"The 35 Articles of Impeachment and the Case for Prosecuting George W. Bush"Editorials
"Apology Demanded" - a poem by Robert Leslie Palmer
Copyright 2006 by Robert Leslie Palmer
The following is a poem I wrote after the Bush-Rove propaganda machine orchestrated the conservative media demand for Senator John Kerry to apologize for his remarks about getting "stuck in Iraq." As a former Army officer, I was not offended by Senator Kerry's remarks, but I continue to be offended by the actions of President Bush. The first ten lines of the poem are pure sarcasm, intended to mimic the Bush-Rove propaganda machine.
Righteous anger fills the land,
And flames of strife are quickly fanned:
A liberal Senator has slighted the troops,
So surely now must jump through hoops.
For naught is worse than what he’s done,
And so John Kerry we now must shun.
For that affront, so rank and vile,
He surely now must stand for trial,
Unless, of course, he admits his lapse,
And for our leaders blindly claps.
But for the lies that started this war,
That sent our troops to foreign shore,
That spilled their blood to stay the course,
Is there no guilt, nor yet remorse?
And the trampling of our rights,
Are these not also dreadful slights?
What of our standing in the world,
The awe we saw, our flag unfurled,
When nations knew just where we stood
And saw that we were just and good?
Instead we now must bear the shame
Of Abu Ghraib and torture’s blame;
Such wicked acts in battles past
Were done by foe, with us aghast!
What apology can pay these debts,
And who shall make it to our Vets?
About the Author: Robert Leslie Palmer is a Birmingham, Alabama attorney. He received a B.A., magna cum laude, from Tulane University in 1979 and a J.D. from Georgetown University in 1982, and from 1983 to 1987 he served as a captain in the U.S. Army JAG Corps. He may be contacted by e-mail to WaveHoya[at]charter.net.
