The AAA is saying that something on the order of 37 million Americans are gonna be on the road this week and traveling to one destination or another to celebrate Memorial day. Well, at least a celebrate a day off. I and my family will not be among them.
Despite my misgivings about the misuse of the day, we had actually planned on taking the trailer up to one of the local Parks for a weekend of being together around the campfire. However, we learned a rather major lesson about running larger equipment for a trailer.
You see, for the last several years we've had a small pop up, which we could take just about anywhere we damn well pleased, whenever pleased, without bothering to make reservations. When you're setting up an 8ft. box that doesn't require very much at all, it's relatively simple to set the thing up in the middle of a field if you have to.
However, when you have a 21ft. trailer, which folds out to a 27 ft unit in Camp mode, (pictured above) and another 20ft. worth of truck hauling it, reservations are something kind of crucial. Turned out we didn't have any sites available within about 100 miles radius that were worth bothering with.
So, we opted to spend the time at home, and make our travel arrangements for the following weekend. In all likelihood, the fuel prices will be down some by then, anyway.
=-=-=-
As for my remarks about the use of the day, or more correctly the misuse of the day, I wonder how many Americans really understand in their hearts what today is about. I guarantee you the people protesting the Iraq war have no idea what today is about, regardless of their having been in uniform previously, or not. I will also guarantee you that the people pictured here have no clue what it's all about either.
The thing that's really sad about that, is that such people have become so prevalent in our society, the last few years. They certainly have no clue whatever that without such people fighting this country's battles , we would have ceased to be a country a long time ago. Perhaps that's their objective, I don't know. I'm sure that's the objective of some of them but how many is an issue. I wonder, many times, how many have actually thought the issue through.
Call me old school, if you will... but when somebody's laying their life on the line for me I tend to be appreciative. At the very least, respectful. Alas, that our veterans of today are getting so little of each as to make one wonder.
I've personally visited Arlington National Cemetery several times over the years. I've seen the Korean war memorial, I've seen the Vietnam war memorial , I've been to Gettysburg to see the battle sites there and the graveyards surrounding it, and in each place, I have always, and invariably, fet a sense of reverence. Even under the relative safety of the amount of time that is passed since each individual event, you can feel it. I've been to funerals of policemen and firemen and found that the feeling there was quite similar. In each of those cases were dealing with concepts and places of self sacrifice towards an ideal. An ideal that those sacrificing themselves thought larger than themselves.
It occurs to me that the people that are protesting our even having a military, much less using it, do not understand such concepts because they do not understand that there is something larger than the individual.... something larger than self. I do not deny the statements that the self, that the individual, is important , vital. Yet, there comes times, and situations, where self must morally, and logically, take a back seat.
Those we honor this Memorial day weekend, are people who recognized that obligation , that duty, and acted upon it.
We are not so different, ourselves, from them. It's easy once we spend a few minutes, thinking on it, to understand the depth of the sacrifice they made.
Think of it this way; Every single man who died at Normandy, Pearl, Gettysburg, Iwo Jima, Vietnam, Korea, the Philippines, and the Middle East, all of them , had lives of their own. Just as we have our lives. Their lives were equally precious to them as yours is to you... possibly moreso... the loss to their loved ones was as keenly felt, as your loved ones would feel loss, at your own death. And yet, they willingly made the choice to risk all that, for something they held to be larger than themselves.
The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. The hireling isn't the Good Shepherd. He doesn't lay down His life for the sheep. When the wolf comes, the hireling abandons the sheep and flees. The wolf then scatters the sheep. The hireling flees because they are not his sheep. He doesn't care for the sheep. -John's gospel, Chapter 10
Even from a secular viewpoint there is much truth in this. Consider the people protesting our involvement in Iraq for just a moment. They apparently do not comprehend the sacrifice that those who were there are making. And of course, they are here, instead of there... where the people they're protesting are. I suspect it's because they don't see the need, because, in turn, they don't really care about what's was being protected by the sacrifices.
Jesus himself says, “Greater love has no one than He lay down His life for his friends.”
