Grassroots News Minute (December 31st)

Looking back at 2009

Every year has a lot to look back on, and not only in my case but with many others, 2009 is no exception.

The first year in darkness

Since Barack Obama was elected in November of 2008, those of us who knew what would follow began awaiting the nation's descent into darkness, and so far, over the course of this year, the President and members of Congress have come closer than ever before to “fundamentally transforming the United States of America” (as the President said a few days before his inauguration) into a socialist nation.  Bailing out failed industries, increased spending, the Waxman-Markey bill (cap-and-trade), the ObamaCare bill, the UN's Copenhagen conference, inaction followed by halfhearted action in Afghanistan followed by commitment to a fixed timetable to withdraw; the President's actions have been expected this past year, and the record low approval ratings of his record shows greater and greater dissatisfaction, but he continues anyway, as does the leaders in both houses of Congress.  Despite our calls, faxes, e-mails and even multiple trips to Washington, D.C. to their very offices, the transformation has continued on.

The Tea Parties and the 9/12 Project

A New Year's first

I just saw tonight on ABC something I had never seen before: the Peanuts special Happy New Year, Charlie Brown.  As with all the other Peanuts productions I've ever seen, Happy New Year, Charlie Brown is hilarious.  What Charles Schulz did with this special was brilliant; combining Leo Tolstoy's classic monumental novel War And Peace with his own comic creation.  The result was comic excellence.

What I'd like to know now is: Why hasn't Paramount released this hilarious special on DVD?  And if it has already, why isn't it available in places like Wal-Mart or Target or K-Mart?  I demand answers!

Remembering the lost stars of 2009

Every year at about this time, TCM presents a short original production featuring longer workers in the film industry who have passed away during the course of the year.  I find it provokes the same feelings and reactions in me every year TCM presents their memorial to the lost stars of the year.

As with this year, I came across the names of people I knew had passed away, like Natasha Richardson, James Whitmore and Farrah Fawcett, those who I didn't know had passed away, Richard Todd, Larry Gelbart & Dominick Dunne, people whose faces I can never forget, like Patrick Swayze, David Carradine & Henry Gibson, and whose faces I was never familiar with, like Beverly Roberts & Olga San Juan, people whose work I knew very well, like Pat Hingle, Maurice Jarre & Dom Deluise, people who were in least one film I saw, like Betsy Blair & Ron Silver, people whose contributions went unrecognized by me, like Jack Cardiff & Howard Zieff, those whose contributions are well known, like Patrick McGoohan, Edward Woodward & Jennifer Jones, and of course those who became legends, like Karl Malden, John Hughes & Ricardo Montalban.

And as is the case every year, I look at these people and think to myself, So many of the good ones are leaving us.  Doesn't seem right somehow.  I also remember those who passed away this year but weren't included in TCM's tribute, like Roy Disney, Carl Ballantine, Mollie Sugden, Wendy Richard and Ed McMahon; all of them memorable for their own contributions in show business.  So many good ones, so many good ones.  May they all be resting in peace.

Grassroots News Minute (December 24th)

On Flight 253

Thankfully, on Christmas Day, a terrorist attack on board an airliner was thwarted.  A Nigerian passenger on board Northwest Airlines Flight 253 attempted to explode a explosive device in the plane, but fortunately, other passengers stopped him from carrying out his attack.  There is no doubt this was an attempted terrorist attack by an Islamic jihadist.

What makes this episode so appalling, however, is the reaction from the Obama administration to this attack, the revelation of their lax response after receiving warnings about this same individual well before the attack and the further security measures adopted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

The would-be terrorist's own father warned us about the likelihood his son would attempt a terrorist attack, the State Department on two occasions could've stopped this would-be terrorist by flagging his visa, and yet our government did nothing.  Then, on top of that sloppy work, our own Homeland Security secretary, Janet Napolitano, cited the thwarting of this would-be terrorist as proof the system is working.

The system wasn't working before 9/11, hence the revisions which followed shortly after, but the actions of bureaucrats in our government who could've stopped this would-be terrorist and didn't tells me the system is not being run properly, which is just as bad as if it today were in fact September 10th, 2001.  It was only the grace of God and vigilant passengers that prevented a horrible attack from taking place.

The reaction of President Obama himself to this episode is equally appalling.  First, he is on vacation in Hawaii, and the media is told he will “likely” have a statement about the would-be attack “in the next few days”.  Then, yesterday, the President issued a press release in which among other things, he referred to the would-be terrorist as an “isolated extremist”, not apparently paying any attention to the likely connections to al-Qaeda or to the Fort Hood terrorist's own imam.  It also probably doesn't help that two of the plotters had been released from Guantanamo Bay; what am I not surprised?

The third thing of note here that concerns me is the actions taken by the TSA since the failed attack.  Their new guidelines for airline passengers includes more searches of passengers' luggage and perhaps the most inane guideline, that overseas passengers are not allowed to leave their seats or have anything on their laps during the final hour of the flight.  If a terrorist is already on board with his weapons and ready to hijack or explode a bomb on board, what good are these extra restrictions?

The problem is the Obama administration has the same mindset as the government prior to 9/11; they treat people like this would-be terrorist as criminals when in fact they are committing acts of war (something they themselves readily admit).  The worst part of all this is that I have no doubt there will be more attempts.  It makes me wonder how many times will it take before this administration realizes what the situation really is.

What's going on in Iran?

In the last few days, there has been news of massive unrest, violence, riots and so on coming out of Iran.  Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs has been among those covering the latest (she has also been covering the dissension in Iran since their “election” in June.  If you put #Iran in the search box at Twitter, you'll find a continuing flow of news about Iran (not all of it in English, I should warn you).

