This morning I posted A Better Way, Mr. President. It was my response to the president’s speech last night. It was snarky and judgmental against our commander in chief as well as the way he addressed the world in response to the killing of Osama bin Laden.
You know, there’s a reason I hate political debate. It is discussion in which there is never a winner, because both sides are arguing the opinion of things which can rarely be proved. And, if I’m being honest, I’ve seldom seen it happen when debating opinion does anything but make both sides more and more heated, more and more prideful, more and more divided, and more and more disrespectful in their answers to each other.
I’ve had all day to think about it, and to decide if I responded in an appropriate way, and I will happily swallow my pride long enough to say that I could have handled things in a better way. And I should have.
This is not me coming back to you with my tail between my legs. There is no need to do that. While great debate followed that post, half of the people who read it agreed with it. Thousands reposted it and shared it. I received many beautiful notes of encouragement and support for writing it. And, I don’t have a different opinion of what my message was in that post.
What I am saying is that I could have and should have written it in a different way. I wrote it from a place of anger and frustration. But even more, I wrote it from a place of hurt. While often such emotions affect writing in powerful ways, this time it blinded me to the reality of the situation and the purpose of his speech in the first place.
You see, I, like most Americans (and our allies), have been very emotionally attached to this ten-year search for Osama bin Laden. I watched live as the second plane crashed into the twin towers. I was glued to my television as the war on terror unfolded. I have read the news as time and time again, soldiers are reported killed in battle, more troops are deployed, and more and more taxpayer dollars are sent to this war.
It has been discouraging to me that Osama bin Laden has escaped capture time and time again. It has been hurtful to me that he has continued masterminding terrorist plots against those I love.
And so, when I was sitting with my family and a breaking news alert flashed across my phone that Bin Laden was dead and that the president was going to speak, I became euphoric. I began texting my friends in excitement. I felt the sweet taste of victory that our country has been fighting so hard to get. I felt proud of our military and of our soldiers that have given so much. I felt like I was part of something greater.
I went and turned on the President’s speech, excited to hear a beautiful declaration of victory from our commander in chief. I tuned in, expecting a pep talk that would poignantly sum up the emotions that the entire country has felt for the past decade. I wanted my feelings to be validated. And they weren’t. He spoke with little emotion, he kept to the facts, and he delivered his message.
And that hurt. It hurt because I wanted more. It hurt because it didn’t touch on the things that I thought were important. It hurt because it didn’t make me feel motivated and unified in purpose the way I have for the last ten years. But it doesn’t mean it was wrong.
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I am going to begin by saying this: I can NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER condone what Bin Laden's twisted followers did on 9/11. I personally believe that killing should ALWAYS be a LAST RESORT. That being said, i must refer to your comments in the post about Mom pushing Daddy away, because it illustrates so well how a person's heart and mind can be changed by the wrong kind of stimulus. Next, I must say that i emphatically do NOT believe in Manifest Destiny, that our nation is somehow chosen by God to be at the Apex of World Politics, or occupy the place of Economic Supremacy, even at the cost of children in other countries suffering and starving. So beyond that, i can only refer you to this article, which explains what has happened and is now happening in the Middle East much better that i ever could. I hope this will put things in a broader perspective. It certainly did for me!http://www.tomdispatch.com/archive/175267/stephan_kinzer_BP_in_the_Gulf
I don't think you should be sorry for what you said in your first post, and neither should people be upset about what you said. We have such a thing as "freedom of speech" and you have just as much right to it as anyone. It is not unpatriotic what you wrote, simply expressing your feelings toward the whole situation. No political leader is perfect, we're all human, and those in government are not beyond the discussion of the people. If the people are unhappy with something their leader has done, it is their right to say so.
