Your Military Right

Seriously, why are you still here?

2007-05-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

Please visit Mamanista! for chic, practical, and essential baby products for new parents. It is my new project and I would love you to check it out.

Or try Mama Saga to find out about my life as a Mama.

Or An Army Wife's Life or SpouseBUZZ for military spouse whatnot.

Why Are You Still Here?

2005-12-06T09:22:00.000-08:00

You should go to my other, now frequently updated blog: An Army Wife's Life. I will have almost daily updates on life as an Army Wife with a deployed husband. I promise to also throw in a little politics for fun.

If you are really missing the politics, I suggest checking out Sandmonkey.

Here's an Arab Muslim blogger who LIKES freedom, democracy, and the U.S....he even organizes anti-terrorism vigils in Egypt, in defiance of the police. He's also funny. I read Sandmonkey pretty much every day.

Please consider voting for him in the Best of the Middle East or Africa category in the 2005 Weblog Awards.

Dear everybody,

My blog was nominated yesterday for the 2005 Weblog award in the best middle-east or Africa blog category, and let's just say that the competition is stiff ( i.e. I am getting my butt-kicked). This is why I need you to go there and vote for me, and not for any of the other blogs on that list. You shouldn't vote for them anyway, because not a single one of them is as informative or as funny as my blog. Not to mention, I have it on good authority* that they are all boogerfaces and have cooties, oh yeah, and hate freedom, motherhood and apple pie. I don't. I support all of those things. Do you? Show it by voting for me. Not convinced? Well, I didn't want to say this, but they also eat babies for breakfast, admire Hitler and like to kidnap and molest dolphins. Not to mention they talked shit about your Mama. You gonna let them get away with that? I didn't. I defended her as the nice virtious lady that she is! See, I care for you! I got your back. So show that you got mine and vote for me. It will only take you a second, but it will mean the world to me. Really. I swear. Now do it already! It's what your mama would want you to do!

Love,
The Sandmonkey

Kill the Blog

2005-09-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

So, I'm considering killing this blog.

Like every other blogger at one point or another, I'm questioning whether or not it is worthwhile for me or for others.

I think I created this blog because I love a good debate...but most who have come here probably agree with me. Well, at least those who were actually looking for something along the lines of this blog--there are plenty who came here through some amazingly random searches.

I'm guessing that is why comments are few and far between even though I know people are visiting and some are even returning. While I appreciate that some are interested in reading how I phrase my thoughts, that doesn't fulfill my original goal and others with similar opinions have more time to research and polish their prose.

I don't believe this blog is making a unique contribution. I have no connections to "highly placed sources"...or rather I have one or two but I wouldn't exploit them and they wouldn't let me. If I feel the need to comment on world events, I could always visit some of my favorite political blogs or post on the news section of the military spouse support board I read.

If I stop this blog, I can concentrate on my other blog, An Army Wife's Life, and well...work, life, things like that. I'd really like to get the military blog up to date and start posting more daily experiences as an officer's wife.

Any thoughts???

Like Sausages, Indeed...

2005-09-13T23:26:00.000-07:00

I can't stand watching the hearings re-runs anymore. It is all just an excuse for Senators (on both sides of the aisle) to talk. I think I'm better off not watching.

Okay, I'm Being Good and Watching the Roberts Hearings (For Now)

2005-09-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

Kennedy is up...boy is he fun...

Is he asking a question or making a speech?

Roberts is waiting so patiently and Kennedy seems not at all interested in his answer.

This whole intent/effects test thing is interesting...not something with which I was really acquainted.

Kennedy is just not letting him answer.

Roberts is being quite frank with Kennedy and Kennedy just does not want to hear it.

The way I'm understanding all of this is that certain sections of the Voting Rights Act, which was renewed during the Reagan administration, say that it is the intent that determines discrimination and other sections (referring to areas that have previous gross examples of discrimination) require only that the effect is discriminatory.

Roberts is saying that, over two decades ago, he supported his bosses' position that the Act should be renewed but the "effects" test should not be extended to other sections of the Act.

Kennedy did.

Kennedy is still pissed. Roberts seems to accept that he and Kennedy disagree.

Am I understanding this correctly?

Roberts Hearings or...

2005-09-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

So, should I watch the Roberts Hearings on C-Span, Queer Eye, check out more Foamy the Squirrel, or read the Onion?

I need something to distract me.

My kitty is not feeling well after getting her booster shots today. The vet said she is probably just fine but I'm still nervous.

So, I turned on the Roberts Hearings. So far it looks like a bunch of giggling schoolgirls. Nothing surprising or aggressive...if it continues to be dull I guess it will be Queer Eye time.

The ACLU and Dress Codes: Are Thongs Protected Speech?

2005-09-13T13:55:00.001-07:00

Custom-made fit for school: Dress codes, student uniforms back in style

...critics dispute the benefits and argue dress codes and school uniforms restrict students' free speech.

Justin Taylor, a 10th-grader at Alabama's Fayette County High School, which doesn't have a strict dress code, says any move toward uniforms would take choices out of his hands.

"I wouldn't like it. I just wouldn't like wearing the same things over and over again every day," Justin says. "I would rather wear what I wanted."

Boo, hoo...and I'd rather be independently wealthy.

"I would rather wear what I wanted" hardly rises to the level of protected speech.

In 2004, Timothy Gies, a senior at Bay City Central High School in Michigan, was suspended several times for wearing shirts and sweat shirts with anarchy symbols, peace signs, upside-down American flags and an anti-war quote from Albert Einstein.

Alright, this is political speech and therefore protected...unless it significantly disrupts the educational mission. The upside-down flag may very well be inflamatory and disruptive in that community. On the other hand, suspending someone for an Einstein quote was probably a mistake.