I've always had some trouble getting my arms around that particular passage, because of the concept of the way soldiers willingly sacrifice themselves. I understand the concept of the simile having its limits, but I wonder how this meshes with this thought; If it is an act of love to lay down your life for your friends, how much more is it an act of love to lay down your life for people that you will never meet ?
The people that we honor this weekend did that. And not just for you and I, but millions of Americans, and millions more from countless other countries. If not for their actions, you would not be reading this post, for I would not have written it, nor would you be free enough from oppression to read it.
That is courage. That is strength. That is nobility. That is a sacrifice that must be honored by us all, for it was made for us all.
Even the ones who don't have a clue what it's all about.
God bless all those that made the ultimate sacrifice for this great country. We will remember you on Monday; we should every day.
Never forget of the more than 2.7 million gravesites at 122 national cemeteries in 39 states and Puerto Rico maintained by the VA, not a one, not a single one, has the word Democrat or Republican carved on the headstone. They are all, first and foremost, Americans.
Like us.
Support the troops AND their mission. To do one without the other is the most disingenious piece of political garbage ever created.
Here is a good site to look at. (no I am not advertising) http://www.persecution.org/newsite/index.php
It is a christian site that talks about places in the world where christians are being persecuted. Like look at the first news article, it talks about how in Iran a man is getting the death penalty from converting away from the religion of peace. And this isnt at all the first time I saw someone being put to death for this horrable horrable crime.
I proudly support the US military and its mission. God bless the men and women of the United States military for their service, their courage and their sacrifice. You are all truly the FINEST the US has to offer. Thank you for a job magnificiently done!
:)
Your welcome. -USAF
And yes, I just realized my typo. Too bad there is not an edit button for this post thing-a-ma-do-hickey.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has expressed his desire to have Iraqi forces in control of most of the country within 12 months and have us totally out of his country within 18 months. As it is obvious that the Iraqi security forces are not fully prepared to secure the nation, what do we do? Oblige the demands of a sovereign government (cut and run), or continue on as unwanted occupiers?
"As it is obvious that the Iraqi security forces are not fully prepared to secure the nation"
Obvious to who? Left wing fanatical kooks such as yourself?
As a member of the military community-I have never been so dissappointed with Republicans in all my life.
It's the immigration issue. One thing after being around military for decades is that I have a low tolerance for racism, and lately in the Republican party it is rampant-if you haven't noticed it you haven't been diving in the sewers of Conservative blog threads. Despicable. the level of immaturity uncomprehensible, and hate mail is being sent to anyone that supports the President-The Commander in Chief.
The Anchoress, DJ Drummond, Alexander McClure all victims of hate mail.
So now as a voter who has the military foremost in my thoughts I have to choose between the Democrats who at worst think that the USS Cole and the Pentagon were legitimate targets, or at best think that the military are mindless, naive,adrenaline junkies.
Yesterday we had Ed Meese, the guy that would have you believe that Iran Contra ended with a Lt. Colonel, telling us the President is lying. Jonah Goldberg comparing securing the Capitol to a 2,000 mile border and the faulty conclusion that those asking questions are against the "symbolism"-of it.
No that isn't it. What we want to know is that if you are going to use the hyperbolic terms of Invasion-{an insult to me because this implies that the military guys I know are either not doing their duty or being overwhelmed} or the term Reconquista-then I think you won't be happy until you have somethiing akin to the Great Wall of China-if you really believe it's an Invasion and you are going to continue to spout that then you are not going to be appeased until it resembles the DMZ in Korea. An assignment that alone has killed the volunteer selection of future duty stations for the AF.
Today we have the argument that if Jimmy Carter agrees it has to be wrong when what he said wasn't that irrational was it? I'm getting sick of the hatred on both sided that is polarizing this country when the military needs that the least. The answer Republican pundits seem to be giving to that charge is- "Well.....heck we really weren't that much for the war anyways or we change our mind. Heck if you military suffered some losses shucks who cares about that we are suffering from ennui because the administration's too hard to defend."
