Posted on 08/24/2005 8:59:31 AM PDT by GeorgiaYankee
2005-08-24) -- An internal White House memo, leaked today, indicates how President George Bush initially planned to address Cindy Sheehan's question: What "noble cause" did my son die for?
The draft memo includes suggestions from White House communications staff, followed by several paragraphs apparently handwritten by the president.
While handwriting experts from CBS News continue to pore over the document to verify its authenticity, here is the text of the president's alleged response to the grieving Mom whose protest has captured the hearts of America's journalists.
Dear Mrs. Sheehan,
You have asked me to identify the noble cause for which your son died. I have not answered you personally out of respect for the nobility of your son's sacrifice.
Being president forces me into the spotlight, but I would rather stand in the shadows of men like Casey Sheehan.
Directing national attention on my response to your protest creates a distraction from what matters. The focus of our attention, and our admiration, should rest on people like Casey Sheehan, who stand in the breach when evil threatens to break out and consume a helpless people.
The running story on the news networks should be the valiant efforts of our troops -- the merchants of mercy who export freedom and import honor. They trade their own lives for the sake of others.
As a result, we live in a nation where a woman can camp outside of the president's house and verbally attack the president for weeks on end without fear of prison, torture or death. And the number of nations where such protest is possible has multiplied thanks to the work of our military.
You ask for what noble cause your son died?
In a sense he died so that people like you, who passionately oppose government policies, can freely express that opposition. As you camp in Crawford, you should take off your shoes, for you stand on holy ground. This land was bought with the blood of men like your son.
Now, 25 million Iraqis cry out to enjoy the life you take for granted. Most of them will never use their freedom to denigrate the sacrifice of those who paid for it. But once liberty is enshrined in law, they will be free to do so. And when the Iraqis finally escape their incarceration, hope will spread throughout that enslaved region of the world, eventually making us all safer and more free.
The key is in the lock of the prison door. Bold men risk everything to turn it.
Mrs. Sheehan, everyone dies. But few experience the bittersweet glory of death with a purpose -- death that sets people free and produces ripples of liberty hundreds of years into the future.
Casey Sheehan died that freedom might triumph over bondage, hope over despair, prosperity over misery. He died restoring justice and mercy. He lived and died to help to destroy the last stubborn vestiges of the Dark Ages.
To paraphrase President Lincoln, the world will little note nor long remember what you and I say here. But it can never forget what Casey Sheehan did during his brief turn on earth. If we are wise, we will take increased devotion to that cause for which he gave the last full measure of devotion.
Our brave warriors have blazed a trail. They have enstrusted the completion of the task to those of us they left behind. Let's, you and I, resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.
Let's finish the work that they have thus far so nobly advanced.
Sincerely, George W. Bush
Let the fools reveal themselves?
No thanks - not on my dollar. Let them reveal themselves elsewhere without trying to sell their ideas at our expense here to our readers.
We come here to read sanity - not to wade through trash we find everywhere else.
Me too. I've emailed Mr. Ott and made the offer to him. THe only sticking point would be if the Iconoclast would actually print it, being they're so militantly pro-Cindy. We'll see. I hope he emails me back today.
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I hope this can be printed. If you can do so, post it on this thread. I'll keep an eye out here to see if you're successful.
OK
My apologies.
I agree with the Author. Too many tribal fueds to unite, not to mention the difference between Sunni, Shiite, Kurds, Turks. One and a half billion Muslims will never unite, much less be able to militarily deal with the combined forces of China, Russia, Europe (when they finally wake up) and the US.
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Very good. And, of course, I did read it.
Ok, I give up. Will let others hound posters about clarity.
Outstanding. I just wish it were available on genuine White House letterhead.
Thank you for the link. I read as much as I could get away with and now have it bookmarked.
True that!
That is just beautiful!!!
Totally the Patriotic Tome for our time!
G
I do see that and don't disagree entirely. However, it is often instructive to read how others respond to the soon to be zotted, not to mention being very entertaining. I learn new ways to argue points and new ways to persuade the open minded to a conservative point of view.
But if the soon to be zotted are able to sell their ideas here of all places, as you have said, then I guess we really do have something to fear from the liberal point of view? If that's the case, then by all means, silence those irresistible liberal ideas. (That's a bit of sarcasm, btw)
Did you ride the short bus to school?
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