This all depends on the dress code, though. If the code says, "plain white shirts, plain blue sweaters, no slogans, quotes, or political symbols" then he broke the dress code. I can't tell from this or other articles...anyone know?

The mission of the district and the standards of the community trump the allegedly symbolic speech of the clothing.

As far as I know, education has long been a community issue--and the community is well within its rights to enforce its own community standards in schools, as long as they do so consistently and without discrimination against race, religion, or specific forms of speech.

Of course, that doesn't stop the ACLU from butting in...

"ACLU opposes dress codes -- we believe students have a right of free expression, a part of which is expressing their individuality through the clothes that they wear," Steinberg says. "And parents can control the clothes their children wear, but it should not be a matter that the state dictates."

So, would a thong be protected speech?

If the federal governement or even the state government tried to impose a dress code, I'd say they were overstepping their bounds...for a community, that's fine by me and, I believe, the Constitution.

Thoughts???

Good News - Iraq: Economic Progress

2005-09-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

Economic Hopes Soar in Ninawa Province

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is working hard to assist Ninawa Province in becoming a major commercial center in northern Iraq.

I actually have mixed feelings about this one. Because the area is not yet quite ready, they are using a Turkish company and Turkish workers. Ideally, even the construction would be bringing jobs and money to the area. However, the airport should bring in more investment which will hopefully eventually mean an improvement in the local eonomy.

Foamy the Squirrel Speaks the Truth About Hurrican Katrina

2005-09-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

I love this because:

A) It says everything I would like to say.

and...

B) I've always been a big fan of squirrels.

Foamy the Squirrel

Do not click if there are small children or co-workers/bosses around.

Have fun!

I NEED a cartoon alter ego.

New York Times Katrina Coverage: Abandoning Any Semblance of Objectivity?

2005-09-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

Here's the Headline:

Breakdowns Marked Path From Hurricane to Anarchy

Here's the summary on the digital "front page":

An initial examination of Katrina's aftermath demonstrates the extent to which the federal government failed to face domestic threats as a unified, seamless force.

Wow. That is a very serious accusation directed solely at the federal government. They must have solid proof, right?

State and federal officials had spent two years working on a disaster plan to prepare for a massive storm, but it was incomplete and had failed to deal with two issues that proved most critical: transporting evacuees and imposing law and order.

Wow. I wonder whose responsibility those two issues should be?

The Louisiana National Guard, already stretched by the deployment of more than 3,000 troops to Iraq, was hampered when its New Orleans barracks flooded.

The NG had plenty of troops on hand. If they had been used effectively by the Governor, they could have provided more immediate relief.

Partly because of the shortage of troops, violence raged inside the New Orleans convention center, which interviews show was even worse than previously described. Police SWAT team members found themselves plunging into the darkness, guided by the muzzle flashes of thugs' handguns, said Capt. Jeffrey Winn.

So, is law enforcement the job of the federal government or these guys:

"In 20 years as a cop, doing mostly tactical work, I have never seen anything like it," said Captain Winn. Three of his officers quit, he said, and another simply disappeared.

They just quit. States all over the country lent their police, who proudly arrived to help keep order. These guys cut and ran in their own neighborhoods. Some quit, some disappeared, and some even looted.

Those who did their job and stayed are getting free vacations so that others can do their jobs...and New Orleans wants MORE federal money???

As the city become paralyzed both by water and by lawlessness, so did the response by government. The fractured division of responsibility - Governor Blanco controlled state agencies and the National Guard, Mayor Nagin directed city workers and Mr. Brown, the head of FEMA, served as the point man for the federal government - meant no one person was in charge.

Americans watching on television saw the often-haggard governor, the voluble mayor and the usually upbeat FEMA chief appear at competing daily news briefings and interviews.
The power-sharing arrangement was by design, and as the days wore on, it would prove disastrous. Under the Bush administration, FEMA redefined its role, offering assistance but remaining subordinate to state and local governments. "Our typical role is to work with the state in support of local and state agencies," said David Passey, a FEMA spokesman.

With Hurricane Katrina, that meant the agency most experienced in dealing with disasters and with access to the greatest resources followed, rather than led.

Obviously these authors never heard of a little thing called the Constitution. Oh, wait...they have...they just don't care:

As New Orleans descended into near-anarchy, the White House considered sending active-duty troops to impose order. The Pentagon was not eager to have combat troops take on a domestic lawkeeping role. "The way it's arranged under our Constitution," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld noted at a news briefing last week, "state and local officials are the first responders."

Pentagon, White House and Justice officials debated for two days whether the president should seize control of the relief mission from Governor Blanco. But they worried about the political fallout of stepping on the state's authority, according to the officials involved in the discussions. They ultimately rejected the idea and instead decided to try to speed the arrival of National Guard forces, including many trained as military police.

Paul McHale, the assistant secretary of defense for homeland security, explained that decision in an interview this week. "Could we have physically moved combat forces into an American city, without the governor's consent, for purposes of using those forces - untrained at that point in law enforcement - for law enforcement duties? Yes."

But, he asked, "Would you have wanted that on your conscience?"

I can just see the headlines now--Dictator Bush Invades American City.

There are others who have done a much better job researching what was and was not done. I just wanted to note that the New York Times is unabashedly publishing editorials under the guise of "news." I strongly suggest everyone check out:

Right Wing Nut House: Katrina Response Timeline

Red Cross was blocked from delivering supplies

Balloon Juice: Calm Down and Let's Get this Right

September 11, 2001

2005-09-11T09:35:00.000-07:00

My husband was on his way to work in downtown Manhattan on the Day the Earth Stood Still.

You can check out that link to see what we did that day.

