June 6, 1944
The day the Allies came ashore in Normandy for the liberation of Europe.
Don’t forget those men, and what they did.
34 comments June 6th, 2008
Posts filed under 'Patriotism'
President Bush at Arlington
Today’s speech:
Thank you. Mr. Secretary, thank you for the kind introduction. Members of my Cabinet, members of the administration, Admiral Mullen, members of the United States Congress, Senator Warner and Congressman Skelton, members of the military, our veterans, honored guests, families of the fallen: Laura and I are honored to be with you on Memorial Day and thank you for coming.
A few moments ago, I placed a wreath upon the tomb of three brave American[s] who gave their lives in service to our nation. The names of these honored are known only to the Creator who delivered them home from the anguish of war — but their valor is known to us all. It’s the same valor that endured the stinging cold of Valley Forge. It is the same valor that planted the proud colors of a great nation on a mountaintop on Iwo Jima. It is the same valor that charged fearlessly through the assault of enemy fire from the mountains of Afghanistan to the deserts of Iraq. It is the valor that has defined the armed forces of the United States of America throughout our history.
Today, we gather to honor those who gave everything to preserve our way of life. The men and women we honor here served for liberty. They sacrificed for liberty. And in countless acts of courage, they died for liberty. From faraway lands, they were returned to cemeteries like this one, where broken hearts received their broken bodies — they found peace beneath the white headstones in the land they fought to defend.
It is a solemn reminder of the cost of freedom that the number of headstones in a place such as this grows with every new Memorial Day. In a world where freedom is constantly under attack and in a world where our security is challenged, the joys of liberty are often purchased by the sacrifices of those who serve a cause greater than themselves. Today we mourn and remember all who have given their lives in the line of duty. Today we lift up our hearts especially those who’ve fallen in the past year.
We remember Army Specialist Ronald Tucker of Fountain, Colorado. As a young man, Ronnie was known for having an infectious smile and a prankster’s sense of humor. And then he joined the United States Army, which brought out a more mature side in him. Ronnie transformed from a lighthearted teenager into a devoted soldier and a dutiful son who called his mother every day from his post in Iraq. In his final act of duty, less than a month ago, he worked with other members of his unit to build a soccer field for Iraqi children. As he drove back to his base, an enemy bomb robbed him of his life. And today our nation grieves for the loss of Ronnie Tucker.
We remember two Navy SEALS — Nathan Hardy of Durham, New Hampshire, and Michael Koch of State College, Pennsylvania. Nate and Mike were partners in the field and they were close friends in the barracks. Through several missions together, they had developed the unique bond of brotherhood that comes from trusting another with your life. They even shared a battlefield tradition: They would often head into battle with American flags clutched to their chests underneath their uniform. Nate and Mike performed this ritual for the last time on February the 4th — they both laid down their lives in Iraq after being ambushed by terrorists. These two friends spent their last few moments on earth together, doing what they loved most — defending the United States of America. Today, Nathan Hardy and Mike Koch lay at rest next to each other right here on the grounds of Arlington.
The men and women of American armed forces perform extraordinary acts of heroism every single day. Like the nation they serve, they do not glory in the devastation of war. They also do not flinch from combat when liberty and justice are embattled. Ronald Tucker, Nathan Hardy and Mike Koch make clear, they do not waver — even in the face of danger.
And so today, here in Washington and across our country, we pay tribute to all who have fallen — a tribute never equal to the debt they are owed. We will forever honor their memories. We will forever search for their comrades, the POWs and MIAs. And we pledge — we offer a solemn pledge to persevere and to provide the security for our citizens and secure the peace for which they fought.
The soil of Arlington and other sites is filled with liberty’s defenders. It is nourished by their heroism. It is watered by the silent tears of the mothers and fathers, and husbands and wives, and sons and daughters they left behind. Today we pray for God’s blessing on all who grieve and ask the Almighty to strengthen and comfort them today and everyday.
On this Memorial Day, I stand before you as the Commander-in-Chief and try to tell you how proud I am at the sacrifice and service of the men and women who wear our uniform. They’re an awesome bunch of people and the United States is blessed to have such citizens.
