Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The Aggressor State
This kicks serious azz...
I couldn't think of a better way to illustrate this myself. Kudos Vin Suprynowicz
More than 700 and perhaps as many as 1300 years ago — back when the peace-loving Muslims were trying to conquer Europe by the sword (till they were stopped at Tours by Charles Martel) — the ancestors of the people who became the Aztecs passed through what is now Utah and Arizona, on their way south.
Left behind were relatively peaceful farmers, the Anasazi, likely the ancestors of today’s Pima and Papago (Tohono O’Odham.)
Nature hates a vacuum, and peaceful farmers tend to rule a land only until a more aggressive group arrives to take their women and their corn. It appears that warlike group, for the land to become Arizona, consisted of a couple of tribes speaking Athabascan tongues (thus, probably from Canada), the Navajo and Apache.
Did the Navajo and Apache buy their lands? Of course not. They took them.
...
I couldn't think of a better way to illustrate this myself. Kudos Vin Suprynowicz
More than 700 and perhaps as many as 1300 years ago — back when the peace-loving Muslims were trying to conquer Europe by the sword (till they were stopped at Tours by Charles Martel) — the ancestors of the people who became the Aztecs passed through what is now Utah and Arizona, on their way south.
Left behind were relatively peaceful farmers, the Anasazi, likely the ancestors of today’s Pima and Papago (Tohono O’Odham.)
Nature hates a vacuum, and peaceful farmers tend to rule a land only until a more aggressive group arrives to take their women and their corn. It appears that warlike group, for the land to become Arizona, consisted of a couple of tribes speaking Athabascan tongues (thus, probably from Canada), the Navajo and Apache.
Did the Navajo and Apache buy their lands? Of course not. They took them.
...
No, He Can't
H/T: Marita :o)
This is a great essay that was sent to me via email. I'm not sure where it was published originally, Marita, if you're reading this, perhaps you could be a doll and leave the source for us in the comments? ;)
Here's a well-respected woman with the cahones to tell it the way it is...despite being black.
Cogent political thoughts of a black lady...
Anne Wortham is Associate Professor of Sociology at Illinois State University and continuing Visiting Scholar at Stanford Universityʼs Hoover Institution. She is a member of the American Sociological Association and the American Philosophical Association. She has been a John M. Olin Foundation Faculty Fellow, and honored as a Distinguished Alumni of the Year by the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education.
In fall 1988 she was one of a select group of intellectuals who were featured in Bill Moyer's television series, "A World of Ideas." The transcript of her conversation with Moyers ha s been published in his book, A World of Ideas.
Dr. Wortham is author of The Other Side of Racism: A Philosophical Study of Black Race Consciousness which analyzes how race consciousness is transformed into political strategies and policy issues. She has published numerous articles on the implications of individual rights for civil rights policy, and is currently writing a book on theories of social and cultural marginality.
Recently, she has published articles on the significance of multiculturalism and Afro-centricism in education, the politics of victimization and the social and political impact of political correctness. Shortly after an interview in 2004, she was awarded tenure.
NO, HE CAN'T
by Anne Wortham
November 6, 2008
Fellow Americans,
Please know: I am black; I grew up in the segregated South. I did not vote for Barack Obama; I wrote in Ron Paul's name as my choice for presiden t. Most importantly, I am not race conscious. I do not require a black president to know that I am a person of worth, and that life is worth living. I do not require a black president to love the ideal of America.
I cannot join you in your celebration. I feel no elation. There is no smile on my face. I am not jumping with joy. There are no tears of triumph in my eyes. For such emotions and behavior to come from me, I would have to deny all that I know about the requirements of human flourishing and survival - all that I know about the history of the United States of America, all that I know about American race relations, and all that I know about Barack Obama as a politician. I would have to deny the nature of the "change" that Obama asserts has come to America..
Most importantly, I would have to abnegate my certain understanding that you have chosen to sprint down the road to serfdom that we have been on for over a century. I would have to pretend that individual liberty has no value for the success of a human life. I would have to evade your rejection of the slender reed of capitalism on which your success and mine depend.
I would have to think it somehow rational that 94 percent of the 12 million blacks in this country voted for a man because he looks like them (that blacks are permitted to play the race card), and that they were joined by self-declared "progressive" whites who voted for him because he doesn't look like them.
I would have to wipe my mind clean of all that I know about the kind of people who have advised and taught Barack Obama and will fill posts in his administration - political intellectuals like my former colleagues at the Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.
