Another Reason I Will Not Vote for the Democrat Ticket

Linda @ Something and Half of Something wrote an open letter to Senator Biden regarding his appearance on Meet the Press back in 2006.

Senator Biden, you made rash and harsh accusations against good and honorable men without evidence, without fact. You spoke of the Haditha incident as if the accused Marines were guilty and you did so without reviewing any evidence, without any facts, without any due process. You did so based on rumor and innuendo, based on enemy propaganda, and you pronounced them guilty without a trial.

Read the rest of this well thought letter here.

Well done Linda. And Happy 4 Years of Blogging!

Rewind and Replay... Not Quite...

Sunny - Hi 73 Lo 52 for Baghdad, Iraq
Rain - Hi 50 Lo 33 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: Angry American, Toby Keith

I started out on You Tube looking for a tribute with the backdrop of Toby's song, which I have used a couple of times as my Song of the Week, however, none suited my feelings...none suited where we are today. All of the videos I found had flags waving, visions of the towers falling, the American people united, and soldiers fighting. I wish we were united against this evil, but we are not. I am uncontrollably angry. I am livid.

Ramble:

On August 7, 2005 I wrote about my anger AND hope after Lima Company took a huge blow in a post titled, Anger and Hope. Not much has changed... except I'm not so hopeful these days. I have grown weary. Below is an excerpt from the original post, if you want the links listed in the post please go to my original post here.

I am angry.
Those Marines were battling men that hide behind masks, that do cruel things that are too vile to discuss in a polite society. Torture? Please, go ahead and drive me crazy about talk of Abu Ghraib (Yes, I have seen all the photos, including the ones they don't show on the news...) and Guantanamo... No heads were viciously cut off in front of cameras...DO you remember hearing the blood curdling screams of those poor souls? Yes, there are a few idiots in our midst... I am ashamed that they are Americans--Lynndie England and Charles Graner (the most photographed) and the others, but we find them, remove them, and punish them accordingly. I'm disgusted by Janis Karpinski AND with the military that did not send her to be court-martialed... She allowed Abu Ghraib to happen on her watch... I'm sure she wasn't court-martialed because the military has blame in this too. She was placed in a job that she had no business in. I bet she was promoted through the ranks because she is a woman. (How many of us know people at work that have been promoted that should have been fired? Show of hands?) She is incompetent... You know it, I know it... and I can write it because I'm of the same gender...(you know what I mean... that whole politically correct thing... another topic for another time) Now I hear she is on the speaker circuit, trying to make a buck. I guess she is professing how hard it is to be a Brigadier General (was demoted to Colonel) in the Army in Iraq... boo hoo hoo...

Look... We don't torture and murder innocent civilians like Leon Klinghoffer, or Italian hero Fabrizio Quatrocchi, or the crew and passengers of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie Scotland, or Daniel Pearl ****LINK NOT APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN AND SOME ADULTS****. We don't kill our athletes when they don't perform. We don't treat women like cattle... worse than cattle... We don't rape women and young girls and then murder them because they are no longer pure... We don't send a car filled with explosives into Embassies (Tehran, Beirut, Kuwait) to maim and kill civilians... We don't boobeytrap our own CHILDREN with explosives to kill soldiers!! We don't fill a back pack with explosives, board trains and buses and blow people to bits... Oh, and we don't fly jetliners into skyscrapers and kill thousands either!!!

We are fighting evil and it is real. It is tangible...You can touch the face of a terrorist- he isn't the bogeyman... You know as well as I do who the bad guys are....I must remind those that will listen to the Michael Moores and Al Frankens and all the politicians that would prefer to sell our collective souls to the devil that we need to to remember who the enemy is.... The Jawa Report **** NOT APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN AND SOME ADULTS*** does an excellent job of reminding everyone in his blog entry, Avenging Cpl. Jeffrey A. Boskovich. Every time we start to forget the reason why we are fighting these extremest cowards... we should reflect on those awful images and sounds of horror as a reminder....

