Okay, now I'm offended (stupid pass-it-on email from my cousin)

[neebob]

For months, my cousin has bombarded me with two or three stupid pass-it-ons a day. I have responded twice - once, early on, with a suggestion that she write original material, and once more recently with a comment that brought a sarcastic response about knowing I'm alive. She has no idea of my politics. This morning, she sent me this:

All is not for not. Although many of us are against the war, it is somewhat comforting to know there is 'some' good coming from it.

Subject: Interesting Story from Iraq

Send this to your favorite news broadcast carrier

THIS IS GREAT! and something every American should see. What is it? See below below the photo...........

Have a great day & God bless.

This statue currently stands outside the Iraqi palace, now home to the 4th Infantry division. It will eventually be shipped home and put in the memorial museum in Fort Hood, Texas.

The statue was created by an Iraqi artist named Kalat, who for years was forced by Saddam Hussein to make the many hundreds of bronze busts of Saddam that dotted Baghdad. Kalat was so grateful for the Americans liberation of his country; he melted 3 of the heads of the fallen Saddam and made the statue as a memorial to the American soldiers and their fallen warriors.

Kalat worked on this memorial night and day for several months. To the left of the kneeling soldier is a small Iraqi girl giving the soldier comfort as he mourns the loss of his comrade in arms.

Do you know why we don't hear about this in the news? Because it is heart warming and praise worthy. The media avoids it because it does not have the shock effect that a flashed breast or controversy of politics does. But we can do something about it. We can pass this along to as many people as we can in honor of all our brave military who are making a difference.
______________________

:puke:

Interestingly, there's no picture of the heartwarming and praiseworthy statue. How tacky would it be to respond to everyone on the list with Pitt's article about the writing on the latrine walls?

Edited to add the lame introductory paragraph that someone (apparently not my cousin) wrote.

[KharmaTrain]

1. Ah...more of that 70 million GOOP dollars at work

I knew things were gonna be real nasty between the conventions and I haven't been let down yet.

I'd ask your cousin if making this nice statue maker happy is worth the lives of nearly 1,000 Americans...many from Fort Hood. Also ask her how this makes us safer?

Maybe even remind her that a country once had a media that only presented the "good news" about a war like she suggests...it was Pravda.

Looks like there's a full-court press on either grabbing back or dividing the military as this regime's "Summer Of Fear" tour continues....

[Vickers]

2. Do these people ever research ANYTHING?

Snopes is our friend

Among other things:

"Members of the U.S. Army paid the sculptor, who had previously worked on a few other Saddam statues, to create the work pictured according to a design of their choosing."

[Vickers]

3. And a little further on:

"The officers didn't question Mr. Alussy further about his political views. Had they pressed him, they might have learned that he's harshly critical of the U.S. and bitter over an American rocket attack during the war that killed his uncle."

Dumbshits.

[johnnie]

4. I'm pretty sure this is true

It's on snopes.com. This story has been around for quite a while, but I really don't see a point in it. Maybe all the little kids who's fathers and mothers got blown away in the Iraq blunder can go to Fort Hood and hug the statue. Now THAT is heartwarming. (/sarcasm)

[JHB]

5. Photo here

http://www.post44.org/misc/kalat.html

Won't let me copy.

So it's real, but so what? That's the spin that's going around: "all this good stuff is happening over here, but the LLLLLLLIIIBBBEERRRALL media only wants to show what has shock value: bodies, scandals, and such"

[tandot]

6. Oh, Please! He did it because he needed the money

The guy build the statue because of the money he got.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/military/kalat.asp

Origins: The sculture pictured above is real, and it was indeed crafted by an Iraqi sculptor from bronze recovered by melting down statues of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, but the explanatory text accompanying the photo is quite misleading: The Iraqi sculptor was not "forced by Saddam Hussein to make the many hundreds of bronze busts of Saddam," he did not produce the memorial shown because he was "so grateful that the Americans liberated his country," and the monument was not his idea. Members of the U.S. Army paid the sculptor, who had previously worked on a few other Saddam statues, to create the work pictured according to a design of their choosing.

<snip>

The officers didn't question Mr. Alussy further about his political views. Had they pressed him, they might have learned that he's harshly critical of the U.S. and bitter over an American rocket attack during the war that killed his uncle. In an interview, he says he thinks the war was fought for oil and holds the U.S. responsible for the violence and unemployment that have plagued Iraq since.

"I made the statues of Saddam — even though I didn't want to — because I needed money for my family and to finish my education," he says, reclining in a room decorated with several of his paintings. "And I decided to make statues for the Americans for the exact same reasons."

<snip>


Those lying freeper assholes are so stupid.

[lostnfound]

10. I smelled propaganda when I read it in the Chronicle, too. nt

[the Kelly Gang]

7. ahh , a nice statue makes up for 1000 dead and the librul press

just wont report it !..stupid dolt

[Texasgal]

8. Funny

This story made front page news here in Austin......just what in the hell is this person talking about?

[neebob]

9. Thanks, everyone

I managed to restrain myself and inform only my cousin. I don't know most of the other people on the list. If she wants to correct herself and inform them, it's up to her. Perhaps she'll think twice before sending Bushist propaganda in my direction.

[neebob]

11. And what did it get me?

Another pass-it-on, of a plumber with the body of a guy on the potty painted on the door of his truck, so that his head completes the picture - as if I hadn't sees that one at work last week.

See? There's no point in attempting to communicate.