Pic Of The Moment: Boston Is A Tough And Resilient Town

[EarlG]

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[valerief]

1. I'm sick of Americans being called "tough". I interpret it as "there's no limit to

the abuse you can heap on Americans."

[HughBeaumont]

3. At least two people in power think along those lines . . .

"Tough for YOU, not for ME, ha HA!"

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. Toughness as a quality has many dimensions, but some people will always turn praise into a negative.

Toughness includes the ability and determination to work hard.

It also means the ability to make tough decisions.

American toughness means "don't bother heaping abuse on Americans because in the end it won't work even if it means a lot of trouble in the medium run and even if Americans will bring a lot of trouble on themselves (like TSA)".

When the President or anyone is praising a city and it's inhabitants in a troubling time, perhaps it is not the wisest thing to struggle to turn it into a negative. It's a little like rejecting flowers when given them from somebody, saying "I hate throwing them out four days later".

[sheshe2]

2. He said,

That we are "tough and resilient" we are.

To the emergency workers of Boston, Thank you.

[sarge43]

5. Boston is the capital city of New England

New Englanders have been doing tough and resilient for a long time.

To the people of Boston, we got your back.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. Two runners:

[npk]

13. Great Caption

Lots of powerful images came out from people running to help those that were injured.

[valerief]

7. I lived most of my life in Boston. What does it mean to be "tough"?

It doesn't mean anything but political blah-blah-blah to me. I'm really tired of hearing it come out of pols' mouths. I don't care who they are or what stripes they were. I'm sick of the blah-blah-blah.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

8. Well, there's always the alternative taught by TV dramas: run around like a screaming ninny.

The US didn't get settled and founded by screaming ninnies. When disaster struck (be it tornado or bears or opposing tribes) people buckled down and loaded the guns while others shot them and tended the wounded and did what was necessary. By "settled and founded" I'm including the "Native Americans" (First Nations) who came across the land bridge from Asia as well as English, Spanish, French and many others.

But TV dramas teach us (those who gobble them up) that most people react to a disaster by screaming and giving up and making things worse and losing their heads. It's disgusting because people are beginning to think it is acceptable behavior.

[freshwest]

12. +1

[snagglepuss]

15. That is so bloody arrogant.Show me one tragedy anywhere in the world where people haven't

buckled down and kept their heads . Utter nonsense that the rest of the world are ninnies compared to Americans.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

16. You have misunderstood & have it backwards, at best. The point went over your head.

It was in response to the poster who is defiant (twice) that she doesn't have the imagination to know what "being tough" means, except as her way to turn a positive Obama speech into a negative.

[sheshe2]

9. The depth of your compassion is so noted. nt

[valerief]

11. Your comment escapes me. What does my compassion for the victims have to do

with my exasperation with nonsensical political rhetoric? I fail to see the connection. They're two different issues.

I'm a Bostonian. I'm not "tough". I have no idea what the hell that means, unless it means "to take unlimited abuse."

[Cha]

25. The depth of her ability to take one word out of the President's message

and turn it ignorantly into something ugly and offensive is astounding.

[snagglepuss]

14. I couldn't agree more. This trite cliche is pulled out by every pol across the world

when an horrific tragedy strikes. We can only be happy that no one is reminding the masses that "it's all good".

[Historic NY]

10. "Bean Town".....were with you!

[limpyhobbler]

17. K&R

[William769]

19. kick & recommended.

[Politicub]

20. K&r

[AAO]

21. I'm not afraid of cowards with bombs.

Those involved intimately in the horror in Boston (yes - the loved ones and families are affected 1000 fold from you and I) have an experience I haven't had, which allows me to have (false?) courage in making my feelings known. I say fuck the fuckers that imagine this, yet also have the dead heart to carry it out. Cowards, all of them.

I'm not religious, but I urge those that are to pray for the 17 critical patients, and for the loved ones of those that died in this horrendous act of inhumanity. I will do my part by crying myself to sleep and hoping that the world can become a better place.

[MADem]

22. The conversation in this thread is proof positive that the President can say something that

affirms the grit and resilience of a community that has had the shit kicked out of them with an unspeakable horror on what should have been a wonderful and happy day, and some people on this website will find a reason to complain about that, twist words, gripe, and whine.


The mind boggles. I mean, really. No matter what he does, even using the power of his office to deliver an uplifting affirmation to people who could truly use a few kind words, and still, he gets shit on.

[sheshe2]

23. Thanks MADem,

I posted here before I left for work, the comments, hurt me. I had friends there. The windows of their building blew out. They are safe and survived.

It seems like any word of this President, the words that give us much peace in a time where our world falls apart, are ridiculed, and thrown back in our face.

To the souls in Massachusett, our spirit will be strong. To the soulless responses, I pity you for your lack of compassion and grief for what we have lost.

[MADem]

28. I have family a few blocks from there.

Some were close enough to be aware of the explosions. One, six blocks away, was playing video games and clueless to what happened.

I just don't understand why people who make it their life's work to Crap On Obama bother to continue their membership in the Democratic Party or here. Isn't the whole idea in life to go where you're celebrated, not where you're scorned?

Using this national tragedy to make their petty little points and small gripes, though--that's just too much as far as I'm concerned. It speaks to no couth whatsoever.

[sheshe2]

30. So glad your family is safe MADem,

and again, thank you.

sheshe

[Cha]

24. I know of at least one person in Boston who wasn't offended by the

kind words from the President. In fact they were a source of strength.

Here's some more words from the President.. Will these be picked apart as Offensive to those for whom they are intended?

We also know this -- the American people refuse to be terrorized. Because what the world saw yesterday in the aftermath of the explosions were stories of heroism and kindness, and generosity and love: Exhausted runners who kept running to the nearest hospital to give blood, and those who stayed to tend to the wounded, some tearing off their own clothes to make tourniquets. The first responders who ran into the chaos to save lives. The men and women who are still treating the wounded at some of the best hospitals in the world, and the medical students who hurried to help, saying “When we heard, we all came in.” The priests who opened their churches and ministered to the hurt and the fearful. And the good people of Boston who opened their homes to the victims of this attack and those shaken by it.

So if you want to know who we are, what America is, how we respond to evil -- that’s it. Selflessly. Compassionately. Unafraid.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/11029083

[BlancheSplanchnik]

26. ! That's a beautiful recognition of the people who did Good.

And it IS good that he said it. Because leaders do many things, and one important function is as a model of behaviour.

[Cha]

27. So understand what you're saying, BlancheSplanchnik.

Very Important.

[MADem]

29. Anyone without a blatant agenda would not be offended. They'd be comforted.

The people who are treating these remarks like Bush's "Mission Accomplished" speech, though, are full of an agenda, and it doesn't marry well with the goals of this website, IMO.