Warning, political rant below!
When it's Seafair time in Seattle, that means a few things:
- Hydroplane racing on Lake Washington
- People will get drunk on their boats and injure and/or kill somebody, it seems to happen every year
- The Blue Angels roar over town (just saw one go by apt at probably 500 mph and 500 feet away - I always forget how friggin loud those things are!)
America is one of the few places where citizens hear fighter-jet engines roaring and run outside to cheer - in most other places civilians have to run and hide from American-made bombers..
What's this got to do with cycling? Not much, except the I-90 bridge is closed (including the bike path) during their runs! They made me late to work last year... dammit. Hopefully they can't stop me from doing the Lake Wa Loop today.
So when you see the Blue Angels, think twice about cheering. I'm just as impressed with jets as anyone else, but this is more than politically charged entertainment - it's military-approved entertainment, and that just seems wrong to me.
2 comments:
I was at Rudy's waiting to get a hair cut this morning when I heard the Blue Angles fly over head.... and I screamed out "Let the bombings begin!"
I agree with you... that sound strikes fear in the hearts of most people around the world. And it's sad that most Americans unwittingly fall for the propaganda and fake patriotism and miss the big picture of the sad state of the world the military establishment (thanks in no small part to "The Angler") has created for us.
Matt,
Not everyone feels the same way you do, and I think it's you're right to have your opinion. Remember though, that's those boys who are up there entertaining you, feel they are protecting your right to have that opinion.
I agree that in many cases the wars and fights of today have gotten muddy with the cost versus worth of those incidents. The boys who fly those F-18's are the best the United States Navy has to offer, they are up there to wow the crowds and rally support for what they believe is right, and the country they are willing to die for.
If anything I would cheer for the men in those cockpits, and not the machine. Those guys have families and lives at home, but come here because they feel what they are doing is important.
I hope you do get to enjoy your ride today. If anything it looks like you have a lot on your mind, and I always apprecaite a responsible United State citizen, who thinks about things just like this.
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