I was astonished when I watched George W. Bush's public address last week on Hurricane Katrina. As I watched his movements and unprofessional fiddling of his collar and pauses in between his sentences, I began to feel ashamed. Then he laughed at some not-so-funny joke that he had made. He laughed in the middle of a crisis. The President laughed in front of millions of people addressing one of the most serious issues in the United States right now. Not only did he laugh, but he also paused several times, did not keep constant eye contact, made eye gestures like a thirteen year old girl talking to one of her friends, and fiddled with his hands. He did this addressing our country.

As I watched this I began to have a feeling I have never had before in my life. I began to feel ashamed to be an American. I did not feel proud of my country because my country's government had ignored part of my country because the necessary precautions were not taken. There are people being raped and murdered in my country and no one doing anything about it. The people are doing more than our wonderful government. I have seen person after person on the side streets raising money and all the churces in the area doing very well and trying to do their part. Not once have I seen the President holding a car wash sign spending every moment of his day trying to help the people of his country. Our President has started an endless war (one that he has had power to end) with another country when almost the terriosts were proven to be Afghani and Saudi, not Iraqi. He has put the whole country through a hude ordeal with more than one issues. He has the lowest IQ of any President we have ever had and has caused more damage than good in the time he has spent in office (according to my resources). When I look at who we have chosen to be our leader and what kind of advantages the government has been taking of the American people, I am ashamed.

My friend (who is a member on this site) said she went to Europe this past summer and the people there were ashamed of her. They did not look up to her as a proud American like all the countries in the world used to. One woman even called her the scum of the earth. She was ashamed to be American because of what has been going on in our country.

Dont get me wrong, I love the soldiers over there fighting for us. I think they are the most courageous men and women in the world. I love this country. I am glad I live in it and that I have all the freedoms I have. But at the same time, I am ashamed to see what harm has been done to this country and the effortless actions of our government. I am ashamed to say I am from this country.

Do not tell me I am wrong for what I am feeling because you will not change the way I feel and that is not why this topic has been opened. I want to know if other board members feel this way or exactly how you feel about being an American opposed to how you used to because all this war and hurricane business. Do you feel different?

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You and me. Like a crayon and it's wrapper.

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I feel Great in fact never better, thats because I understand how things work in the world, I understand the President can not put troops into New Orleans without first being invited by the Govenor of the State other wise he would not be a President he would be a DICTATOR, they use to teach these things in school.

The rest of the World Ashamed of us???? I doubt it more like envious of us. I have been to 22 different countries around the world, most everone I ever met wants to come here!!! In fact the biggest reason many people go to other countries first like say Canada, is because once you are a Canadian Citizen ( Which is easier to get then American Citizenship) it is easier to get into the U.S!!
Let me guess your friend probably went to France or Spain???

The only thing I can say about you being ashamed to be American is thats your right as an American.

But ask yourself this.....if the Mayor could use the buses ( you know the 200 buses that he let sit ) to get homeless people and low income people out to vote during the last Presidential election ( corect me if I am wrong but the polls are only open for at the most 12 hours) at any rate if he could organize these buses in mere 12 hours, to go out and pick up these people to make sure they voted for his party. Why was it so hard for him to use the bus's to evacuate people when he had days to prepare???

Enquireing minds would like to know??

At any rate the blame game needs to be equally distributed, the Feds could have done better too, but before you go blaming any one person make sure you understand how and better yet why our Government works the way it does!!


Rocky

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Veritas Scriptor (09-12-05), robynette (09-12-05), Robbie (09-13-05), TheGirlNextDoor (09-13-05)

I won't tell you're wrong Mandie, because that is your opinion, which you certainly have a right to. Many countries, wouldn't allow you to post or express such a statement.

To be looked down upon by the Europeans is laughable. Who are they, and what contributions have they made to making the world a better place to live? What has Europe ever done for this country besides nothing?
It may be a nice place to visit, but I have lived in many areas, and believe me when I tell you, many of the freedoms you take for granted here, don't exist there. The only thing the Europeans want from us is our money. Beyond that, they're a bunch of socialist sponges.

