That's some awfully selective quoting. The Vice President made the comment about Mass as the troops were getting out of Pakistan safely. Regardless of whether you agree with the mission, seem's like a pretty reasonable thing to be thankful for. Religious ceremonies are one way that billions of people express such feelings of thanks.
I don't understand. Honest question. Why am I modden down? I'm not an American nor am I a Christian. Is it just because I understand their point of view even though I don't agree?
FWIW, I am a Muslim, born by a Protestant.
Funnily enough, according to wikipedia, Geronimo was a prominent Native American leader of the Chiricahua Apache who fought against Mexico and the United States for their expansion into Apache tribal lands for several decades.
I don't think his assassins had that in mind though.
Don't get me wrong BTW, I'm firmly one the 900 million muslims who are against the killing of innocents.
It's hard to assign meaning to those kinds of code words. After all, they're specifically chosen not to betray their meaning.
I know that the Apache were upset by the implications, and there is some historical irony lurking in it, but I wouldn't take that too far, esp. for a code word. If I'm not mistaken, "Geronimo" is probably best known as a battle cry that Americans learned from the movies. I wouldn't be shocked to learn that most Americans don't know anything about the man, Geronimo.
EDIT: Also, on Biden's comment about attending mass: that's just Biden being a good Catholic. Fortunately, Joe Biden isn't the type to actually demand that others practice his religion.
The religious aspect of this story didn't bother me, because these guys, like all Americans, have the right to express their religious beliefs as long as they don't force everyone to follow them. The policy of killing bin Laden is supported by many people who don't belong to a religion. Bin Laden's attacks killed all sorts of different people. It's hard to argue that the Obama administration was carrying out a religious vendetta with this operation.
I read this article in my office a stone's throw from Ground Zero. I found the details about the policy-making and military operation fascinating. I'm glad I didn't wake up that morning to read that we leveled a suburb in Pakistan with 32 2000lb guided bombs (and we think we might have gotten Bin Laden)!
I wouldn't be shocked to learn that most Americans don't know anything about the man, Geronimo.
Soldiers generally know more history than you expect. If they used Geronimo it's likely a top o' the hat to the warrior, not a call back to a hokey movie.
Especially because real soldiers never cry 'Geronimo' when they fall out of airplanes - they're counting the seconds until the chute deploys.
Also - the army especially has taken the Indian warrior thing to heart: helicopters are named after tribes, call signs and etc.
> Also, on Biden's comment about attending mass: that's just Biden being a good Catholic.
Yes, and that he is religious and leads a country is the issue. He gets his orders from the same place as Osama Bin Laden and George W Bush.
> The religious aspect of this story didn't bother me, because these guys, like all Americans, have the right to express their religious beliefs as long as they don't force everyone to follow them
They have a right to paint themselves purple and dance to the moon. But when they choose to do something literally delusional it does reflect badly.
> The policy of killing bin Laden is supported by many people who don't belong to a religion.
Yes, the vengeful idiots. It was never proven that he did it or that they got the right guy. In fact, our track record in Iraq/Afghanistan so far is killing one hundred people for every one in the 9/11 attacks, mostly civilians, so odds are this guy was another miss too.
No trial, no killing. The rule of law applies both ways.
> It's hard to argue that the Obama administration was carrying out a religious vendetta with this operation.
It's not the only goal, but it is one of them. "For god and country!"
> I'm glad I didn't wake up that morning to read that we leveled a suburb in Pakistan with 32 2000lb guided bombs (and we think we might have gotten Bin Laden)!
But you did, just not this one time. For every one he killed, you've killed a hundred...
When your life and/or livelihood regularly depends on factors that you don't control, it's not uncommon to engage in dealmaking with a higher power in order to develop a sense of control over the unknown.
"We should all go to Mass tonight," he said.
That definitely ruins it for me.