I would have to believe that "fairness" is the equivalent of justice. I would have to believe that man who asks me to "go forward in a new spirit of service, in a new service of sacrifice" is speaking in my interest. I would have to accept the premise of a man that economic prosperity comes from the "bottom up," and who arrogantly believes that he can will it into existence by the use of government force.
I would have to admire a man who thinks the standard of living of the masses can be improved by destroying the most productive and the generators of wealth.
Finally, Americans, I would have to erase from my consciousness the scene of 125,000 screaming, crying, cheering people in Grant Park, Chicago irrationally chanting "Yes We Can!" Finally, I would have to wipe all memory of all the times I have heard politicians, pundits, journalists, editorialists, bloggers and intellectuals declare that capitalism is dead - and no one, including especially Alan Greenspan, objected to their assumption that the particular version of the anti-capitalistic mentality that they want to replace with their own version of anti-capitalism is anything remotely equivalent to capitalism.
So you have made history, Americans. You and your children have elected a black man to the office of the president of the United States, the wounded giant of the world. The battle between John Wayne and Jane Fonda is over - and that Fonda won. Eugene McCarthy and George McGovern must be very happy men. Jimmie Carter, too. And the Kennedys have at last gotten their Kennedy look-a-like. The self-righteous welfare statists in the suburbs can feel warm moments of satisfaction for having elected a black person. So, toast yourselves: 60s countercultural radicals, 80s yuppies and 90s bourgeois bohemians.
Toast yourselves, Black20America.. Shout your glee Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Duke, Stanford, and Berkeley. You have elected not an individual who is qualified to be president, but a black man who, like the pragmatist Franklin Roosevelt, promises to - Do Something! You now have someone who has picked up the baton of Lyndon John son's Great Society. But you have also foolishly traded your freedom and mine - what little there is left - for the chance to feel good. There is nothing in me that can share your happy obliviousness.
die with your boots on brothers and sisters...
...
This is a great essay that was sent to me via email. I'm not sure where it was published originally, Marita, if you're reading this, perhaps you could be a doll and leave the source for us in the comments? ;)
Here's a well-respected woman with the cahones to tell it the way it is...despite being black.
UPDATE: I found a link for this as a source...but it appears to be from a blogger...and I didn't notice any credit to his source of the letter. Maybe a little digging will uncover more on where this came from. The link here: A Soldier's Perspective, it's a milblog and a pretty good one at that.
Cogent political thoughts of a black lady...
Anne Wortham is Associate Professor of Sociology at Illinois State University and continuing Visiting Scholar at Stanford Universityʼs Hoover Institution. She is a member of the American Sociological Association and the American Philosophical Association. She has been a John M. Olin Foundation Faculty Fellow, and honored as a Distinguished Alumni of the Year by the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education.
In fall 1988 she was one of a select group of intellectuals who were featured in Bill Moyer's television series, "A World of Ideas." The transcript of her conversation with Moyers ha s been published in his book, A World of Ideas.
Dr. Wortham is author of The Other Side of Racism: A Philosophical Study of Black Race Consciousness which analyzes how race consciousness is transformed into political strategies and policy issues. She has published numerous articles on the implications of individual rights for civil rights policy, and is currently writing a book on theories of social and cultural marginality.
Recently, she has published articles on the significance of multiculturalism and Afro-centricism in education, the politics of victimization and the social and political impact of political correctness. Shortly after an interview in 2004, she was awarded tenure.
NO, HE CAN'T
by Anne Wortham
November 6, 2008
Fellow Americans,
Please know: I am black; I grew up in the segregated South. I did not vote for Barack Obama; I wrote in Ron Paul's name as my choice for presiden t. Most importantly, I am not race conscious. I do not require a black president to know that I am a person of worth, and that life is worth living. I do not require a black president to love the ideal of America.
I cannot join you in your celebration. I feel no elation. There is no smile on my face. I am not jumping with joy. There are no tears of triumph in my eyes. For such emotions and behavior to come from me, I would have to deny all that I know about the requirements of human flourishing and survival - all that I know about the history of the United States of America, all that I know about American race relations, and all that I know about Barack Obama as a politician. I would have to deny the nature of the "change" that Obama asserts has come to America..
