“We’re At War”
¦¦ Some years ago I asked my mother if she remembered first hearing about the start of WWII in 1939. She was 7 years old at the time, and said she did. She was playing outside, bouncing a ball against a wall, and heard another kid say the war had started. Tonight I was in Safeway buying some groceries, and while standing in line at the checkout, heard a staff member say, “We’re at war. Started about 20 minute ago.” She then began bagging my groceries for me. I’ll probably remember that moment for the rest of my life.
¦¦ The link to Michael Moore’s letter to “Governor Bush” is spreading through blogdom like a virus. But it’s a virus worth spreading.
¦¦ Of interest to me is the bashing being absorbed by Natalie Maines and The Dixie Chicks, after Maines’ comment at a recent concert in London, England: “Just so you know, we’re ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas.” Shortly after her comment made it to the shores of the USA, The Chicks issued a statement clarifying her earlier comment, and two days later, Maines issued an demeaning apology, most likely with the pressure from and the urging of The Chicks’ record company, as fans began steamrolling their CDs and country music stations stopped playing their music.
I give props to Maines for having the guts to speak her mind, perhaps unaware of the consequences, but having done so despite that. It’s unfortunate that she had to issue an apology that reads like she got a spanking and was sent to her room without dinner for being a bad girl. Oddly enough, on her website (or a website devoted to her, I can’t tell), is a different message: “To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. ***Theodore Roosevelt***” Strong words, but words that do not seem to apply to the Bush Administration.
I think I will buy their new album.
March 20th, 2003 at 13:30
No we’re not.
“We”, as in Canada, haven’t declared war on anyone. “We” aren’t fighting Iraq. Actually “We” aren’t even supporting the troops that will be doing the fighting. All “We” are doing is following through on treaties we signed years ago to aid the US financially during any war they are in.
I’m a Canadian with views completely different than those Americans have. And I felt a very strong need to clarify your post title. You seem to be confused at to what you are. Canadian? Canadian who thinks like an American? A naturalized American? I don’t know. I can’t tell.
The prospect of war is scary. American media is pervasive. But please take time to think about whether Canada should arbitrarily group them selves with the Americans. France, Germany, Turkey, Canada, etc. total hundreds of millions of people who in a one to one vote per capita would totally out weigh the US. Yet we’re allowing them to control the show.
No easy answers, just hard questions.
March 20th, 2003 at 14:13
I realize Canada is not at war, but now realize that the title of my post is misleading. The title refers only the words I heard a young staff member at Safeway utter last evening. It shook me for a second or two, and felt very surreal. It is why I put the title of the posting in quotation marks. I apologize for the ambiguity. I do not support the war either. I don’t know the answers to the tough questions, such as how does the world deal with dictators, tyrants, and despots like Hussein.
I am a Canadian, born and raised in St Boniface MB (Winnipeg). The need to clarify my post title is important, and I thank you for your comment about it.
The American media are powerful, and at the moment, seem to have a strong right-wing bias. I appreciate that the web and blogging allows us to find and express different opinions and views, and to permit discussions like this one.
I am pleased that Chretien decided not fight alongside the US and the Brits unless the UN approved such action in advance.
Again, thanks for your observations. I believe we are on the same page.
March 20th, 2003 at 15:34
It’s worth remembering, as the Yanks go to war and vilify Canadians for not blindly joining them, that they took their sweet-ass time supporting us when we went to war in September, 1939.
March 20th, 2003 at 17:25
Have you seen this?
http://dear_raed.blogspot.com
March 21st, 2003 at 07:08
“we’re” = humanity; there is war in our world. I interpret the comment/title differently.
March 22nd, 2003 at 01:18
I think you’re right, Dr T, I think the girl meant the comment as a global “We’re at war”, not about Canada.
March 22nd, 2003 at 16:56
Michelle, yes, I’ve seen Raed’s blog, but thanks for the reminder. My understanding is that he’s in Baghdad, and reporting what he sees as it is happening.
March 23rd, 2003 at 12:40
Randy:
I have a similar memory. My mother is about the same age as your’s. She told me that when she was about 12 she asked her mother an innocent question about what the newspapers wrote about before there was war and that her mother started to cry. I always thought it would be said to raise children who never really knew peace.
Stephen