Dear Dick
Dear Dick (Cheney)
It's fine for you to be ignorant sitting in washington, or flying in
some government jet, or hanging out on a hunting trip (sport killing)
with a supreme (sic) court justice, but I would prefer it if when you
get to Iowa and speak in Des Moines, you try not to be ignorant.
It's not so bad for us knowing that you are completely and totally
ignorant when you are off in washington, but when you come into our
backyard and start speaking as if you knew a single thing about human
life, the conduct of international affairs, human relations or (most of
all) terrorism, it just rankles the old Hawkeye spirit... and I suppose
a few Cyclones, too.
You were quoted today in USA today in these terms today:
Cheney said the nation under a Kerry presidency could "fall back into a
pre-9/11 mind-set," which he described as viewing terrorist attacks as
"just criminal acts" and the nation as "not really at war."
see this:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004
-09-07-cheney-terror_x.htm
I am taking the liberty to remind you that:
1) We are not at war. No one has declared war.
2) There is no one to declare war against. There is no country at war
with us.
3) Your assumption of the war mantle for our activities against those
who apparently oppose us has been used as an intensifier to upgrade the
conflict in the public mind. Since however, we are not at war
(evidently) the Geneva Convention does not apply.
Since we are not up against countries, but against individuals, new
rules must evidently be coined.
But you can't use the implication or war and then make new rules at the
same time. That gives you the right to kill anyone, detain anyone, do
anything to stop terrorism.
And why is that?
Because you feel powerless.
You know and I know that there is no way to stop terrorism.
You are trying to restrict, to disenable, to punish terrorism.
But there is no way to stop people who have no other work and would
rather die than see you prosper. At least, not using force.
You are helpless.
Not only that, your war on terrorism is creating more terrorists.
Your current list of adjectives: ignorant, helpless, incompetent,
arrogant, culturally insensitive, egocentric, presumptuous,
ethnocentric, elitist, dismissive, cold, remote, taciturn,
unresponsive, unimaginative, inflexible, and the new Ugly American.
But let's not worry about all that. Let's just concern ourselves with
the first thing.
Like I said, if you are going to be ignorant, please do it somewhere
else.
It's bad enough watching you on the national stage, and enduring your
completely inept administration for either a few more months or (heaven
forbid...) four more drears.
But I don't really want to hear, again, that you are talking Des
Moines, or anywhere else in Iowa. Unless you are discussing something
that you are actually competent to discuss. Not that we have any clue
what that might be.
If you want to know how peace is created (doubtful), read this.
http://www.uspeacecongress.org
But the main thing, for now, is
Go away.
Bye now.