Most importantly, I would have to abnegate my certain understanding that you have chosen to sprint down the road to serfdom that we have been on for over a century. I would have to pretend that individual liberty has no value for the success of a human life. I would have to evade your rejection of the slender reed of capitalism on which your success and mine depend.
I would have to think it somehow rational that 94 percent of the 12 million blacks in this country voted for a man because he looks like them (that blacks are permitted to play the race card), and that they were joined by self-declared "progressive" whites who voted for him because he doesn't look like them.
I would have to wipe my mind clean of all that I know about the kind of people who have advised and taught Barack Obama and will fill posts in his administration - political intellectuals like my former colleagues at the Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.
I would have to believe that "fairness" is the equivalent of justice. I would have to believe that man who asks me to "go forward in a new spirit of service, in a new service of sacrifice" is speaking in my interest. I would have to accept the premise of a man that economic prosperity comes from the "bottom up," and who arrogantly believes that he can will it into existence by the use of government force.
I would have to admire a man who thinks the standard of living of the masses can be improved by destroying the most productive and the generators of wealth.
Finally, Americans, I would have to erase from my consciousness the scene of 125,000 screaming, crying, cheering people in Grant Park, Chicago irrationally chanting "Yes We Can!" Finally, I would have to wipe all memory of all the times I have heard politicians, pundits, journalists, editorialists, bloggers and intellectuals declare that capitalism is dead - and no one, including especially Alan Greenspan, objected to their assumption that the particular version of the anti-capitalistic mentality that they want to replace with their own version of anti-capitalism is anything remotely equivalent to capitalism.
So you have made history, Americans. You and your children have elected a black man to the office of the president of the United States, the wounded giant of the world. The battle between John Wayne and Jane Fonda is over - and that Fonda won. Eugene McCarthy and George McGovern must be very happy men. Jimmie Carter, too. And the Kennedys have at last gotten their Kennedy look-a-like. The self-righteous welfare statists in the suburbs can feel warm moments of satisfaction for having elected a black person. So, toast yourselves: 60s countercultural radicals, 80s yuppies and 90s bourgeois bohemians.
Toast yourselves, Black20America.. Shout your glee Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Duke, Stanford, and Berkeley. You have elected not an individual who is qualified to be president, but a black man who, like the pragmatist Franklin Roosevelt, promises to - Do Something! You now have someone who has picked up the baton of Lyndon John son's Great Society. But you have also foolishly traded your freedom and mine - what little there is left - for the chance to feel good. There is nothing in me that can share your happy obliviousness.
die with your boots on brothers and sisters...
...
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Why We Choose Us
This is a must read...
Another gem from Sultan Knish.
Excerpt:
It is the right of every nation to defend itself against enemies at home and abroad. That right of self-defense will not be abridged because the left has decided that Israel has less right to exist than an Iranian backed theocracy that just brought back crucifixion. When Al Queda attacked America, the left chose the Taliban. When Hamas bombed Israel, the left chose Hamas. So be it. We are under no obligation to bow our heads to the moral judgment of the ideological grandchildren of Marx, Lenin and Noam Chomsky. To hell with them and to hell with all their progeny. We choose us.
It is the right of every people to refuse to be slaughtered, to care about their own first, and to defend their own first. You may call this selfish, we call it survival. A nation exists because it chooses not to be conquered, instead choosing the deaths of the enemy over slavery and genocide. A family exists because a man chooses to protect his family from all those who would harm them. All morality must have a base. Yours is in class warfare, ours is in the family. We choose our family, we choose their lives over the intruders who would slaughter us in the name of greed and the maddened fanaticism that turned the once thriving Middle East, cradle of the world's civilizations, into dusty deserts, hovels and torture chambers. We choose us.
We did not force Hamas to barrage our towns and villages with rockets. We did not force them to begin this war, but we are nonetheless determined to end it in the way that all wars end, with the destruction of the aggressor.
I canproudly declare that although the new Messiah in Chief may not support them, I stand with Israel. It's easy to be misled by a biased media, but the truth is, Israel is a literal 'diamond in the rough' The stark contrast between the countries that surround it and Israel itself is unbelievable. They have literally carved out a paradise in a wasteland. None of their neighbors have...and likely never will. In fact if their neighbors have their way, beautiful Israel will return to the wasteland it used to be before they bacame a nation.
Die with your boots on...
And send Hamas back to the hell that spawned them.
...
Another gem from Sultan Knish.
