Stop. Think. Speak.

I would like to propose this threefold system of communication to President Bush, and also specifically to Randi and Michael of the box office. Especially President Bush, but since my influence on him is limited, I guess I'll have to start small.

Today I was reading about Bush's speech last night regarding our progress in Iraq, and it was so deeply angering to me that I simply had to violate my vow of silence on matters of import at work, and bring it up to Albert. He agreed... in fact, he had become so angry viewing the speech that he turned it off.

My anger stems from two basic things: First of all, the speech seems to me to be deliberately, blatantly, flagrantly misleading in its constant references to September 11th, and now the link between Iraq and that attack is explained as a common ideological framework. Last time I checked, we cannot attack people because they share an ideological framework with actual military enemies, no matter how insidious we view that ideological framework to be. For example, I feel that refusing or being unable to discriminate between members of a population... or even a general cultural group... (eg. U.S. citizen vs. President Bush, U.S. citizen vs. British citizen, Iraqi leader vs. September 11th attacker, Iraqi vs. member of other Middle Eastern country)... is, in fact, a disturbing ideological framework that we seem to share with our enemies. By that logic, the next step the U.S. should take is to invade itself.

Anyway, as Albert and I were discussing this without going into a whole lot of depth, but expressing our mutual anger, Randi came into the box office. Albert proceeded to say that she was a fan of Bush, and we were off to the races. It was very strange, and at some point when Randi said "they were all out to attack us, anyway," I literally started shouting, "Who? Who? Not Iraq, tell me who?" Which is highly unusual, and partly attributable to the fact that Randi seems to say almost everything at top volume and with total conviction. But it was this total jumble of sometimes contradictory cliches, and I was trying my best to argue back rationally... Randi was literally saying things about how all people in the Middle East wanted to kill us, and just complete bollocks, but with such incredible conviction! I was quite worked up, though, and it surprised me. I guess the nice-quiet-worker facade got torn right open.

I kind of liked it. Although I was sort of trembling with anger at some point when Randi and tall young Michael proposed sending all the prisoners to fight in Iraq. I said something scornful about training, and they sort of said they were kidding. I think Michael sort of just likes to get a rise out of me. I do NOT like it when people think it's funny when I'm angry, and a lot of people seem to think so. Why? I have as scorching a wrath as anybody else, when roused.

And, one good way to avoid such wrath is to try out Stop Think Speak. Not necessarily when you're talking about your annoyance at work or your ex-boyfriend or your mom... but when you're talking about large global events and war? Please. Give just a moment's ponderation to what comes out of your mouth!

I wish I could convince people that the passionate application of their minds matters, and is worth the trouble.