Bloggers trying to defend the President can be forgiven for forgetting Armed Forces' Day but how many proported TRUE Conservatives, TRUE Patriots fighting the real threat-migrant Mexicans-, the clear and present danger that is worth dwindling the President's abilities towards diplomacy internationallly attacking his credibility how many of those bloggers remembered Armed Forces Day?
Meanwhile-Sen. Sessions actually increased the number of immigrants that can come over with H 1 visas the ones that take the good jobs because Bill Gates can't find Americans to fill those jobs and invests his American earned dollars in colleges in India instead of here. Sessions is concerned about the rest of the Senators being in favor of Big Business- complete hypocrisy. What job would you rather have? But Sessions is responsible for almost doubling the high skilled H-1 visas from 65,000 to 115,000 and then increasing THAT number by 20% ANNUALLY. Do you think big business is going to be anymore motivated to invest in American higher education after Sessions-did that? Where are Lou Dobb's Republicans on this? No where to be found- they'd rather pick on the little guys taking the low paying jobs than protect the high wage jobs that Americans really want.
Now the TRUE Conservatives have slimed Republicans that still admire the President , they've attacked anyone related to an illegal, they've tarred a whole race of people with the criminal stories of a few, they've tried to pit one minority against the other, and one immigrant group against the other.
With all the corruption, the racism and the divisive politics, the ugly means should justify that you don't attain your ends-what the TRUE Conservatives are doing is that gross.
The choice come November is between corrupt haters of the military, and corrupt exploiters of the military and the migrant Mexicans and the military are caught in a hate sandwich.
Terrorism works by diverting attention from the main mission and getting people paranoid of any and all possibilities. What is ironic is that if the House gets their way and only wants to concentrate on building a fence first by the time they get it done to the satisfaction of the imaginations run wild of the TRUE Conservatives who have actually suggested-IMPEACHING the President-another two decades will have come and gone.
As a member of the military community-I have never been so dissappointed with Republicans in all my life.
It's the immigration issue. One thing after being around military for decades is that I have a low tolerance for racism, and lately in the Republican party it is rampant-if you haven't noticed it you haven't been diving in the sewers of Conservative blog threads. Despicable. the level of immaturity uncomprehensible, and hate mail is being sent to anyone that supports the President-The Commander in Chief.
The Anchoress, DJ Drummond, Alexander McClure all victims of hate mail.
So now as a voter who has the military foremost in my thoughts I have to choose between the Democrats who at worst think that the USS Cole and the Pentagon were legitimate targets, or at best think that the military are mindless, naive,adrenaline junkies.
Yesterday we had Ed Meese, the guy that would have you believe that Iran Contra ended with a Lt. Colonel, telling us the President is lying. Jonah Goldberg comparing securing the Capitol to a 2,000 mile border and the faulty conclusion that those asking questions are against the "symbolism"-of it.
No that isn't it. What we want to know is that if you are going to use the hyperbolic terms of Invasion-{an insult to me because this implies that the military guys I know are either not doing their duty or being overwhelmed} or the term Reconquista-then I think you won't be happy until you have somethiing akin to the Great Wall of China-if you really believe it's an Invasion and you are going to continue to spout that then you are looking like you are not going to be appeased until it resembles the DMZ in Korea. An assignment that alone has killed the volunteer selection of future duty stations for the AF.
Today we have the argument that if Jimmy Carter agrees it has to be wrong when what he said wasn't that irrational was it? I'm getting sick of the hatred on both sided that is polarizing this country when the military needs that crap the least. The answer Republican pundits seem to be giving to that charge is well.....heck we really weren't that much for the war anyways or we change our mind. Heck if you military suffered some losses shucks who cares about that we are suffering from ennui because the administration's too hard to defend.
Bloggers trying to defend the President can be forgiven for forgetting Armed Forces' Day but how many proported TRUE Conservatives, TRUE Patriots fighting the real threat-migrant Mexicans-, the clear and present danger that is worth dwindling the President's abilities towards diplomacy internationallly attacking his credibility how many of those bloggers remembered Armed Forces Day?