Excerpt:
It is the right of every nation to defend itself against enemies at home and abroad. That right of self-defense will not be abridged because the left has decided that Israel has less right to exist than an Iranian backed theocracy that just brought back crucifixion. When Al Queda attacked America, the left chose the Taliban. When Hamas bombed Israel, the left chose Hamas. So be it. We are under no obligation to bow our heads to the moral judgment of the ideological grandchildren of Marx, Lenin and Noam Chomsky. To hell with them and to hell with all their progeny. We choose us.
It is the right of every people to refuse to be slaughtered, to care about their own first, and to defend their own first. You may call this selfish, we call it survival. A nation exists because it chooses not to be conquered, instead choosing the deaths of the enemy over slavery and genocide. A family exists because a man chooses to protect his family from all those who would harm them. All morality must have a base. Yours is in class warfare, ours is in the family. We choose our family, we choose their lives over the intruders who would slaughter us in the name of greed and the maddened fanaticism that turned the once thriving Middle East, cradle of the world's civilizations, into dusty deserts, hovels and torture chambers. We choose us.
We did not force Hamas to barrage our towns and villages with rockets. We did not force them to begin this war, but we are nonetheless determined to end it in the way that all wars end, with the destruction of the aggressor.
I canproudly declare that although the new Messiah in Chief may not support them, I stand with Israel. It's easy to be misled by a biased media, but the truth is, Israel is a literal 'diamond in the rough' The stark contrast between the countries that surround it and Israel itself is unbelievable. They have literally carved out a paradise in a wasteland. None of their neighbors have...and likely never will. In fact if their neighbors have their way, beautiful Israel will return to the wasteland it used to be before they bacame a nation.
Die with your boots on...
And send Hamas back to the hell that spawned them.
...
George Washington: My President
H/T: Gunslinger 
First of all, I'd like to thank my blogger buddy Gunslinger for pointing me to Sultan Knish blog...awesome. Must read stuff!
This is a great Post and I encourage you all to check it out...and read the rest of his stuff too.
And...read Gunslinger's too....she's got some really good posts herself.
So to whet your appetite a bit...here's a small excerpt:
George Washington's America was a bold declaration of human independence in the face of a world of monarchies, tyrannies and empires. It was not perfect, but then no human system ever is. This America embodied the principle that human freedom and national independence is supreme above empire and the state.
The principle of the Divine Rule of Kings, the idea that a nation's ruler was somehow superhuman, a messianic figure divinely endowed to rule over lesser men, was broken by Washington at Yorktown. And yet despite attempts by others to build a cult of personality around him, Washington rejected royal titles and a government salary, humbly served out two terms while turning the other cheek to the vicious smear campaigns from his "progressive" opponents and insisted on his retirement thereby setting a precedent that a President is not a monarch or a deity, but only a public servant.
King George III, the monarch whose rule over America he had broken, stated that if Washington would indeed leave power and retire to his farm, "If he does that, sir, he will be the greatest man in the world."
So, go read it all...and then some...
Die with your boots on...
...
Wdnesday Hero Blogroll
This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Cindy
Petty Officer 2nd Class Mike A. Monsoor
29 years old from Garden Grove, California
September 29, 2006
In April 2008, Michael Monsoor (who had already been posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his actions in a May 9, 2006 incident, when he and another SEAL pulled a wounded team member to safety amidst gunfire) was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. His funeral, attended, in the words of President Bush, by "nearly every SEAL on the West Coast," was held on October 12, 2006 at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego. During Monsoor's funeral service, as the casket was taken from the hearse to the gravesite, fellow SEALs lined up in two columns to slap and embed the gold Tridents (a pin awarded for successful completion of SEAL Qualification Training) from their uniforms onto the top of Monsoor's coffin.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Mike A. Monsoor's Summary Of Action.
"The procession went on nearly half an hour, and when it was all over, the simple wooden coffin had become a gold-plated memorial to a hero who will never be forgotten." - President George W. Bush
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
29 years old from Garden Grove, California
September 29, 2006
In April 2008, Michael Monsoor (who had already been posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his actions in a May 9, 2006 incident, when he and another SEAL pulled a wounded team member to safety amidst gunfire) was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. His funeral, attended, in the words of President Bush, by "nearly every SEAL on the West Coast," was held on October 12, 2006 at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego. During Monsoor's funeral service, as the casket was taken from the hearse to the gravesite, fellow SEALs lined up in two columns to slap and embed the gold Tridents (a pin awarded for successful completion of SEAL Qualification Training) from their uniforms onto the top of Monsoor's coffin.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Mike A. Monsoor's Summary Of Action.
