Politics: Donald's Signatures

Donald Rumsfeld sends out letters of condolences to the families of those who have lost loved ones in Iraq. He also signs them personally.

Or so we thought.

Recently, it was revealed that the signatures were made by a machine. Rumsfeld did not take the time to personally sign all the letters. Democrats are quick to pounce on this as saying that this shows he doesn't really care about the dead soldiers. They tell stories of families (with names and ages!) who are appalled by the news and don't think Rumsfeld cares about them.

Republicans, on the other hand, produce stories of families (with names and ages too!) who say the letter didn't matter at all to them, it was his personal visit to them that showed them he really does care.

So, do I condemn or defend this guy?

I think it's apparent that Rumsfeld (and Bush) really are very concerned about the war and about the loss of life involved. Rumsfeld and Bush make personal visits to the families of loved ones, which takes more time than it does to write a name. And what does it really matter whether Rumsfeld actually signs his signature or not? Shouldn't we worry about more important things, like the war itself?

The only problem is if people were given the impression that he really did sign them. Then it's like lying. But I don't know if they had that impression in the first place. And overall, I don't think it's really a big deal. If he signs them or not -- it's just a letter. He really does care.

Edmond the Hun