Our little family was very lucky--a close family friend of DH's worked for Cantor Fitagerald and was late for the first time that day to vote in the Democratic Primaries.

Other friends had similarly eerie luck.

Many others were not so lucky and perished that day.

We must never forget them.

Red Crescent to be Memorial for Terrorist Victims

2005-09-10T15:20:00.000-07:00

Someone sent me this story about the Memorial for Flight 93 and I looked at the picture and my jaw dropped.

I understand that the red crescent is not in and of itself a violent symbol...but considering that the hijackers were killing in the name of Islam, this seems a bit insensitive.

The wierd thing is I couldn't find any mention of controversy in the article.

Real Clear Politics is not as silent on the subject.

Rockers, Benefit Concerts, and the Hurricane

2005-09-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

So now we're having an aid concert.

I get that concerts and other events can raise awareness while raising money. There are somethings plaguing society that do not get enough attention.

I think we are all aware of the Hurricane and the people it has displaced and the lives it has ruined.

Why not just donate the money? Or fill up one of your mansions with some of these families? Or just go to a shelter and read to some children or hold an infant while its mother gets a few hours rest?

I guess that doesn't make for big publicity, though.

You know when they should have a benefit concert? Next year.

Let's have a concert when everyone else in LA has forgotten about the hurricane but children still have nightmares, families are still struggling to make ends meet, some communities are still trying to rebuild, and others are stretching their already limited resources to welcome these additional residents.

That's when awareness will need to be raised--when this round of donations and support dries up.

Good News: Iraq: Troops Donate Supplies to Iraqi School Children

2005-09-07T14:06:00.000-07:00

Donations Kick Off School Days for Iraqi Kids

"We never saw anything like this under the old regime," said Nadhera Abbood Mohammed, a sports teacher at the school.

"Under Saddam, they had many meetings about getting supplies but were told by the government that they would have to get it themselves."

'nuff said.

Katrina: Racism?

2005-09-07T09:51:00.000-07:00

I thought this was a great link. The title is "tongue in cheek" because it actually shows how everyone ignored race to help others during the Hurricane.

I'm not saying there isn't racism today because there is...but I do think that in addition to exposing failures we have to draw attention to successes and hold up positive ideals to the public. Both are necessary to combat problems.

American Racism: The Slideshow

Sharing the Burden

2005-09-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

So, I've read some left of center bloggers and pundits saying, "Why doesn't Bush sign up his twins for Iraq if the war is so important and so just?"

I also just spotted an article from the Washington Post on the topic.

Obviously, on its face that is ridiculous--you don't sign your adult children up for military service, they sign-up themselves.

Barbara Bush is volunteering in the Cape Town Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital (in South Africa) and Jenna is currently teaching public school in Washington, D.C. ... I think those are certainly valid contributions. By the way, good for the White House for not exploiting these marvelous choices.

Why any one politician's children aren't in the military really isn't the issue, anyway.

While children often share the values (or lack thereof) of their parents, those values may not manifest themselves in the way the parent wishes. Besides, not everyone is suited for today's military. I would make a terrible soldier, personally.

What is the problem is that the burden of serving and protecting the country is not even close to evenly shared among the classes in our nation.

Of course, one could point to all the educated elites with that accusation, including the liberal professional class.

Even more directly, the drop in prestige in military service could be traced to the radical left's hatred of the military during and immediately following the Vietnam War.

After all, it was those liberal elites that forced ROTC off of the top college campuses in the late 1960s.

My DH and I went to Yale. Students who wished to complete the ROTC program had to drive an hour and a half each way to UCONN, almost completely eliminating their ability to take classes two days a week.

The military is even barred from recruiting on many campuses.

They would have you believe it is a result of discriminatory policies--that is a post-facto rationalization. Yes, that policy should change, but the answer is not complete withdrawal of the nation's educated elite from national defense.

Despite this, a few of our fellow graduates still claimed interest in serving the country after college. Yet, they were reluctant to lose the time and income relative to their peers. That is not an excuse but it is somewhat understandable and needs to be addressed if we want the military to reflect the society.

On Blogs for Bush, Matt argues that there are many ways to show support. This is true. Not everyone is suited or eligible for military service. Still, I do think it is a problem that so few contribute service to the country. Service does more than help others, it helps those who serve as well.

So, what is the solution?

All Americans should give two years of service to their country. They should be allowed to choose the form--AmeriCorps, teaching in disadvantaged areas, or enlisting in the military. Those who wish to complete their service by becoming officers should have to give an additional year to compensate and allow for the extra training. An auxiliary program should also be established for those who wish to share their talents with the military at home but may not have the physical toughness required for combat, thus freeing others for combat.

This will build unity, improve our nation, and ensure that everyone shares the burden. The wealthy will learn about living off of a smaller paycheck (although Daddy and Mommy will no doubt help...but I don't think there is any way around that) and others will perhaps discover a career with a steady paycheck, health care, and self-respect.

Those who are pacifists will have the opportunity to serve in other ways. Those who wish to serve in the military will be able to do so without fear of losing ground to their peers.

Of course, this would be very difficult to establish--political dynamite.

Still, it helps to imagine the world as it should be and then take steps towards that. We are a society that is justifiably and rightly concerned about tyranny...so instead of coercing people we can persuade.

We could begin by rebuilding the prestige around service. Allow ROTC and recruiters back onto the elite campuses.

Currently veterans are given preference for government jobs. Let's establish gradual programs that build upon that and include other forms of service.

Everywhere the government holds any influence, national service should be made a priority.

And gentlemen in England now a-bed

Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,

And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

Bush's Efforts to Help Katrina Victims

2005-09-01T21:41:00.000-07:00

UPDATE 9/7: Right Wing Nut House has a much better Katrina Response Timeline/. If you have any questions about what was and was not done, this will go a long way towards answering them.

