What will you see at the inauguration?
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Bill Louis Long
Albemarle County
Published: October 26, 2008
As the presidential campaign nears the finish line, I find myself thinking about the 1962 musical “The Music Man.” In it, smooth-talking professor Harold Hill, with no musical experience or talent, comes to town and convinces the good citizens of River City that they need him to build a boys band to save their children’s souls from degradation and to otherwise uplift their drab existence.
In the closing scene, when the band finally hits the street, the mesmerized, hopeful townsfolk see through their eyes something akin to the magnificent USC marching band, rather than the reality of a ragtag group that can scarcely wheeze out a decent note.
Unfortunately, the movie ends before showing what happens on the next day ... when it begins to dawn on everyone that they have been fleeced.
My thoughts then turn to Inauguration Day 2009, where I see professor Barack Obama leading his band, with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Jessie Jackson in the vanguard, up Capitol Hill, with throngs of starry-eyed, enraptured Americans cheering them on — just like on the silver screen. However, this picture ends before revealing what happens on the day after. Perhaps, with a lot of luck and a lot of prayers, it will all turn out just fine.
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Posted by ( anoptomist ) on October 27, 2008 at 8:17 pm
This country that I love was founded on principles. I have seen these principles erroded in the name of ‘freedom’ and ‘national security interests.‘ The United States has killed many innocent civilians; women, children. What do you think the families of those that we killed think about Americans? They think that we are the terrorists.
By sanctioning torture we become the people we say we despise.
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Posted by ( skidmark83 ) on October 27, 2008 at 7:55 pm
“Anoptimist” - you’re concerned about torture that may have been utilized against Muslim extremists that are hellbent on killing Americans? What’s wrong with that picture? They’re out to kill innocent Americans because of their screwed up religious ideologies, beheading is the preferred method, but we can waterboard them for info? Unbelievable that some Americans actually put the rights of these animals ahead of there fellow AMERICANS.
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Posted by ( anoptomist ) on October 27, 2008 at 6:51 pm
The Bush administration has done quite a good job of turning America into a second rate country already. We’ve been bankrupted by an illegal war, the deregulation of Wall Street ‘gambling’ and the sanctioning and practice of torture has tarnished our reputation.
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Posted by ( skidmark83 ) on October 27, 2008 at 7:53 am
Wilfau, the problem is that you and the others that are voting for Obama are voting for him for all the wrong reasons. You’re blind to his socialist tendencies, very questionable relationships with anti-Americans and total lack of experience to lead this country. So you’re voting against McCain - fine - however you’re voting for a man who will lead this country into most likely worse times than Carter did. He’s going to turn this super power into a “nothing” power because of his views and ideologies.
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Posted by ( anoptomist ) on October 27, 2008 at 2:18 am
McCain has been on the board of the US Council for World Freedom. This group had funneled aid and arms to various paramilitary groups around the world. They gave up to $25 million in munitions and aid to Afghan rebels who were fighting the Soviets in the 80’s. Can you spell Bin Laden?
All Hollywood scenarios aside, I do not approve of my government sending weapons and treasure to other groups only to have those very weapons turned against brave American men and women.
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Posted by ( wilfau ) on October 27, 2008 at 12:56 am
You must have watched a different movie.
Or maybe you are just too cynical to understand that “The Music Man” has a happy ending including the unexpected redemption of professor Hill.
The political figure that better fits your confused metaphor is George Bush. He is the one who conned the country into an unnecessary war in Iraq.
But it seems that the people have had enough from the Republi-cons so we are choosing Obama.
The only chance Bush has of redemption is to end the war before he leaves office in January. When he does leave office there WILL be throngs of happy people and not just in Washington.
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