Akkam’s Razor

This morning, I saw two fire-engines up the street, which I assumed was the Memorial Day observance for the township.  The DelcoTimes stated this…

Briarcliffe American Legion Post 761 will hold its Memorial Day services at 11 a.m. Monday on the corner of Ashland and Bartram avenues in Darby Township. Guests will include township commissioner Larry Patterson, township manager Jack Ryan, police chief Robert Thompson, magistrates Leonard McDevitt and Steven Sandone. Keynote speaker will be Thomas Judge and post Commander Richard Ellis will serve as emcee. Food and refreshments will follow at the post and the public is invited.

I grabbed my daughter and the dog, and we walked up the street.  About one-block shy of the corner memorial, the three veterans from the local American Legion Hall fired their guns in salute.  I got to the site just in time to hear the keynote speaker - a (Staff?) Seargent in the Air Force (retired?), who's name I don't recall (Smith, White?).  He was introduced as having been a veteran of Desert Storm in 1991, and as having served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, I believe through 2005.  He started off strong, about how Memorial Day isn't about picnics and ballgames, but rather about the sacrifices our soldiers have made to provide us the liberties and freedoms to do those things.  From there, he lost me, and he flat-spinned through all the GOP talking points…

• If we leave, it will be bad.  Bad like Vietnam.  Or Iraq circa 1991.
• War opponents hate America.
• War opponents hate the war because they hate the President.
• The Press doesn't report enough good news.
• He doesn't care if terrorists get tortured, executed, or if wiping one's ass with the Koran inflames the Iraqi people.
• It's all the Democrats fault.
• They'll follow-us home.
• They want to convert us all to Islam.
• John Murtha, John Murtha, John Murtha, "slow-bleed", etc.

Now I understand, this township is run by "the Grand Ol' Party", as is virtually all of Delaware County.  This guy was a disgrace, he failed to honor to troops, and I'm disgusted as an American at his conduct.  This was supposed to be about honoring the troops, not regurgitating GOP talking points!