SassyBlonde

Dear Mr. President:

Yesterday the media reported that you have made a supplemental budget request to Congress of $74.7 billion to pay for the current war in Iraq. Your budget for fiscal year 2003 assumes total federal receipts of $2,048.1 billion. My personal income tax accounts for .000000327% of that figure. Applying this percentage to the amount of funding you have requested from Congress, I find that I personally have been asked to pay $244.36 for the Iraq war.

The Mercy Corps, a charitable organization with which you may be familiar, has established an Iraq Emergency Fund to help alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe that the war has already caused, and which will only worsen in coming weeks. Lack of food, clean water, power, and medical supplies will place millions of people at risk of hunger and disease, and a refugee crisis of massive proportions is assured. I have made a charitable donation to this fund in the amount of $905.06. As I am in the 27-percent tax bracket, this will reduce my federal tax liability for the next year by the precise amount which you have charged me for your war.

I oppose this invasion in the strongest possible terms. Neither my belief that America must be protected from unconventional threats, nor my immense respect for the American men and women who are currently risking their lives on your orders, alter my conviction that you and your advisers have conceived this war recklessly, in bad faith, with insufficient thought given to possible consequences, insufficient support given to diplomatic alternatives, and appallingly little regard for the sanctity of human life. You will not wage it in my name, and you will not wage it with my financial support.

Sincerely yours,

(Sassy)

This bit courtesy of Cactus Log, found on jazz's site.

I don't know-- my viewpoint on the war may be changing. Somewhat. I still don't agree with certain sections of the population that back the war without much apparent thought, but I can't say that I disagree with the thought of ridding the world of Saddam Hussein. We'll see-- after all, it's not my opinion that matters (certainly not ot G.W.)-- the Iraqi people will be the measure of how successful this war is.

I had to say, when I heard about this bit of news I tuned in to the radio-- kinda wondered what happened.

Crowd Kills 2 Clerics at Shiite Shrine

However my brain kinda stopped on a dime when I heard:

Both men were then rushed by the crowd and hacked to death with swords and knives, the witnesses said.

(Before I get jumped by anybody, I just have to say how lucky I feel to live in a country where I don't have to worry about a crowd of radicals carving me up with the contents of their jackets on a moment's notice. Hubby pointed out that these kinds of things are carried for protection over there commonly.))

I have to ask-- can you imagine something like that happening in , oh, I don't know... Chicago? Who in the hell uses a sword anymore? And where does one get a nice sharp, well-balanced, ready-for-desert-combat weapon anyway? And where the hell would you hide the things-- just whip them out from under the kaftan when things got a little heated? ("Hey, psst, Abu-- you take him from behind-- just give me a minute to extricate my scimitar. Here... hold my wallet...")

I have to say that I pretty much exactly agree with Jessica's post over at BlogAnon.

A moment in history

Whether we agree or disagree on whether the war should have happened, I am mightly please to see these images and this quote from CNN:

Whether or not weapons of mass destruction are ever found, there is no doubt that Saddam needed to be removed from power. I am glad this has happened. I'm am just very saddened at the cost. Seeing the Iraqi people rejoice at the demolition of his statue and the flying of their old flag warms my heart a little amongst the destruction this war as created. I wish the Iraqi people well and hope their basic human rights and needs are met extremely soon.

I love the cover article from Entertainment Weekly about the Dixie Chicks. Good for them for not backing down.

I'm so tired of everyone who speaks up against the Bush administration's policies being vilified as unpatriotic and traitorous. Can you believe this: in my neighborhood there's a ribbon war going on. Some people, like me, have put yellow ribbons up in support of our troops. Others, however, have posted signs saying, "NO TO YELLOW: I SUPPORT OUR TROOPS AND OUR PRESIDENT."

How juvenile can these people be? I fully support our troops over in Iraq, but I will not, and cannot support their reason for being there. Saddam may be gone, but the war's a long way from over.

You know, I've tried to stay out of this insane war discussion as much as possible, but as far as this is concerned, I think I've had it.

I'm so tired of these ignorant slob pundits in the pro-war pro-Bush camp. They think as long as they "won" the war they have the right to go as far as they want in trying to humiliate anyone who speaks out opposing Bush's war policies.

Well, guys, I have news for you: as far as anyone can tell, the war isn't over, nor has it actually been won.

American soldiers moving in the streets throughout Iraq are followed, not by adoring crowds, but by people who just wish they would go home and stay out of their country's hair at this point. "It sucks, it's not fair, we cleaned up their mess", but it's the truth. Ask any reporter over there who's talking to more than just the troops and U.S. politicians.

And let's not forget that it's entirely possible that Saddam's still alive. No one's found his body yet, and not for lack of trying, and all of those recent stories referencing his bounty offer for killing American soldiers were a little disturbing. But then again, it didn't concern us that he was left alive the last time either.

