Supermarket.

[Pete McCluskey.]

I cannot vouch for the authenticity of this, but I like the sentiment.rockonsmile




An incident occurred in a supermarket recently, when the following was witnessed:

A Muslim woman dressed in a Burkha (A black gown & face mask) was standing with her shopping in a queue (line) at the checkout. When it was her turn to be served, and as she reached the cashier, she made a loud remark about the Australian Flag lapel pin, which the female cashier was wearing on her blouse.

The cashier reached up and touched the pin and said, "Yes, I always wear it proudly. My son serves abroad with the forces and I wear it for him".

The Muslim woman then asked the cashier when she was going to stop bombing and killing her countrymen, explaining that she was Iraqi.

At that point, a Gentleman standing in the queue stepped forward, and interrupted with a calm and gentle voice, and said
to the Iraqi woman:

"Excuse me, but hundreds of thousands of men and women, just like this ladies son have fought and sacrificed their lives so that people just like YOU can stand here, in Australia, which is MY
country and allow you to blatantly accuse an innocent check-out cashier of bombing YOUR countrymen".

"It is my belief that if you were allowed to be as outspoken as that in Iraq, which you claim to be YOUR country, then we
wouldn't need to be fighting there today".

"However - now that you have learned how to speak out and criticize the English people who have afforded you the protection
of MY country, I will gladly pay the cost of a ticket to help you pay your way back to Iraq".

"When you get there, and if you manage to survive for being as outspoken as what you are here in Australia, then you should be
able to help straighten out the mess which YOUR Iraqi countrymen have got you into in the first place, which appears to be the reason that you have come to MY country to avoid."

Apparently the queue cheered and applauded.
__________________

 

[Steve26]

rockonsmileI wish more people would take the time to react like that in a calm way. Thank you all in Australia for your support in such a screwed up world.

Steve

 

[Dalton Veitch]

Good one, Pete. This is precisely the point.

Dalton

 

[Russ Noble]

I cannot vouch for the authenticity of this, but I like the sentiment.rockonsmile

You're being mischievous again Pete! I like the sentiment but it doesn't quite fit with the facts.....

"Excuse me, but hundreds of thousands of men and women, just like this ladies son have fought and sacrificed their lives so that people just like YOU can stand here, in Australia, which is MY
country and allow you to blatantly accuse an innocent check-out cashier of bombing YOUR countrymen".

That is true of course and we're thankful to all of them.

"It is my belief that if you were allowed to be as outspoken as that in Iraq, which you claim to be YOUR country, then we
wouldn't need to be fighting there today".

That might be his belief but it's a pretty long bow to draw that a lack of freedom of speech is the reason there is fighting there today! I am sure they would have been quite happy to have been left alone and to remain 'oppressed' and still have their existing infrastructure and lead normal lives.

"However - now that you have learned how to speak out and criticize the English people who have afforded you the protection
of MY country, I will gladly pay the cost of a ticket to help you pay your way back to Iraq".

"When you get there, and if you manage to survive for being as outspoken as what you are here in Australia, then you should be
able to help straighten out the mess which YOUR Iraqi countrymen have got you into in the first place, which appears to be the reason that you have come to MY country to avoid."

There would be no mess if the country had not been invaded and occupied by foreign troops to start with.

Save for the normal sectarian killings, torture etc which was a feature of the regime at the time. But that was an internal matter for the Iraqis to sort out themselves. I think most Iraqis would think they were better off before the invasion. The 'liberating forces' have hardly been welcomed by open arms have they.....Despite having freed the populace from a tyrannical dictator. Maybe we just have to keep fighting them until they learn to realise how good democracy is.....

Sorry Pete, couldn't let you get away with that one.

Your turn Scott.epper:

Cheers

 

[JackW]

"I think most Iraqis would think they were better off before the invasion. The 'liberating forces' have hardly been welcomed by open arms have they....."

If you ever hear an actual Iraqi politician speak rather than an anti American western media person you would also know that in fact in may areas the Americans are in fact welcomed with open arms. The Iraqi people want the Allied forces to stay until they have democracy established and the insurgents trying to destabilize their country under control. They already like democracy. Just need some more help to establish and maintain it for a while.

Regards

Jdub

 

[Peter Delaney]

Bill Musara put me onto this one - not restricted to the Iraq scenario, but covers the whole problem - absolutely rivetting !


http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ai=214&ar=1050wmv&ak=nul

Kind Regards,

Peter D.

 

[Neil]

Peter,
That video is very true and really gives you something to think about.

I think a lot more people should see it and think about it.

