Ann Coulter. Wow.

[DCJenn]

Wow. That's just about the most insulting thing you've ever said to me. I think that's worse than the time that you insinuated that my husband was not a good pediatrician because we did not (yet) have children. Or the time that you suggested that I be "fired" as an admin because I used curse words on an adult forum.

Jenn

PS- for the record, my husband, the decorated former enlisted 82nd Airborne soldier who attended the military medical university and has just completed his sixth year of medical training in the United States Army is married to a registered Democrat who happens to find the War to be a mistake. The morally reprehensible statement was in regard to Ann Coulter. Although I'm pretty sure there's at least one other person I'd throw in that pool now.

I think there is a big, fat difference between 'never questioning a widow' vs. saying widows are 'enjoying their husbands death'.

I couldn't agree more. I was simply responding to Catina's following statement when I said that. Sorry, I should've been more clear about this.

Common decency would dictate that you don't attack a widow.

Yea you'll see that I won't get involved in the political side of anything. I guarantee I will get crushed every time. :!

[mommax3]

That's pretty low, Rapunzel......first you misinterpret, and then you insult.

Sally

[rainbabies]

p.s. im going to go dig up some dirt on tom and katie.

[DCJenn]

Actually, the scariest part of this entire thread is that Bill O'Reilly, Jesher and I all agree on something. and it's not the color of the sky.

Jenn

pretty sure Bill would throw down over the sky color.

Rapunzel - perhaps an apology is in order? That was way, way out of line.

[Sheherezade]

Ouch. That got personal. You're not trying to compete with Ann are you, Rapunzel? From what I've heard, Jenn's hubby is a die hard military guy with previous war service already under his belt. I'm sure he's familiar with his "job" and he does it well.

Can we get back on topic? Ann Coulter? Over the line? Is she just trying to sell her book, and is that OK? Is it now acceptable to put aside human decency to get on the news cycle? Or is it time for us to turn our backs on people that do this?

[Laker]

People are so sensitive. Who cares what Ann Coulter says or Micheal Moore or Bill Mahrer. They are all idiots. I guess I have developed a thick skin from getting scorned by the judge this last month.

[DCJenn]

The problem, expecially the Michael Moore/Ann Coulter/Bill O'Reilly genre is that they're so inflammatory that even when they have a kernel of a point, which Coulter actually did, (which was- if you're going to be politically active and stick your neck out, don't fall back on the 'don't pick on me I'm a widow' defense when people disagree with you) you can't hear it above all of the BS they're also flappin' their lips about. and I will say right here that Rush Limbaugh has actually made a point or two that I agreed with- but wading through all of the other inflame the masses crap that he pulls is just not worth it.

Bill Maher, Jon Stewart, Penn and Teller (whose show on HBO is so, so good) are comedians first. They're smart, funny liberals also- but the whole shows are about entertaining people first. and the Colbert Report is dead on satire of the political talking heads. It's just so sad that there's apparently an entire subset of neocons who didn't get the humor...

Jenn

[Laker]

bill mahrer is far from a comedian first. he is a flaming liberal that happens to crack a joke or 2. It seems that those you like are "entertainers" first, while those that you disagree with aren't entertaining anyone.

I bet Rush has more people that tune into his show and for longer periods of time than Air America and Bill Mahrer put together.

I do like Jon Stewart though. He fits your definition better than Bill.

[DCJenn]

bill is actually significantly less funny than he has been in the past.

Now he's just trying to make money for the 26 YO girlfriend.

and no, the ones I like are smart, can pursue a point and aren't afraid to admit when the other side has a point. Oh, unlike the conservative pundits. You know perhaps if everyone took a deep breath and READ what the 'other side' has to say, we'd realize that for the most part, we're not that different.

I think generally speaking we'd all agree that the medical insurance system sucks, that the Iraq war might have been planned out a wee bit better, that the oil problem isn't going to go away and that in the big scheme of things we'll all be out there waving the flag and singing the National Anthem (badly, except for Sally). No one wants what we stand for to go away. Some of us are just WAY more alarmed than others about the rights that we've lost.

and, as I have been tempted to say numerous times this week. Until you or your spouse have been ordered to parachute into a war zone rifle in hand, shut the F up.


