The Ft. Hood speech Obama should have given.

Richard Fernandez captures the essence of the president’s dereliction. An excerpt from the speech he thinks President Obama should have given after the Ft. Hood massacre:

First of all, I would like to apologize, as Commander in Chief and on behalf of the entire chain of command, for failing to protect the men who were shot here some days ago. The specific shortcomings which allowed the shooter the opportunity to commit this crime will determined and rectified forthwith. That is the least I can do for those who died.

You men and women of the Armed Forces are expected to risk your lives in the service of our country . . . . But in return the senior military and political leadership owe you its own kind of courage. . . . But above all we owe you our loyalty and the assurance that everyone placed above you and alongside you wearing the uniform of the United States is someone you could trust implicitly with your life. Because there would be times when you would have to.

And in that duty we have failed.

For reasons which brook no excuse, whether from lack of competence or the absence of professional courage, we have allowed a traitor to gain a position of trust in your midst. We gave him high rank. We gave him the prerogatives and honors due to a member of the medical profession and an officer in the Armed Forces. And he used that position to kill the men we are remembering today.

The actual speech was a far cry from this. It was meaningless:

• dedicated to the proposition that all men and women are created equal
• Americans will always be found on the side of liberty and equality
• pay tribute
• sacrifices that have been made on behalf a more perfect union
• history is filled with heroes
• marched across Europe
• generations who have served
• finest fighting force the world has ever seen
• deserts
• snowy mountains
• white, black, and brown
• impact of these young men and women
• character of those who serve
• pay tribute
• horror of war even in the comfort of home
• this generation
• paid the price, bore the burden
• to secure
• live in the hearts of all free people
• say goodbye

This from a man who can only grab his crotch when the national anthem is playing and would have collapsed in hysterics if anyone had suggested that he should serve in the white man’s military.

"A writing exercise." By Richard Hernandez, PajamasMedia, 11/11/09.

H/t: Ballot, Soap, Jury, Ammo.