Thursday, April 15, 2004
Yesterday in the Daily News there was an article in the sports section that derided sports journalists and athletes who used war metaphors during a time when America is at war. Basically the article said that these people had no concept of what it was like to put their lives on the line and they should not throw around such serious terms so lightly.
I'm not going to get into that. When was the last time an athlete ever had anything profound to say? The last great sports biography by someone who wasn't in the WWF was probably Bill Lee's "The Wrong Stuff" and that came out over 20 years ago. I really am not going to get bothered by a baseball player referring to a game as "a real war". Ever see those guys interviewed after a game on tv?
So why didn't you guys win tonight?
We just didn't want it enough. The other nine guys out there they wanted it and they won it, y'know? Sometimes 4 runs is enough, sometimes it isn't. Tonight it wasn't.
Tomorrow night you face this same squad at home. Any thoughts on what will change when you play them?
We just have to play harder and win. That's it!
Never any groundbreaking stuff coming from these diamond philosophers. So why should we expect them to be held to some standard of political correctness and conciousness when it comes to war metaphors?
Ok back to my point. Later on in the article, the author says (and this is a paraphrase) "Regardless of your feelings on the war, at least these soldiers are standing for something." My eyes sort of bulged out of my head as I read this. They're standing for something? So what!
Those that piloted planes into the World Trade Centres on...what's that day again...I have to check my notes...anyway sometime in Fall of 2001 were standing for something too. They believed in something so much that they forfeitted their lives to do it. Why don't we celebrate them? or say things like "Regardless of your feelings on the World Trade Centre attacks at least those young men stood for something."
I'm not purposely being foolish here. If serious, 'impartial', journalists are willing to praise young men and women for giving their lives in the service of their country why don't we share that praise around a little bit. Those 'terrorists' that hijacked those flights believed in their cause. They believed they had the blessing of their god and they believed that the only way to live a righteous life was to participate in action that would undoubtedly lead in the end of theirs as well as the end of the lives of thousands of innocents. How is that any different than someone who's in the army?
I realize that it's easy for me as someone who is middle class and comfortably employed to criticize how someone in the army could be 'blind' to the atrocities that are committed in the name of their country and keeping the pace. Maybe that's something you have to do in order to keep yourself sane when lacking money, lacking a career, lacking an education, you join the army. If however that is the case and we are allowing them the benefit of the doubt, then why don't we allow that same benefit of the doubt to those fighting on the other side. They're considered terrorists not combatants and thus do not fall under the Geneva convention, but why? Why is that it's ok to be a part of an action that many see as unjust and unnecessary that leads to the deaths of plenty of innocents when you're poor and American, but it's not ok when you're poor and a devout Muslim?
Aw fuck it, I should stick to writing about how Carl Everett (an outfielder for the Montreal Expos) doesn't believe that dinosaurs ever existed.
I'm not going to get into that. When was the last time an athlete ever had anything profound to say? The last great sports biography by someone who wasn't in the WWF was probably Bill Lee's "The Wrong Stuff" and that came out over 20 years ago. I really am not going to get bothered by a baseball player referring to a game as "a real war". Ever see those guys interviewed after a game on tv?
So why didn't you guys win tonight?
We just didn't want it enough. The other nine guys out there they wanted it and they won it, y'know? Sometimes 4 runs is enough, sometimes it isn't. Tonight it wasn't.
Tomorrow night you face this same squad at home. Any thoughts on what will change when you play them?
We just have to play harder and win. That's it!
Never any groundbreaking stuff coming from these diamond philosophers. So why should we expect them to be held to some standard of political correctness and conciousness when it comes to war metaphors?
Ok back to my point. Later on in the article, the author says (and this is a paraphrase) "Regardless of your feelings on the war, at least these soldiers are standing for something." My eyes sort of bulged out of my head as I read this. They're standing for something? So what!
Those that piloted planes into the World Trade Centres on...what's that day again...I have to check my notes...anyway sometime in Fall of 2001 were standing for something too. They believed in something so much that they forfeitted their lives to do it. Why don't we celebrate them? or say things like "Regardless of your feelings on the World Trade Centre attacks at least those young men stood for something."
