Thought I'd pass this along
I don't know who wrote this account, but it makes the point,
Today, I was "Unprofessional"
Today, during an afternoon conference that wrapped up my project of the last
18 months, one of my Euro colleagues tossed this crap to no one in particular:
" See, this is why George Bush is so dumb, there's a disaster in the world
and he sends an Aircraft Carrier..."
After which he and many of my Euro colleagues laughed out loud.and then they
looked at me. I wasn't laughing, and neither was my Hindi friend sitting next
to me, who has lost family in the disaster.
I'm afraid I was "unprofessional", I let it loose -
"Hmmm, let's see, what would be the ideal ship to send to a disaster, now
what kind of ship would we want?
Something with its own inexhaustible power supply?
Something that can produce 900,000 gallons of fresh water a day from sea
water?
Something with its own airfield? So that after producing the fresh water, it
could help distribute it?
Something with 4 hospitals and lots of open space for emergency supplies?
Something with a global communications facility to make the coordination of
disaster relief in the region easier?
Well "Franz", us peasants in America call that kind of ship an "Aircraft
Carrier". We have 12 of them. How many do you have? Oh that's right, NONE. Lucky
for you and the rest of the world, we are the kind of people who share. Even
with people we don't like. In fact, if memory serves,once upon a time we
peasants spent a ton of money and lives rescuing people who we had once tried to kill
and who tried to kill us.
Do you know who those people were? that's right Franz, Europeans.
There's is a French Aircraft carrier? where is it? Right where it belongs! In
France of course! Oh why should the French Navy dirty their uniforms helping
people on the other side of the globe. How Simplesse...
The day an American has to move a European out of the way to help in some
part of the world it will be a great day in the world, you sniggering ass..."
The room fell silent. My Hindi friend then said quietly to the Euros:
"Can you let your hatred of George Bush end for just one minute? There are
people dying! And what are your countries doing? Amazon.com has helped more than
France has. You all have a role to play in the world, why can't you see that?
Thank God for the US Navy, they don't have to come and help, but they are.
They helped you once and you should all thank God they did. They didn't have to,
and no one but them would have done so. I'm ashamed of you all..."
He left the room, shaking and in tears. The frustration of being on the other
side of the globe, unable to do anything to assist and faced with people who
could not set aside their asininity long enough to reach out and help was too
much for him to bear. I just shook my head and left. The Euros stood
speechless.
Later in the break room, one of the laughing Euros caught me and extended his
hand in an apology. I asked him where he was from, he said "a town outside of
Berlin". He is a young man, in his early 20's.
I asked him if he knew of a man named Gail Halvorsen.
He said no.
I said "that's a shame" and walked away to find my Hindi friend.
Posted @ January 03, 2005 08:25 PM | Current Events
(Gail Halvorson was "The Candy Bomber" who dropped candy to the children of
Berlin during the Berlin Airlift pf 1948.---MW
Today, I was "Unprofessional"
Today, during an afternoon conference that wrapped up my project of the last
18 months, one of my Euro colleagues tossed this crap to no one in particular:
" See, this is why George Bush is so dumb, there's a disaster in the world
and he sends an Aircraft Carrier..."
After which he and many of my Euro colleagues laughed out loud.and then they
looked at me. I wasn't laughing, and neither was my Hindi friend sitting next
to me, who has lost family in the disaster.
I'm afraid I was "unprofessional", I let it loose -
"Hmmm, let's see, what would be the ideal ship to send to a disaster, now
what kind of ship would we want?
Something with its own inexhaustible power supply?
Something that can produce 900,000 gallons of fresh water a day from sea
water?
Something with its own airfield? So that after producing the fresh water, it
could help distribute it?
Something with 4 hospitals and lots of open space for emergency supplies?
Something with a global communications facility to make the coordination of
disaster relief in the region easier?
Well "Franz", us peasants in America call that kind of ship an "Aircraft
Carrier". We have 12 of them. How many do you have? Oh that's right, NONE. Lucky
for you and the rest of the world, we are the kind of people who share. Even
with people we don't like. In fact, if memory serves,once upon a time we
peasants spent a ton of money and lives rescuing people who we had once tried to kill
and who tried to kill us.
Do you know who those people were? that's right Franz, Europeans.
There's is a French Aircraft carrier? where is it? Right where it belongs! In
France of course! Oh why should the French Navy dirty their uniforms helping
people on the other side of the globe. How Simplesse...
The day an American has to move a European out of the way to help in some
part of the world it will be a great day in the world, you sniggering ass..."
The room fell silent. My Hindi friend then said quietly to the Euros:
"Can you let your hatred of George Bush end for just one minute? There are
people dying! And what are your countries doing? Amazon.com has helped more than
France has. You all have a role to play in the world, why can't you see that?
Thank God for the US Navy, they don't have to come and help, but they are.
They helped you once and you should all thank God they did. They didn't have to,
and no one but them would have done so. I'm ashamed of you all..."
He left the room, shaking and in tears. The frustration of being on the other
side of the globe, unable to do anything to assist and faced with people who
could not set aside their asininity long enough to reach out and help was too
much for him to bear. I just shook my head and left. The Euros stood
speechless.
Later in the break room, one of the laughing Euros caught me and extended his
hand in an apology. I asked him where he was from, he said "a town outside of
Berlin". He is a young man, in his early 20's.
I asked him if he knew of a man named Gail Halvorsen.
He said no.
I said "that's a shame" and walked away to find my Hindi friend.
Posted @ January 03, 2005 08:25 PM | Current Events
(Gail Halvorson was "The Candy Bomber" who dropped candy to the children of
Berlin during the Berlin Airlift pf 1948.---MW