I am proud to be an American. I have traveled to well over two dozen countries all over the world, and have left each and every country with a deeper appreciation for my own.
It is sad to see someone so young make such a condemning statement about their own country. Maybe when you get older and do a little traveling, say to Europe, Canada, China or Russia, you'll appreciate your country a little more.
As a country, we don't always do everything perfect, and with regard to Katrina, well, you are sadly mistaken if you think Bush is the only one responsible for the mistakes. Louisiana's Democratic Governor & New Orleans Democratic Mayor contributed significantly to much of the suffering going on down there. And by the way, I watched Louisiana's Governor on the news this morning, and she was laughing quite a bit herself. I didn't think she was being insensitive.
It might be possible that you may be a little oversensitive, I can't say.
I have no doubt that you will find similar views and comments resembling yours on moveonorg. or any other radical left wing web site. Most of them think the Europeans are the greatest thing since ad.
I and many others have put their lives on the line more times than I care to remember, and today I'm too old to be called again. If I could, or if it ever becomes necessary, I would proudly go into battle for this country, and that definitely includes Iraq. And as an ex serviceman, if I had a choice, I would rather serve under a Bush Presidency. He has been one of the few presidents that has restored some sense of pride & respect back into the military.
I hope I didn't offend you in any way young lady, I can be pretty abrasive at times, especially when I hear someone so young and inexperienced make such a statement about the greatest country on this earth.

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Veritas Scriptor (09-12-05), Rocky (09-12-05), robynette (09-12-05), Robbie (09-13-05)

I have been ashamed of the United States government for some time now for various things it has done in the past, usually in the name of commerce veiled in the guise of "protecting democracy" or "spreading democracy" if it happened to suit the need at the time; if not, then covertly removing democratically elected leaders if need be and installing ruthless dictators.

I used to believe that stuff about spreading democracy. Then I learned about what our government has done in Iran, Chile, not to mention Viet Nam. There are many more issues, many of them domestic in nature (e.g. treading on our rights), that I could list as to why I have been ashamed of the US government.

However, to be ashamed of our government for this Katrina disaster if beyond me. As others have pointed out, there was enough warning and time to evacuate many more people than they did. But unless requested by the Governor of Louisianna, the President couldn't do anything. And why didn't the Mayor of New Orleans do more before he abandoned ship?

Oh, and something I heard today on the news: apparently the Salvation Army had truckloads of food, water, medicine, etc. that they were going to take to the Superdome and the other arena where people were told to go. Why didn't those supplies get there? Because the Louisianna National Guard, under orders from the Governor, refused to allow the Salvation Army into New Orleans. Why wouldn't they let the Salvation Army in with supplies prior to the hurricane? Apparenlty because they wanted people to leave and did not want any reason for them to stay and they were affraid it would encourage more people to stay.

So when you look at all those horrible pictures of people thirsty and hungry and with no toiletries, etc., thank the wonderful Governor of Louisianna, not FEMA, not the President.

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Veritas Scriptor (09-12-05), TheGirlNextDoor (09-13-05)

I have not seen the speech, so I cannot comment. I'd like to either watch a clip or read a transcript of it, so if you could cite the date and location of the speech, I'd be much obliged.

I searched several search engines for Bush speeches about Hurricane Katrina. It pulled up tens of thousands of hits on each search. Bush has spoken so many times about this disaster, that it's very difficult to pinpoint which one you are talking about.

Blame the local and state government (New Orleans and Louisiana).

I'm sorry that it took a hurricane to make you realize these things happen all the time.

Instead of blaming the "government"...why not start with the people? They were the ones making the conscious decision to rape and kill eachother. When disaster strikes most American communties, the people pull together. Not in New Orleans...instead of pulling together they decided to rape, kill, and steal from eachother.

Again, much of this blame can be placed on the State government. They were the ones who allowed the prisons and jails to release their prisoners onto the streets instead of transporting them to another facility outside of the disaster area.


That's because the President is too busy lobbying for volunteers and donors to The American Red Cross and The Salvation Army. In addition, he is recieving billions of dollars from foreign nations. Nations which include Iraq, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka. Do you really think any of these three nations would have done anything to help us out 5 years ago? They're helping us because we've helped them.

Let me ask you...would you rather see our President holding a car wash sign to raise a few hundred bucks...or would you rather have him on the phone with world leaders raising a few billion dollars?

