� 2001-2006 by Shiloh
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riledThe test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.
My guess as to why I'm still hanging on to this is because I'm pmsy. I've noticed when I get this way, it doesn't take much to set me off. And since my feelings about the Bush bashing and certain attitudes regarding the Katrina devastation are personal and go deep, it's no wonder I'm so worked up over this...that they've doominated my thoughts and dictated my mood all day.
As I said, this all began last night. When I decided to check my email one last time. My Yahoo! inbox had a whole string of messages from the email list pertaining to the Soulfood Silk Road Journey. The members of this group were, of course, badmouthing the president and talking about the poor victims of Katrina. *stifles the urge to be snide*
I make no secret about supporting Bush. I also acknowledge he's not the smoothest, most polished, give-the-people-what-they-want kind of leader. He hasn't made the best of decisions at times, but, for what it's worth--and go ahead, call me a fool--I feel he's done what he feels has been right or best in the long-run. And, hes's not afraid to ruffle a few feathers, just to keep a stupid status quo.
I am tired of the bashing. And one lady in the group, a Canadian, was quite vocal in her low opinion of my president. (My low opinion of her was already established sometime ago after reading various essays or emails of hers on certain other topics; this only reaffirmed it. Or rather, to be nice or fair, she is a person I can't see eye-to-eye on about many things. I just have to dismiss her.) I do not know where she got her info, but, according to her, by 2006 Pres. Bush will have tried abolishing the 26th Amendment of our Constitution. According to her it's the one that limits the number of terms a president and vice president can serve. And she says, once that's repealed we're headed for a dictatorship.
Bah! Lady get your Amendments straight! And you might wanna question and recheck your source, as well! The 26th Amendment states, and I directly quote:
"The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."
"This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states within seven years from the date of its submission to the states by the Congress."
This is what really tore it on the Bush bashing for me. Plus the fact that people focused solely on his mistakes and his unpolished way of doing things. They forget it was him who said that Saddam and his people were trying to build a nuclear weapon or bomb, and guess what?! He (Hussein) and his scientists were actually close to having a nuclear bomb! But do people talk about this? Nnnnoooo. They gripe, complain and talk negatively about Bush, prefering to put him down. All they're doing is showing the narrow-minded, nit-picky darkside of humanity.
As for the victims of Katrina? Everyone is all, "Ooooh what can we do to help? Those poor people! That's terrible!" Yes, it's a tragedy, it's devastating, it's horrible. I even had tears in my eyes as I witnessed scenes of the hurricane's aftermath on the news. And I feel for them. I do. But--I have limited sympathy for some of them. They were all warned it was coming. They were all told to get out, to find somewhere else that was safe to stay. Some were smart and heeded the warnings, fleeing Louisiana and Mississippi, like my Uncle Mike and his girlfriend and Ellen Degeneres' aunt did. Some, on the other hand, weren't so wise and stayed. And some who stayed have bellyached and complained that the government doesn't care and have met government representives with hostility and ingratitude at the efforts being made to give aid and to rescue them. One man, I've heard, has refused a rescue, instead asking that they send beer to him! And then there are the people at the Super Dome saying, "Hell no, we won't go!" to rescuers. Not to mention the people who are hiding! How stupid can they be?! And how do you expect me to have much sympathy for such victims who behave like this? They're IDIOTS! Call me callous, I guess, but they were warned. People have gone in and tried rescuing them and have been met with stupid, stubborn jackasses.
Yep, I guess I failed the test of first-rate intelligence. I've had this uppermost in my mind all day. I can't--or haven't yet been able to--accept these two opposing attitudes--mine vs. the majority's of the Silk Road group--side by side without getting ticked off.
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