"The procession went on nearly half an hour, and when it was all over, the simple wooden coffin had become a gold-plated memorial to a hero who will never be forgotten." - President George W. Bush
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Godspeed...
One of America's greatest Artists has passed on.
Andrew Wyeth, 91 has left this world today.
Christina's World
Snow Hill
Daydream
Soaring
Godspeed and may your soul soar....
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Take the Obama Test
I'm a real serious disappointment to President-elect Obama...
Oh well...I suppose they'll have to come get me and lock me up in a re-education camp or something...provided they can catch me...hahaha.
have some fun, Take the test...
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
Oh well...I suppose they'll have to come get me and lock me up in a re-education camp or something...provided they can catch me...hahaha.
have some fun, Take the test...
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
Wednesday Hero Blogroll
This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Deb
Capt. Ed Freeman
Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)
While reading the info on Cpt. Freeman, I found that I couldn't have put it better than this.
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)
While reading the info on Cpt. Freeman, I found that I couldn't have put it better than this.
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Go to war, Do Art...
H/T: Fire and Ice
This is the job I would have liked to do in the Army when I was a young buck....
Y'know, it figures the Marines would be the ones to have these guys on retainer. I've met some of the Army "illustrators" and they seem to get stuck doing powerpoint presentations...just like the rest of us did. Our brigade had one slot for an illustrator and he didn't do any art all while he was here....it's a damn shame.
Semper Fi' fellas!
..
This is the job I would have liked to do in the Army when I was a young buck....
Y'know, it figures the Marines would be the ones to have these guys on retainer. I've met some of the Army "illustrators" and they seem to get stuck doing powerpoint presentations...just like the rest of us did. Our brigade had one slot for an illustrator and he didn't do any art all while he was here....it's a damn shame.
Semper Fi' fellas!
..
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Wednesday Hero Blogroll
Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) Airman Melissa Pyle mans a jet blast deflector station on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in the Gulf Of Oman. Theodore Roosevelt and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams. Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Monday, January 5, 2009
What's Wrong With America?
I'm sure none of the folks that bother to read my blog fall into the category of these idiots.
'nuff said...
...
'nuff said...
...
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Staff Sergeant Wuterich needs our support
Up to date info at Gathering of Eagles
H/T: Drillanwr at Pat Dollard
By Chris Hill 12/30/2008
THE HADITHA CASE IN BRIEF...
Eight Marines were originally charged Dec. 21, 2006, with crimes related to the deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians during a bloody, door-to-door sweep in the town of Haditha. The deaths occurred after 1 Marine was killed and others were wounded by a roadside bomb Nov. 19, 2005. Evidence of a massacre never materialized, and the original reports by the news media, as well as slanderous comments by Congressman John Murtha (D-PA), have been thoroughly discredited.
Initially, four enlisted men were charged with unpremeditated murder, and four officers were accused of failing to properly investigate. To date, charges have been dismissed against six Marines, while one was found not guilty on all counts in courts-martial. In June 2008, a military judge dismissed charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey R. Chessani, who was the battalion commander at the time, after finding the case was improperly influenced by an investigator. Prosecutors have sought a new trial and a decision is pending. The sole remaining defendant is the squad leader, Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, whose court-martial is not yet scheduled.
This Marine needs our help or he will become the sacrificial lamb. With only a couple of weeks left in the Bush Administration, I am asking that every one of you call the White House public comments line at 202-456-1111, fax the President at 202-456-2461 or send an email to comments@whitehouse.gov and ask that Staff Sgt Wuterich be pardoned. Better yet, take five minutes from your day and do all three. As I have said many times before, if you ever wonder if our brave men and women in uniform would do the same for you, remember: THEY ALREADY ARE.
We have proven we can shape policy with our collective voices. Now let's prove that we can right wrongs. You have your marching orders troops. Let's give Staff Sgt Wuterich the fire support he deserves. Manchu.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/nationworld/story/578770.html
http://warchronicle.com/TheyAreNotKillers/DefendOurMarines.htm
...
H/T: Drillanwr at Pat Dollard
By Chris Hill 12/30/2008
THE HADITHA CASE IN BRIEF...
