Tuesday, July 18, 2006

One More Word about the Masseur-in-Chief

I’ve noticed that a few Bush apologists, as well as foreign writers attempting to understand the incident , are asserting that Bush’s impromptu massage of the German chancellor was a cultural misunderstanding—that is, they are saying the massage was a “Texan” thing to do.

I am a Texan. I am the real thing, not a phony Texan such as Bush. I am a fifth generation Texan who has lived in this state all my life—that’s over half a century—and in all that time it has never entered my head to walk up behind someone and surprise them with a free shoulder massage. I certainly wouldn’t do it to a woman who is not my wife. And I don’t see other people doing it either. It is not a Texan thing to do. It is a creepy thing to do. At best, it indicates poor breeding; at worst, a personality problem.