I am humbled by those who have made the ultimate sacrifice that allow a free civilization to endure and flourish. It only remains for us, the heirs of their legacy, to have the courage and the character to follow their lead — and to preserve America as the greatest nation on earth and the last best hope for mankind.
May God bless you and may God bless America.
24 comments May 26th, 2008
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored.
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on!Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.
I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps.
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on!Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.
I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;
“As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel,
Since God is marching on.”Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on!Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me;
As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.
6 comments May 26th, 2008
The Dead
Blow out, you bugles, over the rich Dead!
There’s none of these so lonely and poor of old,
But, dying, has made us rarer gifts than gold
These laid the world away; poured out the red
Sweet wine of youth; gave up the years to be
Of work and joy, and that unhoped serene,
That men call age; and those who would have been,
Their sons, they gave, their immortality.Blow, bugles, blow! They brought us, for our dearth,
Holiness, lacked so long, and Love, and Pain.
Honour has come back, as a king, to earth,
And paid his subjects with a royal wage;
And Nobleness walks in our ways again;
And we have come into our inheritence.- Rupert Brooke
12 comments May 26th, 2008
Memorial Day, 2008
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women’s groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, “Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping” by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication “To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead” (Source: Duke University’s Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860’s tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.
Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis’ birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee. - Source: memorialday.org
4 comments May 26th, 2008
The Last Doughboy
An article from George Will, about America’s last World War One veteran - 107 year old Frank Buckles.
Read it, and appreciate those who served - and serve - in all our wars.
2 comments May 25th, 2008
Iraqis Capture al-Qaida Leader
First off, grasp that headline - Iraqis caputre al-Qaida leader. Back in 2001, as the WTC crumbled, did any of you think that, one day, Iraqis would be on our side fighting against our enemies? No, you didn’t - none of us did; but President Bush did, and he’s the man who is responsible for this turn of affairs…this changing of sworn enemies into blood brothers:
BAGHDAD - Iraqi police commandos captured the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq in a raid in the northern city of Mosul, Iraqi officials said Thursday, in what could mark a significant blow to the Sunni insurgency in its last urban stronghold.
However, the U.S. military on Friday said there were “no operational reports” to confirm the capture of the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq as stated by Iraqi officials, adding the capture of another insurgent might have caused confusion.
Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said the arrest of Abu Ayyub al-Masri — also known as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir — was reported by the Iraqi commander in Mosul, where insurgents have sought to establish a foothold after being widely uprooted from Baghdad and surrounding areas last year.
Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf said the arrest occurred “at midnight and during the primary investigations he admitted that he is Abu Hamza Al-Muhajir.”
But the U.S. military said Friday in response to an e-mailed query that “we are looking into reports that another terrorist may have been captured.” The military did not share further details on the other reported capture but said that might have caused confusion.
Now, it could be that the captured goon isn’t the actual leader of the enemy in Iraq - but he’s certainly a leader of the enemy, and it was still Iraqis who bagged him. The plain fact of the matter is that we’ve got powerful, new friends in the middle east - friends we could only have by acting against terrorism and its sponsors, not by talking with those who sponsor terrorism. This is the Bush policy, and it will be the McCain policy - the Obama policy is to surrender in Iraq and talk to our enemies in Iran.
Which policy do you think more likely to get us more allies in the battle against terrorism?
20 comments May 9th, 2008
An American Hero
Thank God - and I mean, really: thank Him - that our nation is still able to raise up such men:
Master Sgt. Brendan O’Connor on Wednesday received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army’s second-highest valor award, for his actions during a 17-hour battle in Afghanistan.
The 47-year-old Special Forces medical sergeant spoke with humor and humility after the medal was pinned on his uniform in a ceremony at Bank Hall on Fort Bragg.
“My word!” O’Connor said, reacting to praise by a three-star Army general and a four-star Navy admiral. “My name is Brendan O’Connor, and I didn’t fully approve that message.”
