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Well, I guess since the Apahe's find it offensive the US government should officially apologize. Apologies do make everything better after all, just ask any child and they will tell you so. There is also that bit somewhere in the US Constitution or maybe the UN Charter on Human Rights about there being a Freedom from Offense or is it Freedom from Offensive Speech? Sarcasm intended
Here is the news story about it:Geronimo's tribe seeks apologyThis is what I thought was a key point in the article:
The department wouldn't elaborate on the use of "Geronimo," but said code names typically are chosen randomly so that those working on a mission can communicate without divulging any information to adversaries.
I am guessing it took all of a few seconds to assign a code name to OBL, but once it passes into the public news it becomes a matter of intense analysis. Actually, here is one way out of the mess: since the code names are meant to keep information away from enemy ears and eyes, the military couldn't possibly use a name like "Hilter" for OBL. That would be too obvious. However, a name like Geronimo, who has a legendary status in American cultural memory, would be more confusing to al Qaeda members.
Too bad it wasn't “Operation Crusade” or something like that. The backlash from that would have been very entertaining.
I just find the hand-wringing and requests for contrition sad. They are a by-product of the whole leftist, post-modernist, victimization, entitlement crowd that to my mind represent everything wrong with Western culture right now. The victimization piece particularly sticks in my craw. It would not make a difference what code-name they chose, I am almost certain that some group would have come out of the woodwork claiming they were offended and demanding an apology, that is the modern Western way after all.
