Andy Rooney Declares War on....War

[Lakerstan]

(CBS) I keep this calendar on my desk, and while I don't look at it very often I notice that this Wednesday is Veterans Day. It's one of ten federal holidays that we have. Well, I'm a veteran and I hate that name.

Considering that we aren't technically at war now, there's an awful lot about war in the news even when it's not something like Veterans Day. I suppose that's because there's so much fighting in the world. There are half a dozen small wars going on right now - some of them in places most of us have never been to or even never heard of before.

Too many young men and women with a whole life ahead of them are getting killed before they have a chance to live it and for what?

Of all the things that men do - historically mostly men - fighting a war to kill other men is the most uncivilized.

Wars have been fought through time and we may think we're more civilized now than people were 100 or 500 years ago but there's no sign that fighting wars is a thing of the past. There's always one going on somewhere.

Eight of my classmates - friends really - in school and college were killed in World War II. I've had 60 years of life that those eight friends never had. We call this a civilization?

More than 5,200 American men and women, kids really - have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. It may be a small number in two small wars but if you're one of those killed or even a father or mother of one, there's nothing small about it.

Why not, instead of commemorating Veterans Day, we establish and work on what we could call a "No War Day".

The name doesn't have much of a ring to it but a day like that would be worth celebrating.


http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/06/60minutes/main5576909.shtml

[Mojambo]

1. I follow Andy Rooney on Twitter.

I just think it's incredibly hilarious that Andy Rooney is even ON Twitter.

[Smarmie Doofus]

2. "Peace Day" has a nice ring. I'd celebrate that.

>>>>>Why not, instead of commemorating Veterans Day, we establish and work on what we could call a "No War Day".

The name doesn't have much of a ring to it but a day like that would be worth celebrating.>>>>>>>>

[Journeyman]

3. So revert November 11 to its original, sacred intent -- Armistice Day. . .

take up again the solemn ceremony marked by the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, and rededicate ourselves to the end of all war.

Why create some new holiday when the event already exists -- we need only wipe away the muck put there after the war fought in the wake of the one to end all, and restore the original, sacred vow our great-grandparents made in the mud trenches of that dastardly crime.

[Chulanowa]

4. While we're at it, let's put Mothers' Day back to its original intent as well

Before the fucking Eagles turned it into a jingo-y heap.

[GliderGuider]

6. +1

:thumbsup:

[annabanana]

5. I remember one segment early on when he called the fundys

insane. It was years ago, before Keith & Rachel, when there was not a peep on the TV screen against the mess that our Country was becoming. I guess they aired it because they could characterize him as the crazy uncle in the attic.

[BeFree]

7. Old Man Against War?

Empire is going down.

Doncha know all good Patriots love them some war?
Rooney must be a commie, eh?