Why Andy Rooney should get a medal

[Boats]

This e-mail was sent to me by a friend some of you may have already seen other's may find it interesting. Any coments?

WHY ANDY ROONEY SHOULD GET A PROMOTION

AND YES CBS IS PRETTY GUTLESS.

If you missed Andy Rooney on Sunday night, read on. Most that heard him couldn't believe their ears. They kept expecting CBS to cut him off. (CBS) A weekly commentary by CBS News correspondent Andy Rooney.

You can't beat the French when it comes to food, fashion, wine or perfume, but they lost their license to have an opinion on world affairs years ago. They may even be selling stuff to Iraq and don't want to hurt business.

The French are simply not reliable partners in a world where the good people in it ought to be working together. Americans may come off as international jerks sometimes but we're usually trying to do the right thing.

The French lost WW II to the Germans in about 20 minutes. Along with the British, we got into the war and had about 150,000 guys killed getting their country back for them. We fought all across France, and the Germans finally surrendered in a French ; schoolhouse. You'd think that school building in Reims would be a great tourist attraction but it isn't.

The French seem embarrassed by it. They don't want to call attention to the fact that we freed them from German occupation. I heard Steven Spielberg say the French wouldn't even let him film the D-Day scenes in "Saving Private Ryan" on the Normandy beaches.

They want people to forget the price we paid getting their country back for them. Americans have a right to protest going to war with Iraq. The French do not. They owe us the independence they flaunt in our face at the U.N.

I went into Paris with American troops the day we liberated it, Aug. 25, 1944. It was one of the great days in the history of the world. French women showered American soldiers with kisses, at the very least. The next day, the pompous Charles de Gaulle marched down the mile long Champs Elysee to the Place de la Concorde as if he had liberated France himself.

I was there; squeezed in among a hundred tanks we'd given the Free French Army that we brought in with us. Suddenly there were sniper shots from the top of a building. Thousands of Frenchmen who had come to see de Gaulle scrambled to get under something. I got under an Army truck myself. The tank gunners opened fire on the building where the shots had come from, firing mindlessly at nothing. It was a wild scene that lasted, maybe, 10 minutes.

When we go to Paris every couple of years now, I rent a car. I drive around the Place de la Concorde and when some French driver blows his horn for me to get out of his way, I just smile and say to myself, "Go ahead, Pierre. Be my guest. I know something about this very place you'll never know."

The French have not earned their right to have an opinion about President Bush's plans to attack Iraq. &g t; On the other hand, I have.

(c) MMIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved

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I think this says plenty nothing more to add.

[vetgirl]

All them guys are either OLD or dead. Some people in this country feel that we should not be in Iraq. I think the French are getting a bad rap. There is nothing wrong with wanting world peace. It's just a difference of opinion. Not to mention we have not found the smoking gun. On the other hand there are a lot of people in Iraq (mostly women) who are very glad we came to aliviate their opression. " good news, bad news, who's to know"
All in all I think we did the right thing. There is no telling what is politically correct. I hope we are right. P.S. I like French people anyway. They were passive, that's why we helped them.

p.s. thaught you were born in 46

[judyvillecco]

Very interesting point of view vetgirl and you are entitled to it. Boats she's got you there. Don't think you could have been in WWII if you were born in 1946. My Dad was but he's dead now and he loved peace also and WWII was fought to stop other wars and he thought Vietnam should never be repeated. His opinion I still respect and remember. Seems Rumsfeld thinks the old guard is outdated and old fashioned. i think Rumsfeld is a loose canon just like he was when I was in.

[Dragon Lady]

Judy & Vetgirl,
You two can't seriously think that Boats was writing that. He was quoting Andy Rooney and Andy was in WWII. Boats did not claim to be in that war.

I agree with Andy Rooney. I served my 8 years and I vote in every election (I have since I was 18); I've earned the right to be vocal and disagree if I so choose. The French "passive"? No way. Yes we have heard the history of the French Resistance Movement and the underground that helped to save many of our troops during WWII but there were many others who turned our boys over to the Germans too. Remember, we came to their (The French) rescue in Viet Nam too.

All you have to do is look into their history, they have never been passive. Passive-Agressive maybe, but never passive.

You are indeed entitled to your point of view, but I find it a mistake to believe that the French only want to be peaceful. No, they want to tell the rest of the world how to behave. I'm not a war monger, I'm a realist. Sometimes war is necessary to make way for true peace. We didn't go in to bully the people of Iraq. We chased the bullies out so the people of Iraq could live their lives and run their own county they way they want to. For some reason France took issue with this and I have not understood why. I did hear that they had a lot of business with the Iraqi Regime and they were afraid that they would lose that capital income. For a facist government they act a lot like capitalists.

[judyvillecco]

I have to agree with you Dragonlady on France in regard to Iraq. They are behaving very Capitalistic and I do not agree with their behavior against us lately. I respect your point of view. You earned it. Yep I owe Boats an apology. That's the trouble with writing with no quotes. My mistake I misread.

[Boats]

Dragon Lady,

I did not write the article only made it possible for other's to read about it. My Dad (now deceased) and his brother my Uncle both served in WWII. Both saw action and both would not talk about it. My Grand-Father was in WWI. My brother and I both served in VN and my brother died from exposure to Agent Orange.

Let us not forget the French were in VN before us. They've had their share of ass kicking. The also have the Foreign Legion so they are equipped to do battle if it serves their best interest.

They did not want Iraq to fall because they had too much invested (capital or whatever) the same with the Russians. It was in their countries best inerest to leave things alone and collect their revenue.

I don't need any apologies I too am very open minded and speak my piece (way too often). Hardcore is my hero he's very open and makes my day with his comments.

I have a French Grand-Mother on my Ma's side and I loved her for her great attitude. I don't hate the French its just that when you've been helping them out for sooo long and when you think you can count on them - well they sorta back away and make unkindly statements.

I'm glad we took out Iraq's leadership. We fortunately have the power to do it. It cost us dearly with our soldiers and pocket book but if left unchecked the issues will grow proportionally and get out of hand.

We have leadership today that I am grateful for. They have a backbone and will act rather than sit on their hands and do nothing. I'm 57 now and issues like this rattle me so much because I can't contribute to our countries needs.

We need to ralley together we need to know we are safe and free from those who would destroy our freedoms or bulley those who can not stand up for themselves.

Someday we will need friends and our backs will be up against the wall I can only pray that someone will come to our aide should that ever be needed.

Smelling the roses is great - but don't make it a past-time event or life will overtake you and you will be left behind. American's are more than just saying what we want to. You have to sometimes sacrafice in order to maintain the issues of right and wrong.

I don't want us to ever sit back and let the weak or starving be taken for granted. Maintain your ideals but stand up for those who have been foresaken. To me this makes a true American.

[judyvillecco]

Thanks Boats. I agree with most of what you say except I do believe we need to stand up and take care of our own at home first before we go telling everyone else how to run their world and I don't think we have done enough of that, but I do respect our small differences. Thanks for your post.