Eight Marines were originally charged Dec. 21, 2006, with crimes related to the deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians during a bloody, door-to-door sweep in the town of Haditha. The deaths occurred after 1 Marine was killed and others were wounded by a roadside bomb Nov. 19, 2005. Evidence of a massacre never materialized, and the original reports by the news media, as well as slanderous comments by Congressman John Murtha (D-PA), have been thoroughly discredited.
Initially, four enlisted men were charged with unpremeditated murder, and four officers were accused of failing to properly investigate. To date, charges have been dismissed against six Marines, while one was found not guilty on all counts in courts-martial. In June 2008, a military judge dismissed charges against Lt. Col. Jeffrey R. Chessani, who was the battalion commander at the time, after finding the case was improperly influenced by an investigator. Prosecutors have sought a new trial and a decision is pending. The sole remaining defendant is the squad leader, Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, whose court-martial is not yet scheduled.
This Marine needs our help or he will become the sacrificial lamb. With only a couple of weeks left in the Bush Administration, I am asking that every one of you call the White House public comments line at 202-456-1111, fax the President at 202-456-2461 or send an email to comments@whitehouse.gov and ask that Staff Sgt Wuterich be pardoned. Better yet, take five minutes from your day and do all three. As I have said many times before, if you ever wonder if our brave men and women in uniform would do the same for you, remember: THEY ALREADY ARE.
We have proven we can shape policy with our collective voices. Now let's prove that we can right wrongs. You have your marching orders troops. Let's give Staff Sgt Wuterich the fire support he deserves. Manchu.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/nationworld/story/578770.html
http://warchronicle.com/TheyAreNotKillers/DefendOurMarines.htm
...
Wednesday Hero Blogroll
This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Kathi
2nd Lt. Christopher E. Loudon22 years old from Brockport, Pennsylvania1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry DivisionOctober 17, 20062nd Lt. Christopher Loudon graduated from Slippery Rock University with a Baccalaureate Degree in Environmental Health in 2005. Upon graduation, he entered the United States Army on September 9, 2005. He received his commission as an Infantry officer and was assigned to 2nd Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry, 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas. He deployed to Iraq in July 2006 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. 2nd Lt. Loudon’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Ranger Tab.He was KIA in Baghdad, Iraq when an IED detonated near his vehicle. Also killed with him were; Corporal David M. Unger, 21, of Leavenworth, Kansas ;Corporal Russell G. Culbertson III, 22, of Amity, Pennsylvania and Specialist Joseph C. Dumas Jr., 25, of New Orleans, Louisiana.He leaves behind his parents, Randy and Susan Loudon ; his wife, Jacey Loudon ; a daughter, Isabel Loudon ; two brothers, First Lieutenant Nicholas Loudon ,and Jonathan Loudon ; his paternal grandmother, Florence Loudon and his maternal grandfather, Everett William Campbell. These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People LivedThis post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
2nd Lt. Christopher Loudon graduated from Slippery Rock University with a Baccalaureate Degree in Environmental Health in 2005. Upon graduation, he entered the United States Army on September 9, 2005. He received his commission as an Infantry officer and was assigned to 2nd Platoon, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry, 4th Infantry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas. He deployed to Iraq in July 2006 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. 2nd Lt. Loudon’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Combat Infantryman Badge, and the Ranger Tab.He was KIA in Baghdad, Iraq when an IED detonated near his vehicle. Also killed with him were; Corporal David M. Unger, 21, of Leavenworth, Kansas ;Corporal Russell G. Culbertson III, 22, of Amity, Pennsylvania and Specialist Joseph C. Dumas Jr., 25, of New Orleans, Louisiana.He leaves behind his parents, Randy and Susan Loudon ; his wife, Jacey Loudon ; a daughter, Isabel Loudon ; two brothers, First Lieutenant Nicholas Loudon ,and Jonathan Loudon ; his paternal grandmother, Florence Loudon and his maternal grandfather, Everett William Campbell.Wednesday, December 24, 2008
What is it about Christmas?
Well, it's quickly approaching and as usual I am woefully unprepared for the biggest celebration of the year...