Meanwhile-Sen. Sessions actually increased the number of immigrants that can come over with H 1 visas the ones that take the good jobs because Bill Gates can't find Americans to fill those jobs and invests his American earned dollars in colleges in India instead of here. Sessions is concerned about the rest of the Senators being in favor of Big Business- complete hypocrisy. What job would you rather have? But Sessions is responsible for almost doubling the high skilled H-1 visas from 65,000 to 115,000 and then increasing THAT number by 20% ANNUALLY. Do you think big business is going to be anymore motivated to invest in American higher education after Sessions-did that? Where are Lou Dobb's Republicans on this? No where to be found- they'd rather pick on the little guys taking the low paying jobs than protect the high wage jobs that Americans really want.
Now the TRUE Conservatives have slimed Republicans that still admire the President , they've attacked anyone related to an illegal, they've tarred a whole race of people with the criminal stories of a few, they've tried to pit one minority against the other, and one immigrant group against the other.
With all the corruption, the racism and the divisive politics, the ugly means should justify that you don't attain your ends-what the TRUE Conservatives are doing is that gross.
The choice come November is between corrupt haters of the military, and corrupt exploiters of the military and the migrant Mexicans and the military are caught in a hate sandwich.
Terrorism works by diverting attention from the main mission and getting people paranoid of any and all possibilities. What is ironic is that if the House gets their way and only wants to concentrate on building a fence first by the time they get it done to the satisfaction of the imaginations run wild of the TRUE Conservatives who have actually suggested-IMPEACHING the President-another two decades will have come and gone.
Parker
The prime minister obviously believes his forces will be ready to handle the situation. Previously some of the officials have asked us not to leave to soon. If the elected Government wants us out, I suspect we will leave.
What do we do? Oblige the demands of a sovereign government (cut and run), or continue on as unwanted occupiers?
My guess, Parker, is that we will do neither. I'm in regular communication with another intelligence officer who retired in the mid 90's and still has active ties to the spook community. One of his recent emails contained a detailed assessment of our Special Forces successes in Afghanistan, most of which is flying completely under the radar of the news media. The info was not classified, but still sensitive enough that he asked me not to forward it or post it to any blogs. I can say, however, that our Special Forces guys are kicking some serious booty over there, and they are the guys who will stay behind and help the Iraq's after the majority of our troops have left. You won't read much about them except maybe in some of the milblogs, because they aren't glory hounds -- they just get the job done.
I'd also be surprised if we don't maintain a significant general military presence in Iraq, although out of sight of most Iraqis. We still have substantial military presence in Japan, Korea and Germany, but none of them see us as occupiers.
CJ, how's the new bar going? Have a great holiday weekend.
We will have a base in Iraq. That is virtually guaranteed.
CJ -
So that's your answer to an idea you don't agree with (and obviously don't understand)? Mindless name calling? I was simply posting a question that I thought might illicit some thoughtful dialogue and I was obviously mistaken. Anyway, do you really believe that the Iraqi security forces are currently capable of securing the country – or will be within 12 months? If so, why are we still there?
Spook.
Thanks for an intelligent, senseable answer to my question. It does make sense that we will have some presence in Iraq for years to come. I presume that it might to posturing on the part of the Iraqi government to be making such statements at this time.
Well I'd love to be airsofting at Lionclaw this weekend I found out about it too late and I'm too new to the sport to play with the big boys yet. So instead I'll fire up the old BBQ and raise the flag to all of those who allow me to have these choices.
Too bad it won't be a 3-day weekend for me, but I'll enjoy the triple time I get for working it. ;)
*Chuckles*
Enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend everyone!
I plan to watch Bagdad ER - an HBO documentary that follows the 86th Combat Support Hospital. I hear it's really hard to watch- but since it is Memorial Day, I thought it might help me understand and appreciate the sacrifices that our troops are making for the Iraq war.
The House passed a measure to drill in ANWR 225-201.