UPDATE: Captain's Quarters has a CNN interview with GHWB and Clinton, both of whom defend President Bush's handling of the Hurricane. And isn't ridiculous that two former presidents have to waste their time doing this because the media wants to blame Bush for everything?

Here is some information about what the federal government has been doing to help Katrina.

It is pretty much verbatim from WhiteHouse.gov and it is surely incomplete. I would spend more time on this but I'd rather be actually helping people.

Still, I thought there needed to be some antidote to the vitriol out there.

Before I launch into things, I would also like to add that Lifelike Pundits notes that some nations are offering their condolences and Junk Yard Blog notes some (albeit few) are even offering aid (although Michelle Malkin is underwhelmed.

Condolences from leaders are free. Just try not to smirk too much or let the cameras see your crossed fingers.

What I would like to see is the outpouring of support from the PEOPLE of these nations...money's nice (and I suppose a little more oil wouldn't hurt, either) but it is the thought that counts.

Where are the vigils, the prayers, and the love?

Anyway, on to my main point...

Below you'll find a summary of the federal efforts to date to help Katrina victims and, below that, you'll find a brief timeline of federal efforts:

Task Force Response
The National Response Plan (NRP) fully mobilizes the resources of the entire federal government to support response and recovery efforts for state and local authorities…Secretary Chertoff has declared the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina an incident of national significance - the first-ever use of this designation.

FEMA Is Moving Resources And Supplies Into The Hardest Hit Areas As Quickly As Possible. To date, (FEMA) has deployed more than 50 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams, more than 25 Urban Search and Rescue task forces, eight swift water rescue teams, and two Incident Support Teams. FEMA is also working to deliver water, ice, meals, medical supplies, generators, tents, and tarps. There are currently more than 1,700 trucks which have been mobilized to move these supplies into position.

FEMA And The Army Corps of Engineers Are Working With Louisiana Officials To Repair The Breaches In The Levees To Stop The Flooding In New Orleans.

The Federal Government Is Working To Help Relocate Those Displaced By The Hurricane. Those in …the Superdome are being moved to the Astrodome in Houston, and FEMA is working to provide tents and shelter. In addition, the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services (HHS) are working with local communities to provide help to those who have been displaced from their homes.

This Morning, Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman Announced That The Strategic Petroleum Reserve Will Be Used To Help Fulfill Demand For Oil.

The Energy Department Is Working To Restore Electricity To Affected Areas.

EPA Has Issued Fuel Waivers To Expedite Relief and Recovery.

The Department Of Defense Is Moving Military Resources Into The Gulf States To Aid In Rescue And Recovery. Eight Navy ships have moved into the area with water, food, medicine, hospital facilities, berthing, and more. DOD has responded to all FEMA requests and is providing logistical help, including helicopters, activation of air stations in strategic areas, and strategic lift support.

The United States Coast Guard Is Conducting Search And Rescue….its efforts will continue until all those at risk are safe.

Health And Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt Has Declared A Public Health Emergency, Which Facilitates Provision Of Medical Services In The Affected Region. HHS has delivered requested medical supplies to Louisiana, including basic first aid materials, blankets and patient clothing, suture kits, sterile gloves, stethoscopes, blood pressure measuring kits, and portable oxygen tanks.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to address the risk of disease caused by Hurricane Katrina. HHS has placed 415 Public Health Service Officers on stand-by for deployment to support medical response in the affected states. HHS and CDC are working with local officials to identify hospital facilities, distribute medical supplies, and execute a public health plan to control disease and other risks to public health.

A Timeline

August 26
President Bush declares an emergency exists in the State of Louisiana and orders Federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts in the parishes located in the path of Hurricane Katrina; authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives, protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe

August 27
President Discusses Hurricane Katrina

THE PRESIDENT: This morning I spoke with FEMA Undersecretary Mike Brown and emergency management teams not only at the federal level but at the state level about the -- Hurricane Katrina. I've also spoken to Governor Blanco of Louisiana, Governor Barbour of Mississippi, Governor Bush of Florida, and Governor Riley of Alabama. I want to thank all the folks at the federal level and the state level and the local level who have taken this storm seriously. I appreciate the efforts of the governors to prepare their citizenry for this upcoming storm.

Yesterday, I signed a disaster declaration for the state of Louisiana, and this morning I signed a disaster declaration for the state of Mississippi. These declarations will allow federal agencies to coordinate all disaster relief efforts with state and local officials. We will do everything in our power to help the people in the communities affected by this storm.

Hurricane Katrina is now designated a category five hurricane. We cannot stress enough the danger this hurricane poses to Gulf Coast communities. I urge all citizens to put their own safety and the safety of their families first by moving to safe ground. Please listen carefully to instructions provided by state and local officials.

August 28
National Weather Service issued a bulletin predicting "devastating" damage rivaling the intensity of Hurricane Camille.

Katrina upgraded to Category 5; New Orleans mayor C. Ray Nagin, orders mandatory evacuation; establishes several "refuges of last resort," including Superdome, with 550 National Guard troops; mandatory evacuations were also ordered for other areas in Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi

August 29
The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by Hurricane Katrina beginning on August 29, 2005, and continuing.

For a period of up to 72 hours, Federal funding is available at 100 percent of the total eligible costs for emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance. The period of up to 72 hours at 100 percent excludes debris removal.

August 30
Secretary Of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff Activated The National Response Plan To Ensure That Help Gets To Those Most In Need.

August 31
President Bush convenes a Cabinet-level task force on Hurricane Katrina response and recovery

Cutting short his working vacation, he flies over Gulf States on the way to D.C.

