[Humor] The passing of an old friend

[Mary Ann Horton]

Dave passes this one along.  (Warning: Politics ahead.)

Friends:

I came across this obituatry, over at DKOS.
Here: _http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/9/28/154639/761_

I guess we all new she had been very sick, but I think the habeaus 
corpus collapse was completely unexpected. And that was all it took.

Nothing lasts forever. And mabye there was nothing we could have 
done--although, I can't help but wonder, what if more of us had done 
something.

In any case, please take a moment, say a little prayer, and maybe recall 
some fond memories as you read this obituary.

Dave

----------------------------------------------------

*America, United States of*
*(b.July 4, 1776, d. September 28th, 2006)*

*An historic moment came yesterday when the world's oldest democracy, 
it's greatest and youngest nation quietly passed away in her sleep.*

*"The world is a darker place." lamented several saddened and tearful 
citizens. "I have known America my entire life, she knew my parents and 
my parent's parents and I am speechless with grief. We did all we could. 
I can't believe she is gone."*

*America passed away yesterday after a long fight with cancer; cancer of 
the congress specifically.  Her ten year battle for survival endured two 
presidencies and several false remissons.  She nearly capitulated her 
struggle in 1998 during the Clinton Impeachment hearings, but somehow 
she managed to push through.*

*"She lasted 230 years.  She was a tough old broad, but history shows us 
that no gets out of this world alive not even the most vibrant, 
inspiring and hopeful democracy the world has ever seen", wept a 
Democratic senator.*

*Born in 1776 to a cadre of European revolutionaries who raised her to 
be different from any nation the world had ever seen,  America was 
fortunate to be the daughter of many brilliant and attentive fathers.  
They shaped her (unwittingly or no) to be a beacon of hope to the 
world's citizens depite their own subjugation in depotic regimes. She 
welcomed those who were opressed, rejected or ignored by their own 
countries and offered them a chance at a new life.  And, for this 
reason, she grew quickly and grew strong. So strong that at the tender 
age of 85, she survived a breath-taking attempt on her life with the 
help of her friend and protector, President Abraham Lincoln.*

*Once a fragile and insecure nation, she grew to be the true leader of 
the world, serving as a bellweather for new democracies that began to 
spring up around the globe.*

*"She led by example." said former president Bill Clinton. "The world 
felt safer just knowing she was there.  Even if they were poor, 
vulnerable and a stricken populus, other nations knew that help could be 
asked of her and more often than not, she gave and gave much.  She 
offered money, medical supplies, food to starving populations, 
protection and did so with no expectation of reimbursement."*

*Her greatest and most historic moment for which she is best remembered 
was, ironically, her amazing and improbable victory over the forces of 
fascism in Europe in the 1940's. The same type of fascism that 
eventually took her own life, she smashed for the good of the entire 
world and showed them them a better way.  *

*Never a wall-flower and always controversial, America did her best, but 
admittedly had some notable and egregious lapses; Rwanda, Darfur, East 
Timor and many others, yet her mystique and unfailing optimism again and 
again perplexed, befuddled and eventually won over a war-weary world who 
felt the flicker of hope in their own lives take hold because of 
Amerca's resilience.*

*Recently, even though she refused to be slowed down, coddled or pitied, 
her illness had clearly taken it's toll; she had one of her basic 
insitutions, fair voting, removed during a painful operation six years 
ago in 2000 that people close to her said she had never truly fully 
recovered from although she maintained a brave face.  She also had her 
fourth estate amputated under mysterious and controversial 
circumcstances.  Through it all, however, her hope remained as did her 
citizens;*

*"She had endured so much, survived so many trials that no ever really 
thought she could ever really die.  But looking back that was foolish, 
complacence and naivete." said a constitutional scholar.*

*As is the way of life confronting death, America fought to the end.  
Ironically, her optimism, grace, generosity and faith that helped her 
live so long were betrayed by her congressional cancer and even as she 
gave ground again and again the cancer eventually spread into her heart 
of hearts; spread into an area no doctor ever thought the cancer could 
spread to -- eventually did; her foundation, her soul, her greatest 
asset as well as her sometimes most frustrating trait; the heart that 
pumped her blood, the congressional cancer carved habeas corpus right 
out of her broad and warm bosom.*

*Without habeas corpus, America's heart slowly subsided and faded until 
no heartbeat could be detected. And she lie there still and peaceful. Gone.*

*And so on the afternoon of September 28th, 2006, America, like so many 
great and admirable entities in history, passed into and became a part 
of history.  She went gently into her goodnight. Many of her citizens 
did not even know that she was ill, never mind that she had passed.  
Upon seeing the deep sadness and fear from some of their fellow citizens 
who DID know and cherish her, many of these reacted with shrugging 
disdain at the "over-reaction", thinking that they had known her too, 
but in reality had, in  foolish complacence and naivete took her for 
granted--even in death refusing to admit to themselves she was gone.  *

*As my father would most likely say if he were alive today, who fought 
side by side with her in World War II, who passed away days before her 
mortal wound inflicted on September 11th, 2001;  The wound that 
metastisized her congressional cancer,*

*"She will be deeply missed and her absence will most certainly be felt 
for generations to come."*

*Rest in Peace*

===============

Other commentary at  http://venusenvy.comicgenesis.com/comics/20060930.jpg 

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