Jenn

[DCJenn]

and, as I have been tempted to say numerous times this week. Until you or your spouse have been ordered to parachute into a war zone rifle in hand, shut the F up.

and really, I've struggled with this as the admins will attest. But for real, people. It's not just politics. It's living breathing human beings. and if you're looking at pure numbers, we haven't killed as many soldiers as we did in the Vietnam "conflict" (remember whose parents worked for NSA, whose mom translated Vietnamese...oh, right, that's ME...)

the bottom line is thast there are tens of thousands of injured soldiers from Afganistan (oh, yeah, we're there too, yeah, we shouldn't forget them, right?) and Iraq. and just about every other military conflict we've ever been in.

So all I ask is for once, people accept the fact that War Sucks.

again:

War Sucks

all together now:


War Sucks


Jenn

[Laker]

and, as I have been tempted to say numerous times this week. Until you or your spouse have been ordered to parachute into a war zone rifle in hand, shut the F up.

and really, I've struggled with this as the admins will attest. But for real, people. It's not just politics. It's living breathing human beings. and if you're looking at pure numbers, we haven't killed as many soldiers as we did in the Vietnam "conflict" (remember whose parents worked for NSA, whose mom translated Vietnamese...oh, right, that's ME...)

the bottom line is thast there are tens of thousands of injured soldiers from Afganistan (oh, yeah, we're there too, yeah, we shouldn't forget them, right?) and Iraq. and just about every other military conflict we've ever been in.

So all I ask is for once, people accept the fact that War Sucks.

again:

War Sucks

all together now:


War Sucks


Jenn

Since we are riding on the bandwagon... do my father/grandfather count? Since we are blood, I think I can have an opinion on war, not to mention the fact that this is America. You married a serviceman so only you get to have an opinion about war and military service? What a joke.

Besides, most dems "voted for the war before they voted against it."

[DCJenn]

so, war is a good thing? you want your spouse to go? do you want to go?

And grandparents? Exactly whom among us have grandparents who WEREN'T involved in one war or another. Although there were inequities, I'm pretty sure that just about 90% of us can throw the grandparents into the mix. What about people whose families didn't make it out of Germany, Russia or Poland among others. Because they were powerless.

ah, yes, the draft the 'equalizer'. Parents? I've already stated that mine were firmly implanted in the NSA. In-laws? How about two tours in Vietnam plus Air America. (It's not just a movie)

How about Sikhs, Hindis, Muslims? India? Nepal? China? Wait, what about Korea and Japan? Not enough? what about the Jews/Christians/Palistinians? Still not enough?

Hutus and Tutsis? Serbs and Croats?

Want to get really technical? Let's toss in the Hawaiians, the Puerto Ricans, the Cubans, the Phillipinos, the Indonesians, the Nicaraguans...

how about let's toss in the Cold War.

So when exactly is war a good thing, because I'd really like to know.

Jenn

and in case I didn't make myself CRYSTAL clear: I will sleep well tonight, knowing that the world's best military force is defending me. and I'm lucky enough to have one of them actually with me. so, again, until you or your spouse has been ordered into a war zone...perhaps you should temper your positions and think of the 19 year-olds.

I think it's obvious that people who have an immediate connection to those that have to do the fighting / defending are going to have a more visceral reaction to what wars are being fought and why. It is a sacrifice I cannot and will not imagine in my life. I am grateful beyond words for those who do it, and I support those people entirely.

As for the original (somewhat widened topic), we've been bantying about names of 2 different kinds of commentators. Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher, Penn & Teller ... they were/are entertainers first. They have evolved (or in Maher's case ... devolved ... he's really lost it since getting canned from ABC) into political commentators.

Limbaugh, Coulter, O'Reilly ... they were / are talking heads. All they've done is sat in chairs and talked loudly enough to get attention.

I agree with Jenn -- if we strip it down to the basics, there is probably a lot of common ground.

War Sucks. Some wars have a more vaild point than others -- but war sucks.