And I agree with some others that this so-called "war on terrorism" two sided. Yes, I AM proud of our troops who fight to protect our countries (I am Australian), and many have fallen in noble cause. But invading Iraq is just as terrible as them invading our countries. Those poor people are suffering just as much or more, we are just blind to it. Far too many innocent people have lost their lives in this battle just because they're Iraqi. Our soldiers knew the sacrifice they may be called to when they went into service for their country. But those innocent people never agreed to such a sacrifice. Death is never a victory, no matter who's it is. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, neither should we.
Again, this is my opinion. We each have the right to express our opinions, and I thank you for expressing yours, Dan. :)
You do write a blog don't you dear? That means you are expressing your opinion on topics. I highly doubt you will ever be able to write a post about any topic that everyone will agree with you about. Your followers will go up and down like a yo-yo but that is life.
I have my own opinions on that whole situation with Bin Laden. I'm sure there are many who agree and disagree with them but unlike you, I don't have a blog where the whole world can hear about them. So I'm afraid you will just have to 'deal'.
You have to be the most unique blogger I've ever seen. The fact that you analyzed your approach and then took responsibility for your approach is short of amazing. It is very difficult to be a responsible person, let alone a responsible writer. It it easy to see why you have many people following you, your honest with everyone and most importantly yourself. Great job.
I can't wait to read about these two posts on your other blog!
One day, you write about a super hot-button topic, with strong political opinions that polarize people. Isn't this blog called "Single Dad Laughing"?
The very next day, you have a change of heart and you get to show humility, and win back some of the followers you might have lost. Amazing!
I'm really impressed by this blogging technique! Hey - how's that cake?
Fill in the blank:
This post made me- Proud to be an American.
Don't you ever apologize for your feelings and opinions. Nobody has the right to TELL you how or what to feel. Ever.
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I'll qualify my comments by saying I have not read any comments on your original post, nor this one.
Thank you for writing both of them. I agree with the context of your first post. Oddly enough I didn't find it divisive. I didn't even read it as being written out of anger or frustration. It read as though it was written from a grateful heart, with a passion and love for the country and its people that I hope is in most, if not all, of our hearts. I am Canadian, and watch my own country follow in the U.S.'s footsteps of divisiveness. It hurts to see. And I don't know what the solution is. But that being said, while I truly hope that the words you wrote are similar to, or exactly what Mr. Barak Obama felt or is feeling.... President Obama is a different matter. The fact is, the man that stands before you giving those speeches is not Mr. Barak Obama, father of two beautiful children and husband to Michelle. He is the President of the United States. And in times like these, he must - without exception - represent the Presidency, the strength of your country, the resolve that your military and government must maintain. And the words that must come out of his mouth at times like these - when we have no clue what the ramifications of this situation will be - must present a very strong leader of a country that will not be messed with. Unfortunately, emotion doesn't play a very big part in that. I just hope Mr. Obama has a chance to go back to his rooms at the White House, hold his wife and his daughters close, and shed the tears - of relief, saddness, fear, thankfulness, and love. He is, after all, human.
Thanks again. You are an incredible author, with an outstanding ability to put into words what so many of us only think.
Wonderfully said, Shannon. I didn't see the speech but I did read the previous post on SDL. At first I thought that the post was a reiteration of what the POTUS said and I was taken aback at it's informality and celebration of a man's death.
President Obama can be carefree, and informal in many settings but this was not one such setting. I have had family die and others return home somewhat damaged from this long drawn out ordeal and I want a President who speaks unemotionally and feel that this was done out of a sense of responsibility to, a sense of respect for, those who have perished and those who are survivors rather that from a place of "yeah, we gotcha" or messy emotion.
It makes me feel that he and our military personnel (since he is the voice for them) did their jobs without malice and irrationality and made certain to cover their butts (and, by association, our butts) because they were thinking clearly not clouded by sentimentality, though I'm sure there was a LOT of crying, hugging, and congratulating... in private. No-one IS their job, not even the President
Though I loved the speech Dan wrote, imagine the billions it would have pissed off in other countries affected by this. Talk about retaliation. As some have said, this was not just about one man or one country but POTUS had to take care of business.