Robert Spencer at Jihad Watch has a post on the matter, and he remains suspicious of the nature of this round of dissent.  Also, thanks to a Twitterer, there's an editorial in The New York Times supporting the actions of the dissenters (although a Twitterer named CarlosQC wrote of the hypocrisy of the media here in the US):

I wish US media and @BarackObama would demand for same rights for #Honduras people as they do for #Iran - Their double standard is repulsive

The gist of it (as I can tell) is that individual Iranians are fed up with the current regime in Iran to the point they've taken to the streets, wanting action now, and the regime is determined to crack down on the latest round of dissent in the country.  I've also come across accounts of members of the Iranian military and/or other agencies of authority taking up arms with the dissenters against the mullahs; I don't know how much of it is true or not.  And for that matter, I don't know whether this is a genuine attempt to bring democracy to Iran or simply a power grab by somebody no better than the mullahs and their puppet, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad.

To those Iranians who are fighting for freedom and for democracy in Iran, I support your efforts.  I hope you succeed in overthrowing the mullahs and making your country free.

Reviewing Going Rogue (and other books and movies)

A while ago, I started another blog named The Normal Critic.  The new blog deals with book reviews, and just today, I posted a review of Sarah Palin's book Going Rogue.  If you're interested, by all means check it out.  In addition, I also a few weeks ago posted a review of another great book, Wayne Allyn Root's The Conscience Of A Libertarian.

And, at the movie review blog, I posted reviews of three great Christmas films, the 1984 TV version of A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott, The Nativity Story and the classic A Christmas Story.  So, if you're interested, you know where to go.

Blogs 4 Palin

The blogroll used to be known as Bloggers for Sarah Palin is now known as Blogs 4 Palin.  It's the still the same blogroll, and in addition, another blog has joined the blogroll: Anne at Backyard Conservative.  Welcome aboard, Anne; it's nice to meet a fellow supporter of The Arctic Fox.

Merry Christmas from the Palins

Here are some Christmas greetings from the Palins:

Merry Christmas!

Todd and I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! The Palin family is blessed to all be together among family and friends this Holiday – and that is one of the greatest gifts of all. But while this is a beautiful time of the year for families and friends around the world, we recognize that it is a difficult time of the year for so many others – especially this year. May we remember all those who are lonely or in need on this blessed night, and please join us in saying a special prayer for those away from their loved ones in the service of a grateful nation. May God bless you all and continue to bless our great country.

- Sarah Palin

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14) 

The people at SarahPAC also sent an e-mail a while ago with similar greetings:

A blessed Christmas to all of you

I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas.  I thought you might also like this, courtesy of Kenny G (hope you don't mind saxophones):

Favorite Christmas commercials

Over the years, there have been some memorable commercials aired during the Christmas season.  The first three of them below are commercials (no longer running, I think) I remember so well when I was a kid, like when the Honey Nut Cheerios honeybee paid a visit to none other than Ebenezer Scrooge:

Or when a loved one arrives in time to wake his family up with Folgers coffee:

And of course, who could forget Barney Rubble trying to get some Fruity Pebbles cereal from Fred Flinstone (even during the Christmas season):

This commercial which still runs these days has always struck me as just plain cute:

And, my all-time favorite Christmas commercial involves Santa, a pair of M&M's and some startling revelations:

Every time I watch that commercial, it always makes me laugh hard.  If anything, these commercials and many more certainly help set the right mood for the Christmas season.  I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas Eve tonight, and of course, Merry Christmas.

No to Avatar

The most talked about movie of the Christmas season this year is also one of the most anticipated films in very recent years, and has become both one of the most acclaimed films of the year and one of the most criticized: Avatar.  It's the first feature film writer/director James Cameron has made since his other hugely acclaimed epic production of Titanic (hence the anticipation), is said to feature the latest in visual effects technology and is used to dazzling effect (hence some of the acclaim), as well as political overtures involving the War on Terror and the environment (hence some of the criticism, and when put together, hence all the buzz).

As the title of this post already testifies, I have no intention of watching Avatar, either in theaters or when the film comes out on DVD.  My reason, however, for not watching James Cameron's latest directorial achievement has nothing to do with either the political overtures or the criticism that the film is anything but good.  The fact Avatar is said to have messages decrying the advance of industry and advocating a pantheistic devotion to the Earth certainly doesn't help its cause (for me, at least), or the possibility it may not be worth paying the $5 to see in theaters because the film isn't that good.

I've been through the experience of seeing a disappointing film in theaters, and add to that the fact going to the movies is sometimes a luxury I can't afford, the slightest chance a film might stink carries some weight.  Of course, with Avatar, there is a mixed reaction as to whether it's good or not.  My sister, for example, has seen the film already and can't say enough good things about it.  However, I still have no intention of seeing Avatar, and the reason is very simple: I'm just not interested in it.

Neither the politics nor the film being well made or not matter in this case.  To me, Avatar looks like an epic filled with eye candy and nothing else.  The visual effects in the film look spectacular (I won't deny it), but that's it; it's like the Wachowski brothers' film The Matrix.  When I saw the trailers for the first time, I was blown away by the visual effects; something I'd never seen before in a film.  When I saw the film for the first time, though, I was quickly bored.  Even the visual effects couldn't save it for me; I saw no real appeal in The Matrix.  Avatar is no different to me (no matter how good the visual effects may be), so I'll instead put my $5 on something else (maybe the upcoming film Sherlock Holmes).

A Christmas gift for Rifqa

Amidst all the hardships and injustice inflicted upon Rifqa Bary, some good news came earlier this week.  Both Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs and the people at New English Review have info on the updates, which included the withdrawal of a motion to seize all the Christmas cards sent to Rifqa and the resolving of matters concerning mediation.

A regular commenter at Atlas Shrugs, however, has his own concerns about the case, particularly about the people representing Rifqa in this case.  The commenter concludes that Rifqa “is not out of the woods, not by a longshot”.  The next hearing scheduled for Rifqa is on January 19th.  I certainly have my own concerns about the case, about whether the courts will do the right thing (especially when considering the pressure from CAIR and the Islamic community).  In any event, though, this news is still good news for Rifqa and it certainly renews hope in me about the case.

Merry Christmas, Rifqa; God bless and keep you.