Superdome Update

2005-09-01T07:13:00.000-07:00

I guess they didn't do as thorough of a job searching for guns as I had heard.

Still, the idea that a group of people watched a young girl get raped and did nothing--that still disgusts me.

Rapes in the Superdome?

2005-08-31T21:09:00.000-07:00

I really feel for the people who either could not or did not leave. I think we should get aid to them as quickly as possible.

I've been reading the articles like many of y'all and this just really upset me:

Several residents said they had heard of young children being raped, though it was not clear whether anyone reported such incidents, and no officials could be found who could confirm the accounts.

Darcel Monroe, 21, a cashier in a bakery, stammered hysterically as she recounted seeing two young girls being raped in one of the women's bathrooms. "A lot of people saw it but they were afraid to do anything," she said. "He ran out past all of us."

This seems to just be rumor to me and I'm hoping that's the case.

Even if they hadn't checked everyone for weapons, and even if there weren't authorities present to keep order and take reports of crimes, WHY ON EARTH wouldn't SOMEONE in a crowded stadium stop a rapist?

There is no way I would stand idly by, let alone with an entire group of adults, and allow some beast, let alone an unarmed man, to rape a girl.

Personally, I would scream so loud and start kicking. I've been attacked before so, before anyone asks, yes, I know how I would react. I know if my husband had been there, he would have killed the beast with his own two hands.

I'm really hoping this did not happen.

Katrina: Aid in Temple, TX

2005-08-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

I just got off the phone with the Salvation Army. Some families fleeing Katrina are coming to Temple, TX. Some of them need blankets, food (especially baby food), clothing (especially baby clothing), and personal hygiene items.

I'm working with the Junior League of Bell County to get some of these items to them. If you are in the area, please consider helping.

The Temple Salvation Army office is at 2604 West Avenue M.

If you are not anywhere near the areas that were hit, you can still help. Michael at A Word From the Right has a list of organizations who are helping to provide relief.

Education: The Good Fight

2005-08-30T15:24:00.000-07:00

As an educator and as a former teacher, I've had numerous occasions to be horrified by declining standards and P.C. nonsense.

Well, here is some good news. I've been working on a Renaissance Art lesson plan for high-risk students in an urban district and I gave my employer an option: Students can base their project around Renaissance Values (humanism, for example) or they can base it around artists.

Obviously, it is a lot easier to research an artist and identify paintings by that artist than to research a "value" and identify paintings that reflect that value.

Well, my employer chose the values. In my opinion, this is cause for celebration because:

(A) it is the more challenging lesson plan.

and

(B) it emphasizes core Renaissance values that form part of the foundations of Western Civilization.

See? I don't just complain!

Good News in Afghanistan: Afghan Army Leads Demining Operation

2005-08-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

Afghan Army Leads Demining Operation

The Afghan National Army recently put their training to use as they successfully conducted the first ANA-led demining operation in Afghanistan. The mission highlighted not only the expanding military capabilities of the ANA, but the government's commitment to achieve a mine-free Afghanistan for future generations.

The French Army helped with this one... proving that, once again, the West is actually trying to help Muslims and, shockingly, that the French aren't totally useless.

So, let's review... The "infidels" bring you democracy, human rights, health care, and demining. The terrorists bring you death, destruction, kidnapping, and oppression.

And this is a difficult choice?

Good News: Commander Says North-Central Iraq Ready for Elections

2005-08-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

Not much to comment on... just more positive news that you probably won't see in the MSM.

I suppose it is not technically "news" since nothing actually happened, but it is a welcome perspective to counteract the impression in the media that" everything is doomed and it is all going to fall apart and everyone thinks so."

Election Preparations Not Disrupted in North-Central Iraq

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26, 2005 – Despite continued efforts, insurgents have been unable impact preparations for elections in the north-central region of Iraq, and that region has a strong plan in place for security during elections scheduled in Iraq in October and December, the commander of U.S. operations in the area said today.

Iraqi leaders in the area are confident about the elections, mainly because they remember the success they had in the Jan. 30 elections, Taluto said. Confidence is also derived from the better equipped and trained Iraqi security forces, a stronger independent electoral commission, and the growing sense of support for the elections among Iraqi citizens, he added.

As the elections draw nearer, insurgent attacks most likely will increase, Taluto said, but U.S. and Iraqi forces are capable of responding and keeping the area secure.

Anti-War Protestors' Disgusting Display at Army Hospital

2005-08-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

Anti-War Protests Target Wounded at Army Hospital

Washington (CNSNews.com) - The Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., the current home of hundreds of wounded veterans from the war in Iraq, has been the target of weekly anti-war demonstrations since March. The protesters hold signs that read "Maimed for Lies" and "Enlist here and die for Halliburton."

...Among the props used by the protesters are mock caskets, lined up on the sidewalk to represent the death toll in Iraq

Wow. How offensive can you get? Harassing wounded heroes.

...Kevin Pannell, who was recently treated at Walter Reed and had both legs amputated after an ambush grenade attack near Baghdad in 2004, considers the presence of the anti-war protesters in front of the hospital "distasteful."

...We went by there one day and I drove by and [the anti-war protesters] had a bunch of flag-draped coffins laid out on the sidewalk. That, I thought, was probably the most distasteful thing I had ever seen. Ever," Pannell, a member of the Army's First Cavalry Division, told Cybercast News Service.

The anti-war protesters claim their presence at the hospital is necessary to publicize the arrivals of newly wounded soldiers from Iraq, who the protesters allege are being smuggled in at night by the Pentagon to avoid media scrutiny. The protesters also argue that the military hospital is the most appropriate place for the demonstrations and that the vigils are designed to ultimately help the wounded veterans.

