pynchon-l-digest V2 #2240

[Paul Mackin]

Kind of a wild stretch to say that singing GBA is hypocritical in cases
where there are no accompanying thoughts for other dead in the world
consequent upon the war on terrorism. You might want to call it
self-centered. Were I a suspicious person I might just suspect that
pretending to greive for strangers as much as for one's own might run the
danger of, well, who knows . . . .

        P..

----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Millison" <millison at online-journalist.com>
To: <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Monday, November 12, 2001 11:50 AM
Subject: Re: pynchon-l-digest V2 #2240


> You're sure that every intance of singing "God Bless America" is a true
> expression of deep emotion, and not mere sentimentality?  In the first few
> days and weeks after September 11, that was probably the case.  But as
time
> passes and the rough edges smooth a little and people move through their
> grieving and begin to heal (it does happen ),I don' think every instance
is
> the expression of deep emotion -- certainly not in the highly produced TV
> and other entertainment venues where the song has become a staple. At any
> rate, if we sing God Bless America mindful only of our own dead, not
> acknowledging the innocents ("collateral damage" is the euphemism for
> babies, old folks, and other non-combattants who die as a result of our
> strikes) our armed forces are killing even as we sing, I suggest that's
> hypocrital. Others may disagree.  Both ends of the rainbow deserve
> consideration -- that seems to be one of the things GR says in, in my
> opinion.
>
> God bless Afghanistan,
> Land that we bomb.
> Stand beside her, and guide our
> Brutal strikes with cruise missile aplomb.
> From the mountains, to the cities,
> To the rubble, red with blood
> God bless Afghanistan, as we pound its mud.
> God bless Afghanistan, as we shed its blood.
>
> With apologies to Irving Berlin, who, according to the U.S. Library of
> Congress, intended "to write a "peace" song"
> (http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm019.html).
>
> Malign wrote:  [...]
>
>
>
>
> Doug Millison - Writer/Editor/Web Editorial Consultant
> millison at online-journalist.com
> www.Online-Journalist.com