So all of you pundits out there heralding the great triumph of the U.S. over the Hussein regime: I'm not holding my breath. Don't count your chickens before they're hatched-- you may yet end up with a great big omelette and egg on
your face.

-UPDATE-
This rant has more to do with the slamming of other people's views, and apparently then necessarily their lives, than the realities of either side's arguments. After all, what's right is often subjective and seen through the filter of a myriad of factors. All I'm saying is let's not get carried away here-- just because I oppose Bush and you're all for him, it doesn't mean that we have to hate each other and throw eggs. This isn't junior high. --S

Yvonne's got a point over at aged and confused.

From Robyn's site:

Please note before reading: I'm entitled to my opinion - and whoa, I do not have to justify it with an essay-reply to your comment just because you'd like me to do so.

Since this is already being debated around here anyway, I thought I'd pass along this link from our local paper. People can blame this recession on an economy that President Bush inherited from his Democratic predecessor all they want -- but the fact remains, we live in a "I know he used to do nice things for you, but what has he done for you late-ly" world. And the stats don't lie:

So go ahead and try to blow elephant-clouded sunshine up my ass all you want. The fact remains, we're now one of those millions of Americans standing in the unemployment line at present. And I, for one, can't wait 'til the 2004 election when more than just my voice can be heard. If you aren't registered to vote, do it now. I can give you 9.4 million reasons - and counting - not to put it off.

I don't know which makes me more sad, the fact that the Iraqi public is now having to resort to extreme violence to try to make themselves heard, or the fact that President Bush isn't listening.

These are not wayward children to be shepherded in the right direction. Any public group who does what these people have done should be left to their own devices. They obviously know what they want.

Seriously.

It makes me sick.

This is one of many reasons why I love to read Rude Cactus.

I don't think I've ever talked about where I was on that day to anyone, to be honest, except possible The Muse. The emotion is still so raw-- like an open wound, and not because I knew anyone personally that died. It feels more like the violation of being assaulted: your perceptions of humanity change, your view of your world shifts. Nothing is ever the same.

I was in the car on my my way to teach at a local private school when I heard about the first plane. I actually heard the "thump" on the NPR station when the plane hit the Pentagon. When I got to school, the teachers were all nervous, but the decision had been made not to tell the children individually because so many had parents that worked at the Pentagon (many military kids there). The teacher I was working with sat at her desk crying-- her husband's flight home from one of the originating airports had been rescheduled earlier that morning, so he was safe. I knew before I heard the news that the first tower had collapsed.

My husband had a quite different scenario-- he was driving to a gig in Arlington through the city. His car had no radio, and we never turned on the morning news (that changed after that day) and he couldn't figure out why everyone was crowding out of DC. He called my cell phone, but before he could get me, a DC police officer turned him around, saying "No traffic through here, sir-- the Pentagon has been attacked,". He could see the smoke out his window as he drove home.

So we rejoined each other at home an hour or so later, and held each other on the couch as we watched Peter Jennings until late, late that night. I woke up screaming at 4 AM.

For the next four days the only noise we heard outside our apartment window was patrolling fighter jets, and I cringed as each one passed.

The rawness of the attacks makes me feel insulted at how soon the movies have come out. I won't see them, now or ever. I'll wake up screaming again, and anyway my heart is a walking memorial.

Where were you?

So here's the thing:

I've missed you guys.

I've had some pretty heavy things going on in my life this year, things which basically have changed the face of my entire existence in one way or another. And I haven't really felt comfortable talking about that here, in public, for anyone and everyone to read. More importantly, there are very good reasons why I can't and shouldn't.

And frankly, it's killing me.

Because if you're still reading this, then I've probably known you, or had you as a reader, for long enough that you're probably wondering what the hell happened to me.

Because if you're still reading this, you're probably one of the people whose opinions and love I value enough that I'm going to need your help in the next year.

Because frankly, I need an outlet more in-depth than Twitter and less personal than Facebook.

So here's the other thing:

On March 1st, this blog is getting a makeover. I'll be moving it to a new server, shaking up the layout a little, and converting it to a new CMS, though the site address won't change. The ranting and raving and silliness will stay the same, only there will be some things that I don't want to share with everybody, some things that I may need to share and say, but only within certain circles. I'm tired of keeping it all pent up and I've done that for long enough.

If you're still reading this blog, and you're been a loyal reader or friend or even a long-time lurker, email me at (sassy{at}sassyblonde{dot}net) with the title of this post in the subject line or comment on this post and request an access key. I'd love to have you in the circle.

Til then, I'll be cleaning house and doing some renovation, and I'll see you on March 1st.

UPDATE: So, snow and circumstances being what they've been around here, I'm going to have to ask you guys to wait around a little longer, which actually ends up being appropriate for a lot of reasons. I've gotten all your emails and comments, and if you can hang tight for a few more weeks, I'll have the next phase ready on April 1st.