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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Kevin Rose who wrote (443464)	8/15/2003 1:08:09 PM
From: Bill	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 769670

As Watson said, proof for average people differs from proof for imbeciles. Bush is obviously trying to idiot-proof it for the lowest rung of our society, Democrats.

To: Kevin Rose who wrote (443464)	8/15/2003 1:10:45 PM
From: jim-thompson	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

This is not for democraps to read.>>> I sat in my seat of the Boeing 767 waiting for everyone > to hurry and stow their carry on and grab a seat so we > could start what I was sure to be a long and uneventful > flight home. With the huge capacity and slow moving people > taking their time to stuff luggage far too big for the > overhead and never paying much attention to holding up the > growing line behind them, I simply shook my head knowing > that this flight was not starting out very well and > although I had a great bunch of meetings while conducting > business on this trip, it was quickly becoming tarnished > with these delays in my getting home to my loved one whom I > had not seen in several days. > > The meetings although fruitful were long and I had not > slept well, not to mention those blasted new dress shoes > that rubbed a blister on my heel. I was pretty focused on > "my" issues and just felt like standing up and yelling for > some of these clowns to get their act together and focus on > taking their seats. Knowing I couldn't say anything that > would really help, I just thumbed thru the sky mall widget > magazine from the seat pocket in front of me. You know it's > really getting rough when you resort to the over priced and > mostly useless sky mall crap to break the monotony and > inconvenience of the trouble "I" was going thru. With > everyone finally on board and seated, we just sat there > with the cabin door open and seemingly no one in any hurry > to get us going even though we were well > past our scheduled take off time. The paper work had not > yet come in to the flight deck, the attendants just stood > around talking. > > No wonder the airline industry is in trouble I told > myself. Don't they realize we have some place we are > supposed to be? We should be treated with more importance, > after all we are the customers, right? > > Just then, the attendant came on the intercom to inform > us all "that we were being delayed"...as she paused, the > entire plane let out a collective groan. > > She resumed her announcement, 'we are holding the > aircraft for some very special people who are on their way > to the plane and that the delay should not be more than > five more minutes. Their connecting flight had traveled a > long way and we would get underway just as soon as > possible." > > Now, I have had this happen to me before and more often > than not, I had to catch the next flight or even go to > another carrier to get to my destination. Still, I was > grateful for the times when they waited for me, > so I thought that I would go back to my sky mall pages > and try to forget just how much "I" was being > inconvenienced. > > As the word came from a scrambling attendant down the > connecting tunnel to the main cabin door I thought that > maybe she had some information that would let us know why > we had been sitting there for over 30 minutes!! Had someone > finally given word that after waiting six times as long as > we were first promised that "I" was finally going to be on > my way home? Why the hoopla over when these folks? Just get > their butts in a seat and lets hit the gas, I thought to > myself. > > After a few minutes we were all "locked on" when the > attendant came back on the speaker, semi expecting some > celebrity or sport figure to be announced as the reason the > aircraft was delayed so long. I thought who > cares, let's go! She announced in a loud and excited > voice that we were being joined by several United States > Marines returning home from Iraq!!!! Just as they walked > onboard the entire plane erupted into applause. The Men > were a bit taken by the surprise of the 340+ people > cheering for them as they searched for their seats. It > didn't stop, they were having their > hands shook and touched by almost everyone who was > within an arm's distance of them as they tried to push thru > the aisles. Whistles, cheering, an occasional "oorrahh", > one elderly woman kissed the hand of one of the Marines as > he passed by her, and the applause didn't stop for a long > time as they continued toward the back of the aircraft. > > When we finally got air born I am sure I was not the > only civilian checking his conscious as to the "delays" in > me getting home from my "hard business meetings", finding > my easy chair and remote, a cold beverage, and tending to > my blister". In fact I felt pretty stupid as I am sure many > did. After what these Men had done for all of us, and I had > been complaining silently about "me" and "my issues"? > > It sure made me realize that as much as I told myself > that I didn't take for granted some of the everyday > freedoms I enjoy and the conveniences of the American way > of life and that it sometimes seems like a personal attack > on one of us when things don't go exactly right...I was > doing exactly that. I was taking it for granted. I took it > for granted when others who had really paid the price for > my ability to moan and complain > (even if it was just to myself)...let alone a few > minutes delay to me so that those HEROES could go home to > their loved ones. > > I attempted to get my selfish outlook back in order and > minutes before we landed I suggested to the attendant she > announced over the speaker a request for everyone to remain > in their seats until our Hero's were allowed to gather > their things and be first off the plane. The cheers and > applause continued until the last Marine stepped off and we > all rose to go about our too often taken for granted > everyday freedoms.... > > I felt Proud of Them. I felt it an Honor and a privilege > to be among the first to welcome them home and say Thank > You for a job well done. > > I vowed that I will never forget that flight nor the > lesson learned. I have said it before but I can't say it > enough, THANK YOU to those VETERANS and ACTIVE SERVICEMEN > AND WOMEN who may read this, and a prayer everyday for > those who cannot because they are no longer with us. GOD > BLESS AMERICA. >