The latest from Sarah: Midnight Votes, Backroom Deals and a Death Panel

Sarah Palin's latest Facebook note is expectedly on the recent dealings and actions of Democrats concerning the ObamaCare bill:

Midnight Votes, Backroom Deals, and a Death Panel

Last weekend while you were preparing for the holidays with your family, Harry Reid’s Senate was making shady backroom deals to ram through the Democrat health care take-over. The Senate ended debate on this bill without even reading it. That and midnight weekend votes seem to be standard operating procedures in D.C. No one is certain of what’s in the bill, but Senator Jim DeMint spotted one shocking revelationregarding the section in the bill describing the Independent Medicare Advisory Board (now called the Independent Payment Advisory Board), which is a panel of bureaucrats charged with cutting health care costs on the backs of patients – also known as rationing. Apparently Reid and friends have changed the rules of the Senate so that the section of the bill dealing with this board can’t be repealed or amended without a 2/3 supermajority vote. Senator DeMint said:

A Blue Dog Democrat no more

While the major news continues to be about ObamaCare, another major story came up in the House of Representatives, in which a Blue Dog Democrat switched to the Republican Party today.

Alabama Congressman Parker Griffith was elected to his first term in 2008, and was among the handful of Democrats who voted against ObamaCare when it was in the House, and now Congressman Griffith has switched to the GOP.  Add to this the fact several Democrats in the House are going to retire at the end of their terms, and you have, I believe, an early sign the Democrats will learn the hard way the consequences of their actions.

Welcome to the right side, Congressman Griffith.

It is my opinion...

that one is never too young to learn about our next President:

The legal persecution of Rifqa Bary

I have never come across anything like this before in my life, where a young Christian girl is subjected to brazen persecution at the hands of her family and the Islamic community and worse of all, the legal system.

Pamela Geller, who has been covering the story from the very beginning at Atlas Shrugs, starts her latest blog post about the case with the following:

The unceasing acts of attrition in the Rifqa Bary case go on and on, one after another. It would be comical if it weren't so dangerous. The Islamic machine is attempting to wear her down, grind her down by this constant friction and mental abuse. The persecution is so obvious and so mundane that no one seems to take notice. The banality of evil.

Indeed, “the banality of evil” is the best way to describe the actions of her family, of CAIR (and the rest of the Islamic community), of law enforcement officers in Florida and of the legal system in both Florida and Ohio.  The reason for all this, Ms. Geller notes, is simply because Rifqa Bary converted out of Islam.

Her fate remains in legal limbo, as a dependency hearing is set to take place soon.  This appalling persecution can only be paralleled by the persecution carried out by the Romans against the Christians for centuries; in a country like America, this kind of legal persecution should never have happened in the first place.  God willing, Rifqa will be spared from the continuing nightmare she faces at this very moment.

The fight has only begun

Earlier this morning, the Senate voted along party lines for cloture on the ObamaCare bill, which means the toughest obstacle has been overcome.  It looks more likely than ever that this monstrosity of a bill will be signed into law and soon.

The Heritage Foundation's blog The Foundry has the story on what the likely outcome will be from this dreaded overhaul of the health care system, including an increase of the federal budget deficit, individual states having to pick up more of the tab for the costs of ObamaCare, the costs for individuals and businesses will skyrocket and worse of all, the quality of health care overall in America will not improve, but degrade.  In other words, America is going down the same slippery slope as Canada, Britain and the rest of Europe, and in the end, countless more lives will be at risk (to say the least).  I also will note that not a single change in the ObamaCare legislation will prevent public funding of abortions either.

However, I'm not giving up on this fight against the progressives in Washington and throughout America.  For one thing, the hardcore progressives like Howard Dean are not satisfied with the ObamaCare bill, because there's no “public option” in the bill, but the bill will help open the door for a “public option” to become reality, so we need to continue waging this fight against the Democrats and the hardcore progressives.

In addition, with all 60 Democratic Senators having voted on this bill, those of us who've been awakened thanks to the Tea Parties and the 9/12 Project have the opportunity to stop these Senators and Representatives in November of 2010, including an effort being waged by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) known as Reverse The Vote (Hugh Hewitt at The Washington Examiner has more on it).

The bottom line is, this is no time to give up and accept defeat, and no matter what any cynic or pessimist tells you, America, the republic envisioned by our Founding Fathers, is not beyond saving.  We can still keep it and make it better.

Contact your Senators now!

A cloture vote on the ObamaCare package is expected to take place at 1 a.m. tonight, and with Harry Reid confident he has the 60 votes needed to pass cloture, it's imperative for you to contact your Senators and tell them to vote NO on cloture.

I've tried contacting my Senators via phone, but my calls were forwarded to voicemails already full, so I sent them e-mails.  E-mails and faxes are the best bet, I think, of getting your message to them, but now is of the essence.  There's only four hours until the vote is scheduled to take place.  If you don't want this monstrosity of a bill to become law, contact your Senators (even if they oppose ObamaCare already) and tell them to vote NO; contact them NOW.

Update (Dec. 20th, 7:11 AM EST): I just found out the vote isn't set until early Monday morning at 1 a.m., so I apologize for setting off the alarm too early, so to speak.  Nevertheless, it is very much important to contact your Senators between now and the 1 a.m. vote.  If you haven't yet, please do so, and if you have already, please do so again.

Welcome, Recovering Liberal

Fellow Blogger for Sarah Palin Josh Painter sent an e-mail, telling us the blog Albert Loves Sarah Palin! is a fake blog set up as a prank by some guy from Britain, so the blog is gone from the blogroll.  But another blogger has joined the blogroll (don't worry, it's a real blog this time), Michael at Recovering Liberal.  Welcome aboard, Michael, to the good fight for Sarah.

Why am I hearing Bing Crosby in my head?

Well, Christmas is six days away, and here in northeast Indiana, this is what I woke up to:

Looks like something one would find in a Thomas Kinkade painting or a Hallmark card, doesn't it? (more below)

Grassroots News Minute (December 18th)

Marlin Stutzman: Spending, Debt and Notre Dame Football

I received this as an e-mail from Marlin Stutzman's campaign, and it is more than worth sharing here. I had previously attempted to post the entire e-mail on this blog, but it proved to be frustrating, as not all of the words from Senator Stutzman's e-mail appeared, so here's a link to the piece. Here's also a snippet:

Spending, Debt, and Notre Dame Football

If there is one thing I've learned over the course of the last year as I've traveled this state, it's that Hoosiers are looking for authenticity from their elected leaders. If there is a second thing that I've learned, it's that when it comes to college sports in Indiana, you better know who your audience is. In a recent appearance on MSNBC's Morning Joe program, Senator Bayh managed to pull off what I thought was a very difficult feat--insulting an entire state by masking his voting record, and revealing himself as someone that apparently doesn't pay much attention to one of his state's home teams.