I also think that while we're going on about ten years, we are disregarding the honorable men and women who died and served in the Gulf War, circa 1994, the first wave of this continuing war, and what they also did to further our cause and get us to where we are now. They were all a part of taking down two tyrant dictators oppressing and decimating their own people.
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I, too, am saddened and worried about the division in our country that claims to be "undivided". I am also embarrassed by the immature and rude manner so prevalent among news media and politicians. There is very little evidence of a willingness to try to compromise or agree for the benefit of the common good. The citizens of the U.S. seem to have lost all respect and honor for the office of the president. The person in that seat has the most difficult job in the world. The president needs our encouragement and helpful criticism. The U.S. citizens should set the example and lead the way for the world to view our leader and our country in the proper light.
If we give it a lot of thought, it is quite possible that our president wanted to draw the possible Al Quaida reaction to himself and away from the people of this country. A very real threat from the terrorist groups still exists and there is an overwhelming consensus that the terrorists will react in a big, bad way. Obama's "I" and "me" may be a very unselfish method to psychologically divert Usama's cronies.
I understand why you feel the need to apologize, but don't take it too far. It's YOUR blog, and people can take it or leave it. I'm offended by the people that are fickle enough to unsubscribe because of one polarized post.
Like most of us, my opinion hasn't changed over all the debate. Though the Martin Luther King, Jr., quote used earlier in a comment was inaccurately attributed to him,, he DID say:
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral,
begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy.
Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.
Through violence you may murder the liar,
but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth.
Through violence you may murder the hater,
but you do not murder hate.
In fact, violence merely increases hate.
So it goes.
Returning violence for violence multiplies violence,
adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness:
only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate:
only love can do that.
I believe that Jesus did not rejoice over the death of a lost soul. I don't believe that assassinating a leader is anything less than terrorism. If Obama had been killed, it would be an assassination; but since it's Bin Laden, it's a victory. We set such double standards so often that we don't realize that the occupation of Iraq looks exactly like the occupation of France under Germany. We are terrorists, too. The ones we kill are not evil--they are doing what they think is the right thing--just like we are. We're just on two sides of the same coin. And the coin is being flipped in a big way.
My recent post More Than a Little Grace- A Glimpse of My Story
I do love Martin Luther King Jr.'s message. It is a thing of beauty and hope and a dark world. I can promise you two things. 1) If Obama had been killed, *many* people on the other side of the world would have celebrated it as victory also. 2) Those same people are right now mourning the loss of a charismatic leader.
I can also pray to God that we aren't putting six MILLION Iraqi people into *gigantic freaking ovens* and burning them, after having gassed them to death. I fervently hope that we are slightly better than the Nazis, who occupied not only France, but Poland and Belgium and many other countries.
As for coins, just ask any historian. They will tell you that that is what coins do: they flip. The idea is to learn from past flips and survive the next.
Thanks, Cait. I agree with you wholeheartedly. If only people could be more objective, and realize that what we do looks a lot like terrorism to other countries, perhaps there would be less hatred and fear all around. Thanks for your reply.
My recent post Praying for Osama
I don't think your post was offensive at all, but, like you, I replied to it and my comments were taken the wrong way. I think it's tough to have a "tone" come through correctly while writing a blog. It's supposed to be personal and emotional, yet there's really no way to say "ok, here I'm being sarcastic" or "here, I'm really frustrated". Noone is that good of a writer. You're doing a fantastic job!!
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I love this post! I like how it made people think, question, and debate even more than the morning post. I completely agree... it was not necessarily what you said, but how you said it. Irregardless of how I feel there, this post shows great strength of character. I love how you got people on both sides to do more research and look further!
I appreciate your candor. It takes character to assess what we say and do, and insight to reflect on it. It's funny how quickly people will react and wash their hands of you when you state an opinion. Meh.
