In a less than riveting essay, Cindy Sheehan attempts to redefine one word - patriotism - and add another to our lexicon: matriotsm.
Much as I wish I could take credit for the word "matriotism," another woman wrote to me and gave me the concept. I was so intrigued by the word that I have been meditating on the possible ideology behind it, and a new paradigm for true and lasting peace in the world.
Sheehan begins to explore, unfortunately, not simply her navel to flesh out this new ideology, but the word patriotism, instead.
we all know that patriotism in the US means: exploiting others' love for country by sending them and their children off to sacrifice for my bank balance!
Oh, but she can't stop there. Cindy, or the show, as it were, must go on:
The idea of patriotism has virtually wiped out entire generations of our precious young people and has allowed our nation's leaders to commit mass murder ... After the tragedy of 9/11 we were on our way to becoming a fledgling Matriotic society until our leaders jumped on the bandwagon of inappropriate and misguided vengeance to send our young people to die and kill in two countries that were no threat to the USA or to our way of life. The neocons exploited patriotism to fulfill their goals of imperialism and plumder(sic).
Sheehan goes on to characterize the Pledge of Allegiance as nationalist - imagine that? And the Star Spangled Banner as a hymn to war. Unfortunately, she seems to forget that, not only do all nations have nationalist anthems, duh ... but also, without the war which forms the basis of the Start Spangled Banner, there would be no America at all. Of course, that might not upset Sheehan, as she sees America as basically a murdering of the American Indian anyway. Perhaps she's been taking classes with Ward Churchill. Oh, wait, he's not really an Indian. My plumder.
our leaders ... wave the flag and convince us to hate fellow human beings who stand in the way of making immense profits from war. Matriotism is the opposite of patriotism…not to destroy it, but to be a yin to its yang, and balance out the militarism of patriotism.
Somehow when Ms. Sheehan mentions balance, lithium comes more to mind than world peace. Finally, she begins to extol the virtues of this new matriotism:
A true Matriot would never drop an atomic bomb or bombs filled with white phosphorous, carpet bomb cities and villages, or control drones from thousands of miles away to kill innocent men, women and children.
Sheehan even has the audacity to invoke the identity of the Mother struggling in Iraq as existing within a country needlessly destroyed, absolutely unmindful of the fact that said Mothers were often forced to walk behind their men, and could not vote or always be educated within large sections of the population tolerated and maintained under the previous Iraqi regime.
She goes on to cite a pending Code Pink peace rally scheduled for March 8 and calls for all women and men with matriotic tendencies to join in. After reading the overly long essay, were I a Mother, I might just coin a new compound word of my own - self-matricide. My advice - spare yourself the essay and perish the thought.
Waste of bandwith
Posted by: COLUMBO | Monday, January 23, 2006 at 08:27 PM
The woman is confused; to say the least. The simplest way to deal with her would be to block her access to "dictionary.com" - she would obviously be at a total loss for words.
Posted by: suzyqueue | Monday, January 23, 2006 at 08:39 PM
Well. Reading that plumdered me out so bad, I cain't thaink o' nuttin' ta say. Let her keep on keepin' on, though. She gives bad plumder to the other side.
I don't think she knows about 'dictionary.com'. "Dickshunerry! Thas exploytin us muthres an my bank balance!"
Posted by: Phoenix | Monday, January 23, 2006 at 09:03 PM
she told a crowd in Hawaii to 'not let Bush & the military invade their island'
Posted by: COLUMBO | Monday, January 23, 2006 at 09:33 PM
she told a crowd in Hawaii to 'not let Bush & the military invade their island'
Posted by: COLUMBO | Monday, January 23, 2006 at 09:33 PM
I seriously hope that's a joke, but I'm afraid it's not. Her next stop is Caracas to give a political address--sound like any other celebrity- cum-activist? (not that Sheehan was ever a celebrity)
Posted by: ViVi | Monday, January 23, 2006 at 10:14 PM
ViVi:
January 5, 2006
Peace activist Cindy Sheehan urged a standing-room-only crowd at the Church of the Crossroads last night to unite to stop the war in Iraq, impeach President Bush and "see justice" for those killed since the war started in 2003.
"If you don't want the war machine to invade your island, don't let it happen," said Sheehan, whose 24-year-old son died in Iraq and who gained international attention for staging an anti-war demonstration outside Bush's ranch in Texas.
http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m19301&l=i&size=1&hd=0
Posted by: COLUMBO | Monday, January 23, 2006 at 10:41 PM
Cindy's not just confused - she's also a plagiarist. She pulled the term Matriotism out of an April 2002 article by Elouise Belle. Cindy even borrowed the "yin yang" comparison from Belle's original article. Stupid considering that anyone could google and get the same info....but what do you expect?
Posted by: Chickenhawk Express | Monday, January 23, 2006 at 10:46 PM
Imagine that- Cindy Sheehan is still an idiot.
Posted by: sigmund, carl and alfred | Monday, January 23, 2006 at 11:35 PM
'Self-matricide'?
Naw, imbecilicide.
Or, idioticide.
But, all bullshit aside, I like dumbshiticide best.
Posted by: Steel | Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 04:43 AM
Cindy,
You are correct. The Pledge of Allegience is nationalist and the Star Spangled Banner is a hymn to war or, more accurately, a hymn to the brave Americans who fought and died during the shelling of Fort McHenry in Baltimore by the British in 1814.
Thanks for reminding us. Now shut up and stop disgracing the memory of your brave son who knowingly and willingly
volunteered to serve his country and tragically lost his life.
Posted by: Neantaeus | Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 09:12 AM
It's too bad Dan's mother didn't commit self-matricide before he was born.
If she was a real patriot, she would have spared this country the burden of her chickenhawk son.
MrsLevy
Posted by: MrsLevy | Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 10:52 AM
Well Mrs Levy,
Speaking as a veteran who has actually fought for your right to be an idiot, might I suggest you try toasting bread in the bath.
Posted by: Steel | Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 01:01 PM
Mrs. Levy,
I'm glad that you understand the concepts of freedom and patriotism so clearly; may I offer you the use of my hair dryer while you're enjoying your toast in the tub?
Posted by: suzyqueue | Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 01:19 PM
A cup of hemlock to go with that toast, Mrs. Levy?
Posted by: Phoenix | Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 05:31 PM
US anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan hails Venezuela's Chavez
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060124/en_afp/venezuelasocial_060124235441
Posted by: COLUMBO | Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 07:33 PM
CINDY IS AN EMBARASSMENT TO AMERICANS. I AM APPALLED BY HER WORDS AND BEHAVIOR. I AM A MOTHER AS WELL. AND I WAS A SINGLE MOM FOR 12 YEARS. YOU EMBARASS ALL THE WOMEN. STAY WHERE YOU ARE. PLEASE DO NOT COME BACK. YOU WILL NOT BE MISSED!
Posted by: LAUREN | Wednesday, January 25, 2006 at 12:48 AM
Power to the people is, is not a good idea
Posted by: council | Thursday, September 06, 2007 at 10:01 PM
Vanity is not a valid reason for cosmetic plastic surgery
Posted by: dental material phillips science | Wednesday, September 26, 2007 at 09:23 AM
Today was a complete loss, but oh well. I don't care. So it goes. Nothing going on , but shrug. Not much on my mind these days. Such is life.
Posted by: advance | Sunday, September 30, 2007 at 12:03 AM