May 26, 2006

THE PRESIDENT'S POLITICALLY CORRECT APOLOGY

        After years of demands from the MSM's P.C. police, President George W. Bush said on Thursday that "..his bellicose "bring 'em on" taunt to Iraqi insurgents was a big mistake..."

        In the wake of the President's mea culpa Patrick Henry acknowledged his famous words "Give me liberty or give me death", were "far too intemperate. There are better ways to work out differences than with demands and threats."
        General Anthony Mc'Auliffe was relieved of his command of the 101st Airborne at Bastogne for his crude rejection of a German request that he surrender. ""Nuts", is hardly the language we should be using in negotiations with our adversaries", said Sec'y of State Edward Stettinius.
        Faced with demands from the BBC that he admit mistakes, Prime Minister Churchill apologized for his truculent tone when he responded to those urging negotiation with Hitler: "...If this long island story of ours is to end at last, let it end only when each one of us lies choking in his own blood upon the ground.." He acknowledged that his words may have made it impossible for Herr Hitler to return to the negotiating track, so ably followed by Prime Minister Chamberlain.
        William Shakespeare apologized to critics for indulging in bloodthirsty nationalism in his play, Henry V.:
"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage..."
        Especially troubling to all fair minded critics of this speech is the injunction to "imitate the action of the tiger", for aren't we human beings morally superior to animals who never hesitate to kill their prey? Aren't we capable of empathy?
        Vince Lombardi apologized for saying, "If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score?" Therapy has helped him to get in touch with the empathic, caring side of himself. "I wish," he said, "I had it to do all over again. I'd show my players that it's not about winning, it's about getting to love ourselves."