House Of Koenig

Today was Veterans Day here in the US.  It originally started as Armistice Day as a commemoration of the end of World War I and made a national holiday in 1938 by President Woodrow Wilson.  Veterans Day is about honoring those who wore or continue to wear the uniform of our armed services.  These are the men and women who choose to serve our country.  They choose to fight for our freedoms and protect us from harm.  But while they are protecting us who is protecting them?  Who protects them from those who take advantage of their sacrifice and needlessly put them into harms way?  Much like the sidearm of a police officer our military should be used as a last resort when all diplomatic discussions have failed.  Our men and women who proudly serve should know that when they get deployed there is a damn good reason why.  I salute all the men and women serving today.  May your sacrifices not be in vain.

I have to admit that I felt a bit of pleasure in seeing President Bush dodge shoes thrown by journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi.  It’s about time that someone gave him a good dose of reality, although it probably would have registered better if the shoes had hit their target.  I think it’s obvious from his moves behind that podium that he has become an expert at dodging things.  But how can you really blame Muntadhar al-Zaidi, a man who has seen is Country destroyed by an illegal occupation, who was kidnapped at gunpoint and later released, whose people have suffered significantly for almost 6 years now.  The Iraq war has killed 85,000 to 1,000,000 (depending on the survey) innocent Iraqi citizens and created 4.7 million Iraqi refugees (UNHR).  Now imagine you are Muntadhar al-Zaidi and have experienced all this death and destruction in your Country.  Imagine that you feel you have no options for recourse for what you feel is a wrong against you and your Country.  I think in this situation we all may throw a shoe or two to make a statement.  I don’t advocate violence or vigilantism but I certainly have empathy for the action Muntadhar al-Zaidi took to make a point.