But, I think we need to stop and consider what does this holiday, Christmas, mean to us. Not just as individuals, but as human beings. More and more the society that I was brought up in seems to be in decline and is scarcely recognizable today. Christians, I'm sure will tell you how the holiday is the celebration of the Birth of Christ. It is of course, for them. We also have Yule, which alot of our traditions are from those old pre-christian traditions carried over to today. I think what really makes a Christmas special is the brotherhood of man. Tomorrow we will celbrate (or not) in our own way. Some of us with family and/or friends, some of us alone. Some of us won't even celebrate holiday, so be it. How many of us will go to the movie theater to watch the Christmas day releases of the last films released this year?
I dunno. I guess Christmas has been one of those times of year that no matter how much I was depressed about not being ablwe to spend time with family and friends, especially in the Military, I never really was truly depressed.
Tis' the season, or so they say. Season for what? It's the season of giving and showing courtesy and respect if not outright love for our fellow man. What sparked this shining example of what is truly great about us? I can't really say, i wasn't even born yet. I suspect it's an innate thing, but I could be way off base, I'm sure there are plenty of 'scientific facts and studies' to prove and disprove that little theory. Frankly I don't care.
There is one notable and quite famous story of the Christmas Truce of 1914. In WWI German and English troops after going through the hell of trench warfare and enduring the most bloody battles the world ahs ever seen, set aside their arms and celebrated Christmas together. They exchanged gifts, smoked and laughed together, played soccer together and generally just gon on together quite nicely, after all, it was Christmas... Where has that spirit gone? I really couldn't say. Some believe it's still there, but I am not so sure. Not as strong as it once was methinks, but perhaps still clinging to some of us who haven't forsaken each other for some selfish pleasure. Who knows for sure? Not me.
I do know that I am blessed to have such a supportive family and extremely good friends albeit scattered throughout the world at this point. And that I have the opportunity to spend time with some of my family and some of my close friends. It's a gift in my eyes. A truly special gift. In a world goin' to hell in a handbasket and an economy going to the shitter...well every little bright ray of sunshine is a blessing of sorts.
I'm going to leave you all with a little poem I came across. I hope you read it and think long and hard about what it means. I'd like to tip my hat to Stewart-Rhodes blog for providing the you-tube video for this and I've got some great pics from a variety of other places.
But, I think we need to stop and consider what does this holiday, Christmas, mean to us. Not just as individuals, but as human beings. More and more the society that I was brought up in seems to be in decline and is scarcely recognizable today. Christians, I'm sure will tell you how the holiday is the celebration of the Birth of Christ. It is of course, for them. We also have Yule, which alot of our traditions are from those old pre-christian traditions carried over to today. I think what really makes a Christmas special is the brotherhood of man. Tomorrow we will celbrate (or not) in our own way. Some of us with family and/or friends, some of us alone. Some of us won't even celebrate holiday, so be it. How many of us will go to the movie theater to watch the Christmas day releases of the last films released this year?
I dunno. I guess Christmas has been one of those times of year that no matter how much I was depressed about not being ablwe to spend time with family and friends, especially in the Military, I never really was truly depressed.
Tis' the season, or so they say. Season for what? It's the season of giving and showing courtesy and respect if not outright love for our fellow man. What sparked this shining example of what is truly great about us? I can't really say, i wasn't even born yet. I suspect it's an innate thing, but I could be way off base, I'm sure there are plenty of 'scientific facts and studies' to prove and disprove that little theory. Frankly I don't care.
There is one notable and quite famous story of the Christmas Truce of 1914. In WWI German and English troops after going through the hell of trench warfare and enduring the most bloody battles the world ahs ever seen, set aside their arms and celebrated Christmas together. They exchanged gifts, smoked and laughed together, played soccer together and generally just gon on together quite nicely, after all, it was Christmas... Where has that spirit gone? I really couldn't say. Some believe it's still there, but I am not so sure. Not as strong as it once was methinks, but perhaps still clinging to some of us who haven't forsaken each other for some selfish pleasure. Who knows for sure? Not me.
I do know that I am blessed to have such a supportive family and extremely good friends albeit scattered throughout the world at this point. And that I have the opportunity to spend time with some of my family and some of my close friends. It's a gift in my eyes. A truly special gift. In a world goin' to hell in a handbasket and an economy going to the shitter...well every little bright ray of sunshine is a blessing of sorts.
I'm going to leave you all with a little poem I came across. I hope you read it and think long and hard about what it means. I'd like to tip my hat to Stewart-Rhodes blog for providing the you-tube video for this and I've got some great pics from a variety of other places.
A Carol from Flanders
In Flanders on the Christmas morn
The trenched foemen lay,the German and the Briton born,
And it was Christmas Day.
