the burning=20
flesh &nbsp;-experience the loss &nbsp;-remember the=20
hatred. I sat in a movie theater, watching "Private Ryan" and=20
asked myself, "Where did they find the courage?" Now I =
know. We=20
have no choice. Living without liberty is not living. &nbsp;--Ed =
Evans,=20
MGySgt., USMC (Ret.) (Not as lean, Not as mean, But still a =
Marine) -=20
submitted by Melinda =
Sisk -- </DIV></BODY></HTML>

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