The shoe throwing incident of 2008. I'm sure most of you have seen or heard about it by now. Some Arabic reporter in Baghdad decided to take a shot (actually two) at the President with his size tens while in a press conference yesterday. If you've seen the video, it's pretty comical. Bush looks like he is reverting back to his playground days playing a little dodgeball (pretty agile for an older guy). He seems to have a little smirk on his face as if to say, "Is that the best you got?" Of course, the guy was apprehended though, might I add, not very quickly. Where was security on this thing? This guy gets off two loafers before they ever get to him. Heaven forbid that he would have had a knife or an automatic weapon.
Anyway, here's where the strangest part of the story is to me. I hope this doesn't offend anyone who doesn't need to be offended. The news out of Iraq this morning is that thousands of people are in the streets of Baghdad marching for this guy's release. They are screaming, chanting and burning stuff so that he will be released. Listen, I don't know about your philosophies or your religious leanings, but I don't think it's ever right to throw shoes at a man.
Do I dare ask what's going on in the Muslim world when thousands of people can walk out of their shops, homes, schools and workplaces to protest on behalf of a shoe thrower? Can Iraq's economy handle this kind of work slow down? Of course, if they are somehow related to American industry, they don't have much to worry about. They could always fall back on a government bailout. Talk about something to throw your shoe at...where's my extra tennis shoes? I've got something I want to protest.
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