After this part of the post, I had provided reasons as to why I was hopeful. Today I wonder to myself whether or not I'm being sucked into a vacuum... Where is our sense of priority? Where is our personal sense of duty? Where is our accountability and responsibility? Anna Nicole... why is she still news? She is dead... and I don't think she is going to wake up... if she does then it would be Night of the Living Dead and I WOULD want to know about that. Britney Spears? Why do we care about this sad unfortunate bit of white trash? Jet Blue? I was flipping through the cable channels early yesterday morning and the banter went something like this:

Talking head with boobs # 1: "So, this was really traumatic for the folks on board, probably one of the most traumatic events anyone flying could endure. This is probably the worst case scenario when we are flying. What will Jet Blue do to prevent this from happening ever again?"

Talking head with boobs # 2: "Well, Jan the CEO has taken all the right steps. Time will tell whether it is enough."

Folks--- let's get one thing clear. If sitting on an *expletive * expletive* jet for hours is the most traumatic event that occurs in one's life...then I'd say... SHUT UP!!!

OH... and the most traumatic event that can occur on a jet? Hmmmmmm.... let's see... How about being on board with a bunch of terrorists that decide... "Yeah... this jet... it will make a great bomb...so, let's slash the throats of the crew with box cutters and take over this jet and go blow up some buildings..." Me personally, I think THAT would be the most traumatic event on a plane- but that's just me.

Good Grief!! There are soldiers and Marines that are fighting and DYING for us... They are wondering whether or not they have our support. We have asked these young men and women to do things that we can not begin to imagine. They do it- they do it for the sake of us- unappreciative, lazy, complaining whiners. They are keeping the fight OVER THERE!!!

Oh and check this out... as I'm perusing blogs as I like to do... I found this post....

Cut'n'run...............sounds like a plan

"If the U.S. leaves before the job is done, the enemy could follow us here." Quoted from a speech the president gave recently.

F*** You, Mr. President................................let them follow us.........

They've kicked our ass to a stalemate on their turf long enough. They control most of the battlefield. They pick away at our young service members with relative impunity. They die martyrs..........deluded, but happy to do so. We die for our "cause". A far less fulfilling fate.

So...................f*** you Dubya. Bring 'em home. Let's defend the Homeland from home. Let them be the strangers in a strange land.

Ankh

OH - MY - GOD!!! This guy thinks it's a great idea to fight 'em here... Fighting on our streets? Where our children play? Where our loved ones and homes can be blown up? With the exceptions of the so called occasional "Hate Crimes" or Teenage Angst Issues gone awry.... have we not prevented attacks on our soil? Why does this guy think it's a great idea to bring the battle here? To fill our streets with terrorists? Why? Am I missing something? Please help me out! Again... Am I living in some sort of vacuum??? What is this???

We have a bunch of whiney *expletive* politicians maneuvering and saying what they will to get our vote.... I am so sick and freaking tired of them!!! Which candidate is going to have the *expletive* to stand up and say,

"NO MORE! SHUT UP NANCY PELOSI! SHUT UP HARRY REID! TED KENNEDY SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP- HOW DARE YOU TELL ME ABOUT MORALITY! SHUT UP YOU BLEEDING HEART HOLLYWOOD DIMWITS! SHUT UP YOU COMMUNISTS! YOU SOCIALISTS! CODE PINK AND CINDY SHEEHAN! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH- I LOVE THIS COUNTRY AND WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO DESTROY IT. WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO TAKE THE FIGHT TO THE TERRORISTS! WE WILL DESTROY THOSE THAT WOULD DESTROY US"

I don't see anyone on the horizon that looks like that, do you? Where is our next hero? It certainly isn't in the pack of Republicans I see... I want someone rabid- I want someone angry - someone that realizes what is at stake. I send off weekly notes to my representatives. Am I doing any good? Am I the only one?

So, I don't know what to do with my anger. I thank God everyday for our Marines and soldiers. I pray for them. I pray for our Commander in Chief. I support them and their mission, but I must ask,

What else am I to do? Am I all alone?

UPDATE 8:AM: Thanks Major Pain for posting this. Thanks for reminding me that there are good men in Washington fighting the good fight. Go watch Congressman Johnson speak.

Semper Gratus Has the Video

Yes... this story is over a week old... and you may have already seen this, but I'm here to say we must not forget... and it is a reminder that we must show support for our military.

