Mark’s Musings – February 29, 2012
Mark Fortune
Daytona postponed – again? As of this writing, yes. Less importantly, who watched the Oscars? And further, has anyone seen “The Artist”? Please let me know. Most of the time, I think that we live in our world and Hollywood exists on another planet.
Super Tuesday looms on the horizon as I write this column. Primaries in Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia will all take place on Tuesday, March 6, 2012. With four Republican candidates still in the hunt for the nomination, this day will more than likely reduce the field to two candidates. Our bet is on Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. Ron Paul has hung in there longer than many believed possible. But Santorum could be a surprise.
Locally, all the candidates deserve our appreciation for putting themselves in front of the public eye. I think that sometimes we neglect to consider this aspect of those that run for political office. And yes, there are those that would say, “That is their choice,” and they would be correct. However, that does nothing to negate the willingness these people have to serve their community, friends, neighbors and family. It is an honorable decision and should be viewed in that vein.
Afghanistan seems to be on the verge of becoming the quagmire that many feared it might. While our intentions are usually right, that does not mean that every country and political faction is willing to make our freedoms their own. Perhaps some are willing to accept a dictatorship, corrupt government, police state or otherwise. Perhaps it is our best course of action to leave these to their own devices, so to speak.
This unfortunate incident of accidentally burning copies of the Koran at a U.S. military base in Afghanistan has now led to the deaths of two Americans and several Afghans. This is tragic. But I am growing a bit weary of our leaders continued apologizing for the actions of our military. The last time I checked we were at war. Maybe it’s okay to apologize after the war, but during? Our military forces deserve our thanks and respect, not thrown under the wheels of the bus every time we do something that conflicts with a culture or religion. And apologizing to Muslim Americans in Washington D.C. will probably have little impact on the issue at large.
Can you imagine how this approach might have altered World War II? The Revolution? Civil War? To my knowledge, the British never apologized for totally trashing Boston and New York during that little uprising among the colonies. Nor should they have. And I don’t recall Sherman apologizing for destroying Atlanta and a lot of the south during the Civil War. Granted, there are sometimes a few bad apples in the barrel, but typically our military does a respectable job of controlling their own. I would enjoy hearing your opinion on this.
Remember to exercise your rights as an American – get out and vote next Tuesday, March 6th!
Category: Mark's Musings
