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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by zeugma on February 15, 2006, at 18:25:38
courtesy of the San Antonio Express-News:
<<
Not since the infamous duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton in 1804 has a vice president of the United States so famously discharged a firearm.
The irony is that news of Burr's shot in Weehawken two centuries ago reached the presses faster than Vice President Dick Cheney's shot in Kenedy County during the information age.>>I am reminded of something else, too, when I read these words.
They are extremely suggestive.
-z
Posted by damos on February 15, 2006, at 18:37:52
In reply to historical irony, posted by zeugma on February 15, 2006, at 18:25:38
One wonders too if he considers accidentally shooting a good friend as "collateral damage"?
Posted by zeugma on February 15, 2006, at 19:44:50
In reply to Re: historical irony » zeugma, posted by damos on February 15, 2006, at 18:37:52
damos my friend,
collateral damage.
serious phrase.
you know, I am American. A once-great country. I will give you, as an indication of what it means to be an American in 2006, what we must take as serious political discourse in the U.S. 2006:
<<
Jack Pitney, a political scientist at Claremont McKenna College in California who was a congressional fellow for Cheney, warns against drawing conclusions from this "unique" case."I've filled a number of political staff jobs," he says, "and never once did I have a discussion about what do we do if the boss shoots somebody."
>>from USATodayContra Mr. Pitney, it is only too easy to draw conclusions from this 'unique' case.
perhaps Mr. Pitney, as a former staffer of Mr. Cheney's, shares his old boss' fondness for taking his time in letting us know what is on his mind.
And Mr. Cheney's mind works in an unusually elaborate way. I quote his long-awaited statement acknowledging that Mr. Pitney's ex-boss did, indeed, shoot someone:
<<
"We really didn't know until Sunday morning that Harry was probably going to be OK, that it looked like there hadn't been any serious damage to any vital organ," he said. "And that's when we began the process of notifying the press."
>>we BEGAN THE PROCESS of notifying someone?
after Mr. Cheney determined that, as he said, "it looked like there hadn't been any serious damage to any vital organ"?
Then, and only then, did he resolve to call the press?
or rather, have someone else call the local newspaper? Mr. Cheney, we must remember, has been a staunch advocate of war, a quite outspoken advocate of violating the Geneva Convention, and yet he himself can't make the call? Not until he had determined "it looked like there hadn't been any serious damage to any vital organ"?
One must remember, this is a man who has said the Geneva Convention does not apply to the U.S. And who has never served in a war. much unlike John McCain, who spent five years in a POW camp, and who surely would have had the courage to make the call immediately, or at least having a Secret Service agent call, without the need to make such determinations of intact vital organs. Or John Kerry, mocked by Mr. Cheney during the 2004 elections, Mr. Kerry, awarded three Purple Hearts, by definition given as a result of "serious damage" to organs vital or frivolous (the head is an awfully frivolous organ here in the U.S these days).
Damos, Mr. Cheney delayed to ensure that no "collateral damage" had occurred as a result of his hunting trip. I can draw MANY, MANY conclusions from that. And so can you.
.
-z
Posted by deirdrehbrt on February 15, 2006, at 21:02:47
In reply to Re: historical irony » damos, posted by zeugma on February 15, 2006, at 19:44:50
It's also ironic that the Republican party gets so much support from the NRA. I'm still wondering how this man got a hunting license without ever having taken a hunter's safety course. The whole thing really stinks.
I'm actually an advocate of the right to bear arms, but I honestly believe that those who do so should have some training in their use. It seems that the Republican party does not feel any such requirements a necessity.
I don't know.... I hope that next election, people remember what things have been done by this administration and decide that they don't want more of the same.
--Dee
Posted by zeugma on February 16, 2006, at 4:57:30
In reply to Re: historical irony, posted by deirdrehbrt on February 15, 2006, at 21:02:47
i see that Mr. Cheney will not appreciate my skills as a historian:
Mr. Cheney on why he waited so long to let us know about his action:
<<
Cheney said he was concerned that if the story broke Saturday night when information was still coming in, some reports may have been inaccurate since it was a complicated story that most journalists had never dealt with before."I've been in the business for a long time and never seen a situation quite like this," Cheney said. "We've had experiences where the president has been shot. We've never had a situation where the vice president shot somebody." >>
[AP]this convinces me that, contrary to my earlier belief, we do need the No Child Left Behind Act.
-z
Posted by AuntieMel on February 16, 2006, at 12:58:01
In reply to Re: historical irony » damos, posted by zeugma on February 15, 2006, at 19:44:50
"we BEGAN THE PROCESS of notifying someone?"
Gosh, I hate to be put in the position of having to defend him, but....
If I had done the same thing (highly unlikely since I hate hunting) I would have been pretty darn pre-occupied until I knew he was ok...
Though I'm curious about his definition of "vital organ." I'd put the heart up there as vital. But I guess some people wouldn't
Posted by jakeman on February 17, 2006, at 21:47:20
In reply to historical irony, posted by zeugma on February 15, 2006, at 18:25:38
I've done bird hunting and safety is always (in my experience) considered a high priority, especially to be highly aware of the locations of your party and keep your gun down until you intend to shoot. The worse is to drink and hunt, which happens too frequently.
I think it's just an unfortunate accident. But people may be reluctant to hunt with Mr. Cheney in the future.
warm regards, ~Jake
Posted by gardenergirl on February 18, 2006, at 7:10:34
In reply to Re: historical irony » zeugma, posted by jakeman on February 17, 2006, at 21:47:20
> I've done bird hunting and safety is always (in my experience) considered a high priority, especially to be highly aware of the locations of your party and keep your gun down until you intend to shoot. The worse is to drink and hunt, which happens too frequently.
My husband said the same thing. It's important for the hunter to have a "mental map" of where everyone else is in the group. And then at the same time, we both said, "You/I (meaning me) should NEVER hunt!" And then we cracked up.
Mental maps are just not in my repertoire. Can't do it. Never have been able to. So even if y'all stood still, I still wouldn't "know" where everyone was. And then y'all start moving? Sheesh. Can't do it.
Of course, I also know that guns scare the snot out of me, and I just would never hunt, period. Unless it's zombies in House of the Dead. But even with that, I just "run around" and have no idea where I've been or where I'm going. No map, you see. :)
gg
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