I was listening to a father this morning on the radio. His son was coming home from Iraq today. The radio host asked what our troops need more than anything else and without hesitation... the dad said, "they need our support."

Check out my sidebar... there are so many ways to offer support... from email to care packages...

Go visit Gunn Nutt at Semper Gratus, but before you do... make yourself a nice cup of coffee--- decaf if you must (bring some Pepto) and set aside about 30 minutes-- 3 different videos - about 10 minutes each from the "Peace Rally". Joshua Sparling is in it... see for yourself what these Peaceniks say to this young man.... It is a trainwreck... Take note of all the signs and who sponsored them.... It is sickening what is said to these heroes..

Go... Go Now!!

Thanks Gunn Nutt!!

P.S. DIE..... Joshua Sparling...

I was so angry I was crying.

Driving home from work this evening I heard the report about Joshua Sparling being spit on at the PEACE RALLY in Washington D.C.

You may remember the name Joshua Sparling- He was the soldier that had the Christmas card up on his wall at Walter Reed that said something to the effect of "Die." I posted about him here- and asked that folks send cards to Walter Reed to show support for these fine men and women. Well, it seems that these protestors have shown their true colors yet again and really don't give a rat's behind about him or any of the others soldiers or Marines.... They DO NOT support the troops.

"There were a few tense moments, however, including an encounter involving Joshua Sparling, 25, who was on crutches and who said he was a corporal with the 82nd Airborne Division and lost his right leg below the knee in Ramadi, Iraq. Mr. Sparling spoke at a smaller rally held earlier in the day at the United States Navy Memorial, and voiced his support for the administration’s policies in Iraq.

Later, as antiwar protesters passed where he and his group were standing, words were exchanged and one of the antiwar protestors spit at the ground near Mr. Sparling; he spit back."

complete article found @ NY Times

Sean Hannity had Joshua on the line and these same peaceloving protestors wished Joshua dead... called him a baby killer... threatened his life.... NICE..................


Antiwar Protestors... PLEASE BE HONEST WITH YOURSELVES. YOU DO NOT SUPPORT THE TROOPS. YOU HATE THE MILITARY AS MUCH AS YOU HATE GEORGE BUSH. PLEASE DO NOT TELL ME THAT YOU ARE OPEN AND DIVERSE. YOU ARE NOT... IF SOMEONE DISAGREES WITH YOUR VIEWPOINT THEY GET A NICE CARD LIKE THE ONE TO THE LEFT...

NOW... GO BACK TO HOLDING HANDS, LYING TO YOURSELVES AND SINGING KUMBAYA.... OH AND THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR PEACEFUL MISSION... WISHING THOSE OF US THAT DISAGREE WITH YOU DEAD....

UPDATE: I NEGLECTED TO MENTION-- GO BACK TO YOUR VANDALIZING, AND HERO WORSHIP.

The Pledge--- # 27,162

Sunny - Hi 65 Lo 61 for Baghdad, Iraq
Snow and Wind (nice...) - Hi 22 Lo 15 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: If I Die Before You Wake, Dustin Evans - The link is to Dustin's Myspace sight. If you enjoy country music, go check out some of his other songs... nice selection.

Ramble:

So Friday, I left work and headed to CVG (The Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport) to pick up my grandfather. My brother had a week long conference out in Las Vegas and my grandfather goes out to visit my Uncle and cousins and to enjoy the cultural aspect of Las Vegas... ok...ok... he goes for the craps tables and the food.

Anyway, I get to the airport early and wander around... as much as you can these days... I check the arrivals monitors... I see that his flight is a whole minute early... woo hoo!! I take note of the baggage claim number.... 3.... mental note.... go to claim # 3.... #3...#3.... got it... OK... I still have 30 minutes to kill....I wander down to check out a couple of the huge mosaic murals created during the Great Depression for the Union Terminal. The mosaics are I'm guessing about 25 feet x 25 feet in size... huge-- created by German immigrant, Winold Reiss-- an incredible artist. Back in the 70's there were plans to demolish the Union Terminal so there was an enormous drive to raise money to save the murals and get them moved to the airport. The murals are truly some of the finest works of Art Deco and the Union Terminal (which thankfully is still standing) probably the finest example of Art Deco architecture in the country. Truly, if you ever have a layover in Cincinnati, please go check out the mosaics-- Wonderful wonderful examples of Art Deco--- scenes of the American Worker were from places in the tri state area. If you have an appreciation of propaganda posters for the artistic value you will appreciate these murals. Fabulous.