It's very much worth reading, especially if you're a Hoosier who is fed up with the actions of your representatives in Washington. I apologize to those who saw the blog post before I fixed the problem (at least, I hope the problem has been fixed).

The latest from Sarah: Responding to Eugene Robinson

Eugene Robinson wrote a column on Sarah Palin and climate change for The Washington Post.  Normally, what Eugene Robinson usually says is wrong (my opinion, of course), but Governor Palin has a better retort in a letter to the editor she wrote:

My Letter to the Washington Post

Letter to the Editor

Washington Post

Thursday, December 17, 2009

I’d like to thank Eugene Robinson for highlighting Alaska’s achievements on climate change [“Palin’s own ‘Climate- gate,’” op-ed, Dec. 15] and for noting that I’ve “treated the issue as serious, complex, and worthy of urgent attention,” while making “any number of pragmatic, reasonable, smart decisions as governor.” But he’s wrong to suggest that my views have somehow changed or that now I’ll have to “renounce” my past efforts. 

Once again: I don’t deny that climate change is real. In creating a sub-cabinet to deal specifically with the issue, I said that “Alaska’s climate change strategy must be built on sound science and the best available facts and must recognize Alaska’s interest in economic growth and the development of its resources.” That goal made sense to me then, and it makes sense to me now. 

Mr. Robinson tries to make hay out of the fact that I asked the group to advise me regarding opportunities to participate in “carbon-trading markets.” But considering voluntary participation in carbon-trading programs is much different from endorsing the economically disastrous cap-and-tax proposals put forward by Democrats in Washington. Those proposals will burden our job creators and raise energy prices for all of us, and that’s why I oppose them. 

As governor of Alaska, I sought common-sense solutions that took real-world costs and benefits into account. That’s what I’m looking for now. But that’s not what’s on the table in Washington or in Copenhagen. 

Sarah Palin, Wasilla, Alaska 

The writer, governor of Alaska from 2006 to 2009, was the 2008 Republican nominee for vice president. 

Telling Congress to Start Over

This morning in Fort Wayne, the Campaign for Responsible Health Reform stopped by as part of a statewide tour, with the mission being to tell Senator Evan Bayh to vote against ObamaCare.

I arrived a few minutes before the event was to be held.  There weren't many people in attendance (more than a dozen), and the only press came in the form of a cameraman for WANE-TV News Channel 15 (CBS affiliate) and a reporter from National Public Radio.

Scott Jennings of the Campaign for Responsible Health Reform spoke to us about the situation with the ObamaCare bill, what is in it and what the results will be (more than enough good reason to scrap it and start over).

The message spoken was quite clear: now is the time to keep telling the Senate (especially Senator Bayh) to vote against cloture on the ObamaCare package.  At this point, with 60 votes needed to go ahead, if at least one Democrat is convinced to oppose cloture on the package, ObamaCare will not go through before the end of the year.  If cloture is passed, however, all that will be needed is the simple majority of 51 votes to pass ObamaCare and ultimately send the bill to President Obama.

If you're a resident of Indiana, please keep the pressure on Senator Bayh; he may very well vote against cloture, but we need to keep at it with calls, e-mails, faxes, etc.  If you live in a state where you have a U.S. Senator who may vote against cloture, please do the same.

This is a fight we need to wage, and wage it now.

RIP Roy Disney

The name and the man himself was familiar to me only because of my having seen him speak in a number of behind-the-scenes productions and other documentaries over the years. It wasn't until my mother first told me he was the nephew of Walt Disney that I even knew of the fact, nor did I really know until now just how much of an influence he had in the overall direction of the Walt Disney Company. Sadly, that same person, Roy Disney, passed away earlier today after a year-long battle with stomach cancer, at the age of 79.

Born several years after the formation of what would become the Walt Disney Company by his uncle and his father, Mr. Disney unsurprisingly spent most of his life working in the family business. Although never the head of the company himself, his role as a stockholder in the company would be key in the ushering of the Eisner Era in the 1980's and, amazingly, the ending of it twenty years later.

There is a lot one can look back on in the history of the Walt Disney Company, especially in the animation department, and know it was because of Roy Disney that it came to be. For that, he has my thanks and gratitude. Rest in peace, sir.

Closer to home

At a public school in Fishers, Indiana (not far from Indianapolis), second graders were told to sing a song which included as a lyric the phrase “Allah is God”. And when a Christian parent of one of those kids objected, the response wasn't surprising: she was called an Islamophobe.

The kids in question were supposed to sing a number of songs for a holiday production the school is doing, and the idea was to showcase all of the holidays from all religions, but as noted in this blog post here, Allah was the only deity referenced in any of the songs. After the American Family Association led an online protest, the school removed the phrase and the show went off without any problems.

Unsurprisingly, local Islamic leaders were unhappy with the change, citing so-called Islamophobic behavior. God and Jesus were not mentioned, none of the other gods worshipped were mentioned, so why is it okay for the Islamic god to be mentioned or referenced? By itself, it is not okay. I'm glad the school chose to be consistent.

In another respect, though, this is an example of what can happen if nobody stands up to the rise of Islam. As it is now (and as it has always been), Islam is no good, so any little step like having second graders in public schools sing “Allah is God” must be combatted. And because this took place closer to where I live than in New York, Los Angeles or Dearborn, Michigan, this serves as a reminder it can happen in my own neighborhood, too.

Chaos in Copenhagen

So far, with the latest news out of Denmark and the UN's climate change conference, I'm feeling a little delighted.