I'm not purposely being foolish here. If serious, 'impartial', journalists are willing to praise young men and women for giving their lives in the service of their country why don't we share that praise around a little bit. Those 'terrorists' that hijacked those flights believed in their cause. They believed they had the blessing of their god and they believed that the only way to live a righteous life was to participate in action that would undoubtedly lead in the end of theirs as well as the end of the lives of thousands of innocents. How is that any different than someone who's in the army?
I realize that it's easy for me as someone who is middle class and comfortably employed to criticize how someone in the army could be 'blind' to the atrocities that are committed in the name of their country and keeping the pace. Maybe that's something you have to do in order to keep yourself sane when lacking money, lacking a career, lacking an education, you join the army. If however that is the case and we are allowing them the benefit of the doubt, then why don't we allow that same benefit of the doubt to those fighting on the other side. They're considered terrorists not combatants and thus do not fall under the Geneva convention, but why? Why is that it's ok to be a part of an action that many see as unjust and unnecessary that leads to the deaths of plenty of innocents when you're poor and American, but it's not ok when you're poor and a devout Muslim?
Aw fuck it, I should stick to writing about how Carl Everett (an outfielder for the Montreal Expos) doesn't believe that dinosaurs ever existed.
She was German.
I was 17.
We ate berries from my dad's patch.
We kissed with berry juice still in your mouths.
And that is why I like grape juice.
I was 17.
We ate berries from my dad's patch.
We kissed with berry juice still in your mouths.
And that is why I like grape juice.
I get it! I get it! Thanks for spelling it out for me!
I knew there was a reason why you went to university for four plus years. I knew there was a reason why you took all those IDS and Poli. Sci. courses. I knew there was a reason why you walked around in a bandana, shorts and sandals in the middle of February...ok no, no, no I didn't, but I'll concede one point to you.
You did it so that you could reason critically and creatively. You did it so that you can finally see past all the white washing that goes on in the corporate run media. You did it so that you can bowl over your friends with your treatise on imperialism and America's current hypocrisy regarding their foreign policy or at least they can pat you on the back as they welcome you into the club 'Yay! We're the ones who get it! Now we just gotta take it to the streets and tell everyone else what to think. Hey homeless guy get those Nikes off, they're baaaaaaaadddddddd!' (I realize I'm exaggerating, just let me indulge).
You did it so you can be the fucking unimaginative (thanks Mike) dumbass who draws devil horns on the picture of George Bush that grace yesterday's National Post that I read in the Gradhouse.
Seriously, at least four years of post secondary schooling and the most original thing you can think to do is draw devil horns on his mug? Please ask for a refund. Grab that paper, go to the registrar's office and show them that that's the sum total of everything you've learned at university.
You can draw a link between George Bush and the devil. Holy fucking shit! Astounding.
You're headed into the political satire that only The Royal Canadian Air Farce dares to venture.
It reminded me of a library book that was checked in yesterday. The last page had this scrawled into it:
"SCHOOL SUCKS"
I knew there was a reason why you went to university for four plus years. I knew there was a reason why you took all those IDS and Poli. Sci. courses. I knew there was a reason why you walked around in a bandana, shorts and sandals in the middle of February...ok no, no, no I didn't, but I'll concede one point to you.
You did it so that you could reason critically and creatively. You did it so that you can finally see past all the white washing that goes on in the corporate run media. You did it so that you can bowl over your friends with your treatise on imperialism and America's current hypocrisy regarding their foreign policy or at least they can pat you on the back as they welcome you into the club 'Yay! We're the ones who get it! Now we just gotta take it to the streets and tell everyone else what to think. Hey homeless guy get those Nikes off, they're baaaaaaaadddddddd!' (I realize I'm exaggerating, just let me indulge).
You did it so you can be the fucking unimaginative (thanks Mike) dumbass who draws devil horns on the picture of George Bush that grace yesterday's National Post that I read in the Gradhouse.
Seriously, at least four years of post secondary schooling and the most original thing you can think to do is draw devil horns on his mug? Please ask for a refund. Grab that paper, go to the registrar's office and show them that that's the sum total of everything you've learned at university.
You can draw a link between George Bush and the devil. Holy fucking shit! Astounding.
You're headed into the political satire that only The Royal Canadian Air Farce dares to venture.
It reminded me of a library book that was checked in yesterday. The last page had this scrawled into it:
"SCHOOL SUCKS"