In his self-effacing remarks, O’Connor apologized to his children for missing birthdays and thanked his wife, Margaret, for what she has done in raising their family in his absence.
Margaret O’Connor writes a Home Front column for The Fayetteville Observer.
Master Sgt. O’Connor, who resigned his commission as an officer and then took the rigorous training to become a Special Forces medical sergeant, said his “momentary courage” pales in comparison to people who cope courageously with difficult situations daily, such as Capt. Ivan Castro, who is blind, and Harry Hubbard, a friend who suffered a stroke in his mid-30s.
HAT TIP: NRO’s The Corner
96 comments May 3rd, 2008
Clinging to God and Guns…and Liberty
From Mark Steyn:
Sen. Obama’s remarks about poor dumb, bitter rural losers “clinging to” guns and God certainly testify to the instinctive snobbery of a big segment of the political class. But we shouldn’t let it go by merely deploring coastal condescension toward the knuckledraggers. No, what Michelle Malkin calls Crackerquiddick (quite rightly – it’s more than just another dreary “-gate”) is not just snobbish nor even merely wrongheaded. It’s an attack on two of the critical advantages the United States holds over most of the rest of the Western world. In the other G7 developed nations, nobody clings to God ‘n’ guns. The guns got taken away, and the Europeans gave up on churchgoing once they embraced Big Government as the new religion.
How’s that working out? Compared with America, France and Germany have been more or less economically stagnant for the past quarter-century, living permanently with unemployment rates significantly higher than in the United States…
…In my book “America Alone,” I note a global survey on optimism: 61 percent of Americans were optimistic about the future, 29 percent of the French, 15 percent of Germans. Take it from a foreigner: In my experience, Americans are the least “bitter” people in the developed world. Secular, gun-free big-government Europe doesn’t seem to have done anything for people’s happiness. Consider by way of example the words of Keith Reade. He’s not an Obama speechwriter, he’s a writer for the London Daily Mirror. And the day after the 2004 presidential election he expressed his frustration in an alarmingly Obamaesque way:
“Were I a Kerry voter, though, I’d feel deep anger, not only at them returning Bush to power, but for allowing the outside world to lump us all into the same category of moronic muppets. The self-righteous, gun-totin’, military-lovin’, sister-marryin’, abortion-hatin’, gay-loathin’, foreigner-despisin’, nonpassport ownin’ rednecks, who believe God gave America the biggest d*** in the world so it could urinate on the rest of us and make their land ‘free and strong.’”
Well, that’s certainly why I supported Bush, but I’m not sure it entirely accounts for the other 62,039,073 incontinent rednecks.
First off, I had missed that from Malkin - “Crackerquiddick” - ROFL…love it!
Anyways…
We incontinent rednecks - bitterly bringing our guns to church so that we can hate foreigners, or some such - got an earful from Obama, and methinks it is finally crystalising in the public mind just what liberals are all about. I’ve noted that in some recent polling, McCain is clobbering Obama nationally, and especially in the critical battleground States. There hasn’t been much movement in Demcorat polls, as most Democrats don’t see any problem with what Obama said, but out there in the world of independents, its another story…and its a story of people being outraqed over Obama’s comments. Right now, I’d have to say that Hillary has a better chance of beating McCain than Obama does - though, of course, it is mighty early and 100 things may change between now and November.
More importantly for the long-term, Obama’s remarks also point out just why America is the only major industrial democracy which is not in terminal population decline - even without or immigrants (legal and otherwise), we’d still be holding even in population. The source of this strength is what is considered on the left to be our weakness - that would be our continuing enthusiastic worship of God; our willingness to defend ourselves and, indeed, go overseas to defeat tyrants; our insistence upon freedom; our continued respect for tradtional morality. Liberals put this down to a combination of ignorance and hatred - really its just a common sense view of life and the world, and it is liberals who are ignorant…and their ignorance feeds their hatred, which comes out in boneheaded statements, such as that uttered by Obama.