The Heritage Foundation has been covering the latest of the conference, and the news isn't good for the Copenhagen proponents , as little, if anything, is being accomplished at the conference, which is really an attempt to go beyond the Kyoto Protocol of the 1990's. The “chaos” in Copenhagen hasn't been helped by protestors (leftists wanting “climate justice”; what a surprise) who became unruly enough Danish police had to engage them.

All in all, it's looking pretty good for we who don't want socialism in any way, and wish to keep our national sovereignty. Here's hoping things will break down completely for the UN.

From Sarah: Greener Than Thou?

Sarah Palin wrote on Facebook last night about California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his criticism of her on climate change (much thanks to Josh Painter):

Greener Than Thou?

Why is Governor Schwarzenegger pushing for the same sorts of policies in Copenhagen that have helped drive his state into record deficits and unemployment? Perhaps he will recall that I live in our nation’s only Arctic state and that I was among the first governors to create a sub-cabinet to deal specifically with climate change. While I and all Alaskans witness the impacts of changes in weather patterns firsthand, I have repeatedly said that we can’t primarily blame man’s activities for those changes. And while I did look for practical responses to those changes, what I didn’t do was hamstring Alaska’s job creators with burdensome regulations so that I could act “greener than thou” when talking to reporters.

- Sarah Palin

Why Governor Schwarzenegger is for the radical goals sought in Copenhagen is beyond me, but unfortunately, that has been the case for just about everything he has done for the last few years (at least since he ran for his full term in office in 2006).

On unrelated notes, Governor Palin has also posted for latest note a Hanukkah greeting and in case anybody's missed it, there's also another note on her appearance on The Tonight Show (with pictures).

Stop the Presses!!!

Howard Dean thinks ObamaCare shouldn't be passed! Howard Dean?! The former Governor of Vermont, former Democratic presidential candidate, former chairman of the DNC?! One of the most leftist politicians in America opposes the passage of ObamaCare?! Just reading the headline makes a guy like me say Wow!

Of course, when one reads further into the story, the Wow! factor stops dead on its tracks. The former governor claims the current ObamaCare package is a “bailout” for the insurance companies. Okay, now that sounds ridiculous; in other words, Howard Dean is sounding like Howard Dean.

In any event, though, the fact Dean is opposed to the passage of ObamaCare also shows there is no unanimous support from the Left (especially after Senator Harry Reid had to submit to fellow Senator Joe Lieberman in removing the public option and expansion of Medicare from the package). I certainly hope the continuing opposition to the ObamaCare package results in the ultimate defeat of this heavy dose of socialism.

Update (1:33 PM EST): In the second paragraph of this post, I mention the idea of the ObamaCare package being a “bailout” for the insurance companies sounding ridiculous. The Heritage Foundation, however, believes otherwise, and after some thinking on the subject, I stand corrected on my previous point. Of course, it doesn't change the fact that Howard Dean's support of the public option makes him sound like, well, Howard Dean.

Meanwhile in Copenhagen (or at the UN's Ramming-Socialism-Down-Our-Throats Conference)

The United Nations' conference on climate change in Copenhagen, Denmark has so far been as I would expect. Leaders from around the world are meeting to try and make “the rich nations” give more and limit their productivity more to allow “the poor nations” to catch up so all nations can be on the same level playing field and the earth will be saved. In other words, the same totalitarian propaganda of the haves and the have-nots continues on a global scale.

Joseph Klein, writing this piece for FrontPageMag.com, correctly describes what the conference really is: a shakedown of the economically prosperous by the UN and countries like China, who consider themselves “developing” countries (even though China is the biggest emitter of carbon gases and cannot be seriously regarded as a developing country).

And while the UN and the “have-nots” are continuing to put pressure on the “haves”, the Heritage Foundation, in one of their blog posts for today, notes how lousy a job the UN is doing of running the conference itself. They make a very good point when noting that if the UN can't run one of their own conferences, how likely is it they'll be able to run the global economy?

And as for the basis of the entire conference in Copenhagen (aside from the usual socialist shakedowns by the UN), cbullitt at Soylent Green has a post with information involving the Climategate e-mails and an argument asserting global warming is natural.

The idea man-made global warming (or any kind of climate change, for that matter) could be so serious as be a ecological threat to our environment has always struck me as ridiculous and arrogant, as is the conference itself in some ways. In other ways, however, it's a sinister tool used for the purpose of bringing about socialism upon the rest of the world.

A letter to the RNC

Diana Woolley of the Michiana 9/12 Project posted this letter to the Republican National Committee on their message board:

I have voted mostly Republican all of my life. I find myself wondering what has happened to the Republican party since the conservative "Contract for the American People". You have lost your way! You have somehow gotten the idea that you should be in the center instead of standing for conservative values. By making deals with the left you have turned your backs on the very people who used to support the Republican party. We see our country being turned into something we don't even recognize. We are struggling on a daily basis with what has already happened. The leftist agenda will put more taxes upon the working class Americans shoulders until we can no longer hold ourselves up. Our childrens futures are looking more and more bleak. At the rate this government is going our children will no longer be free, heck we won't be free.
This is the reason the Tea Party/9-12 movement is really taking hold across America. I am proud to say that I am a part of this movement. It is a true grassroots movement by everyday Americans just like me. We are not fanatics, racists, astroturf or ignorant and stupid. We are the backbone of this country and we love this country dearly. We believe strongly in the constitution of the United States of America and the freedom it grants to us. We want to be free to live our lives in the way we want to, without government interference of every aspect of our lives. We are not anti-government we are anti large government/nanny state. We are against a government who thinks they know better than their constituents about what should be done in our country. You are put in Washington by us, we pay for your existence by our tax money.
It is time for you to stand with us and fight as hard as we are to get our country back. How much more of our country are you willing to give up to the leftist social agenda? Let me see; banks, car companies, the insurance and health industry, the media, the airwaves, gun rights etc. etc. etc. I know their are a few really great representatives and senators who stand with us in Washington (and we all know who they are). We need the entire Republican party to stand as one voice for the American people.
I challenge you to do as Michelle Bachman did and make a call for the American people to meet you all on the capital steps and boldly vow to take our country back. Stop acting like a bunch of spineless twits. The time is quickly coming when we the American people will be voting in the 2010 election. The polls are showing today that more people support the Tea Party than support the Republican party. Do you care about America and the American people or are you a part of the dismantling of America? We know you think the Tea Party movement will just go away. But, we can tell you it will not. The grassroots movement is growing because the American people see what is happening and want it stopped. The people in this movement know what is at stake and are working diligently. WE WANT OUR COUNTRY BACK!!!!!!WILL YOU STAND WITH US!!!!
Sincerely,
AN AMERICAN MOM WHO WANTs HER FAMILY TO BE FREE!
DIANA WOOLLEY

I came across the letter thanks to a fellow member of the Northeast Indiana 9/12 Project, and what Diana has to say in her letter is spot on what I would have said myself if I were to have written the RNC. The direction of the Republican Party in general has not been satisfactory, and has made the prospect of joining another party (like the Libertarians, or perhaps the Constitution or America's Independent parties) all the more tempting.

