I got depressed at dinner the other night. Someone at the dinner table mentioned something unappetizing, which lead one of my sister’s to shriek about losing her appetite. The conversation changed to a new topic, which was even less appetizing than the first, though no one complained– the story about Michael Vick and his role in dog fighting.

My father became obviously enraged just thinking about this, and muttered something about how “people like him should just be… locked up for good!” You could tell right around the ellipsis he was contemplating saying something like “shot and thrown in a ditch” but finally settled on something more “civil.”

Anyway, while I had to agree with my dad that what Vick did was pretty despicable, I’m not sure if it deserves life punishment or not. But what burned me up was the fact that I’ve never heard my father talk like that about the people who launched and orchestrated the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. In fact, just the opposite– I often have to sit and chew my food silently as my dad gives some kind of support or praise for Bush or his policies, even if it happens to be something he grudingly supports because he thinks the Democratic alternative would be worse.

It seems like a real moral failing to me, to get enraged by a dog abuser but to support a human abuser. My dad might try to argue that what Bush does is, while perhaps unsightly, still necessary. But that doesn’t change the fact that innocent and non-innocent alike are being blown to pieces and shot apart every single day. It’s a holocaust!

I may have to confront my father and my extended family sometime soon, if not this week when I go to Wisconsin for our annual “family reunion” vacation, to let them know what I think on this issue and why. In regards to the type of sentiments put forth by William Norman Grigg in one of his recent blog posts, I would be absolutely appalled if my father would continue to support these violent policies if my life via a draft was at stake. I don’t think you can make an honest claim to loving your child if you would willfully let the State bond them and destroy their lives in war.

here’s an article your friend may enjoy.

I’m planning a trip to Costa Rica in the next couple of weeks. Almost got side-lined when my buddy received a notice in the mail that he had been enslaved by the state, err, I mean, assigned jury duty, but he’s getting an extension so the trip shall go on!

Funny thing on that article you linked to about Jubal A. Early… the logo below the page has the Confederate flag and what looks like not even the time period appropriate Union flag but the modern day, 13 bars and 50 stars flag! Is there some law somewhere that says Rebel memorial websites must depict both a stars n bars and federal flag, or are people, like you say, actually just a bunch of bent over pussies?