Emily Nordling has never met a Muslim, at least not to her knowledge. But this spring, Ms. Nordling, a 19-year-old student from Fort Thomas, Ky., gave herself a new middle name on Facebook.com, mimicking her boyfriend and shocking her father.
“Emily Hussein Nordling,” her entry now reads.
With her decision, she joined a growing band of supporters of Senator Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, who are expressing solidarity with him by informally adopting his middle name. ...
This is where I'm too literal-minded to appreciate symbolism.
Is this to remind the world that Saddam Hussein was an American invention, whose gassing of the Kurds was not deemed by Republicans like Dole and Rumsfeld to be an obstacle to improving ties?
Are we to remember that dizzy Ambassador Gilespie sparked the invasion of Kuwait through her incompetence, the kind of incompetence we now understand is typical of Republican diplomats?
Is this to conjure up the Orwellian memory hole, in which the tens of millions of Bush fanatics believed administration lies about Saddam Hussein.... even while having no memory of what happened in the '80s?
Should we remember the unjust execution of Saddam Hussein -- unjust because he was executed before he could be tried for the crimes he committed with American approval? He was silenced before some of his victims could have their case aired?
Or are we to remember King Hussein of Jordan, who placed pragmatism and diplomacy above ideology -- oh, if only American had followed his path these past seven years?
Or perhaps present-day King Abdullah, who showed that we can expect artistic excellency -- such as love of Star Trek -- from leaders, rather than settling for the kinds of people who like tearing wings of butterflys?
Sweet how politics works among the young and idealistic.
This is where I'm too literal-minded to appreciate symbolism.
ReplyDeleteIs this to remind the world that Saddam Hussein was an American invention, whose gassing of the Kurds was not deemed by Republicans like Dole and Rumsfeld to be an obstacle to improving ties?
Are we to remember that dizzy Ambassador Gilespie sparked the invasion of Kuwait through her incompetence, the kind of incompetence we now understand is typical of Republican diplomats?
Is this to conjure up the Orwellian memory hole, in which the tens of millions of Bush fanatics believed administration lies about Saddam Hussein.... even while having no memory of what happened in the '80s?
Should we remember the unjust execution of Saddam Hussein -- unjust because he was executed before he could be tried for the crimes he committed with American approval? He was silenced before some of his victims could have their case aired?
Or are we to remember King Hussein of Jordan, who placed pragmatism and diplomacy above ideology -- oh, if only American had followed his path these past seven years?
Or perhaps present-day King Abdullah, who showed that we can expect artistic excellency -- such as love of Star Trek -- from leaders, rather than settling for the kinds of people who like tearing wings of butterflys?