Yep, that's how I feel right now. Like our president, the guy who is supposed to be representative of all Americans -- or at least receptive to the collective opinion of the majority of us -- has just flipped us the Big Fat Finger of F*ck You.
I'm referring, of course, to his bold remarks at a dinner tonight marking the Muslim holiday of Ramadan in which he expressed his unequivocal support for the building of a mosque near Ground Zero.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I clearly remember where I was and what I was doing the morning the Twin Towers came tumbling down and the feeling of sheer terror that swept over me as I realized what was happening.
I also remember seeing in real-time the footage from 9/11 they never show anymore, the falling bodies of people so panicked that they preferred to jump from tens of stories high rather than be burned alive. Yeah, the news networks quit showing THOSE clips because, well, because I guess they thought it would upset us or something.
Right.
See, that's how history gets re-written even as you're staring it in the face. It starts with selective editing of camera footage and ends with the President of the United States of America spouting lofty crap about how freedom to worship belongs to everyone.
No mention, of course, about how fuselage from the jet planes dropped onto the site where the new mosque will be built. No mention, of course, of the overwhelming majority of Americans who, like me, heartily support the freedom of worship but also long for common sense to prevail.
The arrogance cloaked in "who me?" type remarks by mosque supporters is all the more infuriating. They know full well what they're doing and they know why. It's akin to what would have happened if Christians had opted to build churches on the grounds of Auschwitz or Bergen Belsen. It's hard to say, "Oh, but we're not trying to offend anyone," when you know damn well that's exactly what you're doing.
Sadly, the arrogance of our president in this matter doesn't really surprise me. He's already blown off the families of soldiers at Arlington on Memorial Day in favor of a half-ass visit to a Chicago area veteran's cemetery that was rained out and resulted in a hasty wreath laying, paid for his wife and daughter to cavort about Spain when plenty of beautiful tourist destinations in his own country are crying for tourist dollars in a sagging economy, shunned the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America and a traditional personal appearance at their jamboree in favor of 15 minutes of horseshit with the ladies of The View, and bowed and apologized his way across the Middle East in an effort to show the world how awful and sorry and contrite we are for all the horrible things we've done. Then there's his tacit approval of the government's lawsuit against Arizona for daring to enforce the federal immigration law because the feds won't do it.
Who is this man and why does he seem hellbent on destroying the dignity of our country?
Right after 9/11, a fairly obscure country western singer named Darryl Worley got his 15 minutes of fame when he penned a poignant song and sang it on TV. I cried the first time I heard it, and I cry when I hear it now. You won't find it played on radio stations anymore -- 9/11 was a long time ago and apparently we're supposed to forget it and get over it -- but I put it on my iPod and included the lyrics in the journals I write for all four of my children. One of them was a baby on that fateful day, the other three were not yet born, but I wrote down my recollections so that in spite of whatever revisionist history they someday encounter they will have a first-person account from someone they know they can trust to tell them the truth.
I encourage all parents to do the same.
In closing, I leave you with the words of Darryl Worley's song, "Have You Forgotten?"
Oh, and I dedicate this to President Obama.
I hear people saying we don't need this war
But, I say there's some things worth fighting for
What about our freedom and this piece of ground
We didn't get to keep 'em by backing down
They say we don't realize the mess we're getting in
Before you start your preaching let me ask you this my friend
Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
They took all the footage off my T.V.
Said it's too disturbing for you and me
It'll just breed anger that's what the experts say
If it was up to me I'd show it everyday
Some say this country's just out looking for a fight
Well, after 9/11 man I'd have to say that's right
Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And we vowed to get the one’s behind bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
I've been there with the soldiers
Who've gone away to war
And you can bet that they remember
Just what they're fighting for
Have you forgotten all the people killed?
Yeah, some went down like heroes in that Pennsylvania field
Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?
All the loved ones that we lost and those left to carry on
Don't you tell me not to worry about bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?
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