"If I went to war and lost a leg and then found out from my hospital bed that I had been lied to, that the weapons I was sent to search for never existed, that the person who sent me to war had no plan but to exploit me, exploit the country I was sent to, I would be pretty angry," Luke told Cybercast News Service.

"I would want people to do something about it and if I couldn't get out of my bed and protest myself, I would want someone else to do it in my name," he added.

How paternalistic... "These ignorant soldiers don't know their own minds so we're here to tell them."

Idiot. It doesn't matter how YOU feel. You never would have volunteered to defend your country anyway. You are too busy criticizing this country using the freedom that these brave men and others have protected for you.

It matters how these veterans feel. The fact that you can't see this means you lack even the one redeeming feature liberal moonbats allegedly have--empathy.

...Luke and the other anti-war protesters dismissed the message of the counter demonstrators. "We know most of the George Bush supporters have never spent a day in uniform, have never been closer to a battlefield than seeing it through the television screen," Luke said.

Ummm... and you (or most war protestors) have?

Okey, dokey... Lies, damn lies, and statistics...

Of course MOST Bush supporters aren't veterans. Only 13 percent of the U.S. population 18 and over are veterans. Even if 100% of the U.S. populations supported Bush, MOST of his supporters would not be veterans.

However, MOST veterans do support Bush. Since this dork is throwing around words like "most," check out these numbers.

Good News in Iraq: Iraqi, U.S. Soldiers Keeping Sadr Streets Safe

2005-08-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

Iraqi, U.S. Soldiers Keeping Sadr Streets Safe

Travelling through the streets and alleys of Sadr City, U.S. troops search for signs of terrorist groups, and get acquainted with the neighborhoods.

SADR CITY, Iraq, Aug. 24, 2005 – U.S. and Iraqi Army soldiers now patrol Sadr City, and the result is safer streets in what was once a hotly-contested area.

"The people we talk to in the neighborhood have been pretty helpful and want things to get better in Sadr," said U.S. Army Sgt. Lee Minyard. "They're starting to realize we're here to help them."

"We tell people that it's up to them to make a difference in their communities," said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Brisley, a section leader. "They're so used to relying on one leader to make all the decisions, but they’re gradually taking the initiative."

Along Sadr's dusty streets, Brisley remarked that the streets had rivers of sewage running through them six months ago.

"People see the improvements, and it makes them happier to see us (now) than they were when we (first) arrived in Iraq," said Brisley.

It takes time to build something worthwhile...but democracy and security in Iraq is not an impossible dream.

Now, more than ever, we have to show our commitment to this goal.

If we let democracy collapse, we will just be back in another ten years. We need to work with the Iraqi people to do it now and do it right.

Gary Qualls Challenges Cindy Sheehan to a Debate

2005-08-24T16:49:00.000-07:00

I just saw a commercial featuring Gary Qualls. The father of a fallen marine would like to challenge Cindy Sheehan to a debate.

This is allegedly the letter he wrote to Cindy Sheehan. (I don't doubt it, I just don't know if it is verified.)

Here is an article on the topic:

Bush supporters create opposing camp
'Fort Qualls' built in Crawford to counter protesters' 'Camp Casey'

CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) -- A pro-Bush camp with a "God Bless Our President!" banner sprung up downtown Saturday, countering the anti-war demonstration started by a fallen soldier's mother two weeks ago near President Bush's ranch.

...

Qualls' frustration with the anti-war demonstrators erupted last week when he removed a cross bearing his son's name...

Qualls called the protesters' views disrespectful to soldiers, and said he had to yank out two more crosses after protesters kept replacing them.

He and others at "Fort Qualls" have asked for a debate with those at the Crawford Peace House, which is helping Sheehan.

It's unclear if that will happen. But a member of Gold Star Families for Peace, co-founded by Sheehan and made up of relatives of fallen soldiers, said her group would not participate.

"We're asking for a meeting with the president, period," said Michelle DeFord, whose 37-year-old son, Sgt. David W. Johnson, was in the Army National Guard from Oregon when he was killed in Iraq last fall. "We don't want to debate with people who don't understand our point of view."

First, it is awful that they are using the names of dead soldiers without even their implied consent. Unless a soldier has said otherwise, I would assume that he chose to be in the military knowing about the war and, even if he doesn't support the war, doesn't consider terrorists to be freedom fighters.

Second, it is even worse when the family of that fallen hero has asked them to stop and they won't.

As for the debate, DeFord's comments seem to make clear that they are not trying to have a "dialogue" or "ask questions," as the group asserted when Utah refused to air their anti-war commercial.

This is just a manipulative publicity stunt.

Mothers who hate Bush and have fallen sons must be heard but fathers who have fallen sons who support the word are not relevant.

Part of me wishes Bush would just meet with her to end their ridiculous charade.

Then I realize, though, that she would just claim he has to meet with her every time she changes her mind again or every parent who, mad with grief or with a political agenda, wants to demand multiple meetings.

The President's schedule should not be held hostage to this sort of thing.

I am sorry for Cindy Sheehan's tragic loss... but she is exploiting the ghost of a hero. I hope that one day she does not hate herself for what she has done in the grip of the terrible grief she must be feeling.

Britain is gasp defending itself...

2005-08-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

Britain Spells Out Rules for Barring Militants

LONDON, Aug. 24 - Home Secretary Charles Clarke published a catalogue of terrorism-related offenses today setting the ground rules for Britain to ban or deport foreign militants accused of fomenting hatred, violence and extremism.

Makes sense, right? You take someone who is a guest in your country and yet urges destruction of your country and your people and you send him home. That would be logical, right? Right?

Some civil rights groups challenged the measures.