You're growing up to be a good Democrat. They take one issue and marry it with a completely seperate issue for the purpose of lambasting their target. This issue has NOTHING to do with Hurricane Katrina...it's just an attempt to capatalize on a tragedy and twist the hearts of already heartbroken Americans.

This is probably the most foolish argument in your entire dissertation. What does IQ have to do with anything? IQ is not an accurate form of ones intelligence, anyway. And can you verify your claim that its the lowest of any President we've had? Last I checked, the Library of Congress did not hold the IQ test results of all 43 US Presidents.

What are your resources? Without looking anything up, can you name just 5 policies that the President has instituted while in office? And of those 5, can you tell me which ones you deem "good" and which ones you deem "bad"...followed by your reasons why?

Can you tell all of us when the economy peaked in the last 10 years? Can you tell us when the most recession began? Can you tell us when we came out of our most recent recession? (Hint: the recession began before Bush took office and ended after he took it.) You get bonus points if you can tell me how it happened. (Hint: It began with outrageous spending during Clinton's term and ended with the Growth & Reconciliation Act of 2001, proposed and signed into law by Bush).


Tell us all...what kind of "advantages" has President Bush been taking of the American people? If you're going to make a statement like that, at least finish it.

I'm sorry for your friend. There are citizens of nations out there who do not like Americans. It's always been like that, and it always will. But please don't tell me you are basing your opinions on hearsay from a third-party source...based on what private citizens of a European nation had to say.

I have friends that have been to Iraq...and they sing nothing but praise for America. I'm sure the same goes for those in Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

This exampe you use is pointless, because anyone can offer a counterpoint that suggests the complete opposite. It is only rhetoric...not fact.

If you're truly that ashamed of the nation that harbors and protects you...then I would suggest you pick out another one that you could be proud of move there. Canada is nearby...maybe they'd take you under their wing? If not, you can try Mexico.

I won't say that your feelings are wrong...but I would say I seriously think you lack all of the information to form a viable opinion. If everything you said was accurate and there were no other facts to be considered...then I would say your feelings are right. But not everything you've said is accurate, and there is alot more to the story that you have failed to consider. In other words, I believe your feelings are based on a wholly incorrect assumption that you know all the facts.

I'm disgusted with many Americans...but not with America herself. This country is still the greatest country in the world. It's a minority of the people who try to capitalize on tragedy to earn money and votes that make me sick. The people in New Orleans who rape women while waiting for a bus to evacuate them, or who light fires to rescue shelters designed to protect them, or who shoot bullets at aid workers trying to bring them food and water, or who loot homes and businesses during a national disaster...these types of Americans disgust me.

I'm not ashamed to be an American...I'm ashamed of the bad name that a handful of Americans give this nation.

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RubberArm (09-12-05), Rocky (09-12-05), ALLIE (09-14-05)

...to be ashamed of being American is your god-given right.....(see how that's so great about being an American?!)

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Quid est veritas? Pontius Pilate

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Bush isn't the speaker that past presidents have been. Clinton knew how to work the crowd and knew exactly what to say. Someone would ask a question? He would ramble on forever and ever and deflect the question, leading into something else about his presidency. Soon enough, the question was forgotten. Clinton could, as I've said before, work a crowd. I'm sure he'd spew out the same, meaningless, positive jargon that Bush is spouting out--but Clinton did it in such a fashion that no one knew there wasn't a plan in place. Bush can't convince people of that, and with the disapproval of the war hiking up, up, up, everything he says and does is under scrutiny--needless to say, if he's going to wage this war, he needs to make sure that everything else looks good. I could rave about how the focus of this war has changed about 5 times, and Bush was likely in on changing intelligence reports. Look on-line at the Eastern Echo Opinions Section.

Worldwide, approval for Bush has gone down since the war began. This is a general thing. At some point, rational human beings separate a person from his or her government. We're not all as stupid as George Dubya, nor are we all smarter than he is (unfortunately). I think the greater shame here is knowing that there are idiots in the world who, rather than acting against a government they disapprove of, act against the individuals who live under that government instead. When Saddam Hussein was running around--regardless of the fact that his own people were his primary victims--no one looked at Iraqis and thought, "They're the scum of the Earth!" The focus was completely on getting Hussein out of power and the Iraqi's became victims. What about mothers like Cindy Sheehan, who waited outside Bush's Texas ranch for about a month waiting to talk to him after the death of her son Casey? Is she not also a victim? I hate double standards like that.

