What should happen to Iraqi shoe thrower?
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| Barbara - NC | December 17th, 2008 2:41 pm ET He should receive a medal and be given throwing practice. Many people want to do the same thing. |
| forbes Phoenix, AZ | December 17th, 2008 2:42 pm ET Hi Jack, |
| Ken in NC | December 17th, 2008 2:45 pm ET Give him more shoes. It is a new life in Iraq now. Under the government of Saddam, the “Shoe Thrower” and probably his family would have been executed before sunset. Let them enjoy their new found freedom. Maybe we can open a shoe factory here and sell them “Throwing shoes” like “Running Shoes”. That would result in a boost to our economy. |
| Al in IA | December 17th, 2008 2:48 pm ET He should receive a presidential pardon from George who laughed off the incident in his insolent manner. |
| Tom, Jacksonville, FL | December 17th, 2008 2:51 pm ET At the very least, the local authorities should return his shoes. Tom, Jacksonville, Florida |
| Edward Nelson, Mount Vernon, NY | December 17th, 2008 2:53 pm ET Hey Jack, He should be pardoned for proving that a lame duck is best at ducking. This is a President who called dropping bombs on Iraq, “Operation Iraqi Peace.” When the reporter lodged the shoe at President Bush he was engaged in “Operation Iraqi Thanks.” It was a warm gesture for bringing peace and he got arrested. What a shame! A shoe is as close as we get to a weapon of mass destruction. Hey Jack, I wonder how many friends and family members the reporter lost for the sake of peace. A pardon should be in order. |
| Jeff from Sturgis, MI | December 17th, 2008 2:53 pm ET Punishment? This man shouldn’t be punished. How many of us watched that video and wished we were the one throwing our shoes at President Bush? I say it sums up our feelings about the outgoing Commander-in-Chief quite admirably. |
| John, Fort Collins, CO | December 17th, 2008 2:54 pm ET He should be encouraged to sign an endorsement contract for Crocs, “the only shoes that are safe to throw”. Since he is already a poster child there, they could make a fortune in the Middle East and help improve the U.S. balance of payments. |
| CJ in Atlanta, GA | December 17th, 2008 2:55 pm ET They guy should serve a few weeks in jail and be fined, but otherwise what he did really isn’t that big of a deal. |
| Jeffrey Cohen from LA, California | December 17th, 2008 2:55 pm ET A couple days of jail time and then let the man go back to living his life. He is not a bad man for doing what he did. He has every right to be angry at President Bush for the turmoil he has witnessed in his country. |
| dennis north carolina | December 17th, 2008 2:57 pm ET It was a protest so he should be set free unharmed. No one was hurt except the pride of Bush so let the man go.Bush has done a lot more harm to his country and people than just throwing a pair of shoes but will he pay for it except in a history book. the answer is no. |
| Dennis, Columbus, Ohio | December 17th, 2008 2:58 pm ET 30 days in jail for missing. |
| Jackie in Dallas | December 17th, 2008 3:03 pm ET Just another example of Bush being entirely unaware of what actually happened. What the reporter did is the most extreme form of insult possible in the Islamic world. While I think it is correct to say that if he had done so under Hussein, he would have been executed, if we had not invaded their country, he wouldn’t have had the motivation to do such an extreme act. Typical of Bush, he just doesn’t get it that he is despised all over the world, has eroded the respect and reputation of this country, and heartily hated by a good number of people IN this country. I’m counting the hours now… |
| Frann Altman in Los Angeles, CA | December 17th, 2008 3:06 pm ET What would happen in the US if a citizen threw a shoe at the Iraqi President while he was visiting here? Clearly he’d have been taken away, jailed and many citizens here might also be cheering so the country’s response is not that unusual, is it? I’m more concerned as to where the secret service was, or was not, that allowed the second shoe to be thrown. |
| Ryan, Galesburg, IL | December 17th, 2008 3:21 pm ET This man, a journalist, has lost family, been captured by the U.S. military, tortured by militias and watched as his were countrymen torn to shreds because of Bush’s penchant for lying. Now his arms and ribs are broken while he waits in an Iraqi cell. Time Served, and then some. |
| Winston in Berrien Springs, MI | December 17th, 2008 3:21 pm ET How come Nike is squandering such an potentially monsterous marketing campaign? They should give that guy a huge shoe contract and make him their advertising spokesman in the Middle East. Can you imagine the killing Nike would make selling ballistic footware to angry Muslims? Those shoes would literally fly off the shelf…SWOOSH! |
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I laughed out loud reading some and some did made me think. I, like many. can understand his anger but then Zaidi should be given a punishment. Two wrongs doesn't make one right. I only wish he is not given a harsh punishment.