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll209.xml
Retired Spook
I have read about some of these successes our special forces have had in Afghanistan and elsewhere and you are right this is flying under the radar of the media. I assert there is two possibilites why this is the case. They are as follows:
1.) As you point out the information is not classified but it is sensitive. As such, it will not be overly easy to get and you seem to be quite correct that our guys are not publicity hounds. The terrorists, unlike our special forces, are publicity hounds who call attention to anything and everything they do. In other words, the media is simply to lazy to dig this up.
2.) Stories about special forces successes in Afghanistan and elsewhere do not fit their political agenda.
I suspect the true reason we do not hear more about this from the media is somewhere between these two extremes. I hope the true reason is closer to possibility # 1.
Parker
That's a flat out lie, you were not illiciting any kind of response. When you start a sentence with "obviously" you're attempting to stifle debate.
Since I'm not there I have no idea if they'll be ready, apparently only you know for sure that they won't be. I'll take the word of our military leaders over there and recently they've been saying that they are becoming more and more profecient.
Retired Spook
You can take a look at some pictures of my new place here.
This blog gets a lot of attention from libs and conservatives alike, so I'm asking any/all of you----
Was there a time when the Democrats threatened to filibuster a Supreme Court nominee to pressure the Republicans into issuing Phase 2 of the 9/11 report?
An Air America lib informed me that the Republicans promised to publish Phase 2 to stop the filibuster and then reneged on the promise---meaning, of course, that they are liars and are also trying to hide some deep dark secret that is, obviously, in Phase 2.
I don't know what part of this bothers me more---the threat to hold up a Supreme Court nominee for a totally unrelated reason (blackmail) or the fact (?) that this whole thing never made the MSM, or that anyone believes that any secret can be kept and therefore if there is bad news for the GOP within Phase 2 it has been kept a secret.
Anyone know anything about any of this? If I am away from my computer for a few days, I miss a lot, and I guess I COULD have missed this.
Or---and here is a wild, wild, guess----was AA lying?
Spook,
Give your buddy my e-mail address please; I want to be on his msiling list for the information you told me about when we e-mailed one another.
I salute our country's finest men and women who are protecting our rights and freedoms.
If you can read this post, thank a teacher. If you can read it in English, thank a soldier.
My special plans for the weekend? To pick a fight with a Neo-Marxist/Progressive/Lib. My knuckles are healed from the last fight, so it's time.
Just kidding. War
Let us pray for ALL who have lost a loved one,on this upcoming Memorial day 2006!
John McCain
bite me. Your love of lawbreakers is disgusting
Almiranta
I would like to know what is in phase II. I suspect it will not be anything we don't already know. If there was a deep dark secret in it that would be harmful to Bush, I think we can be sure it would have been leakde to the media already. It is extremly hard to keep a secret in America thsee days. It is going to be espceially hard for this administration, as it is the most scrutinized in history. We'll have to wait and see what comes out. Let the chips fall where they may. If someone did something wrong, they should be punished. The Democrats have already tried to cover their bases by saying they were "lied" to. This does two things for them. It absolves them of any responsibility for their actions and they get to play victim. They were over seeing the gathering of intellegence at every phase of the process. At least they should have been and with such a divided political scene, it seems they would not be stupid enough not to be overseeing the entire process. Playing victim gives them a certain amount of leverage with the voters. Americans love a victim!! Domestically this may be a brilliant strategy but it has a chance to backfire on them because the terrorists use these things as recruiting tools and it saps the will of the American people to meet this threat head on.
CJ -
No Lies. I posted the the question "what do we do?" as a real question. The 'obviously' part is 'obviously' my opinion based on the president's staments that we cannot leave Iraq until the Iraqis can secure their own country (which I agree with). You don't have to agree with my opinions and I respect that. By the way, Bush and Blair themselves just yesterday admitted underestimating the insurgency (I guess they're also kooks). Good luck with the bar. Enjoy the weekend.
Parker
You're going to have to help me understand the far left brain. How in God's name do you link "underestimating the insurgency" to the Iraqi army isn't ready to take control of the country? Does the left think that when a homocide bomber blows up a cafe that shows the strength of the insurgency? That's a complete disconnect from reality. We all know that it shows weakness for they can't mount any attacks on the coalition forces anymore.
