Letters to the Editor
maureenodonnell
Published Letters: 577 Editor's Choice: 5
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Thrasher is all over the place
[Read the article: Dolores Huerta: "Como se llama" Obama?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I saw a highly literate, calm and reasoned letter in yesterday's NYT, responding to Judith Warner's column, and it was written by someone called Thrasher. I knew immediately that it could not be the same person as the one who spreads such bilge across the pages of the discussion forum of Salon. I'm using my own name while others are hiding behind a nom-de-plume or anonymity. If you have the patience to read the garbled epistles from Thrasher of Salon, you will find exactly who has the agenda. This is quite amusing. Having twisted himself into more knots than the most skilled cotortionist would even consider, Thrasher of Salon couldn't debate with me without resorting to stereotypes, boastfulness, innuendo and none-too-subtle disparagement of me. I'm not complaining, of course, because I do like a good laugh.
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Amerigo: The Vikings also have a claim to discovery
[Read the article: Dolores Huerta: "Como se llama" Obama?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It is so hard to find the truth about almost anything. First of all, I did not state that I, personally, was angry in March 2003. There was a bug protest march in Dublin and I did not go to that. I was unsure about the "weapons of mass destruction" and when Colin Powell was convinced I thought "Well, he must know". There were people in Europe who were against the invasion from the beginning, many being vehement in their opposition. For instance, after the Madrid bombing, in 2004 the Spanish government of Prime Minister Aznar lost the general election. One of the reasons, and probably the main one, is that many of the Spanish people blamed Aznar for what was perceived as a Bush-Cheney war. Americans need to remember that North Africa, which is Arab and Muslim, is only about 20 miles across the Mediterranean from southern Spain.
I wanted SPECIFIC information on Barack Obama's rejection of American intervention in Iraq, as it is oh so easy to be wise after the event. Everybody I know thinks that the Iraq war has been a disaster and nobody here is going for the American Presidency, for obvious reasons. Jane Fonda was called "Hanoi Jane" because she was pictured with the Viet Cong and vociferously opposed America's military involvement in Vietnam.
Unfortunately, lives were destroyed in more ways than one in that war. Being against a war, as Jane was, does not automatically mean that you are Presidential material and, if an American politician only denounces a war that has become a thorn in the side of the body politic, with no end in sight, I'd be suspicious of that politician. That's why I asked when EXACTLY Senator Obama publicly condemned the war but when I've asked this question of Obama supporters, they refer me to htpp-this, that and the other. Since this is one of the main Obama planks, I'd expect his supporters to be able to supply a simple date. Of course I'm being told, in a very polite way, to just buzz off.
Senator Obama may be all that you say but I remain to be convinced. He spent part of his childhood in Indonesia which has the highest concentration of Muslims in the world. The Bali bombers came from Indonesia and I'm not sure how easy it is to research records in that country, which is extremely spread out and is not an open society. Nearly all the information I have on current affairs is from the BBC, which is outstanding in its news coverage. Up to now, every serious contender for the American Presidency has had every detail of his life put under a magnifying glass so that we've known as much about his parents and background as if he'd lived next door. Even grandparents have come in for serious mention. Now there is so much dissimulation, rancor and silliness that the media has reduced a vitally important election to a pitched battle about race and gender on the Democratic side while, on the Republican side, Huckabee's and Romney's religious allegiance has also titillated journalists. Americans have an extremely choice to make and that choice will reverberate across the world. My questions may seem impertinent but I see them as pertinent. I have relatives in London, also a target for extremists.
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I'm tired
[Read the article: Dolores Huerta: "Como se llama" Obama?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I wrote a "bug Protest marc" instead of "big" but it's possible that insects are unhappy too as their environment is being ravaged by homo-not-so-sapiens. It's night-time here. Hasta luego.
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Brewmn calls me a plant or a moron
[Read the article: Dolores Huerta: "Como se llama" Obama?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Coming from someone who doesn't know the difference between "your" and "you're", I'm truly mortified. Lord, HCR's trntacles must be tremendous if she can reach the Emerald Isle. As for being a "plant", I must surely be a shamrock but there's nothing sham about me. I actually don't like HCR because she reminds me so much of a former headmistess, with whom I disagreed a lot. I don't like descending to your level of insult, whatever your real name is, so I'll refrain from telling you what I consider to be your level of intelligence. I am More or less serious in my questions, which evidently have irked you but so many of you have proved that the English literati are right when they say that Americans don't understand irony. As for being a "shill", that is a Yiddish word I think but it must be popular in your country, as I've seen it used over and over in accusatory posts from someone or other who hates Hillary/Obama/Huckabee/McCain/Giuliani/Edwards/Ron Paul....I could go on but why bother. Your paranoia and xenophobia is being made visible to the whole world. As for "Now go away", I probably had said as much as I wanted to on the topic but there's something in me that resists bullying, which Brewmn is attempting to do. Cheer up anyway. In February we won't have so many hours of darkness and I'll have grown sick of the puerile harangues that pass for discussion in your neck of the woods. Meanwhile, Brewmn, you might consider taking a few night classes in history, current affairs, English and perhaps acquire an extra something-or- other for taking a course in manners.