You could have heard a pin drop.

I got an email that I wanted to share part of.

When in England at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building by George Bush.

He answered by saying, 'Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders.  The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return.'

You could have heard a pin drop.

**********

A group of Americans, retired teachers, recently went to France on a tour.  Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane.  At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on.  'You have been to France before, monsieur?' the customs officer asked sarcastically.  Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously,  'Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.'  The American said, 'The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it.'  'Impossible.  Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France!'  The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look.  Then he quietly explained.  'Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in '44 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find any ___ Frenchmen to show it to.'

You could have heard a pin drop.