OK... so, I wander back towards baggage claim... I debate whether or not I should go downstairs or just wait upstairs... I decide to check w/ Delta to make sure my grandfather will be provided with a wheelchair escort from the gate to baggage claim. That was quick... yes he is... I decide to stay upstairs. I watched some arrivals and it makes me all misty to see families and loved ones reunited... go to the airport if you ever need a "pick me up" and are convinced that life on this planet is just awful and you are feeling completely cynical... go to the airport... I'm standing at the top of the escalator and feel a smile crossing my face. Happy reunited faces. A police officer is standing to my right also watching the arrivals. A couple of minutes later a young 20 something handsome man in a ball cap and t-shirt walks up and joins us. He is excited... Talking... talking... smiling smiling. It turns out that this fine young man is with the National Guard. He had been in Iraq for 12 months and had been home for about a month. He was anxious to see his girl. She too was coming home from Iraq via Charlotte. They hadn't seen each other for 5 months. The police officer was asking questions about where they trained... what his thoughts were... it appeared that they knew some of the same folks... small town, ya know? Let me tell you... that young man had one thing on his mind. About that time, he pulled a little box out of his pocket and opened it for us to see. Inside was a beautiful diamond engagement ring... I looked at him... beaming.... grabbed his shoulder (hmmm... muscles) and squeaked, "Are you going to propose to her now??" With a twinkle in his eye and a smile from ear to ear... "Yes ma'am!" The officer shook his hand, a couple walking past stopped to say good luck... it was very cool. The whole time this was taking place I was watching for my grandfather... the soldier was looking for his girl. The police officer asked the soldier what she looked like, what would she be wearing, "She is beautiful. She has brand new white tennis shoes". Oh, well great, that helps, we will surely be able to help you spot your girl with that detail... A few minutes later, I see my grandfather being wheeled up. I point down. I said to the soldier, "That's my grandfather. He is a WWII vet. On behalf of my grandfather and myself thank you for your service and after you propose to your bride to be, thank her for us". I shook his hand and I left him and the officer. I wanted to go meet my grandfather at the elevator. I heard the soldier call me, "Ma'am!" I turned around and he came up to me and said, "Thank your grandfather for me, you know, for his service, ok?" I manage a smile and a nodd.

Instant tears!!! Do you hear me??

So, I meet my grandfather and he is just as happy as can be. He did well at the craps tables, ate at some of the finest restaurants had a couple of stories to tell.... His wheelchair escort is a man, I would guess in his 50's with brown skin- Indian descent, with an accent... I tell you this, because of the words he spoke to my grandfather. "I don't see too many folks like you anymore, you know World War Two era. You take care of yourself and it has been a privilege to serve you today. Thank you for your service to our great country." My grandfather smiled and shook the man's hand and said, "Thank you. Very kind."

Instant tears again!

It's really important that we are mindful of these men and women. They want to finish the job. Let them. Do your part to support them. And if you have not done so already, go and take an active role by signing the Pledge. On Tuesday, Hugh Hewitt wrote this:

Take the Pledge:

If the United States Senate passes a resolution, non-binding or otherwise, that criticizes the commitment of additional troops to Iraq that General Petraeus has asked for and that the president has pledged, and if the Senate does so after the testimony of General Petraeus on January 23 that such a resolution will be an encouragement to the enemy, I will not contribute to any Republican senator who voted for the resolution. Further, if any Republican senator who votes for such a resolution is a candidate for re-election in 2008, I will not contribute to the National Republican Senatorial Committee unless the Chairman of that Committee, Senator Ensign, commits in writing that none of the funds of the NRSC will go to support the re-election of any senator supporting the non-binding resolution.