Gee, what a surprise!

"Today's announcement fails to answer the fundamental question: Will the government's deportation plans result in suspects being sent to countries with a known record of torture?" said James Welch, the legal director of a civil rights group called Liberty. "What has always separated us from the terrorists is that we do not torture people or send them to be tortured - that is the standard we need to maintain."

Oh, no! Britain is sending people who hate freedom and civil liberties and human rights, and urge the violent restriction of freedoms and violation of rights for others, back to their home country where there are no freedoms, civil liberties, or human rights. The horror. The horror.

It is not like Britain is intentionally outsourcing them to be tortured in a random country where they know that will happen. Britain is sending these ingrates home.

Why? Because Britain has the gall to think it has the right to protect itself and its people against those who vow to bring destruction.

If immigrants want to stay in the West, they should play by the rules. Don't bite the hand that feeds ya.

Good News... Iraq and Afghanistan

2005-08-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

Military Doctor Gives Afghan Girl Gift of Life

U.S. Troops Teach Iraqi Soldiers Medical Skills: The course has now shifted to the "train the trainers" phase--instructing qualified Iraqi soldiers to teach their own forces.

Yeah, we must be there because we hate Muslims. That's it.

Spread the good news. Be part of the solution.

Disappointed in Jon Stewart - Cindy Sheehan

2005-08-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

So, I was very disappointed with Jon Stewart's monologue about Cindy Sheehan last night. I know that he leans left (if by leaning, one means already knocked over) but he is usually an equal opportunity mocker.

What I really object to is his statement that Bush refuses to meet with Cindy. Although he is clearly refering to her recent emcampment outside Bush's ranch, this is disingenuous given that Bush has met with Sheehan.

I like Stewart so much that I'm sure I'll get over it... but I'm still fuming this evening.

I wonder if Stewart is bold enough to look at the issues from another side.

As far as Sheehan, my opinion remains the same.

Tip Leads to IEDs; Stolen Child Rescued

2005-08-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

Tip Leads to IEDs; Stolen Child Rescued

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12, 2005 — Iraqi citizens tipped off U.S. soldiers patrolling the northwest part of Baghdad about the whereabouts of two roadside bombs Aug. 10. On Aug. 9, Iraqi police and U.S. soldiers teamed up to capture two kidnappers and return a 2-year-old child to his parents in the Bayaa district of south Baghdad.

Hmmm... to whom do you give your support? The people who kidnapped your child or the people who found your child and returned him safely to you?

Come on Iraqi people, the clock is running out. Make your choice.

Pirro, Again

2005-08-11T12:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm going to be cynical for a second... even IF Pirro really has no chance (which I am not willing to admit as of yet), she can do the best job of weakening Clinton before the Presidential election.

Remember when Lazio tried to get aggressive with Clinton?

Never send a man to do a woman's job.

This post got my attention because I was quoted in it and some people are visiting as a result.

Pirro's Political Prowess

Pirro knows what has to be done to get elected and stay elected: the little things, all the time. She is clearly a skilled politician, and we (ok, "I") shouldn't dismiss what that can accomplish in and of itself.

Much can be said for political skill over substance. Pirro is pretty much identical to Hillary on the issues...

My thoughts are:

Maybe Pirro shows up to these events, at least in part, because she actually gives a gosh darn about a county for which she has worked so hard? Maybe she actually cares about the futures of New Yorkers?

Obviously she is a politician and thinks about the benefits and consequences of each action. Obviously spending time with kids might have some small unforeseen benefit a long way down the road.

However, considering this happened in 1999 and she spent a full hour treating pre-teens as equals, seems a pretty high price to pay on the off chance someone might remember it and maintain goodwill towards her when she goes for a more ambitious office seven years later.

Another thought--maybe HILLARY RESEMBLES PIRRO because she knows that is the way to get elected in New York. She moved to the right on the correct issues and stayed to the left on the others.

...but she didn't move far enough. Pirro is more fiscally conservative and even liberal moonbat Manhattanites want someone who will keep them safe from things that go bump in the night. Pirro is tough on crime. Hillary IS something that goes bump in the night. Okay, that was a cheap shot, but I couldn't resist!!!

Maybe a lot of the New Yorkers who voted for Hillary because Lazio was an unknown or liked her positions despite a distaste for her might consider voting for Pirro if she does a good job campaigning.

Again, I'm no NY operative but just a possibility or two.

Reason NCOs Rock, #243

2005-08-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

This just cracked me up.

Soldier becomes a sheik, helps boost base security

Sheik Horn floats around the room in white robe and headdress, exchanging pleasantries with dozens of village leaders.

...a local sheik friendly to U.S. forces, Dr. Mohammed Ismail Ahmed, explained the inner workings of rural Iraqi society on one of Horn’s first Humvee patrols.

Horn says he was intrigued and started making a point of stopping by all the villages, all but one dominated by Sunni Arabs, to talk to people about their lives and security problems.

Moreover, he pressed for development projects in the area: He now boasts that he helped funnel $136,000 worth of aid into the area. Part of that paid for delivery of clean water to 30 villages during the broiling summer months.

Ahmed, known for his dry sense of humor, eventually suggested during a meeting of village leaders that Horn be named a sheik.

The sheiks approved by voice vote, Horn said.

Some sheiks later gave him five sheep and a postage stamp of land, fulfilling some of the requirements for sheikdom. Others encouraged him to start looking for a second wife, which Horn’s spouse back in Florida immediately vetoed.

He lately has been prodding the Iraqi Education Ministry to pay local teachers, and he closely follows a water pipeline project that he hopes will ensure the steady flow of clean water to his villages.

To Horn’s commanders, his success justifies his unorthodox approach: No rockets have hit their base in the last half year.