If the Republican Party really wishes to remain a major political party in America, it needs to get its act together. Its leaders need to listen to us and treat us as adults; they cannot listen to the likes of Christie Todd Whitman, Colin Powell or Dede Scozzafava if they want to see conservatives and libertarians remain with the Grand Old Party.

Thanks, Diana, for writing this letter, and hopefully, the RNC will take heed of what you have to say.

To anybody reading this who is Jewish,

I would like to wish you a Happy Hanukkah. I hope your eight days of celebration are memorable and enjoyable. L'chayim.

Welcome, Albert Loves Sarah Palin! & Indiana's Conservative Hardball

Albert at Albert Loves Sarah Palin! and Brian at Indiana's Conservative Hardball have joined the Bloggers for Sarah Palin blogroll. Welcome aboard, guys, to the blogroll, and the good fight for the Arctic Fox otherwise known as Sarah Palin.

Update (Dec. 19th, 7:31 PM EST): Josh Painter informed us Albert Loves Sarah Palin! is a fake blog, set up simply as a prank.  The blog is now gone from the blogroll.

Reading from Going Rogue (Up Till Now)

On several occasions, The Tonight Show has featured William Shatner reading from speeches given by Sarah Palin and last night, from her book Going Rogue. The readings are funny, but last night was hysterical because of the surprise appearance made by Governor Palin herself, and her reading from Mr. Shatner's book Up Till Now:

I couldn't stop laughing; it was that funny. The look on Mr. Shatner's face was priceless (as was Governor Palin's reaction after quoting a passage involving an elephant and underwear). (sounds of uncontrollable laughter)

Happy Birthday, Indiana!

Knowing today is the 193rd birthday of the great state of Indiana, I started thinking about what makes this state great.

Well, there's basketball. I grew up with a basketball hoop at my grandparents' house and there was hardly a day in which I didn't spend any time practicing. Then there's the farms, especially the wheat fields. When you see the fully grown wheat, it's a sight to behold; the very embodiment of the lyric “amber waves of grain” in the song America the Beautiful.

Then there are the trains. The odds of being more than five miles away from a single train track are seemingly unlikely (especially if you live in northern Indiana). The odds of not crossing a train track in Indiana are even more unlikely. The state isn't known as The Crossroads of America for nothing.

There's also the famous people of Indiana, like Jim Davis (the creator of my favorite comic strip and cartoon character, Garfield), Lew Wallace (a Civil War general who wrote among his many books, Ben-Hur), Benjamin Harrison (our 23rd President of the United States), Larry Bird (the legendary NBA player), Katie Stam (the current Miss America), Steve McQueen and James Dean (need I say more?), and especially none other than James Whitcomb Riley (the Hoosier Poet himself). We also have a few infamous people from here like John Dillinger (Public Enemy Number One), D.C. Stephenson (the one-time Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan who went to jail for rape and murder), Jimmy Hoffa (yes, that Jimmy Hoffa) and Jim Jones (yes, that Jim Jones; guess where he started his cult?), but we don't really brag about that too much. Would you?

There's also the weather. Over the years, Indiana weather can best be described as unpredictable. You never really know when you might need a sweatshirt or just a t-shirt. When it gets hot, it doesn't just get hot, it can get really hot, and it doesn't just get cold, it can get really cold.

And there's the nickname Hoosier. Nobody knows where it came from and I've never known what it means, but somehow it just describes what we, the people of Indiana, really are. We work hard, we keep to ourselves somewhat, we're usually slow to change; we're frankly just regular people. I guess simply being known as Hoosiers makes us special.

I've lived in Indiana for more than 21 years, ever since I was almost five years old. Lately, I've not been too keen on adopting a lot of labels, but one I've always had pride in and would never give up is Hoosier. I'm glad my parents decided to move my sister and me here to Indiana. There really is nothing like this great state. Happy birthday, Indiana.

Brown v. Bowman

Bryan J. Brown has served as a practicing attorney in Kansas (as well as the state's Deputy Attorney General), but because he is an unapologetic pro-life Christian activist (otherwise regarded as “mentally ill”), he is not allowed to practice law in his home state of Indiana. Fortunately, he's now filed a lawsuit. The ArchAngel Institute has the details on the lawsuit, as well as more information here and here. In addition, Kevin Leininger has a column on the lawsuit at the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel.

I've met Bryan Brown several times over the past year, and there is no way he is mentally ill; to refuse his application for the bar on mental health grounds is groundless. He continues to enjoy good standing in Kansas, and his character and fitness has been deemed acceptable by the states of Montana and Missouri, by the National Board of Law Examiners and by the United States Supreme Court. The real reason for his not being allowed to practice law here has nothing to do with mental health, but his religious and political background. It is unconstitutional and (need I say it?) wrong.

All the best to Mr. Brown and his family with this lawsuit.

Calling out Dick Wolf

Yesterday, Glenn Beck featured a clip from an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, in which himself, Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly are defamed as hatemongers. The episode itself dealt with a killer of children whose parents are illegal immigrants. Well, in addition to the commentary from Mr. Beck, there's also Bill O'Reilly with his own talking points.