Take the pledge, and tell the NRSC:

NRSC
Ronald Reagan Republican Center
425 2nd Street, NE
Washington, DC
20002
202.675.6000
webmaster@gopsenators.com

Then e-mail Senator McConnell and Senator Ensign, and tell them too. Senator McConnell's phone number is (202) 224-2541. Senator Ensign's phone number is (202) 224-6244.

GOP activists and donors built the GOP senate delegation, as well as the majority that was punted away. They can disassemble it as well, and GOP support for a neoappeasement resolution is exactly the way to start that process.

The Congressional GOP has to realize it cannot have it both ways --you can't be for victory after you were against it.

And GOP senators --alone or as a group-- definitely cannot
count on the support of the base if any of them vote for appeasement.

SIGN THE PLEDGE

Thanks go to Carol for bringing this to my attention.

Blogs and Links to Check Out This Week:

I visited Joe, That One Guy @ Drunken Wisdom, Joe said to go visit Og @ Neanderpundit, Og requested I read this. Now before you go read this undertand there is a lot of foul language. I just love the guy's enthusiam to share a story... The website is called: Ben Thompson - My Stupid Website Beb writes a weekly biography that he calls Bad A$$ of the Week. Truly, this guy is passionate and the foul language is........foul... but it suits this guys writing style. Read about Simo Haya

Housekeeping: UPDATE-- Michael and I finally received our 70's Music Explosion CD's! I'll let you know if the wait was worth it.



Have a great week everyone!

Bargain-Suppliers Discount Mats - The Last Word

OK.... so I couldn't let it go... When you go to Discount-Mats now, you will find this note:

"Dear Visitor,

Due to the recent actions of a member within our company, we have been experiencing many difficulties. We have been bombarded by emails and phone calls literally within 12 hours of the event occurring, which sent us in a state of complete shock.

Our technical difficulties were experienced due to severe e-mail and phone call overload.

As a company, we would like to say that it is against company policy to treat anyone disrespectfully, and we condemn any such behavior. The member who was responsible for stating their personal opinion in a disrespectful manner is no longer associated and no longer working with Discount-Mats.com

The members within our company strongly disagreed with the views and actions of this member, and once again, his personal opinion does not reflect the opinions of the company.

We, as a company, are sorry for the events that took place and we do not condone un-professional, rude behavior from any members within our company.

We are trying to get our website back up as soon as possible.

If you are a potential or current customer, or if you would like to
leave your comments, please contact us via phone or e-mail below:

New E-mail Address: support @ discount-mats.com

Phone Number: 414-736-8394

We are getting a lot of phone calls and we expect many emails, so please don't be surprised if the mailbox is full. Please try again later as we are constantly trying to clear our phone and e-mail boxes. "

So, let's just make this clear... The apology is for the rude behavior only....

..:: Understood ::..

Bargain-Suppliers Discount Mats

The following is an email exchange between Sgt Hess, stationed in Iraq and an internet company called Discount-Mats.com.

To Whom it may concern:

Do you ship to APO addresses? I'm in the 1st Cavalry Division stationed in Iraq and we are trying to order some mats but we are looking for who ships to APO first.

SGT Hess

the response--

SGT Hess,We do not ship to APO addresses, and even if we did, we would NEVER ship to Iraq. If you were sensible, you and your troops would pull out of Iraq.

Bargain SuppliersDiscount-Mats.com

This correspondence took place on January 16. I checked Snopes.com and they have verified this to be true. Ah... yes... the libs showing their true colors.... "I support the troops, not their mission"--- Bullcrap! Liberals hate the military and hate what our men and women in uniform stand for! I'm so sick and tired of their pacifist butts.

For those dozen or so of you that read my blog, I urge you to please post something on your blog about this.... (let me know if you do) Not that I am in the market for a mat, but I want to make a point that Bargain Suppliers Discount Mats can take a stance... The good news is that the American Consumer can also take a stance...

One last thing... feel free to send a note to this company....

UPDATE: Discount Mats sight has been down for quite a while so feel free to drop a note in the mail to them---

UPDATE 7:00 PM: Snopes has updated their sight and included a link to this report.