Just as long as Americans “cling” to God, so will America remain a viable nation - once get to a point where a majority has cut itself off from God, and you’ll soon have a disarmed, socialist America dying along with Europe…
30 comments April 20th, 2008
Rockefeller Apologises to McCain
A good thing, too, because Rockefeller’s insult was just way too much - expulsion from the Senate would have been the only reasonable course of action to take, otherwise:
In an apparent bow to demands for an apology, Senator Jay Rockefeller made a personal call to Senator John McCain after making remarks that Mr. McCain’s years as a fighter pilot wouldn’t have given him an understanding of the human toll on the ground or of human issues.
“I have deep respect for John McCain’s honorable and noble service to our country. I made an inaccurate and wrong analogy and I have extended my sincere apology to him. While we differ a great deal on policy issues, I profoundly respect and appreciate his dedication to our country, and I regret my very poor choice of words,” Mr. Rockefeller said in a statement today.
During an interview in his home state of West Virginia on Monday, Mr. Rockefeller told the Charleston Gazette that Mr. McCain couldn’t relate to the everyday concerns of people on issues like health care. According to the article, Mr. Rockefeller said: “McCain was a fighter pilot, who dropped laser-guided missiles from 35,000 feet. He was long gone when they hit. What happened when they [the missiles] get to the ground? He doesn’t know. You have to care about the lives of people. McCain never gets into those issues.”
Since this morning, the McCain campaign has been demanding an apology, not just from Senator Rockefeller, but also from Senator Barack Obama because he had received the West Virginian’s endorsement. The Obama campaign issued this statement: “Senator Obama has a deep respect for Senator McCain’s service to this country and he does not agree with what Senator Rockefeller said.”
This is an outgrowth of the basic liberal/left ignorance of matters military - military people, because they are called upon to kill at times, are just brutes who lack the fine sensitivity of liberals. That, of course, is a bunch of BS - especially when you contrast a brave man killing another brave man in honest battle with the liberals’ cowardly use of “choice” as a cover for the brutal butchering of unborn children. Liberals talk a fine game of caring and sharing, but in practical terms they are the most remorseless and cruel actors in our society.
Senator McCain, like almost all combat veterans, detests war and wishes that it would never happen - but he’s also a man who, by hard experience, understands human nature, and thus knows that we must always be prepared to kill in defense of all we hold dear. There is one thing in common between all peace movements past and present - not one of them ever helped bring about peace; only a stern, disciplined military force can bring peace, and preserve it against threats to peace. Some gasbags dressed in pink can only scream uselessly - it is the Marines they shout at who make peace, not them.
Liberals seem to be in a competition these days to find out who among them will earn the most contempt from men and women with a sense of honor - until he apologised, Jay Rockefeller was set to join the rarified company of Jack Murtha and John Kerry in the sweepstakes for “most nauseating liberal”.
30 comments April 9th, 2008
Boycott Absolut Vodka
If they want to play games like this, then I figure Stolichnaya will make it into the screwdrivers from now on:
The latest advertising campaign in Mexico from Swedish vodka maker Absolut promises to push all the right buttons south of the U.S. border, but it could ruffle a few feathers in El Norte.
The billboard and press campaign, created by advertising agency Teran\TBWA and now running in Mexico, is a colorful map depicting what the Americas might look like in an “Absolut” — i.e., perfect — world.
The U.S.-Mexico border lies where it was before the Mexican-American war of 1848 when California, as we now know it, was Mexican territory and known as Alta California.
Following the war, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo saw the Mexican territories of Alta California and Santa Fé de Nuevo México ceded to the United States to become modern-day California, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Arizona. (Texas actually split from Mexico several years earlier to form a breakaway republic, and was voluntarily annexed by the United States in 1846.)
The campaign taps into the national pride of Mexicans, according to Favio Ucedo, creative director of leading Latino advertising agency Grupo Gallegos in the U.S.
Ucedo, who is from Argentina, said: “Mexicans talk about how the Americans stole their land, so this is their way of reclaiming it. It’s very relevant and the Mexicans will love the idea.”
But he said that were the campaign to run in the United States, it might fall flat.
