posted on September 14, 2003 11:47:59 AM new
MAD AS HELL
CHERI DELBROCCO
WHERE'S THE COMPASSION?
After watching the second anniversary tribute to the victims of 9/11, we finally have a demonstration of “compassionate conservatism” in action. As the sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews and friends read the list of those lost on that horrible day, the impact was overwhelming.
Bells, tears, and prayers brought back all the emotions, pity, and sympathy we share for the victims and their families. And our “compassionate conservative” President was too tired from fundraising to be in attendance at Ground Zero.
Even after two years, commemoration requires courage. It also requires humility and honesty. But more than anything, it requires compassion.
When the memorial was over, many of the relatives, especially the widows, appeared on television networks. Their comments and questions gave clues to their growing frustration with and suspicion of the President and his administration. Widow Lorie van Auken, when reflecting on that tragic day, said, “I couldn’t stop watching the president sitting there, listening to second-graders, while my husband was burning in a building.”
No explanation has ever been given to families as to why Bush continued reading a story to Florida elementary students for nearly a half-hour during the worst attack in America’s history. Where is the courage and humility to provide the families an answer? Where is the honesty? Where is the compassion?
Lots of other answers are needed in order to understand what happened to our country on that fateful day, only nine months after Junior Bush came to power. Why did John Ashcroft and Pentagon officials cancel their personal commerical airline flights the day before the attacks? Now that the FBI has changed its story, what really happened when Flight 93 crashed in western Pennsylvania? Where are the “indestructible” black boxes from the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center?
Where were the jet fighters that were supposed to protect the air space that morning? Who mailed anthrax that killed five Americans? Why are 28 pages in the Congressional September 11 report blacked out? Where is Osama bin Laden? Why was his family whisked out of the country when it took government approval for anyone to fly? Why did this administration so quickly link Saddam Hussein to the attacks? Why has the White House fought against a comprehensive Congressional investigation? Where are the answers? Where is the compassion?
Although Bush attended several fundraisers in several states in days just prior to the tribute, he curiously was unable to make the forty five minute plane ride to New York. Instead, he chose to attend a service at a church across the street from the White House. In his brief television interview, he piously quoted the Bible while speaking of the nation’s remembrance of “a sad and terrible day.”
It seems odd that a man who has so cavalierly and repetitiously alluded to his deep and abiding religious faith, would fail to show up to speak, hug, weep, and comfort the families of 9/11 - especially when it happened on his watch.
Does the passing of only two years now mean we can only expect sanctimonious lipservice from this President? After all, this is the worst act of terror to ever happen on American soil. We hear a lot of talk from Bush about winning at war. As a matter of fact, the word “war” seems to be his favorite word. When it comes to answering the questions of the victims of war, there are no answers. Where is the compassion?
The 9/11 families, as well as the rest of the nation, are owed answers by George W. Bush. Those answers should provide information with honesty and humility. Unfortunately, Junior Bush has acted with cowardice and callousness, not compassion.
posted on September 14, 2003 01:20:45 PM new
Senators Oppose Revealing Secrets in 9/11 Report
Fri September 12, 2003 09:32 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Intelligence Committee leaders said on Friday they would not seek to make public a section of the report into the Sept. 11 attacks that dealt with whether there was Saudi support for the hijackers.
Writing to one of the senators who had urged that the secret section of the report be declassified, Republican Chairman Pat Roberts and ranking Democrat Jay Rockefeller said counterterrorism efforts could be harmed if the information were released.
Roberts, a Republican, and Rockefeller, a Democrat, said they had taken into consideration recent testimony by FBI Director Robert Mueller and Deputy Director of Central Intelligence John McLaughlin.
"Based on this testimony and our own review of the information, it is our view that release of additional information ... could adversely affect ongoing counterterrorism efforts," Roberts and Rockefeller wrote to Sen. Bob Graham, a Florida Democrat.
"We will continue to monitor the intelligence community's efforts to uncover any foreign links to the September 11 hijackers and will work with the administration to make information available to the public as appropriate," Roberts and Rockefeller wrote.
The congressional report was released in July with a 27-page section on Saudi Arabia still classified. President Bush rejected Saudi requests to declassify it, on the grounds that it would compromise intelligence.
Graham, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, has urged a Senate vote on declassifying the material. He is former chairman of the Intelligence Committee and helped spearhead the inquiry that produced the report on the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
Other members of Congress also requested publication, including Republican Richard Shelby of Alabama, who said the section was being kept secret mainly to avoid diplomatic embarrassment.
posted on September 14, 2003 05:02:06 PM new
I clicked on this thinking it might be something interesting.
SOS: Copy and paste!
Don't you Democrats have anything at all to say from your own free mind?
Some day Vendio is going to shut this site down.
All you do is waste their bandwith!
And server space!
posted on September 14, 2003 05:40:14 PM new
stickboy -
If they had posted a personal opinion you would have asked for a source to back up their baseless opinion.
Their cut and paste is still more interesting than your name calling distain.
If you don't like the cut and paste how about giving us your reasoned thoughtful reply?
If I wanted to read this left-wing stuff, I'd go to a nutcase news site, not an auction forum.
I know this is the round-table anything-goes forum.
But the LEAST they can do is post a line or two of their own opinion. Just cutting and pasting news articles here is a waste of EVERYONE's time.
What do you think? Why did you post it? Do you agree or disagree? At least post something to actually discuss!
-------------------
Replay Media
Games of all kinds!
posted on September 14, 2003 06:28:32 PM new
gravid:
If they had posted a personal opinion you would have asked for a source to back up their baseless opinion.
I have always welcomed individuals for their personal opinion!
That's what this is about!
Their cut and paste is still more interesting than your name calling disdain.
posted on September 15, 2003 06:03:44 AM new
Well dad of stupid boy...
You haven't said anything to refute. You have nothing but a lack of character. You have nothing to refute it so it MUST BE TRUE. All you can do is insult the poster. What a punk boy you are. You just drop your drawers, bend over and squeal "cut and paste, cut and paste." You worthless human being.
Either you put up or SHUT UP!
Hmmm....according to the evidence, you have NEVER come up with ANYTHING worth a damn. You just insult and run away.
Punk Boy! Squeal!!! Squeal some MORE insult. Bend over and SQUEAL!!!!
posted on September 18, 2003 05:33:03 PM new
mlecher:
Well dad of stupid boy...
You have nothing but a lack of character. All you can do is insult the poster. What a punk boy you are. You just drop your drawers, bend over and squeal "cut and paste, cut and paste." You worthless human being.
Either you put up or SHUT UP!
Hmmm....according to the evidence, you have NEVER come up with ANYTHING worth a damn. You just insult and run away.
Punk Boy! Squeal!!! Squeal some MORE insult. Bend over and SQUEAL!!!!
Well Said!
[ edited by dadofstickboy on Sep 18, 2003 05:34 PM ]