FINAL UPDATE 1/23/07, 7:00 PM - Dakota Ranger left a comment stating Michelle Malkin posted on this. Looks like the person that sent the email to Sgt. Hess has been terminated. I have removed the phone number and snail mail address. Here is a link to the Fox News article and to point out one thing that was left in my comments for clarification purposes:

"Sgt. Colby Howser, spokesman for the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, said it is not unusual for soldiers to make purchases on their own. 'He wasn't ordering for the unit,' Howser said. 'If the unit needed to purchase something, it would be a lieutenant colonel placing the order, not a sergeant."

So, I stand by our troops and thank everyone that did the same. OK. Put a fork in me. I'm done. No More on this and back to my 12 visitors a day and if you didn't catch it before, check out this past Sunday's post... I thought it was brilliant... I used Latin and everything..........

How Do I Tell Liberals to F off on a PG Rated Blog?

OK... I need help from anyone that reads my blog. We have another discouraged soldier on our hands and I believe it is my responsibility to change that. I am asking you to do 3 simple things: 1) Read the email below 2) Leave a comment for this soldier offering words of encouragement- I'll make sure he gets a copy or gets connected to this blog 3) Refer 1 person here and have them do steps 1 and 2 also.

I am so sick and tired of these men and women having to deal with this sort of shit!!! They need to know that we are behind them, that we support them and we support their mission. Please, give this man and those he stands with some words of encouragement. Thanks. -C


From: Michael
To: Tom
Subject: Your Package
Date: Sat, 26 Nov 2005 11:47:03 +0000

Hello Tom,

I received your latest package a few days ago. Great! Excellent! More stuff I can use and enjoy. I appreciate it. I'm glad you and the fellers are keeping up with your support. Hell, we need more Americans like the patriots of your rod & gun club, sure! Yes, many Americans,
nay, most Americans are opposed to this war. I've heard as much. It bothers me. Personally, I believe we should be here. Hell, if we don't do anything about terrorism, who will? Iraq is the heart of terrorism, and us soldiers must pluck out the heart in one fell swoop. I agree that America should be waging this war but, from my point of view, the thing I don't agree with is the manner in which we are doing it. Mind you, I'm only seeing this from my own perspective, but I think the tactics we are using have got to change; they are killing us. If we are going to win, we must change our battle tactics. Anyway, I had a wee bit of free time (believe it or not), and I thought I'd go through my e-mails, answer some, as well as read 'em. Stay in touch, Tom. Thanks for being an ardent, patriotic supporter. I may be back in Ohio sometime in late February/early March.

-Mike

Then Tom forwarded this email:

From: Tom
Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2005 8:04 PM
To: XXX

Kim, Kyle, and everybody,
(for those who don't know Mike XXXXX - he's a soldier stationed in Baghdad, Iraq.)
Here's my latest from Mike. I took exception with his statement (see below) about most Americans being opposed to the war and sent a response to him that said "I don't know who you heard that from, but it's bullshit". I refuse to believe that most Americans, or even many
Americans, or even more than a few short sighted people who happen to live here, are against the war on terrorism. I told him I was old enough to remember the Johnson and Nixon eras where there was a lot of dissention on the war - but I believe that's not the case today. I also told him to tell his buddies what I said. I think he needs a little support from lots of people. As I understand it, mail to soldiers in Iraq is free. I think it would be great for him to receive a ton of letters that tell him we believe in what he and his comrades are doing and that we support them 100%. Can you imagine those guys reading a letter that goes something like this:
"I understand that you think most of us are not behind you, praying for you, believing in you. Well, I don't know where you got that idea, but it's wrong. We remember 9/11. We saw what happened in Spain. We don't expect to sit around and wait for that to happen again. We expect the most powerful military in the history of the world and all members of the coalition to solve this problem for us. So, please, quit whining and get back to work - and remember, we all love you." Or, whatever words of support you can come up with. These guy need a HUGE cheering section. If you think this is worthy to pass on, do it. Mike's address is:

For obvious reasons I have removed the address. Please leave a comment and I'll make sure Mike gets it.

For those of you that know me and would like to send a card, please drop me a note or call me and I'll give you Mike's address.