My recent post Osama Bin Laden Is Dead Now What
"To those who threw their hands up and said, "goodbye Single Dad Laughing, I’m done with you..." Farewell my fair-weather friends. That saddens me." LIke I said yesterday, it's a shame that people are not capable of agreeing to disagree, and are only willing to be here if their opinion is shared. 'A letter to the extremists' comes to mind.
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I don't even see the need for this post right now. You said how you felt, and thousands agreed, myself included. Thousands didn't agree. So what? That is what makes this country GREAT. That is what our Armed Forces fight for everyday. We can disagree and still live (semi) civilly. Don't apologize, feel bad, or take back what you said. This war has been an emotional, financial and political roller coaster. We are ALL emotional. We are ALL hurt. Do we need to unite? Most definitely. However, some people let their political and religious opinions stand in the way of that. Shameful really, because at the end of the day, we all really want the same general things. For those people that unsubscribed or plan to in the future...I hope that no one else in your life ever disagrees with you. You will be missing out on so many things because you can't handle someone else's opinion. As for you Dan, KEEP WRITING. Keep putting your heart into your posts. Keep the emotion flowing. I'm not sure you will ever understand how nice it is to hear sometimes.
I truly think the President was nervous. The dude tripped over his words at least 3 times, and he rarely, if never, does that. That pressure seems insurmountable to me. You're right, those of us who have watched and waited for the last 10 years are very emotionally tied to the outcome of this event. It's hard not to get worked up about it. I, like you, despite what was said or not said, am glad that those who might not have otherwise lived, now get to do so without threat from this evil terrorist.
I like SDL, sure. But sometimes silence is golden.....
LOL.
It is floating around FB now that MLK actually didn't say that. Or that he didn't say it quite like that.
I disagreed with you in your post yesterday. I do understand where your feelings come from and I do think you as an American and a human being have every right to feel the way you do.
I think Mr. President came out and stated facts and yes maybe he could have gone a little further and addressed the emotion behind what was going on. As someone who will never have to make the kind of decision the President made, to have any man killed I can't say I blame him that he stuck to the facts and took responsibility for giving the order.
Just my 2 cents. I hate politics and I can't understand why people can't agree to disagree. Opinions by definintion are: a personal view, attitude or appraisal. Just because we don't have the same opinion doesn't mean we both aren't right, or wrong for that matter.
Have you ever thought maybe our president was tired when he delievered that speech? Give him a slack. I'm really tired of republicans talking down about him. :P I wish you'd have handled it better (the post)...just to make this clear, I am aware that you HAVE EVERY right to feel the way you did yesterday.
Being tired has nothing to do with it. He was delivering the speech that was written for him, with his approval of course.
Dan, I totally agree with yesterday post. I am one on the thousands who reposted. I am not changing my opinion one bit. I am a former Navy wife and I know that those SEALs are the ones who deserve the credit. They and they alone were BRAVE enough to stand face to face with pure evil. They risked their lives to conquer that evil man. Yes President Obama made the call but all from the safety of his home. It would have been easy for the military to drop a bomb on the compound but they didn't. The went in risking their lives and the peace of their familys if something were to have gone wrong. God bless them all that it went off without a hitch but that is not always the case. Like I said I am a former Navy wife. My husband entered the Navy just MONTHS before 9/11 and my faith is our government has faltered since we have continually put or men and women in harms way over and over. Stay strong and true to your believes. I am and I am taking a lot of heat for it but I WILL NOT WAIVER!!! Keep it up Dan you are great!!!
Amen!
I don't feel you owe anyone an explanation for putting your feelings down on paper!
You spoke for so many Americans who are frustrated and angry with the Representation they've gotten in Washington! "We The People" ended a long long time ago!
Personally, as a Christian, I am sick and tired of being told that I should accept and pray for the leadership in Washington in lieu of feeling angry and frustrated.