The red sun rose on fields accurst,
The red sun rose on fields accurst,
The gray fog fled away;But neither cared to fire the first,
For it was Christmas Day!
They called from each to each across
They called from each to each across
The hideous disarray,
For terrible has been their loss:
"Oh, this is Christmas Day!"
Their rifles all they set aside,
Their rifles all they set aside,
One impulse to obey
'Twas just the men on either side,
Just men — and Christmas Day.
They dug the graves for all their dead
They dug the graves for all their dead
And over them did pray:
And Englishmen and Germans said:
"How strange a Christmas Day!"
Between the trenches then they met,
Between the trenches then they met,
Shook hands, and e'en did play
At games on which their hearts were set
On happy Christmas Day.
Not all the emperors and kings,
Not all the emperors and kings,
Financiers and they
Who rule us could prevent these things —
For it was Christmas Day.
Oh ye who read this truthful rime
Oh ye who read this truthful rime
From Flanders, kneel and say:
God speed the time when every day
Shall be as Christmas Day.
I'm not known for being all PC, so i'm going to really end this with a hearty...
MERRY CHRISTMAS to ALL
With a special Shout out to all you Coalition troops in the Middle East. God Bless all of you!
And Thank you for one helluva damned fine job!
Scouts Out!
...
Wednesday Hero Blogroll: Christmas Post
To the Men and Women of the United States military, and all the armed forces around the world, thank you for everything that you do. And to those who are laying their heads down tonight in a foreign land, away from your loved ones, thank you so very much. Stay safe, you're in our thoughts and our hearts. Merry Christmas.
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Back in the Saddle
Well folks, I'm back after a couple of weeks away from the internet. I was on a mission for my organization and had limited access to internet. I even missed last weeks Wednesday hero Blogroll...sometimes it just can't be helped.
I'm back.
And as always....
Die with your boots on!
...
I'm back.
And as always....
Die with your boots on!
...
Wednesday Hero Blogroll
This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Melinda
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christian P. Humphreys
28 years old from Fallon, Nevada
6th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, Task Force 49
November 15, 2008
A funny, nice guy who loved to fly. That's how Christian P. Humphreys is remembered by his friends. "He was a great guy, always happy and had a joke," said Sean Whitney, a flight medic. "We used to play with our paintball guns in the cornfields behind his house."
Humphreys flew with the Fallon Naval Air Station Search and Rescue Longhorns from June 6, 2004, to May 5, 2006. He left the Navy and joined the Army as part of the "Blue to Green" program to become a helicopter pilot.
Humphreys, along with Chief Warrant Officer 3 Donald V. Clark, 37 years old from Tennessee, was killed when their OH-58 Kiowa helicopter crashed while on a mission over Mosul, Iraq. As a rescue crew chief, Humphreys was in charge of the operation behind the pilots. He made the decisions when to deploy rescue crews out of the helicopter to assist injured people, and he also took care of the equipment.
"He was a funny guy, a nice guy, a lot of character," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Schmidt. "The guy was always entertaining, always had something to say, but like everyone here, he displayed the professionalism in saving lives."
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christian P. Humphreys leaves behind a wife and parents.
All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
28 years old from Fallon, Nevada
6th Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, Task Force 49
November 15, 2008
A funny, nice guy who loved to fly. That's how Christian P. Humphreys is remembered by his friends. "He was a great guy, always happy and had a joke," said Sean Whitney, a flight medic. "We used to play with our paintball guns in the cornfields behind his house."
Humphreys flew with the Fallon Naval Air Station Search and Rescue Longhorns from June 6, 2004, to May 5, 2006. He left the Navy and joined the Army as part of the "Blue to Green" program to become a helicopter pilot.
Humphreys, along with Chief Warrant Officer 3 Donald V. Clark, 37 years old from Tennessee, was killed when their OH-58 Kiowa helicopter crashed while on a mission over Mosul, Iraq. As a rescue crew chief, Humphreys was in charge of the operation behind the pilots. He made the decisions when to deploy rescue crews out of the helicopter to assist injured people, and he also took care of the equipment.
"He was a funny guy, a nice guy, a lot of character," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Schmidt. "The guy was always entertaining, always had something to say, but like everyone here, he displayed the professionalism in saving lives."
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christian P. Humphreys leaves behind a wife and parents.
All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com
These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived
This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.
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