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Dick Yarbrough

Four-time winner of the Georgia Press Association's Best Humor Column

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Apr. 20, 2003: Memo To The World: We Are Back

April 20, 2003 by webmaster Leave a Comment

Congratulations. After years of being ignored by the body politic, patronized by the media, criticized by every two-bit country on earth, made to feel that patriotism was passé and forced to endure human fruitcakes like Ted Turner extolling the “bravery” of the terrorists who killed thousands of innocent people in the Sept. 11 attacks, we have our voice back. Doesn’t it feel good?

I wasn’t sure it would ever happen. I had decided we were like the fat kid in school who has no friends, is picked on by classmates who steal his lunch money and is continually told by his teachers that he will never amount to anything.

Arab terrorists long ago decided they would make us live in an environment of constant fear. They have bombed our military barracks, our embassies, our naval vessels and our office buildings; killed our citizens; burned our flags; mocked us and dared us to do anything about it. The fat kid finally has had enough. For that, you can thank President George W. Bush. He has restored something that has been missing for a long time in this country – our backbone. We aren’t cringing anymore.

President Bush decided to take the bullies on. It should not have come as any big surprise. He told the whole world what would happen if Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein didn’t disarm. Saddam didn’t believe him. The drones at the United Nations didn’t believe him. France and Germany didn’t believe him. Big mistake. Saddam and his buddies are now camel dung. They should have listened.

What few Iraqi bigwigs could get out of Dodge City may have tried to sneak into Syria. The president has told the Syrians that is a no-no. Chances are that after what happened in Iraq, they will listen carefully to what he says. Even the little doughboy in North Korea who is always running his mouth about his nuclear weapons might want to cut the jive-talk and show us some respect. Don’t tug on Superman’s cape.

We have captured Abu Abbas, the terrorist who masterminded the hijacking of the cruise ship, Achille Lauro in 1985 and whose brave warriors shot a disabled man in the head and threw him – and his wheelchair – into the ocean. It is a new day, terrorists. From now on, you will pay for your sins. Don’t even think about hiding because we will find you. We’ll march into any country on earth without apology and drag out your sorry butts.

What is even better is that the national media, the entertainment industry, academia and liberal weenie preachers are upset with us. We aren’t listening to them, and they can’t stand it. The literati believe we are too dumb to think on our own, so their duty is to tell us what to think. We have responded to their condescending attitude with a collective Pffft!

The television networks made a big deal out of the fact that their personnel wouldn’t wear American flag lapel pins, as if that would make them more believable. The one exception was Fox News Network. Their folks wear flag pins. Guess who had the biggest audience during the Iraqi war? Duh! CNN, whose president has admitted to playing footsies with the Iraqis, showed a couple of excited young soldiers climbing a statue of Saddam and covering his face with an American flag. Wolf Blitzer and Christiane Whoozit looked like they were sucking lemons as they reported the story. They probably drink French wine, too.

The entertainment industry is having a particularly hard time these days. The folks in pancake makeup seem to understand one-half of the free speech equation: They can say what they please. It is the other half of the equation they are having trouble with: We can refuse to go see their movies or buy their records – and we are doing just that. Freedom of expression cuts both ways.

No doubt some of you will strongly disagree with my assessment of current events. That’s okay. I welcome your dissent. Just don’t expect me to wipe this goofy grin off my face. I’m feeling pretty good about my country these days. Call it shock and awe.


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Dicktations: Here’s What I’m Thinking

State Sen.Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega, has announced he is running for lieutenant governor.  Gooch is the guy who said that approving permits to strip-mine the Okefenokee for titanium dioxide to manufacture, among other things, toothpaste whitener is not a legislative matter.  It is up to the bureaucrats to decide. This, despite overwhelming opposition from Georgians across the state.  File that away and remember it when it comes time to vote.  I know I will. … [Read More...] about A long memory

Reader Comments

Yarbrough received over 1,000 email responses last year – both positive and negative. Though most of the emails he receives support his viewpoints, one thing is for sure: Dick Yarbrough’s column speaks to people and they respond. Here is a sampling of email responses Yarbrough has received in the past:

  • Thanks for writing what we all are thinking.
  • I am annoyed by anybody who presumes to know what Georgians think.  And that, sir, includes you.

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