I say to them: GOD gave the enlightened the ability to discern unGodly behavior...EVEN Jesus flipped tables in the Temple!
This was very well written...thank you for sharing.
Dude I thought your post this morning was fine... this post however is annoying. :P
"So, how are you holding up? Because I'm a potato."
- GLaDOS
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This post made me think, as did the few comments that I read. In voicing our opinions we will sometimes be snarky, impulsive, ill-spoken. That's what reflection is for. Which is 'better'- to not speak until one's thoughts are less emotional or to speak the mind, reflect, rephrase? It's called conversation or dialogue only if all/both parties participate - thinking, rephrasing, considering what others have contributed, trying to understand from others' viewpoints (whether one ultimately agrees or not). Thanks to all who've contributed to the discussion.
As an American that witnessed my husband learning the news that his only brother was killed in action in Iraq 4 years ago, I appreciate what you said in your earlier post. Not a day goes by that we don't think about the hero we lost.
When I read your first post, I thought, "Man - this would be a great post...if it didn't have the negative undertone towards our president." While I am not the greatest fan our what our current Commander in Chief stands for, I do respect him.
Thank you for your second post - for seeing the bigger picture and how powerful words can be.
My recent post The Best Four
People actually got upset about yesterday's post and dared to say that you are a contributing factor to the increasing divisiveness in this country? I am sorry but that is a little ridiculous! The reason that people read blogs is to get other people's opinions. No, that doesn't mean that we always have to agree with those viewpoints, but it does mean that we should at least try and respect that other people have other ideas and opinions. Now, I don't personally see what was wrong with the Presidents speech, but I also see nothing wrong with yours either.
You are so right!! The people who read Dan's post are and were divided, as a matter of opinion. Dan had a right to express his wish that the president could have worded his speech to the nation a bit better, with ALOT more enron than he did, and maybe h could have THANKED all those who died,fought and perhaps most of all LIVED to make this day come, this day that an EVIL terrorist will never again walk on this earth. Thank God he no longer lives...
I have purposefully stayed away from any comment about the whole situation, honestly. The whole thing has me a bit numb. I'm a little afraid of what's to come now. I don't know.
I still haven't heard the president's speech, but honestly, I can't imagine it being bad. He's the president. Something major just happened. It's not his job to be our buddy, or our Daddy. He's our leader. It sounds to me like he gave the facts on what happened, and I'm not sure what's wrong with that. Did you feel cheated? Yes. Did everyone? No.
Honestly, I can't imagine what the speech would have sounded like if it were coming from GW. I doubt it would be any more satisfying.
I for one am just hoping that there's not going to be a big retaliation coming to us.
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I didn't agree with your post but I believe I understood it. Thank you for this clarification.
Everyone gets an emotional response. I wouldn't leave because of a disagreement.
This is what stands out to me more than anything. The one's that are leaving SDL and their reasons, claiming that "so and so" divided this nation and "so and so" on added to. But isn't part of our U.S. right the freedom of speech? And yet, just because one person doesn't agree with them they are now refusing to have anything to do with them. Who creating the division now? Out of all the posts that are posted on the site I see only these two that are about our military, politics, our president, etc. All the others comical or deal with parental issues and the like. Those readers that are leaving...Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?
And I wonder, did anyone not even notice that the stupid royal wedding continued to get more coverage than Osama? And I didn't like his speech either. It was arrogant. "I" this, and "I" that. I wonder if "he" would've been able to do it without all those years of work Bush put in before. This whole country needs to get some priorities straightened out.
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Part of the beauty of freedom of speech is that you can choose not to follow a blog you don't like anymore. So, no it's not the pot calling the kettle black. They are exercising their right too.
It is kinda crazy to think about where America was following 9/11 and where we are now. The unity was undeniable, but now the brokenness seems irreparable. Only time will tell, I guess...