Good one!

Neil

 

[Bill Musarra]

Not to throw a damper on Pete's story, but that one is going around about most english speaking countrys, as happening in their country. I got the U S version several months ago. I think it illustrates the frustration that a lot of people feel about being accused of hypocracy and being used by whatever faction wants to speakout. I dare say that most of the TRUE immigrants in this country are hard working people who want the freedom to develop their lives in peace. Politics lately, has become so polarized lately, that it evokes anger that lashes out very easily.
One of the best commercials I have seen lately is one of kids who say that, if you don't mean it(healtcare reform, education reform etc.) then don't say it to just get elected, mean it. It has the symbol of the front of an elephant and the rear of a donkey joined together. So many of the politicans will say anything to anybody to get elected. Then when they are, they seem to forget what they said, and go after their on agendas.
Today we have so few true STATESMEN who know how to speak and get things done. One can only hope.

Bill

 

[Duncan Potter]

Excellent video.

 

[ChrisL]

A few months ago I was driving home late on a Saturday night and a car pulled up next to me at the lights. The car windows were open and with two young girls inside who had obviously been having a great night out on the town. The latest dance hits blaring out of the car, the girls laughing and giving wolf whistles to some young men walking down the street. Ordinary Australian girls, doing what ordinary young people do. Their exuberance and obvious enjoyment of life was so contagiousness that I couldn't help but to smile along with them. One of the girls then turned and noticed that I was smiling so we exchanged a few jokes and a few laughs. The lights turned green and we each went our own way. Oh, did I forget to mention, both girls were wearing traditional Islamic scarves. This is a true story and these were real people... unlike the mythical characters that are concocted solely for the purpose of causing conflict hatred and division. We are all the same and we are all one... don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

 

[David Marx]

... unlike the mythical characters that are concocted solely for the purpose of causing conflict hatred and division. We are all the same and we are all one... don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

I distinguish myself from those who blow themselves up in public squares, cut the heads off of still living victims (or dead for that matter), and claim all "non-believers" as infidels to be destroyed. These aren't made up characters or stories. They are real events, likely happening and happening again as I type this. We have become desensitized to the latest bombing or execution, but the victims are no less dead, and the ideology that drives the killers is in no way diminished. Any one who chooses to ignore the threat this brand of extremism poses, and claim that we are all one, is adjoining themselves to something they might want to think twice about. (My $.02 FWIW)

 

[Scott Calabro]

Russ

You have made me smile and laugh on an otherwise long and difficult day in corporate aviation!



You realize of course that I now have no political opinion either way , !

I'll sit back and watch this round :lurker:

:chug:

S

 

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

The problem is we are trying to bring democracy to people who don't understand it or want it! They do not want to be like us and no amount of W's blathering to the contrary will make it happen.

We hung the one person who could control Iraq.......yes, he was brutal and sectarian, but that's what kept things in check. Am I glad Saddam is gone?, damn right, but we needed something or someone to take his place.

We are dealing with politicians who couldn't make a sandwich if we spotted them two slices of bread and the meat!

The saddest part is this is not much different than "Nam where they sent guys in to take a hill and once they had captured it, moved them out and let Charlie have it back.....only to send 'em in again, ad nauseum. Why our troops in Iraq have any morale left is beyond me, they are doing a job without definition, without a realistic goal and still they go out every day and walk into harms way.

Bless 'em all............

 

[ChrisL]

I distinguish myself from those who blow themselves up in public squares, cut the heads off of still living victims (or dead for that matter), and claim all "non-believers" as infidels to be destroyed. These aren't made up characters or stories. They are real events, likely happening and happening again as I type this. We have become desensitized to the latest bombing or execution, but the victims are no less dead, and the ideology that drives the killers is in no way diminished. Any one who chooses to ignore the threat this brand of extremism poses, and claim that we are all one, is adjoining themselves to something they might want to think twice about. (My $.02 FWIW)

On Australian soil there has only ever been one extremist religious fanatic who has carried out terrorist style murders on innocent people. He was a bearded man who walked into a medical clinic with guns and bombs strapped to his body and opened fire in Gods name. The clinic was an abortion clinic and the man called himself a Christian.

You will find loonies in every walk of life. I maintain that we are all the same in that we are all different in the same way regardless of race religion or creed. But most people anywhere in the world are just average joes with the same dreams and ambitions. To get on with a normal life, to enjoy the company of friends and family, to go to work and to come back to a safe home at the end of the day.

It will be a sad day when we become so cowardly that we are scared $h%tless of innocent little girls just because they have scarves on their heads.