[BadKosh]

I Saw this and had to post it........



Dear President Obama,

My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on December 13 of this year. People meeting me for the first time don't believe my age because I remain wrinkle free and pretty much mentally alert.

I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after WW II retiring as a Master Chief Bos'n Mate. Now I live in a "rest home" located on the western end of Pearl Harbor , allowing me to keep alive the memories of 23 years of service to my country.

One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the head man.

So here goes.

I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do, but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish.

I can't figure out what country you are the president of.
You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like:
" We're no longer a Christian nation"
" America is arrogant" - (Your wife even
Announced to the world," America is mean-
Spirited. " Please tell her to try preaching
That nonsense to 23 generations of our
War dead buried all over the globe who
Died for no other reason than to free a
Whole lot of strangers from tyranny and
Hopelessness.)
I'd say shame on the both of you, but I don't think you like America, nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do, for the obvious gifts this country has given you. To be without shame or gratefulness is a dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House.

After 9/11 you said," America hasn't lived up to her ideals."

Which ones did you mean? Was it the notion of personal liberty that 11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for to win independence from the British? Or maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man, that 500,000 men died for in the Civil War? I hope you didn't mean the ideal 470,000 fathers, brothers, husbands, and a lot of fellas I knew personally died for in WWII, because we felt real strongly about not letting any nation push us around, because we stand for freedom.

I don't think you mean the ideal that says equality is better than discrimination. You know the one that a whole lot of white people understood when they helped to get you elected.

Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man.

Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue . You were elected to lead not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves.

And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don't want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts , who was putting up a fight? You don't mind offending the police calling them stupid but you don't want us to offend Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are, terrorists.

One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life, but you're the Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you're not in this fight to win, then get out. The life of one American soldier is not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of.

You could be our greatest president because you face the greatest challenge ever presented to any president.
You're not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That's not our greatest threat. Losing the heart and soul of who we are as Americans is our big fight now.
And I sure as hell don't want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle...

Sincerely,
Harold B. Estes

[SpaceMonkey]

Worst thread title ever.

[sek929]

Old man doesn't like direction of country, weather at 10.

[ort888]

Git off ma lawn!

[ort888]

Seriously though, there isn't a single piece of specific criticism in that entire letter. It's all wishy washy, "you aren't a real american" BS. Arguing over how he phrased things and what-not. Useless.

[BadKosh]

But this part is spot on and specific:

"And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don't want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts , who was putting up a fight? You don't mind offending the police calling them stupid but you don't want us to offend Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are, terrorists. "

[Laminar]

Oh, is this the thread where we post all of those annoying email forwards we get?

[sek929]

I'm fairly sure politicians are pandering to Muslims across the board. Calling out Obama as if he is the only one scared to say anything detrimental about Islam is silly.

[SpaceMonkey]

Originally Posted by BadKosh

But this part is spot on and specific:

No, that's just silly. In the Hasan case, it was important to remind people to not jump to conclusions about whether or not he was acting as a terrorist because that's an important legal distinction and in this country we consider people innocent until proven guilty. It's perfectly fair to state an opinion that the police "acted stupidly." It has no direct bearing on the legal consequences for their actions. I bet if he were asked, Obama would have been happy to agree that Hasan "acted stupidly" by shooting up his fellow soldiers, regardless of his motives.

[BadKosh]

This should become the thread where we trash the current administrations idiot policies and such.

FCC trying to regulate the internet, The dept of homeland security trying to stop global warming, and the list goes on and on.

[SpaceMonkey]

By the way, according to Snopes, Mr. Estes is incorrect about one thing.

[imitchellg5]

America is arrogant, has never been a Christian nation, and 11,000 shopkeepers weren't dying for freedom from Great Britain. I think he's missed the bigger ideal here.

[SpaceMonkey]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

America is arrogant, has never been a Christian nation, and 11,000 shopkeepers weren't dying for freedom from Great Britain. I think he's missed the bigger ideal here.

I would quibble with that but instead I will simply call you a despicable liar. Do your job!

[imitchellg5]

Okay, I need to make a few distinctions. I'm talking about America as a government, not as a people. America's government policy is pretty arrogant, especially with regards to foreign policy. They insert themselves into other countries, assuming that everyone in the world wants to be like America and that a democratic republic can be transplanted anyway (say, Afghanistan). In terms of being a Christian nation, sure there have been times when a majority of the population and policy makers may have gone to church on Sunday, and yes, old American law has a lot of basis upon Biblical ideals, but we also don't, and never have used Christianity as a yardstick of how to act. I'd say, if anything, America is more founded on the ideas of John Locke than Christianity. Like language, America has never had an official religion. And America was originally a haven to those of differing ideals and beliefs so that they would not have to be underneath one single, official, state-sponsored religion. I'm a Christian, but I refuse to call America a Christian state. And finally, the American Revolution wasn't one that was against Britain, it was against the idea that laws and judgment could be passed upon a population with absolute exclusivity by their government 4,000 miles away who never thought to represent their colonies in Parliament. The idea of having property without Parliamentary representation was one that was at the cornerstone of the revolution, and was a cornerstone of life in Great Britain, but nobody in Britain had thought that their colonies would want representation of their own. If pre-1776 America had been offered seats in Commons and Lords, I think there is a good chance that the Declaration would have never happened.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

America is arrogant

Nah. I've got it at "inferiority complex".

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

Like language, America has never had an official religion.

Don't be daft. You even have your own religious texts:

[OAW]

Originally Posted by BadKosh 

But this part is spot on and specific:

"And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don't want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts , who was putting up a fight? You don't mind offending the police calling them stupid but you don't want us to offend Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are, terrorists. "

How was this "spot on and specific" when the black college professor was NOT "putting up a fight" and the white cop did NOT subdue him? There was no use of "force" involved by the cop whatsoever. I mean I can pretty much excuse an old man in his 90s having a half-assed impression of the situation ... but why would you co-sign a characterization that is blatantly false?

OAW

[imitchellg5]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

Nah. I've got it at "inferiority complex".

You mean superiority complex?

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

You mean superiority complex?

It's a difficult call.

[reader50]

I graciously admit we have arrogant politicians. They're bad at finances too.

[SpaceMonkey]

Originally Posted by reader50 

I graciously admit we have arrogant politicians. They're bad at finances too.

Only the Libs and Dems.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey 

Only the Libs and Dems.

Now if only we had a thread where we trash the current administrations [sic] idiot policies and such.

[Cold Warrior]

Really a Rule 8 violation from the start, no?