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Thank you for this, Dan. Your transparency with us is encouraging. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
My recent post Bin Ladens Dead Now What
Actually, I think you wrote what the President may have felt but couldn't say because he is the president. It is his job to be official while it is your job to say how you feel. I appriciate your writings and the climate of your blog leaving it open for the reader to agree with you or not.
I do think you hit this spot on! To me Mr. Obama is a very Literate, Caring man. It's my guess, that HE didn't write that speech, but someone for him, and he read it. yeah, probably had some time with it before hand..but not much. I didn't hear his speech, but i've seen the *fallout* from it if you will.
I think you're right in saying that if he'd shared his emotion in his speech the way Dan had written it, many would have viewed him as weak, and not a leader. He's our leader for better or worse right now. Leaders take the responsibility of Victory and Defeat, even if they weren't directly in that line of fire.
Well said!
We have full hearts and raw emotion today. What is important is that both your posts were honest.
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i actually enjoyed both posts and don't hate you. you are a brave and wonderful man for expressing what you feel. if somebody felt that you divided instead of uniting the country, that's on them. you werfe just express what we al felt, i though he would support and congratulate those of us who have sacrificed in time, lives and anything else in this search. we all feel let down. Just the facts' ma'am
I think what made me mad the most is that people had apathy to the war until now... and then the ones that did were the first ones to run up to the white house singing "my country tis of the" It should have NEVER came to this to get the support the troops need and crave... you have NO IDEA how much a random package to the troops makes them feel... They feel supported when someone they don't know lets themselves be known as a supporter and that they care even if it is just a letter to a platoon... that is like GOLD to them... and It ANNOYED ME.... now I know SDL is a HUGE military supporter and I think thats what caught me off guard the most the fact he/you/a lot of people said " that no more soldiers would be hurt." or "not be hurt by Osama's attacks" well honestly do you think that he didn't have a plan that he could have set up for years to come, I just NEVER count my chickens before they hatch.. TRUST ME I hope that things get easier I want them to I REALLY REALLY DO for my husbands sake I DO! But I am not letting my guard down... And I don't think the American People Should be either, the president was right in saying "Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort. There’s no doubt that al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must –- and we will -- remain vigilant at home and abroad." there is NO MORE TRUER statement then that... I just don't want people to forget who we should be thinking about or for some people " celebrating" for... The ones who have lost, the ones who yet may lose, and the ones who are still fighting the good fight to win the hearts and minds... and before people say that we aren't trying to do that read this article although lengthy if you ever have the time what this company did is JUST FOR that purpose and we are still trying to open this school... It is a STRONG military we have but without your support the Moral will drop I don't think people want to think that these soldiers are thinking " they don't care so why should we" well I would hope not anyway... And yeah the Speech the president put out was mostly informational and not meant to pat himself on the back but let other people know how long the road has been and acknowledge all of the people who made it possible HOW AND WHY it wasn't meant to be uplifting I mean who knows maybe he wants to be optimistic but cant because why get peoples hopes up.... Don't promise IceCream to the kids if your not sure the Ice Cream shop is open for the season yet you know?
now I am done, and thank you SDL for clarifying though I don't think I bashed you at all and I think my posts were directed to the American Public not about the president because you are right it didn't matter what he said facts are facts... but what does matter is what are WE as a nation going to do about it now? Any who check out this link please its long but you wont be disappointed... heck ANYTHING about the 101st Black hearts is not disappointing they did a great job! And deserve the praise as they JUST returned home.... Its bitter sweet one set comes home while my set went out but I am proud of what 101st did....
CHECK IT OUT http://unhmagazine.unh.edu/f10/jeremiah_ellis.htm...
"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that"
— Martin Luther King Jr.
I love this quote!
I can only shake my head when I think that people actually believe that this war is over now that Osama has been killed.
How can someone be so naive??
Sorry Dan, didn't like what you said.
This quote actually is NOT real. It has apparently popped up since this thing happened - MLK did not say this.
