Presidential Uniforms

Presidential Uniforms

Ultra conservative republicans have had a hey-day lately jumping all over liberals for daring to exercise their free-speech by criticizing draft-dodging President-Designee Bush for wearing a flight suit, name-tagged “Commander-In-Chief”, and flying 38 miles in a multi-million dollar jet, owned by the American public, to be loudly applauded by a captive and intimidated audience.

I agree with the ultra conservative republicans. What’s the big deal? Presidents have been doing this kind of thing since President George Washington actually took part in combat. Bill Clinton wore a jacket and posed with soldiers for campaign photos. Reagan did it also. I think it’s a good thing for the Commander-In-Chief to be out and about visiting our soldiers. They should be out there listening to them and explaining why our national budget cannot afford to pay them current and decent mercenary wages but can give tax breaks to the filthy wealthy. President-Designee Bush should be out there rubbing shoulders with the soldiers and telling them why it is necessary for his administration to try as hard as they can to strip away veterans benefits, while he has them engaged in the field of combat.

I do have a problem with those Presidents and President-Designees who blatantly try to capitalize on the honorable warrior image though they, at some time in their life, did everything they could to keep from serving with honor. President Bill Clinton is one that comes to mind. President-Designee Bush is another. Clinton opposed and protested the war in Vietnam and received educational deferments to keep from going. Bush went a somewhat different route. At a time when every well-to-do family was pulling every string they could to get deferments for their little boys to keep them from serving their country in Vietnam, Bush stepped up and enlisted into the Texas Air National Guard. Though there was a waiting list of 500 trying to get into TANG flight school apparently his extreme enthusiasm and demonstrated patriotism enabled him to jump to the head of that long line and issued a uniform to wear. I’m sure his family would never have used their extensive influence to unfairly jump him ahead of those other 500, who so diligently wanted to serve their country in a time of war by getting to wear a uniform. But Bush and Bill weren’t that much different than their contemporaries and peers of the times. For those that are interested go to www.chickenhawks.com and have fun looking at a long list of our public servants who evaded the opportunity to wear a uniform for their country. While you are at it, those of you with strong stomachs, give a gander at www.awolbush.com. Now, there’s some information and documentation that will inspire you to stop and go “Hhhmmmm”.

And for you Ultra-conservative ditto-heads, I am a died-in-the-wool-life-time-frothing-at-the-mouth-Liberal with a capital “L”. I did not run from the draft, and I still wear a uniform. I don’t know why, but some reason U-C Repubs have the impression that everyone who wears a uniform is of their political persuasion and willingly stands in line for the chance to kiss the souls of our draft-dodging President-Designee. Wrong.

By the way, I looked up political liberalism on the internet the other day and I am still not sure what it means, but I can tell you that if Liberalism means I don’t want my government telling me what I can or cannot do in my bedroom with another adult then I am a Liberal. If it means that I do not want a Christian Theocracy running America then I am a Liberal. If it means that we need a registration system for every pistol, rifle, and shotgun in this country then I am a Liberal. If it means our free-enterprise system is imperfect and we need to take care of people left out then I am a Liberal. If it means universal health care access to fix people’s teeth and kidneys and cancers then I am a flaming Liberal. So label me, insult me, and tell me I am the cause of everything wrong in this country, but before you come after me with your idiotic patriotic posturing about wearing uniforms and waving flags look up conservative politics on the inter-net.