Well, it doesn’t have to run in the United States for it to fall flat - I imagine that this bit of information will spread rather rapidly around the United States…and while Absolut sales might increase in Mexico, we can hope that the drop off in US sales will cause Absolut - and other corporations - to think twice before offending.
10 comments April 5th, 2008
I Have a Dream
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
God bless you and your memory, Dr. King.
18 comments April 4th, 2008
Case Dismissed Against Haditha Marine
Good news:
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - The Marine Corps dropped its case and gave full immunity Friday to a serviceman who was accused of involuntary manslaughter in a squad’s killing of 24 Iraqis in Haditha in 2005.
The case against Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum, 26, of Edmond, Okla., was dropped as jury selection was about to begin for his court-martial. The government has been seeking Tatum’s testimony against the squad leader, Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich of Meriden, Conn.
In addition to two counts of involuntary manslaughter, Tatum had been charged with reckless endangerment and aggravated assault. Tatum’s attorney, Jack Zimmerman, said there was no agreement with the government before the dismissal.
“Absolutely, there is no deal,” he said.
“No deal” - which means that after all this song and dance, they had nothing on this Marine…and I’ll bet, in the end, they have nothing on any of the other Marines involved. This whole case was cooked up against the Marines, in my view - a hysterical MSM, a slanderous Congressman, a willing anti-American left and, presto!, there a case brought against Marines for fighting a war.
I just wish there were charges we could bring against each and every person who said these Marines were murderers.
9 comments March 28th, 2008
John McCain on Border Security
It is one of the largest minefields between John McCain and an energised GOP base. When McCain and President Bush were pushing the comprehensive immigration reform back in 2007, I think that I was nearly alone in my support for the bill - and even little, old me caught it hot and heavy from fellow conservatives who insisted that securing the border take top priority over reform of immigraiton and the implementation of any sort of guest-worker program. As was once said, a generally held opinion - whether well- or ill-founded, cannot be lightly set aside. Regardless of how I view the merits of the “secure first” position, the plain fact of the matter is that the position will not be overcome - certainly not by a GOPer who hopes to gain/retain office. John McCain, I believe, has also learned this valuable lesson:
As president, I will secure the border. I will restore the trust Americans should have in the basic competency of their government. A secure border is an essential element of our national security. Tight border security includes not just the entry and exit of people, but also the effective screening of cargo at our ports and other points of entry.
Badly burned in 2007 - to the point where it nearly destroyed his Presidential campaign before it even got off the ground - I believe we can take this McCain promise to the bank: a President McCain will secure the border prior to any attempt at other parts of immigration reform. But McCain - wisely, in my view - doesn’t just leave it there:
Recognize the importance of assimilation of our immigrant population, which includes learning English, American history and civics, and respecting the values of a democratic society.
In my view, what really disturbs the majority of Americans about immigration is not the immigrants, themselves, but the growing perception that we are importing a body of alien people who either will not or cannot assimilate into the broader American society. When those pro-immigration demonstrators were seen on national TV carrying Mexican flags rather than American flags, I think that is what really did it - the expection is that if you come here, you’ll do your best to become an American; that you’ll speak English, know about our country and respect our flag. Nothing wrong with the Mexican flag - fly it with pride, if you have Mexican blood…but make certain Old Glory holds the place of honor next to it. Senator McCain seems to understand this sentiment in the broad majority of the American population, and we can - I believe - count on him to advance programs which will turn immigrants into Americans.
13 comments February 24th, 2008
Semper Fi Act of 2008
Blogs for Victory offers its 100% endorsement of this Act:
February 6th, 2008 - Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia), Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-Oklahoma), John Cornyn (R-Texas), James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), and David Vitter (R-Louisiana) introduced the Semper Fi Act of 2008. The bill would rescind over $2 million in hidden earmarks for Berkeley, California in the 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill, and transfer the funds to the Marine Corps. U.S. Congressman John Campbell (R-California) is introducing a companion bill in the House of Representatives.
