Shrubs and shoes

Our beloved President Bush ducked. No, he did not duck away from his pathetic, dismal presidency or from his creepy vice president, but ducked away for two size-10 shoes hurled at him during a press conference in Iraq on Sunday.

shoe throwing

Photo: Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zeidi flings his shoe at President Bush. Picture courtesy of Associated Press.

Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zeidi flings his shoe at President Bush. Picture courtesy of Associated Press.

The shoe-thrower, who is now an appreciated hero in the Middle East, was Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zeidi. "This is a gift from the Iraqis. This is the farewell kiss, you dog," al-Zeidi yelled in Arabic. Then, al-Zeidi threw the shoe with amazing aim, and threw another while yelling, "this is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq." President Bush, however, agilely ducked the shoes like a true Texas Ranger.

Al-Zeidi committed a misdemeanor, and I completely condemn his "shoe throwing." But his words were so passionate and so full of frustration that it showed the intense hatred that Iraqis generally share against America.

Whenever the current administration mentions "the war on terror," a now-clichéd fear mongering term, I shudder and cry inside. What "war?" This country occupied another country with little international support, while killing countless Iraqi citizens and several American soldiers. The cause of this massacre was the urgent necessity of finding the alleged "weapons of mass destruction" that President Bush eloquently reiterated in his press conferences.

The unnecessary occupation of Iraq was a mistake - there were no "weapons of mass destruction" – hopefully, most Americans recognize that by now. But our president and his administration don't find the occupation wrong, and that fact is alarming, frightening and disheartening. They'll leave their positions in January having never made things right.

On Dec. 12, President Bush ironically explained to graduates of Texas A&M University how character ultimately counts in life. "If you can go home at night, look in the mirror and be satisfied that you have done what is right, you will pass the only test that matters," he said. If President Bush was referring to himself, I only wonder what test he passed and whether he has a "sole" after killing so many lives.