Five Years and Counting...

As I listened to excerpts of President Bush's speech Wednesday, March 19, on the five year anniversary of our invasion of Iraq, it brought me back to another day when the then US President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a speech to Congress a day after we were attacked at Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941. I was young then and not old enough to fully understand what was going on. But as my mom and dad listened intently to the radio (you youngsters out there, this was back before the days of television, computers, Internet - the last three generations would not understand how we old timers survived the "dinosaur" age), they knew what was going on and that our naval base was destroyed. I eventually learned the phrase Roosevelt used that day would make it around the world and into the history books forever - "a date that will live in infamy." It was a phrase that came to me as Bush seemed to be expressing hubris, progress, and staying committed to bringing democracy to Iraq, fight the insurgents, etc.

But there are some major differences and similarities in the two invasions:

With Pearl Harbor, we were attacked. And the invasion was illegal, immoral, and unjustified.

With Iraq, we were the attackers. And the invasion was illegal, immoral, and unjustified.

Hmmm. How just a couple of letters can make such a profound difference, a difference that has changed the course of history.

So, to me, March 19, 2003, will go down in history as a second "date that will live in infamy."

And let us not forget that historical day, May 1, 2003, when you bound onto the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in what was a most embarrassing moment to me and others, in a pilot's uniform, smiling a smile of triumph, which you shortly afterward proclaimed - "mission accomplished."

If you are so proud of your accomplishments Mr. Bush, perhaps when your supporters and those who have benefited from the Iraq fiasco donate money to build you the obligatory presidential library, you should put up over the entrance these historical words and dates:

MARCH 19, 2003 A DATE THAT WILL LIVE IN INFAMY

MAY 1, 2003 MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

By, George, why not? It was a short war, one of the shortest ever fought.

And to further insult the intelligence and integrity of the good people of this nation, especially the brave men and women in uniform and their families, who have given you their all, including making the biggest sacrifice of all, their lives, you should consider adding to your library, from day one, the numerous documents that contain all the lies and distortions that led to this obscene tragedy.

But that is assuming the documents have not been destroyed or revised to be worthless.

But that is like assuming you also would have done the right thing.

Peace. Larry.