Last week, the City Council of Berkeley voted to oust Marine Corps recruiters from their downtown office, saying the Marines were “uninvited and unwelcome intruders.” Berkeley officials also voted to give the radical protest group Code Pink space outside the recruitment office and urged them to “impede, passively or actively” the work of Marine Corps recruiters.
One earmark provides $243,000 in taxpayer dollars for the organization Chez Panisse to create gourmet organic school lunches in the Berkeley School District. Chez Panisse is dedicated to “environmental harmony” and their menu features “Comté cheese soufflé with mâche salad,” “Meyer lemon éclairs with huckleberry coulis,” and “Chicory salad with creamy anchovy vinaigrette and olive toast.”
Another earmark would spend $975,000 in taxpayer dollars for the University of California in Berkeley Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service, to create a new endowment and cataloging the papers of Congressman Robert Matsui. U.C. Berkeley currently already has a $3.5 billion endowment.
Actions have consequences - Berkerely hoped they could get some typically cheap leftwing moralism, but what they have done is insulted each and every man or woman who has ever worn the uniform of the United States Armed forces, especially those of the United States Marine Corps (which includes my 81 year old father, who joined the Marines at 17 in 1944 to defend the freedom of the American people - a freedom the people of Berkeley have degraded into the gutter). Money is, of course, is the prime desire of the left, as it allows the left to buy power. This money, it goes without saying, is desired without the requirement of earning it. Addicted to government largesse, the best way to punish them for their unpatriotic insults is to cut them off from the federal teat.
97 comments February 8th, 2008
Building on Success in Iraq
While we’ve been concentrating on the trivialities of politics, our troops have been doing the real work:
MOSUL — Piles of concrete rubble, rows of rusted vehicles, busted water lines and local snipers are just a few of the obstacles U.S. and Iraqi Soldiers are overcoming to build a combat outpost in one of Mosul’s most dangerous neighborhoods.
U.S. Army Soldiers from Killer Troop, 3rd Squadron, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, based out of Ft. Hood, Texas, and members of the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army (IA) Division teamed up Jan. 19 with the U.S. Army’s 43rd Combat Engineer Company and 77th Engineer Company to build Combat Outpost Killer, also known as COP “Rabiya,” which means “springtime” in Arabic.“Security is the word,” said Capt. Peter Norris, commanding officer of Killer Troop. “Up until now this part of town has had little to no coverage. We’re looking to increase the Coalition presence here.”
As part of the ongoing counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq, the U.S. military has sought to partner with Iraqi security forces and move off the larger bases into smaller outposts in local neighborhoods. The close proximity not only decreases response time to emergency situations but allows the Coalition more opportunities to interact with the local population, Soldiers said.
“This intersection and this whole little neighborhood has been a hotbed of SIGACTS,” said Sgt. 1st Class Ronald Corella, using the military abbreviation for significant actions, a term given to all critical incidents which need to be reported. “What we’re trying to do is close the gap between some of our other COPs, put some Soldiers in here and catch the bad guys.”
Whatever you do, don’t forget about those magnificent men and women we’ve got over in Iraq - Hillary and Obama want to end this; the left thinks the war already lost…but a war is going on, and our best are over there winning it for us. As we go about our day to day, remember them in your prayers; and remember what is at stake in how we decide Campaign ‘08.
Meanwhile, all else aside, have you done anything for the troops lately? Perhaps a trip over to America Supports You is in order?
60 comments February 6th, 2008
I Have a Dream
And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.
Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of
Pennsylvania.Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.
But not only that:
Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.
Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:
Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!
Happy Martin Luther King day.
46 comments January 21st, 2008
In Honor of a Fallen Soldier
Your son, my lord, has paid a soldier’s debt:
He only lived but till he was a man;
The which no sooner had his prowess confirm’d
In the unshrinking station where he fought,
But like a man he died.
Military blogger Andrew Olmstead was killed recently in Iraq. Per his wishes, a last post has been placed on his blog and I wished to share it with our readers.
Per the command by Mr. Olmstead in his post, no political comments will be permitted on this thread.