Alabama Family Talks About Form Letter From Rumsfeld

[Robbien]

A Baldwin County family is involved in a national dispute.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is being criticized for not personally signing condolence letters to the families of troops killed in action. He's been using a machine to sign his name.

Marie Bueche {bush} of Daphne is among those who've received such a letter. Her son Paul was killed in October when the tire he was changing on a Blackhawk Helicopter exploded.

Marie says she's not surprised to learn Rumsfeld didn't sign his name, since the letter wasn't very personal.

Marie Bueche said, "It's really not shocking to me because when I read it, it was pretty much a form letter and I don't know how involved he gets or how much he knows about the soldiers who died. If he wanted to find out he could and he could just write a personal note would have been a lot better than just a form letter."

http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=2724411&nav=0hBEUT9K

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I hope the form letter was at least printed on nice paper.

Maybe it went something like this:

"Dear __________:

The Department of Defense regrets to inform you that your (check one)

__Son
__Daughter
__Husband
__Wife
__Father
__Mother
__Other: _________

has been (check one)

__killed
__ injured

in (check one)

__Iraq
__Afghanistan
__Other: ___________

The United States Government appreciates your sacrifice. Have a nice day.

Regards,

(stamp) Donald Rumsfeld
Secretary of Defense"

Bastards. :nuke:

[TacticalPeek]

2. Ouch.

And touche.

[saigon68]

13. THEY COULD SEND A SINGING TELEGRAM

da da da

"your Son is dead"

"killed in Iraq-Nam".

[RedEarth]

3. That's a damn insult......

a form letter and a computer generated signature....gee, just don't send anything.

[Skittles]

4. they're dying about three a day now I guess

that wouldn't kill him - although he may have had to spend at least ten minutes yesterday. Asshole.

[Anakin Skywalker]

5. Rummy the Dummy is now

Rummy the @$$hole. :)

[Skittles]

6. I find that arrogant bastard as difficult to see and hear as Dubya

they both make me sick

[yorkiemommie1]

11. he's an a**hole's A**hole

they don't give a good gddm about the people, real people dying out there. soldier are objects to them , just pieces of equipment.

i'm sure bush and buddies fall asleep just as soon as their heads hit their pillows with nary a worry about people dying.

[AndyTiedye]

14. Perhaps There Are A Lot More Soldiers Being Killed Than We're Told About

It could just be a "I don't want to bother my beautiful mind with this"
sort of thing, or it could be something much worse.

What if we're really losing a lot more troops than they're telling us?

How would we know? They bring the dead back in the middle of the night
and they keep the media out of there.

[Robbien]

7. I knew Rummy was lying when he said he composed the letters

He may have composed the original letter to be used as a form letter, but his statement implied he composed each one. Weasel words to disguise his uncaring attitude.

[TacticalPeek]

9. Precisely. An arrogant, fork-tongued bastard.

(no offense meant to adders, lizards, dragons etc)

If he truly "composed" each one, then he would have just signed them as he wrote them. Telling, too, that the press did not wonder for even a second in their tiny little self-centered minds about the reasonableness of his claim.

[Javaman]

8. He's a crusty old fuck, his hand cramp easy...

There is not a hell hot enough for him.

[Ian David]

10. My evil Freeper alter-ego says:

This is just more liberal whining.

Her son died serving his country. She should be proud of that and not ask for one god damned thing. Our soldiers aren't dying for a signature. They're dying to protect us from those who hate us for our freedoms. This woman is an anti-American traitor.

Thus spake my evil freeper alter-ego.

[Robbien]

12. My unfreeperlike rational brain says

She was asked a question and gave an answer. How does that qualify as whining?

They came to her, she didn't go to them.

But of course that freeperlike alter-ego wouldn't listen to rational arguments, now would it? Evil freepers only respond in stock phrases force-fed to them by talk radio and faux.

you should thanking your lucky stars that the alter-ego of yours is alter.

[Lady Sonelle]

15. Singing telegram! It would go something like...

to the tune of Rainbow Connection (by Paul Williams)

Why are there so many sol-diers a-dying
Over there in I-raq?
Someday, we'll win it, Defeat the insur-gents,
But until then don't place bets...
Your son or daughter, Just fell in the slaughter
The gover-nment sends regrets!

Then the guy will hand them a mylar balloon with the words "Good Luck" and depart.