Brett Michael Sykes, writing for Yahoo! News, wrote about Mr. O'Reilly calling out Dick Wolf, the creator/executive producer of the Law & Order programs. On his own show The O'Reilly Factor, Mr. O'Reilly called the dialogue in that clip defamatory and Mr. Wolf a coward and a liar. Frankly, I agree with Mr. O'Reilly on this, and would also note this is not the first time such defamatory dialogue has appeared in an episode of a Law & Order show, especially Special Victims Unit.

Four years ago, an episode of Special Victims Unit titled “Raw” appeared, and the villains in that episode were Neo-Nazis who owned a gun store and homeschooled their kids. Got an idea where the writers were going with this? Anybody who believes in the Second Amendment and was homeschooled (like yours truly) should be offended at that defamation from Dick Wolf.

It makes me wonder how much of the blame for NBC having the lowest ratings of any network lies at Dick Wolf's feet. With crap like he's peddling, it makes me wonder.

Back home to Alaska

This Sunday will mark the end of Sarah Palin's book tour as she visits two Air Force bases back home in Alaska:

Home to Alaska

This book tour has been an amazing and inspirational experience for me and my family as we crisscrossed the country and met so many wonderful Americans. At nearly every stop we met someone with a connection to Alaska – usually through the military from being stationed at one of Alaska’s bases. With that in mind, we’ve decided to hold the final book signings at Alaska's Elmendorf and Eielson AFBs. Hope to see you there!

- Sarah Palin

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Elmendorf AFB
Joint Military Mall
5800 Westover Avenue
Elmendorf AFB, AK 99506
12:00 - 3:00 PM

Eielson AFB
AAFES
451 Broadway Avenue
Building 3338
Eielson AFB, AK 99702
6:30 - 9:30 PM

I'm glad to know Governor Palin's book tour has been a success, as has the selling of Going Rogue. I've enjoyed reading the book so far, and found it has reaffirmed my support of her. Also, Governor Palin has more photos from her tour; take a look at them. And Governor, keep fighting the good fight.

Grassroots News Minute (December 11th)

The latest from Sarah: Laura Ingraham’s Auction to Benefit Our Military

Sarah Palin has in her latest Facebook note information about an auction being organized by Laura Ingraham:

Laura Ingraham’s Auction to Benefit Our Military

It’s a privilege to participate in the auction Laura Ingraham is organizing to help our men and women in uniform. Laura asked if I would donate the jacket I wore on the cover of my book, “Going Rogue.” I can’t think of a better cause, and it’s especially fitting because the book is dedicated to patriots and in particular to our women and men in uniform.

All the proceeds from the auction go to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project and The Fisher House (please click the links for more information about these wonderful organizations).

Our military and their families sacrifice so much to protect us. That sacrifice was so evident at our visit to the Walter Reed Hospital on Sunday. It was deeply moving and inspirational to hear our recovering troops’ stories and to see their patriotism reflected so vividly in their willingness to serve a cause greater than themselves.

Please join Laura in helping these brave and selfless Americans and their families. You can participate in the auction by visiting Laura’s website here.

- Sarah Palin

Winter is here

If winter hasn't heralded its entrance here in northeast Indiana, it certainly has now. The whole day has been very windy outside which has made it bitterly cold in the area, and unfortunately, it doesn't make it too conducive for me to blog much.

I am working, however, on a book review (boy, am I making myself important or what?) and am in the middle of Sarah Palin's book Going Rogue (excellent read, so far), and I'm sure at some point there will be much more to blog about in the near future (with what President Obama and his fellow progressives are up to every day, how long can it really be?).

So, as a legendary animated character is known for saying, T-T-F-N, ta-ta for now!

(By the way, Sarah Palin has an op-ed in The Washington Post; a must-read on Copenhagen.)

Update (Dec. 10th, 11:12 AM EST): I've completed the book review and have posted it. Go ahead and take a look.

Welcome, Paul Wilson & I Support Sarah Palin

Two more bloggers have joined the Bloggers for Sarah Palin blogroll, Paul Wilson and Barbara at I Support Sarah Palin. Welcome aboard, fellow bloggers, to the blogroll and the good fight for Governor Palin.

The latest from Sarah: Drill, Baby, Drill... Even Off-Shore

Sarah Palin wrote yesterday on the decision of the Secretary of the Interior to allow drilling off the northwest coast of Alaska:

Drill, Baby, Drill... Even Off-Shore

I commend Interior Secretary Salazar’s decision today to conditionally approve drilling at three exploratory wells in the Chukchi Sea off the northwest coast of Alaska; it’s a decision that’s been a long time coming. The area north of the Arctic Circle contains some of the world’s richest oil and gas reserves. U.S. Geological Survey researchers estimate that it contains 1.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 83 billion barrels of undiscovered oil.

The international community recognizes the potential of Arctic off-shore drilling; it’s about time our government allowed us to compete with them by developing these rich reserves in an environmentally responsible way. As I said last April in my testimony before the Secretary during a federal hearing in Anchorage, “Alaska’s oil and gas resources can and should be a major part of the implementation of any creditable energy plan for our nation. Alaska has proven that these resources can be developed safely, but Arctic exploration and development is a slow, demanding process. Delays or major restrictions in accessing these resources for environmentally responsible development are not in the national interest or the interests of the State of Alaska.”

As an Alaskan and an American, I am very grateful for the decision today because it is a step in the right direction toward prosperity for Alaska and energy independence and security for America.

- Sarah Palin

Good news indeed; I hope more drilling will be opened, especially in Alaska.

The latest from Sarah: Reflection on Pearl Harbor

The former Governor of Alaska has written about the anniversary of Pearl Harbor in her latest Facebook note:

Reflection on Pearl Harbor

On December 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan launched a surprise attack on the U. S. Naval Station at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in which thousands of Americans lost their lives and our naval fleet was severely damaged. The events of that day, which President Franklin Roosevelt vowed would “live in infamy,” proved for many Americans that aggressors would not simply ignore us if we ignored them. The attack on Pearl Harbor launched America into the Second World War, and our Greatest Generation did not hesitate when asked to sacrifice for their country. American men enlisted in droves, American women went to work in the factories that became our “Arsenal of Democracy,” and many Americans gave what little money they had to buy the war bonds that funded it all. They stormed the beaches at Normandy and fought on little known islands in the Pacific in the name of liberty. They don’t ask for our thanks, but I hope we will continue to give it because the sacrifice that began at Pearl Harbor is one of the many events that have defined the United States of America as “the last best hope of man on earth.”

