Counterpoint to illucid rants.

There was once a time when I feared, some say with Pope John Paul II, that George XLIII was the anti-Christ, poised to usher in the end of days.  Reading my stream of consciousness rants in these recent Open Letters, and knowing my correspondence with Silly Wobbert over his two years in office has been pretty much in the same vein, I thought I'd share something here a little more polished from back in 2005.  It could be more lucid, I'm sure.  But someone other than I need have taken it there.  Nobody stepped up to the plate.

Shanksville Address (Flight 93) 
 

Four sorely sullen years ago, Their fatwa brought forth Upon this continent A new outrage. Conceived in jeolousy And dedicated to the proposition That empire is inherent evil. Now we are engaged in a crass imperial war, Testing whether some nation Or some other nation Harboring such conception or dedication Can dare try to stop us. We remember today The provocation of that war. We have come to justify Our disproportional response to it, As a final resting place To liberties only hated by ourselves. And yet that day, heros among us Stepped up to call. Many died. We dedicate this day to those heroes And to the fallen innocent. It it altogether fitting and proper That we should do this. But in a larger sense, We cannot dedicate We cannot consecrate We cannot hallow this day. The brave men, living and dead, Who struggled with fists and flames To stem loss and destruction Have consecrated it, Far above our cynical ploys To add their honor to our own Or to detract eyes from our dishonor. The world will little note, Nor long remember, Their small and noble deeds, But can never forget the ignoble attack, And our ignoble response, Which dishonors these And all who have died Through twenty score years To bring freedom from imperial lust. It is for us, the living, Rather to be dedicated here To the forgotten ideals That inspired their valor. It is rather for us To be here rededicated To the faith that freedom and justice Conquers the force of arms And not by such force, Being dedicated to our brother And devoted to our neighbor. From our honored dead, We take increased devotion To that cause for which They have given The last full measure of devotion. That we this day highly resolve That those who died four years ago And in these last four hundred, Shall not have died in vain. That this nation shall abandon Imperial agression and the Ersatz entitlements of exceptionalism And dedicate ourselves once more To the truly exceptional. A new birth of freedom! That this government Of the People By the People For the People Shall not perish from the Earth. By Robert Corey © 2005 Robert Corey (All rights reserved)