Per the letters from Zarqawi that have been intercepted by the coalition forces al Qaeda is demoralized and devistated.
Yes Parker, youi're entitled to your own opinion but not your own facts.
CJ
Just because I don't walk lockstep with the party does not mean I am far left. I will try (again) to explain my question.
Isn't the main purpose of the Iraqi security force to take over the responsibility from the U.S. in stablizing the country, mainly by controlling the insurgency?
Isn't the current inability of the Iraqi security forces to take over this responsibility one of the main reasons we still have such a large troop deployment in Iraq?
OK, then back to my original question. How can we honor the stated wishes of the Iraqi government to hand over control of most of the country within 12 months if they are not capable of securing their own country? This is based on statements made by the president himself and our military leaders. If you feel that I am wrong and that the Iraqi security forces are capable of securing the country and controlling the insurgency, then explain to my "far left brain" why we still have the massive troop deployment there?
I agree that we have made strides towards realizing Iraqi self rule. However my question points to what I see as an unrealistic request by the Iraqi government and why they would make such a request. Although we did not expect to have the large number of troops we have in Iraq at this point (that's the underestimating part), I do not beleive in the "cut and run" strategy which is essentially what the Iraqi government is asking us to do.
"Isn't the current inability of the Iraqi security forces"
I reject your premise. As has been stated by our government and the Iraqi government the Iraqi security forces have taken the lead in the majority of the country. Enough that 20,000 to 30,000 U.S. military personnel can come home. that still leaves 100,000 in place. Who am I to argue that in the next 12 months the Iraqi security forces will be ready to take over the rest of the country?
I loved the military for the twenty years I served in it, and I love the men and women who serve and protect our freedoms, especially my freedom to despise the left, and RINO's.
Let us honor the 800,000+ who have made the supreme sacrifice. Their spilled blood was a major factor in the preservation of the greatest country in the universe. War
well everyone... i'm sitting here at logan airport waiting for my gf to arrive, but her flight is delayed... So I have to amuse myself for a couple hours ... I may be forced to buy a magazine like Newsweek or one of those sudoku books...
CLINTON = corporate criminals do the crime.
BUSH = corporate criminals do the time.
God bless our men and women in uniform who gave all for us. Remember them. Honor them. Love and cherish them.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
John XV:13
Secret tip for all X-Men fans!
"X-Men III: The Last Stand" was most excellent! For the "true believers", there's an extra scene at the end of the movie's credits. It's well worth waiting for!
:P
Fox's John Gibson on Friday:
The AAA is saying that something on the order of 37 million Americans are gonna be on the road this week and traveling to one destination or another to celebrate Memorial day. Well, at least a celebrate a day off. I and my family will not be among them.
Despite my misgivings about the misuse of the day, we had actually planned on taking the trailer up to one of the local Parks for a weekend of being together around the campfire. However, we learned a rather major lesson about running larger equipment for a trailer.
You see, for the last several years we've had a small pop up, which we could take just about anywhere we damn well pleased, whenever pleased, without bothering to make reservations. When you're setting up an 8ft. box that doesn't require very much at all, it's relatively simple to set the thing up in the middle of a field if you have to.
However, when you have a 21ft. trailer, which folds out to a 27 ft unit in Camp mode, (pictured above) and another 20ft. worth of truck hauling it, reservations are something kind of crucial. Turned out we didn't have any sites available within about 100 miles radius that were worth bothering with.
So, we opted to spend the time at home, and make our travel arrangements for the following weekend. In all likelihood, the fuel prices will be down some by then, anyway.
=-=-=-
As for my remarks about the use of the day, or more correctly the misuse of the day, I wonder how many Americans really understand in their hearts what today is about. I guarantee you the people protesting the Iraq war have no idea what today is about, regardless of their having been in uniform previously, or not. I will also guarantee you that the people pictured here have no clue what it's all about either.