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This is true.

I'd encourage you to do a little more research, then. There was a joint press conference held (Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair) a few weeks before the invasion to remove Saddam...and all of the reasons were discussed. To date, none of those 15 or reasons have changed. The WMD issues was the only one that was not verifiable.

Interesting accusation...because many of these intelligence reports were compiled during the 8 years Clinton was in office. Was Clinton allowing Bush to "alter intelligence reports" while he was in office? Somehow I doubt it.

This happens any time our nation is involved in a controversial conflict. It's nothing new.

The focus was on removing Saddam from power and restoring the nation...then turning it back over to its own people. The "victims" of Iraq are victimized by Saddam loyalists (aka insurgents)...not by American servicemen.

I feel bad for anyone who has lost a friend, family member, or loved one in the line of duty. But a President simply cannot stop running an entire nation to speak to the family of every servicemember who is killed. Yes I know, Cindy Sheehan was but one mother wanting a personal session with the President...but how many other mothers would want the same thing if the President gave her that time?

It may sound cold, but it is a fact: The President is elected to run the Executive Branch of this nation...not to personally console the family of lost soldiers.

Aside from diverting him from his elected duties, it also poses a large security risk. A one-on-one meeting with a person who believes the President is responsible for death of their son...it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that there is some deep-rooted animosity and aggression there. Why would you put that person in a closed room with one of the most important people in the world?

Even mentioning Cindy Sheehan is nothing but political-speak, anyway. It bears no relevance to the President's funcionality, abilities, or accomplishments. It's just the kind of political fodder that the Michael Moores of the world eat right up. In fact, wasn't Cindy Sheehan used in one of Michael Moore's films?

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Wait, wait, wait--I remember this war being about Weapons of Mass Destruction. Whoops, no weapons of mass destruction, all right--let's move onto Saddam Hussein. Wait, we can't just go finish daddy's war? All right--let's free the Iraqi people from oppression.

The Downing Street Memo was indeed made public--I take it this is the memo you are referring to when you speak about Bush, the Cabinet, and Tony Blair. In conclusion, this war was justified by using the 9/11 attacks. Somehow, Osama bin Laden faded from the limelight and became a distant figure of the past. So, yes, the intelligence was altered--at least in a vain attempt to get the public to agree with war.

Does this happen anytime there's a war? Sure. However, a fight with Iraq has been dead since the early 90's and all of a sudden, a President comes in, the 9/11 attacks happen, and fingers point at Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. Suddenly the focus shifts back to Saddam Hussein and the terrorist/9/11 schpeel comes pouring out as if Hussein's the mastermind behind it. It's different when other circumstances are involved--but the blame was shifted and suddenly people are picking up the pieces of a war that had gone a little cold to start all over again.
True--they're not victimized by American servicemen. We just capture bad guys, then make them pose naked in strange formations in prison camps. Those people aren't innocents, no--but that surely doesn't make for good American press.
I'm also not saying that Cindy Sheehan should be entitled to a meeting with Bush--I completely understand the fact that there are thousands of mothers out there who lost children. However, this friend who went to Europe--Germany, England, all of it--people were treating her as if it's her fault that this war is happening and that people have died. Many Americans have lost loved ones as a result of this war, as a result of the decision to go to war. That was my point--not that mothers should be entitled to meetings with Bush.

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You know Puff I have asked this about 4 times now on t as many different people maybe you will finally be the that can ansewer these simple question.

Yes there were no WMD's found, but what do YOU think Saddom was doing in all those secret labs in the secret bunkers, are you one of those people like so many others on here that think Saddom was just misunderstood and he was using those secret labs and bunker to invent Rice Crispys that would stay crunchy in Milk???

And if YOU had anything illegal in your house and I told you I was going to raid your home in about 6 months, what would you do??? Remember just cause Sadom was sadistic nut job, doesn't mean he is stupid!!!!

Would Any of you Anti Bush guys just please ansewer one of my questions with a reasonable response???

Thank You
Rocky

Oh and by the way maybe the anti Bush people are right, we should have waited untill something massive was used against us or maybe waited untill we could fight them over here, just think of all the money we would save on gas!!

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Robbie (09-13-05)