3.12.2007

That Was Then, This Is Now

Perhaps you've been following President Bush's trip to South and Central America over the past few days. This morning, he'll be at an archaelogical site in Guatemala, which brings up this hilarious news story:
Mayan priest to purify sacred site after Bush visit

GUATEMALA CITY — Mayan priests will purify a sacred archaeological site to eliminate "bad spirits" after President Bush visits next week, an official with close ties to the group said Thursday.

"That a person like (Bush), with the persecution of our migrant brothers in the United States, with the wars he has provoked, is going to walk in our sacred lands, is an offense for the Mayan people and their culture," Juan Tiney, the director of a Mayan nongovernmental organization with close ties to Mayan religious and political leaders, said Thursday.

Bush's tour includes a stopover beginning late Sunday in Guatemala. On Monday morning he is scheduled to visit the archaeological site Iximche.

Tiney said the "spirit guides of the Mayan community" decided it would be necessary to cleanse the sacred site of "bad spirits" after Bush's visit so that their ancestors could rest in peace.

So, let's see, that would be those same Mayans who used to fight wars with their neighbors so that they could have captives to sacrifice to their gods by ripping their beating hearts out on the altars? Are those the "ancestors" who need to be able rest in peace? Because if President Bush is the kind of person that One Tiny (Fill-in-the-blank) thinks he is, then those bloodthirsty human-sacrificing ancestors should be pleased as punch to have him visit. How do you say "hypocrisy" in Mayan? This silliness is akin to having the Vatican decrying the injustice of capital punishment. But then, nobody expects the Mayan Inquisition!