A PERSPECTIVE ON AGE AND THE WORLD

I was thinking during this past week as I was listening to the various opinions of people in and out of government about how we should handle the current Iranian crisis. It is difficult to be old enough and rational enough to have an objective view of the mess we have made of the middle east relationships with the western world. It is different than just being old since people like John McCain and Bill Bennent are certainly old enough to remember how bad we screwed up during and after World War II in regard to Israel, Palestine, and Iran. Others are young enough to remember Donald Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam Hussiem as we made a deal with him to attack Iran with our backing to try to defeat the Ayatollah who threw out our hand pick Shah. And certainly many more remember giving arms and aid to Osama Bin Laden to chase the Russians out of Afghanistan. Yes, it difficult to listen to the idiots to rant and scream about what we should be doing about Iran now during their internal turmoil, and to know that they would have us f**k the whole thing up again and start a whole new cycle. I really believe that some of these people got their brains out of boxes stamped "Made in Japan" or "Made in China".
It isn't bad enough that Bush led us into a useless war in Iraq simply because he and the rest of the "gang of four" felt that for his presidency to be successful he had to have his war. The above mentioned idiots and their cronies would have us start something with Iran it seems. If not that I am not sure what else they want Obama to do other than to tell them he is going to "hold his breath until they act right." Or, perhaps, stomp his feet and say, "Now cut that out." If anyone has to doubt whether or not they voted right when they voted correctly for Obama instead of McCain ... friends this is it.

McCain and his neo-cons would be like 3 year olds in a sand box tearing up sand castles; except that ours would also be crumbling at the same time. Perhaps with my age I won't be here long enough to see the biggest of the big screw ups ... at least I hope not.

Bill Formby

Mike this is a purposeful belated comment on father's day. I have long not been a big advocate of taking one day out of the year to celebrate, cheer, worship, jump up and down, buy gifts, or otherwise try to show gratitude to someone, such as a mother, father, or grandparent who have been around all year long. And, in my youth of 66 years it is with different perspective I still feel that way. After several calls from my daughter and son, and even a couple from the grandkids, asking me what they could get me for father father's day I began to ponder. What could I ask of them that they have not already given me that really means anything of substance.
I have a 37 year old daughter and a 35 year old son who were always everything a father could want out of his children. They were good kids, never got into any real trouble, never gave me any serious cause for major worries and took pride in being good well round kids. They grew into outstanding, well rounded young people leading very successful lives and are well liked and respected by their peers and co workers. They both have very good moral standards and care about the less fortunate, nature, and the animals god put upon this earth. My son is raising four terrific children of his own who all share those same values. Having watched them grow and become what they have become everyday of my life has been perhaps one the greatest things in my life. I have had a Father's Day gift every day for the past thirty seven years.
What gift could they possibly give me that could top that! To me everyday is father's day and I get to bask in my glory every day.
Perhaps not everyone has this perception so this why I wrote this late. I told my kids this and for the rest of my live they are my father's day gift and I am a very lucky father.

Bill Formby