Military families urged to laugh.

[im10ashus]

This has to be the most insulting piece of news I've read in a very long time.

Pentagon to families: Go ahead, laugh

When the stress of the war in Iraq becomes too severe, the Pentagon has a suggestion for military families: Learn how to laugh.

With help from the Pentagon's chief laughter instructor, families of National Guard members are learning to walk like a penguin, laugh like a lion and blurt "ha, ha, hee, hee and ho, ho."

No joke.

"I laugh every chance I get," says the instructor, retired Army colonel James "Scotty" Scott. "That's why I'm blessed to be at the Pentagon, where we definitely need a lot of laughter in our lives."

Scott, 57, is certified as a laughter training specialist by the Ohio-based World Laughter Tour, a group that promotes mirth as medicine. It touts scientific research that suggests chuckling can boost the body's immune system and decrease stress hormones.

cont'd...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20060113/pl_usatoday/pentagontofamiliesgoaheadlaugh

[oneighty]

1. "Does it hurt?"

"Only when I laugh."

180

[RC]

2. Denial of reality can reduce stress also.

[im10ashus]

4. Maybe this is what they show them?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. are there any studies that show...

how forcing yourself to laugh when you should be crying, or angry as hell that your children are being sent to kill innocents with illegal chemical weapons might rip a hole in the space time continuum?

I'm sorry, this is just wrong on so many levels

[im10ashus]

5. It is so very wrong.

I wonder where the studies are that show lying to the Amercian people to get them into war is wrong and that impeachment is the only fix.

[kurth]

6. Yeah. Funerals are FUN!!! Amputations are GREAT!!!

Where did they get these sociopathic assholes?

[koopie57]

16. the first three letters

of funeral spell fun and if you mixed them all up it spells real fun. Sociopaths are right, they don't seem to understand that most people feel pain when a loved one is in danger, scared, hurts or dies.

[im10ashus]

17. Good point.

"Sociopaths are right, they don't seem to understand that most people feel pain when a loved one is in danger, scared, hurts or dies."

They don't understand that it's normal to feel that way. It's like, "Stop feeling people. It's not good for you."

[EFerrari]

7. a "laughter training specialist"?

I'm gonna go wake Doug up. We're missing the boat.

lol!

[im10ashus]

9. Let him sleep.

Apparently you have to be as far removed from reality as possible for it to work. How insulting can they be? "Your son/daughter is fighting in an illegal war. Laugh it up."

[EFerrari]

11. You know, when we first started writing political comedy

after 9/11, everyone was afraid to do it. It was surreal. So, Doug used most of it.

What these people are doing is desentizing these poor families. It must be less expensive than actual therapy or, body armor. :(

[im10ashus]

12. Denial is not just a river in Egypt.

I would normally always say laughter is the best medicine, but this just reeks of insensitivity. Why do they hate America so?

[Pool Hall Ace]

8. What ? This seems like a piece from the Onion.

Next thing you know, they'll be urging military families to shop at Wal-Mart to relieve stress.

[im10ashus]

10. Don't give them any ideas.

They'd love to promote Wal-Mart.

[bigtree]

13. I'm laughing

out of the wrong side of my face.

[koopie57]

14. dang it

once again I have to ask if this is a real story or a piece from the onion. Is everyone in Washington nuts?

[im10ashus]

15. You're not the first to wonder if this was from the Onion.

And yes. Everyone in Washington is nuts. :-)

[susu369]

18. I think Sgt. Mattwig took that course

Elemental examination of the Iraq mission
3rd Brigade soldier visits Clubview Elementary class

Sgt. 1st Class James Mattwig wanted to know if anyone in the group he was addressing understood why the United States Army was helping the Iraqi people.

After a moment of silence came a lone reply.

"Because they're grouchy," said one of the students in Pam Batton's pre-K class at Clubview Elementary.

Mattwig laughed.

In fact, he laughed a lot during his Friday morning visit.

full story: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/13623803.htm

:shrug:

[im10ashus]

20. It actually follows their pattern to the nth degree.

Black is white. Up is down. Right is wrong. Tragedy is comedy.

It's just another day in bizzaro world. Nothing to see here folks. Keep moving along.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

19. Hey, Pentagon. Send them this:

[im10ashus]

21. You are hilarious!

I LOVE it. I was thinking of sending them this:

[NanceGreggs]

22. There are enough people 'laughing' about this war ...

... like Halliburton shareholders, and other Bush cronies, who are laughing all the way to the bank ...

[salin]

23. Frightening when real news, reads like the Onion.

[im10ashus]

24. Truth is stranger than fiction. n/t

[Bellamia]

25. Laugh and the world laughs with you...........

Cry,and you cry alone..........know that old phrase? But in this case, I think it will be Laugh and the world laughs AT you. They are probably doing it this very minute!