My third grade teacher’s name is Miss Marinello. I liked her.
Third graders are youngsters who do well with the types of encouragements appropriate to their age. They appreciate occasional rewards of recognition for doing good work because they are generally motivated to do otherwise. They are third graders after all, often prone to name calling, teasing, distraction and myriad forms of tomfoolery.
Miss Marinello knew how to appease us. When I did some good work, she would stick a little silver star on my paper or next to my name on her list of students hanging on the wall. If I did something she thought was even better, I was awarded the coveted “Gold Star”.
Looking back, I now know that the “stars” were given not primarily for the quality of the work. That was secondary to the effect they were supposed to achieve. The best students got the fewest stars. They didn’t need them.
In 1928, some mothers of soldiers who died while fighting in WWI established the “Gold Star Families” concept. In 1947, Congress authorized distribution of “Gold Star” lapel pins. I don’t equate this concept with what Miss Marinello tried to achieve because there was/is no motivational intent in correctly recognizing the losses families have suffered when their children die defending our country.
Khizr Khan and his wife, Ghazala (naturalized U.S. citizens), who lost their son, Captain Humayan Khan, to a suicide bomber while fighting in Iraq, stood on stage at the Democratic National Convention. Mr. Khan criticized Donald Trump for his (Trump’s) proposed policy of denying Muslim immigrants (possibly including terrorists or terrorist sympathizers) entry into the United States, until we could better vet these people. Khan referenced what he perceives to be a conflict with the U.S. Constitution on this point.
Khizr Khan had every right to express himself in this way and it is not surprising he did so under the circumstances. What is surprising (maybe not really) is that Donald Trump took issue with the remarks. Instead of simply noting Captain Khan’s service and sacrifice or simply not commenting at all, “The Donald”, once again, felt obliged to show the world that he is dissatisfied with most people only thinking of him as a jerk, when he is more than capable of proving it. So he chided the senior Mr. Khan.
Well, the media and the Clinton campaign all had simultaneous orgasms! We can imagine Hillary and Tim Kaine blowing mouthfuls of milk out of their noses as they jumped up and down, feverishly clapping their hands and swearing. Even Obama had to weigh in on the subject, suggesting the G.O.P. disavow Trump. This was un-presidential, but, who’s keeping score?
All-in-all, I don’t think Miss Marinello will be handing out “Gold Stars” to any of these third graders. It wouldn’t help.
No, no “Gold Stars” for THESE third graders! What an embarrassment, all around.
My condolences go to every parent that has had to live through the loss of a child. How sad, to lose a child.
Then again, this shows us how important Presidential power is — to send troops into the desert to chase a mirage, in this case Weapons of Mass Destruction. That’s what started this whole thing, right?
I think the Weapons of Mass Destruction issue added fuel to a long simmering problem we had with Saddam. Saddam’s uncle and father-in-law, Kharaillah Tulfah along with the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem of the time, Haj Amin al-Husseini were pro-Nazi, working along with Adolf Eichmann to obtain weapons as they conspired to gain control of Iraq through a pro-Nazi coup. Those two sweethearts were the mentors of Saddam starting at age 10. Saddam’s first cousin, Ali Hassan Abd al-Tikriti (Chemical Ali), under Saddam’s direction, gassed entire villages of Kurds in northern Iraq and Shiites in the south. I would call those instances “the use of Weapons of Mass Destruction.” Sure, the Bushes misled the country or were misled themselves into believing Saddam was developing a nuclear capability. I’m sure he would have, given the time. And to see the results after he invaded Kuwait, setting the oil fields ablaze, showed the level of restraint he did not have. Tribal wars in the Middle East have been going on for millennia and it is foolish whenever any outside nation(s) try to intervene. The one thing Saddam had going for him was that his ruthlessness did keep the population under some control. Apparently that truth hasn’t been learned by the West with regard to the way Assad rules Syria. Barrel bombs against rebel forces? Yes.(Lincoln, too, killed rebel forces). Pushing folks off buildings or firing shots from AK-47s for photo-ops in displays of lustful power? No. I think there are clear differences between demanding dictators and absolute psychopaths. At least, that is my current opinion.