I don't understand these Americans.
ReplyDeleteIf this has happened to our PM in Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal or Pakistan, we would have closed ranks irrespective of social status, political affiliation, caste, creed etc. Our News Channel anchors would be screaming like there is no tomorrow, and sombre political experts would pontificate on how we should retaliate, and on the street, we would be burning some effigies to show them how we feel, and for some good measure, we might hold a hartal or two in some states.
They seem to miss some patriotic fervour. The Americans must learn from us- us patriotic people in India, Pakistan, Lanka etc.
If that shoe had been hurled in America, may be he would have become a celebrity, but in Iraq, no one can tell.
I wonder what Saddam would have done in this situation...
May be something kind and merciful...
Americans wouldn't have reacted this way if it was Clinton, Reagan, Bush senior, Kennedy, Carter etc. They reacted this way because it is George W Bush junior, who with one stone hurt two countries (Iraq and America).
ReplyDeleteIf a clown or someone ala Bush becomes a prime minisiter ( I don't want to name anyone though I can think quite some in our country), I think, even India would react simillar to what Americans have reacted.
Bush is to be blamed, right.
ReplyDeleteHow convenient that we can play at victims and get away with murder.
There are enough people with tender heart to forgive and forget the crime, but not the provocation- it needs to be condemned again and again at every instance till justice is done.
In case you wonder what is justice, well, it is for the victim to say. He has got perpetual rights till he makes peace with himself.
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ReplyDeleteDubya got a real kick out of this. In Saddam's day this reporter would have been fed to the plastic shredder, after being forced to watch his wife and daughters get gang-raped.
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absurd thought -
God of the Universe says
Bush was worse than Hitler
and Stalin and Mao
and the Devil combined
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All real freedom starts with freedom of speech. Without freedom of speech there can be no real freedom.
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Philosophy of Liberty Cartoon
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Help Halt Terrorism Today!
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USpace
:)
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USpace, I don't really know how to react to your comments. You are a new voice here, you are welcome.
ReplyDeleteI feel extreme positions provoke extreme reactions, and it will only get worse and worse.
Even though I am aware of this, I seem to fall into taking an extreme posture as if by reflex.
"All real freedom starts with freedom of speech. Without freedom of speech there can be no real freedom."- I agree with this totally, but I feel that the freedom of speech has to be exercised with some consideration, so that it does not humiliate or alienate the people who listen to us.
The man who threw shoes at Bush, he is entitled to believe his grievances are real, and to hold Bush individually responsible- If he had written or spoken his views, there would have been no problem with that.
But his gesture, which carried animosity, will do nothing to take forward his argument. If anything, it will only make his opponents more dogmatic.
He was irresponsible, and people who applaud him are irresponsible. If you can throw a shoe, what is to stop you from throwing a knife? Security, right? So there will be more security, more laws, more punishment. That is not the way of dialogue.
I think he abused his position as a journalist, that is more terrible.
Baskar
ReplyDeleteCertainly this person abused his position as a journalist as otherwise he wouldn't have got any where near Bush. He may have written and spoken about his views. There are hundreds who have done it on Bush and Iraq War. But no one has a name or face with any of us.
Zaidi is no hero and is at best another idiot but in doing this he has highlighted his and the anger of 'n' no. of iraqis more emphatically that millions of words and articles could not have achieved.
He had taken the wrong route to show who is wrong.
Bush has great reflexes for his age. He's been tested now.
ReplyDeleteYes, but someone criticises that too. He says Bush showed great skills at dodging the first shoe, but he should have been alert, caught and thrown the second shoe back at Zaidi. He rates Bush's baseball skills poor...
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