The nitty gritty: A Princess and a Wedding

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

A Princess and a Wedding

For all the millions of words spun by neo-conservatives, anti-war protesters and political pundits, nothing describes the war better than a suffering mother whose daughter, Army Sgt. Princess C. Samuel, 22, was killed in Iraq last week.

Her mother, Anika Lawal, told the Washington Post:

"I am very upset that this has happened. I want to know why I'm planning a funeral while George Bush is planning a wedding."

No comments:

Post a Comment

What Is a Curmudgeon?

A curmudgeon's reputation for malevolence is undeserved. They're neither warped nor evil at heart. They don't hate mankind, just mankind's absurdities. They're just as sensitive and soft-hearted as the next guy, but they hide their vulnerability beneath a crust of misanthropy. They ease the pain by turning hurt into humor. ...They attack maudlinism because it devalues genuine sentiment. ...Nature, having failed to equip them with a servicable denial mechanism, has endowed them with astute perception and sly wit.
Curmudgeons are mockers and debunkers whose bitterness is a symptom rather than a disease. They can't compromise their standards and can't manage the suspension of disbelief necessary for feigned cheerfulness. Their awareness is a curse.
Perhaps curmudgeons have gotten a bad rap in the same way that the messenger is blamed for the message: They have the temerity to comment on the human condition without apology. They not only refuse to applaud mediocrity, they howl it down with morose glee. Their versions of the truth unsettle us, and we hold it against them, even though they soften it with humor. -- JON WINOKUR