The thing that's really sad about that, is that such people have become so prevalent in our society, the last few years. They certainly have no clue whatever that without such people fighting this country's battles , we would have ceased to be a country a long time ago. Perhaps that's their objective, I don't know. I'm sure that's the objective of some of them but how many is an issue. I wonder, many times, how many have actually thought the issue through.
Call me old school, if you will... but when somebody's laying their life on the line for me I tend to be appreciative. At the very least, respectful. Alas, that our veterans of today are getting so little of each as to make one wonder.
I've personally visited Arlington National Cemetery several times over the years. I've seen the Korean war memorial, I've seen the Vietnam war memorial , I've been to Gettysburg to see the battle sites there and the graveyards surrounding it, and in each place, I have always, and invariably, fet a sense of reverence. Even under the relative safety of the amount of time that is passed since each individual event, you can feel it. I've been to funerals of policemen and firemen and found that the feeling there was quite similar. In each of those cases were dealing with concepts and places of self sacrifice towards an ideal. An ideal that those sacrificing themselves thought larger than themselves.
It occurs to me that the people that are protesting our even having a military, much less using it, do not understand such concepts because they do not understand that there is something larger than the individual.... something larger than self. I do not deny the statements that the self, that the individual, is important , vital. Yet, there comes times, and situations, where self must morally, and logically, take a back seat.
Those we honor this Memorial day weekend, are people who recognized that obligation , that duty, and acted upon it.
We are not so different, ourselves, from them. It's easy once we spend a few minutes, thinking on it, to understand the depth of the sacrifice they made.
Think of it this way; Every single man who died at Normandy, Pearl, Gettysburg, Iwo Jima, Vietnam, Korea, the Philippines, and the Middle East, all of them , had lives of their own. Just as we have our lives. Their lives were equally precious to them as yours is to you... possibly moreso... the loss to their loved ones was as keenly felt, as your loved ones would feel loss, at your own death. And yet, they willingly made the choice to risk all that, for something they held to be larger than themselves.
The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. The hireling isn't the Good Shepherd. He doesn't lay down His life for the sheep. When the wolf comes, the hireling abandons the sheep and flees. The wolf then scatters the sheep. The hireling flees because they are not his sheep. He doesn't care for the sheep. -John's gospel, Chapter 10
Even from a secular viewpoint there is much truth in this. Consider the people protesting our involvement in Iraq for just a moment. They apparently do not comprehend the sacrifice that those who were there are making. And of course, they are here, instead of there... where the people they're protesting are. I suspect it's because they don't see the need, because, in turn, they don't really care about what's was being protected by the sacrifices.
Jesus himself says, “Greater love has no one than He lay down His life for his friends.”
I've always had some trouble getting my arms around that particular passage, because of the concept of the way soldiers willingly sacrifice themselves. I understand the concept of the simile having its limits, but I wonder how this meshes with this thought; If it is an act of love to lay down your life for your friends, how much more is it an act of love to lay down your life for people that you will never meet ?
The people that we honor this weekend did that. And not just for you and I, but millions of Americans, and millions more from countless other countries. If not for their actions, you would not be reading this post, for I would not have written it, nor would you be free enough from oppression to read it.
That is courage. That is strength. That is nobility. That is a sacrifice that must be honored by us all, for it was made for us all.
Even the ones who don't have a clue what it's all about.
Almiranta asked: "Was there a time when the Democrats threatened to filibuster a Supreme Court nominee to pressure the Republicans into issuing Phase 2 of the 9/11 report?"
If you remember exactly what your source said, you might want to go back and reexamine their comments. Consider exactly what they said and exactly how they said it.
I may be forced to buy a magazine like Newsweek or one of those sudoku books...
I'll take sudoku over propaganda every time.
Bithead, who's Peter Fitzgerald? There's no Peter Fitzgerald in the U.S. Senate. Do you mean George Voinovich? Lyndsey Graham? Chuck Hagel?
You're correct, though--we have too many RINOs to get the job done in the Senate. That's why it's imperative that we hold the House. The House needs to stand firm on immigration, or it's toast. The Senate can go to hell, for all I care. It's a big country club, a bunch of cronies.