- Sarah Palin

Well said, Governor.

Remembering Pearl Harbor

68 years ago at this very minute, America was thrown into World War II with the Japanese sneak attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor, forever branding the date as one “which will live in infamy”. The response was swift the following day when President Franklin Roosevelt declared war on Japan:

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the very man responsible for planning the sneak attack, was said to have given the following commentary on the attack:

I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.

Whether he did or didn't say it is in one respect irrelevant, for the statement itself was very much a true statement. Almost four years later, that truth would be proven when the Japanese signed a treaty of unconditional surrender on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

While some people over the decades forgot the truth behind the statement (Usama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein being a couple of examples), we haven't forgotten this infamous date. To those servicemen and civilians who were killed that morning in Hawaii, rest in peace. You are not forgotten.

A sneak attack on Sarah Palin

With today being the anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, I was prepared to write a little about the event itself, until a Google search led me to the latest attack on Sarah Palin from the Left.

The leftist blog Firedoglake featured a post from very early this morning, claiming the real reason Governor Palin was in Hawaii for a very short time was because of the presence of “Asians and Pacific Islanders”. The source for their claim comes from a book review by Sam Tanenhaus at The New Yorker of Governor Palin's book Going Rogue, which cites the source as coming from Governor Palin's father while he was interviewed for another book, Sarah From Alaska.

So, now the accusation of racism has been leveled at Sarah. And if isn't a spoken accusation (as the Left may claim), it's definitely an implied one.

For the book review by Mr. Tanenhaus, it strikes me as another typical attack from an elitist snob, but there's a passage from his review after he mentions the source I just mentioned:

Palin’s discomfort is easy to understand. Race is often the subtext of populist campaigns; their most potent appeal is to whites who are feeling under siege by changing economic and cultural conditions.

Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2009/12/07/091207crbo_books_tanenhaus#ixzz0Z1G30XeQ

He also notes her strength “with this constituency can only have grown since the last election”, and it was the reason why the former Governor chose places like Fort Wayne, Indiana and Washington, Pennsylvania for her book tour. Boy, anything to try to prove Sarah is not a hero, huh? What Mr. Tanenhaus does is take the whole of his review and sums up the purpose of it with his last sentence:

The true meaning of Palinism is Sarah Palin—nothing more and nothing less. She is a party unto herself.

Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2009/12/07/091207crbo_books_tanenhaus#ixzz0Z1IOYvaO

As for the book Sarah From Alaska, I haven't read it, so I don't know what's in it, but knowing how willing the Left is to go by their playbook of the-ends-justifies-the-means tactics, I expect they went through the book cherry-picking the quotes. There's also the possibility the writers of this book took whatever Governor Palin's father said out of context.

Either way, one of the parties here is responsible for this smear, a sneak attack. And just in time for the anniversary of the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. How ironic.

The crusade against gun permit holders

The NRA-ILA has some news about a newspaper in Indiana, The Bloomington Times-Herald, announcing a database on gun permits. The ILA notes:

The newspaper’s gun database went live Tuesday, December 1. It contains a database of gun permit information, wherein the public can search the number of permits in a given county, zip code or even on particular streets.

NRA members have been contacting the Times-Herald about this, but as the ILA goes on to report:

The Herald-Times has begun receiving your calls and emails, and their editorial response remains a defiant defense of their online gun permit database.

The editors do not care that some rural or suburban streets have only a few houses, so listing a street with five homes and four permit holders provides gun thieves with a shopping list of homes to rob.

On the flip side, the editors do not care that a street with no permit holders also informs criminals which homeowners are likely to have no method of self-defense, making them easy target victims.

In an earlier release from the ILA, the way the Times-Herald was conducting this database, it was described as if gun permit holders were no different than convicted sex offenders. It is nothing short of an outrage against those who wish to own a gun for whatever reason they see fit.

If anybody reading this lives in Indiana and is equally outraged by this “crusade” of the Times-Herald's , the ILA has contact information of the people to write to. I intend to convey my own outrage about the matter.

Now isn't that interesting, chapter 30

There is no doubt in my mind that Christianity and Islam are polar opposites as far as religions go. The most basic difference is that Christianity preaches love, while Islam preaches hate. Naturally, there are more detailed differences.

David H. Mercier, at his blog Redeem The Time, wrote about the differences earlier this week, and it's quite telling. Mr. Mercier also mentions how some people claim the God worshipped by Christians and the god worshipped by Islamists are one and the same. Looking at the details, I find it very hard to believe.

The most telling thing about the differences is in how the Bible shows God is omniscient, while the Qur'an shows the Islamists' god as otherwise. Of course, the writers of the Qur'an covered their tracks, but it's quite revealing. Need I say it's interesting?

Sarah Palin on Worthy American Heroes

Governor Palin, in her latest Facebook note, comments on her pending appearance at Fort Hood, Texas:

Worthy American Heroes - Reminding Us What Really Matters

Ready and anxious to see America’s finest at Ft. Hood tomorrow. My heart is with every military mom, dad, spouse, child, grandparent... every supporter of our proud men and women in uniform.

My brother passed the following along to me because he thought I’d like it; he was right. Enjoy... and please honor America’s finest.

- Sarah Palin

The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father’s, but he has never collected unemployment either.

He’s a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away. He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and a 155mm howitzer.

He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must.

He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional.

He can march until he is told to stop, or stop until he is told to march.

He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient.

He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry.

He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.

If you’re thirsty, he’ll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He’ll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low.

He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands.

He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job. He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay, and still find ironic humor in it all. He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime. He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed.

He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to ‘square-away’ those around him who haven’t bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking.

In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful.

Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years.

He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding.

Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood.

And now we even have women over there in danger, doing their part in this tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so.

As you go to bed tonight, remember this. A short lull, a little shade, and a picture of loved ones in their helmets.