Letters to the Editor
debaser
Published Letters: 656 Editor's Choice: 11
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@Garry Owen
[Read the article: How is John McCain like John Kerry?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Thanks for your post. While I may not always agree with you, I always find your opinion on military matters to be extremely illuminating and a pleasure to read...no really, I'm being serious...good work.
About the Vietnam Memorial. I only went there once, on a class trip as a 15 year old Canadian boy with no real understanding of the legacy of war. I was deeply, deeply moved (so much so that my buddies all teased me for being a [wimp]), but it really is a stirring place. All those names, one after the other, as far as you can see...it really drove home the implications of war for me. All these boys were someone's kid, someone's brother, boyfriend, husband, drinking buddy etc etc. (cliche and trite maybe...but hey, I was 15). It's a feeling that I still can recall if I think about it.
But then I moved onto the Veteran's Alley (or whatever they call it) with all the booths hawking pro-war junk. It seemed like such a disconnect, it still does to be honest. I wanted something dignified to commemorate my being there and finally understanding what the big deal was...sadly I couldn't find it. I did find a book that just listed all the names on the wall, but even that had an introduction claiming these men (not boys) were better humans because they weren't "dope smoking hippies" (or something like that)...and so it goes.
anyways...that's just my rambling tangent for the day
cheers,
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@AKA Smith
[Read the article: Did Hillary Clinton really win in Florida?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"Anyone who doesn't like Obama or comments negatively on The Snub, must be implied to be a racist?"
you mean kinda like how anyone with negative opinions of Hillary is immediately a misogynist of the deepest Chris Matthews variety?
look, I'm actually not picking on you...just using that statement to highlight a broader point - both side's supporters are so busy flinging mud and then screaming that their pristeen white shirts are being sullied that it's reaching the level of farce.
Hillary side - the media wants Obama to win! Really?! You expect people to swallow that codswallop?! You mean Clinton...of THE Clintons...the most popular Presidency in the last 40 years (arguably more popular than Reagan) are getting an unfair shake? Honestly? You really believe this? You don't think there's an inherent advantage there for her? Her being aligned with the Hugely popular Bill Clinton? Are you insane? You can only play the victim of the Right Wing Hate Machine for so long...obviously people are voting for her...think maybe the boogeymen of the 90s don't scare quite so much anymore?
Obama Side - Our guy is unassailable! Do not besmirch the good name of Obama! Look, Obama engages in politicking...he'd be a fool not to. I'm sure he knew about the ads in Florida, but he has plausible deniability...to be fair though you don't hear him dismissing Florida by saying "well it's clear Hillary's the choice for old people" (like Bill did in SC). Obama has his hands dirty...anyone who gets to his level is at least a little dingy...get over it.
that being said, I give my non-existent support to Obama. I don't like Hillary (and no, not because she has a uterus).It's largely informed by her demands for Kerry to apologise for his asinine "get (us) sent to Iraq" joke. She lined up right behind the divisive right wing assholes, on the eve of the mid-term elections...knowing full well that the Republicans were looking to use this as a wedge non-issue to steal another election. Instead of defending her Party, she showed her true, colours...it was pretty sickening, and a pretty good indicator of her loyalties (herself).
And I know there are probably numerous examples of Obama doing something untoward (like not shaking a hand apparently), I just haven't seen or heard of anything that crystallized his character flaws as succintly as that moment did for Hillary.
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sigh...
[Read the article: Did Hillary Clinton really win in Florida?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Alright, we get it.
Hillary won Florida. But as everyone and their brother knew long ago, the votes don't count. Blame the DNC, blame the Florida Democratic Party, blame Kathrine Harris...I don't care.
But they don't count, sorry. To try and then rig the system so they will in fact count is the kind of thing a banana republic would get pilloried for if it tried to do.
Florida and Michigan are disenfranchised (although not really...you still get to vote for your President in November right?). Everybody knew this a YEAR ago...if it's such a big deal now, why wasn't it then? Couldn't be because some candidates assumed they'd be cakewalking by now would it?
If you couldn't get up the indignation last year, then you really have no basis to now...so kindly do us all a favour and get over it.
Now if you want to say that this straw ballot can serve as some kind of limited litmus test on the going theories about support for both camps, then go right ahead...but you should bear in mind that the data is flawed...
cheers
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@Rosenkavalier
[Read the article: Did Hillary Clinton really win in Florida?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I agree with you to a point, but you do have to admit that the statistics are somewhat flawed...how about we just say "listen in a non-binding straw-poll 850,000ish people in Florida like Hillary, 560,000ish people like Obama"?
and then can we be done with it?