Lack of medical care is OK as long as we wave the flag?

By: jboltmd
Published On: 8/5/2008 10:27:09 PM

Today I received a pseudo-patriotic paranoid Rove-like rant entitled "A MUST READ" from someone who grew up with me in St. Paul, VA, back in the Appalachian coalfields.  The email wallowed in indignation that Barack Obama's airplane did not have an American flag on its tail, even though it sports one on the fuselage:

"Barack Obama recently finished a $500,000 total overhaul of his 757. And as part of the new design, he decided to remove the American flag from the tail...

What Kind Of American would remove the symbol of his country? And worse, he replaced the flag with it with a symbol of himself... the "O" is for Obama in the logo."

Instead of obsessing about the presence or absence of a flag on a lapel or a plane's tail, I hope more Americans will pay attention to the real issues confronting our country.

Although George Bush wears a flag pin, in my opinion he is a war criminal, flag or not.

His actions have caused the deaths of 4,000 US troops and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.  Bush and the Republican administration have destroyed both our country's honor and the value of our currency.

Those who now pose as "conservatives" chant their mantra of, "I've got mine.  F___the rest of you!"

Look at them wringing their hands over a flag decal while ignoring all the war dead, lack of medical care for our citizenry, and the shambles of our economy.  

If Barry Goldwater returned from the dead he would probably lead an insurrection to drive all the racist former Dixiecrats out of the Republican Party.  Then he would ask the remaining old time GOP members how they intended to pay for two, maybe even three, wars without raising taxes.

If you want to read about just one of America's real problems, see the recent Newsweek story about once a year medical care for the citizens of my home county back in Southwest Virginia.

               http://tinyurl.com/65mdnl
 


Comments



It confuses me (Catzmaw - 8/6/2008 1:06:18 PM)
My perfectly intelligent sister forwarded me one of those viral e-mails a few days ago, the one from the Utah National Guard captain who wrote a letter claiming Obama snubbed the troops and went to play basketball instead of visiting them in Afghanistan, etc.  I replied to everyone on my sister's list and my sister with the facts, drawn directly from Factcheck.org and the Army Times, demonstrating that the dear captain was a lying sack who wasn't even there for Obama's visit and that in fact Obama didn't play basketball and DID visit the troops who seemed very happy to see him.  No arguments, no name calling, just the straight dope.  My sister replied that she wasn't going to send me any more e-mails if I was going to be "smug" and insist on debunking them.  Go figure.  The truth used to matter.  Now, pointing out the truth makes one "smug".  In other forums where I've insisted on puncturing holes in people's balloons with the truth I've been accused of being "arrogant," "idiotic," and "stupid."  I always reply that any such charges must be documented with proper evidence and using reliable sources.  

So I guess my sister and all her friends will vote for McCain even though they have little or no access to health care and are barely getting by.  



Same situation with me and my mom (Ron1 - 8/6/2008 1:29:45 PM)
She sends me those things. I reply to the whole list, occasionally with, umm, salty language. That usually gets me off the email chain list for a few weeks, anyway.

The fact is, we aren't dealing with rational opponents, including our loved ones. They'll believe every smear in the book about their enemy, but can't/won't see the same in their guy. My parents are pretty much brainwashed by the hate radio and TV that they listen to/watch for about four or five hours a day. I've given up on trying to convince them of anything, but I don't let their lies pollute the air either and rebut in full force. And then we talk about the Redskins and the Patriots (me, my dad). So it goes.

I'm hoping eventually the cognitive dissonance of smearing liberals -- which they must know includes both of their own children -- will get to them, but I doubt it. It's all about compartmentalization for conservatives. I did tell them that the kind of hate speech they listen to everyday is what caused a man in Tennessee to open fire on his own church congregation, and they refused to see the connection. I also explained (during the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies that were so heavy on talk of Christ, which is 100% the right of the inductees to do so) that one of the reasons I am a lapsed Catholic is that most of the people that profess to be Christians don't act or talk like the Christ they claim to worship -- after about half an hour of debate that didn't sound very compassionate to me. Again, right over their heads.

The thing is, they have no problem holding grievances against entire groups of people, but would pretty much never treat an individual in those groups in an unkind manner. It's bizarre to me.

That stream-of-consciousness reply is just to say, I completely understand where you're coming from.



In Marion, Va... (lgb30856 - 8/6/2008 1:43:05 PM)
off I 81 a week ago for a wedding. I was surprised to see 4 cars with Obama stickers on them.
My husband's 80 year old brother told him that Obama was a muslim and can't be president caue he hates this country. This from people that don't have a dime of retirement money and a big morgage.
I can't even take the time to talk to these people.