It's probably a paraphrase of this (which he probably did say):
“I’m concerned about a better world. I’m concerned about justice; I’m concerned about brotherhood; I’m concerned about truth. And when one is concerned about that, he can never advocate violence. For through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can’t murder murder. Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can’t establish truth. Through violence you may murder a hater, but you can’t murder hate through violence. Darkness cannot put out darkness; only light can do that.”
My recent post Osama Bin Laden Is Dead Now What
I wasn't aware of that until now, Kate - thanks for making it known.
But even so, the number of people sharing this quote in the last 24 hours shows that it's a sentiment that many of us agree on, regardless of who first said it.
My recent post Back to work- Make-up free- a little afraid- but now with new confidence!
I'm one who's moving on. Because I'm fair weather? No. I'm simply one who will not listen to yet another person complaining about what the POTUS isn't doing for *you* instead of focusing on what he's trying to do for all. You're right, you've added to the division of this country. A division that grows with each person with much influence who adds to it without a single thought about what it means overall. I'll admit I wasn't a fan of the previous president, but I never focused on my petty reasons. I tried to be fair in looking at the bigger picture of what he did. I also won't support anyone who's trying to add more fuel to the fire because it sickens me and hurts me to see this country become this way. My husband and I are both Navy vets, we both joined about a year before 9/11. We watched everything live while at work at a major communications station. We were as much a part of the invasions as anyone in the field. We talked to many of those people, working to keep their lines of communication open so they could try to get home safe. My husband listened to people die over the radios. I talked to lonely soldiers who simply wanted to hear a female voice. We both worked with a Navy Chief whose little boy was on the plane that crashed into the Pentagon, into the very office the Chief worked in but through a twist of fate wasn't there that morning. We saw his empty eyes and heard his empty laughs as he tried to live his life without his son. My husband works to this day doing the same job we did in the Navy, putting up with office politics and incredible stress because he wants to do everything he can to bring our soldiers home alive. My only paternal cousin just came home from Afghanistan, and I have many friends and family still active duty. This division, these petty squabbles, are NOT what we all swore to protect and defend when we signed up. We signed up to protect a *United* States, we swore to protect a Constitution that was written to form a more perfect *Union*, and everything and everyone that work so hard to split that up strikes at the heart of every service member and every vet. And you just added to it all. Like you said, you had the chance to actually do something good, and you failed. Way to go.
I fail to see any inconsistency with the constitution in Dan's post, nor with the Bill of Rights, which was amended onto it. The constitution of the United States was written because people in this country *disagreed* with their current leader. Freedom of word and deed is a beautiful thing, isn't it? You are exercising your freedom to go your own way because you disagree with his opinion, also *fully* consistent with your defense of that great document. I fail to see how either of you has erred here, except for the anger you seem to have toward him for doing what (up until recently) you liked about him: voicing his opinions in a very personal way. The whole point of disagreement is to open up discussion and learn from each other. I know what Dan has learned from it; he has told us himself. I can only wonder what you have learned.
On a side note: Speaking for myself and my family, thank you from the bottom of my heart for working to defend all of us, our rights and our safety.
Although I don't agree with Bashing Dan on it because people let emotions run wild... I do agree with the rest of the post FOR SURE... And I think that is why I asked the question ... Its not about what the president said because it was just facts nothing to argue or fight about really.... its about what WE as a nation are going to take from this and do now... are they going to step up and add the support, or will next week when it goes off CNN will the people of these united states go back to wondering if Lindsay Lohan is back in rehab... I want to have hope that this might JUST bring focus back to where it belongs... And I too have talked to my husbands friends just so they would feel they had someone to talk to and that cared Id send them cards for their birthdays and small gifts JUST so they felt like what they were doing was worth it, I am glad I did... But I think the rest of the nation could do more... Well said.... well minus all the dan bashing... ONLY because I think he was genuine in his apology for making his rant about a more insignificant subject instead of steering it to what is more prominent problems...