There has been a lot of press about the rhetoric of whether or not President Obama should send more troops to beat back the insurgent Taliban. There has been reports that the American people are beginning to tire of the fight in Afghanistan and in fact are calling it a worthless war. I feel that it is necessary to explain to the American people that the attack on the World Trade Center in New York was launched from Afghanistan. However, that is not what I want to convey to you here, we all know that Osama Bin Laden and his band of blood thirsty thugs must and will be hunted to the ends of the earth.
I just want to share with you a story that I heard from one of my professors when I was in graduate school back in St. Louis. First of all my professor was a woman that was from eastern Iran and had relatives that lived in Afghanistan. My professor had such a unique perspective of what it was like to live in Iran during the Iranian Revolution and was close enough to her family in Afghanistan to vicariously share their stories with us back in the states. There was a discussion of the Taliban in our class as we were studying the region and its history after the Soviets were kicked out in the late eighties. Of course we being naive praising the Taliban and their fight against oppression summoned the wrath of our soft spoken professor.
She commenced to tell us a story about the Taliban and their rules outlawing the idea of sports and competition among other things as well. Her demeanor changed as she told us about the Taliban softening their position on sports and advertised a soccer match. As you may well imagine the citizens of Afghanistan were excited about the prospects of being able to see and cheer on their favorite team in a long awaited soccer match. As our professor came to a crescendo in her story we became even more excited about our Afghan brothers and sisters getting the chance to see a soccer match and in a way to become human again.
However, our story teller changed the tempo and our hopes just like those in the stadium awaiting the match were crushed in an iron fist of oppression as the Taliban commenced showing brutal executions of those that opposed them. They beheaded their enemies in public display for all to see and to send a message to those in the stadium and beyond that their power (the Taliban) was absolute.
I do not need to tell you that after that story I felt sick and I was emboldened to oppose any affront to freedom where-ever I see it. If there is an affront of freedom here at home or in Afghanistan we as Americans must oppose it no matter where it is. Mr. President I am a citizen of this country and as a citizen I fully support your decision to send more troops to oppose the Taliban. Just like Al Quida the Taliban is nothing more than blood thirsty criminals. I liken them to a gang of thugs that must be stamped out and deadly force is the only way to do it. I trust you will do the right thing President Obama and as far as I am concerned there should be no debate to send more troops at all, send them and I will support the Afghan people in their fight for freedom no matter how long it takes.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
The Educated Masses or Brainwashed?
I just heard the most absurd story about President Obama going on the air to speak to students about the importance of education and reasons why they should stay in school. Bravo to you Mr. President bravo to you that you care enough about the education of our children, our future. I know what you are thinking, what is so absurd about that? Well my friends that isn't, what is absurd is the response of those that oppose the President's agenda.
Our brothers and sisters on the right or in other circles they are called Republicans fiercely oppose this address because they believe that President Obama is trying to mount a campaign of brainwashing our children and to turn them into mindless slaves to his so called socialist agenda. You have got to be kidding me; our President is just trying to enforce the thought that all of us should have and that is the importance of education. You mean to be telling me that Republicans don't agree with this very agenda? That I refuse to believe but look at what has happened in the past 8 years of (No Child Left Behind) where students aren't really taught anything but there is a great emphasis on graduation rates at all cost. Perhaps this is what the right stands for, just a Vail of education where there is no real progress with the system where we in this country turn out truly gifted educated students of all races, creeds, ethnicity's, and so.
You want absurdity, that is absurdity where we just give our students an education. They are not earning their education that is the Republican way. Perhaps it is not absurd after all when you truly take a deep educated look at the Republican position where there is the rich and privileged and then there is the rest of us. That is the absurd view that does not take into account that this country of ours is sliding down a slippery slope. We are losing ground in so many areas, such as business, geopolitics, economics, technology, and yes education.
So I ask you; do you want the Republican way of looking at education or do you want your children to succeed in their education? I would hope that it is the latter and if so you would want your President encouraging our children to stay in school and not only that but attack it with vigor. That is what you want if you consider yourself a responsible parent that believes in the future and believes in the promise of this country. Education is that one key that will unlock that promise. What is so absurd about that?
Our brothers and sisters on the right or in other circles they are called Republicans fiercely oppose this address because they believe that President Obama is trying to mount a campaign of brainwashing our children and to turn them into mindless slaves to his so called socialist agenda. You have got to be kidding me; our President is just trying to enforce the thought that all of us should have and that is the importance of education. You mean to be telling me that Republicans don't agree with this very agenda? That I refuse to believe but look at what has happened in the past 8 years of (No Child Left Behind) where students aren't really taught anything but there is a great emphasis on graduation rates at all cost. Perhaps this is what the right stands for, just a Vail of education where there is no real progress with the system where we in this country turn out truly gifted educated students of all races, creeds, ethnicity's, and so.
You want absurdity, that is absurdity where we just give our students an education. They are not earning their education that is the Republican way. Perhaps it is not absurd after all when you truly take a deep educated look at the Republican position where there is the rich and privileged and then there is the rest of us. That is the absurd view that does not take into account that this country of ours is sliding down a slippery slope. We are losing ground in so many areas, such as business, geopolitics, economics, technology, and yes education.
So I ask you; do you want the Republican way of looking at education or do you want your children to succeed in their education? I would hope that it is the latter and if so you would want your President encouraging our children to stay in school and not only that but attack it with vigor. That is what you want if you consider yourself a responsible parent that believes in the future and believes in the promise of this country. Education is that one key that will unlock that promise. What is so absurd about that?
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