Should I be able to point with pride at how America's educational system is now based on a series of tests that is all sound and fury signifying nothing? My students all mark the test answer sheets in randomly. And why shouldn't they? The questions asked on the tests in many cases don't even make sense. One answer makes as much sense as another to them.
Should I be able to point with pride at how the Democratic majority in Congress, despite a clear message from the voters to get some cajones and stand up for themselves, is still acting like they get their paychecks directly from Cheney and Bush? And DO their paychecks come directly from what is left of the once-respected White House? More and more, this is becoming a really good question. But not to worry. According to Bush's new National Security Presidential Directive, it no longer matters WHERE Congressmembers' paychecks come from. If we have one bad hurricane in the Gulf this year, Congress itself will become obsolete. Oh well.
Should I be able to point with pride to America's crowning glory, its yeomen citizenry? The ones who are untrained, uneducated and out of work? The ones who live in fear of Osama bin Ladin and Bill Clinton -- that is, if they are aware enough to even remember who they are supposed to hate and/or fear?
Should I be able to point with pride at the "training exercises" now going on in the Straits of Hormuz right across from Iran? They are very similar to the "training exercises" that went on right before the invasion of Iraq, thus indicating that we can expect an attack on Iran at any minute by those war-starved crazies in the White House. And will I be able to point with pride at our brave military that will be stretched beyond the point of no return if there is a war with Iran? Or at the suck-ups in the Penatgon who are willing to sell out our our brave soldiers in exchange for not getting fired from their cushy desk jobs?
Should I be able to point with pride at the fact that our Constitution's Bill of Rights will soon be obsolete -- if it isn't already. And don't even get me started on Freedom of the Press. I've been sponsored by four (4) national news media outlets and I'm still not being allowed to embed back in Iraq. Why is that? Because I sky-lined myself to the State Department by criticizing Bush, Cheney and Rice? Or because they think I can't write? I've paid my journalistic dues -- with over 500 articles published so far plus I've even written a freaking book! What more do they want? When BUSH writes a book (or even reads one) perhaps I'll be more willing to listen to him talk about freedom of the press.
Good. Now I've got a plan. No more of this nancy-boy "view with alarm" crap. From now on, I'm only gonna try to "point with pride". All I ask is that America gives me something to "point with pride" at! Having Bush, Cheney and Rice thrown in jail for corruption, election theft and the needless murder of our brave troops might be a good start. I would definitely point with pride at that!