“He has developed a great relationship with local leaders,” said the 2-8 commander, Lt. Col. Bradley Becker. “They love him. They’re not going to let anyone shoot at Sheik Horn.”

Only an NCO could pull this off. A commissioned officer would look silly doing this (and it would probably be forbidden anyway) and a junior enlisted guy would lack the gravitas.

I say this even though my husband is a commissioned officer who could pull of just about anything he set his mind to (IMHO).

I'll go into the many hundreds of other reasons why NCOs rock on my other blog at some point.

Jeanine Pirro

2005-08-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

Wahoo!!! Jeanine Pirro in 2006

I am no longer in NY but I hope to return some day relatively soon. I wish I could work for her campaign.

Pirro is amazing. Not only is she a tough DA and brilliant, she is also a great role model.

When I was teaching in Westchester, New York, I was the adviser for a middle school newspaper. I was trying to get the kids to move beyond movie reviews and crossword puzzles, perhaps scheduling an interview with their mayor or some such. One said, "What does it matter, we're just kids. No one will listen to us anyway."

"How do you know," I asked, "Have you ever tried?" I realized that at college, we had a whole bunch of exciting speakers who spoke to us and answered our questions. The key was really to get to kids in middle school, though, before they lost interest in school, politics, and the world in general.

From that we began to brainstorm a press conference for middle school journalists across the county. We invited every politician who represented the people of Westchester County. Who responded?

Sue Kelly and Jeanine Pirro.

Both were amazing but I'm focusing on Pirro because this post is about her. Throughout the conference, she responded to these pre-teens as if they were actual reporters. She was direct, respectful, and tough.

I did NOT only invite Republican women. I swear. Those were just the ones who cared enough about our children to come. To be fair to Ms. Clinton, she did respond that she already had another engagement that day... but her office was not particularly helpful even though I was willing to schedule around her. Schumer's office called AFTER we had an article in the New York Times about his interest in speaking if we held the conference again next year.

On a different note, I read this article: Pirro Begins Campaign by Assailing Clinton. Let's start with the headline. She did criticize Clinton, as well she should, but that was not the entirety of her speech. Reading the article, the adjectives paint a picture of Pirro as just bluff and bluster. I can assure you there is plenty of substance. Even my Democrat parents, both of whom are longtime Westchester residents (both moved from the boroughs in their teens), admire what she has done fore the people of New York.

Pirro doesn't need to make empty promises about what she will do for New York. She doesn't need to prove that she will not abandon New York to bolster her political career. Pirro has an actual record on which to run... and it is a darn good one.

Perhaps that is why Hilary's campaign operatives are criticizing Pirro as a lightweight campaigner rather than addressing the issues.

The fact that they are already attacking Pirro's campaigning ability after her first speech and BEFORE the Republicans have actually chosen a candidate show that they take the threat of Pirro seriously... revealing the opposite of what they had planned.

Freedom Walk

2005-08-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let everyone know about the Freedom Walk, organized by the DoD. Sounds like a great idea.

Where will you be this September 11th?
The tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, left an indelible mark on the American consciousness. This September 11th, the nation will gather in Washington, D.C. to remember the victims, honor our veterans, past and present, and celebrate our freedom with the America Supports You Freedom Walk, organized by the Department of Defense.

Clint Black will play in the concert that follows. A question--aren't there any musicians that play something other than Country and would like to play events like this??? I must admit, Country is growing on me. Still, I really prefer rock, blues, jazz, and classical.

Anyway, sounds like a great way to show support for our troops. I probably won't be able to make it. My husband has been out in the field a lot and I want to spend as much time as possible with him. Besides, tickets would be a lot of money which I could better use to support my husband's unit. If you are in the D.C. area, though, I hope you'll consider walking.

If you do join the walk, I'd love to hear about it!

Building Infrastructure in Afghanistan

2005-08-08T14:34:00.000-07:00

More good news!!!

Road Linking Afghan Cities Nears Completion
Success in road construction here means not only making day to day life easier for the citizens; it facilitates the success of the first democratically elected Afghan government.

“The best weapons of the Taliban are not IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and RPGs (rocket propelled grenades) — its ignorance and isolation,” said Paolozzi. “The road we’re building destroys both of those weapons by giving the people freedom of mobility and the capability to learn what the Afghani government is doing for them. They won’t need to be dependant on the Taliban for information, twisted thinking, or municipal support.”

We need to remember that Afghanistan is still struggling to purge itself of the infection of extremism and that we still have soldiers building, guarding, and supporting there. Please continue to support our troops in Afghanistan and the Afghani people who are trying to build a better future for their country.

Democracy and Civil Rights for Iraqi Women

2005-08-08T06:57:00.000-07:00

Since the last few posts are focusing on women's civil and human rights, I might as well keep up the trend for another post and refer you to Kat's post and further explanation on her blog. It is a call to arms to help Iraqi women who are demanding their rights be protected under the new Iraqi constitution.

Kat has said it way better than I could and I don't feel like doing more research right now... I will just add that all you have to do is look at the modern history of Afghanistan or The Handmaid's Tale to see which way this could go.

I know that many Americans are under the impression that "this is their culture." Well, Kat has the right of it when she explains that this was not the culture in many nations and many cities in the Middle East and Central Asia before Cold War politics destabilized the region.

About the subject of women's rights, I also want to clarify:

I am not one of those don't-hold-the-door-for-me, women-are-just-men-without-penises types of gals.

I don't think it is inconsistent to demand human and civil rights for women and still celebrate the differences between the sexes.

My husband is very masculine and I am very feminine. With the exception of dealing with electronics (my specialty), we tend to take on very traditional gender roles in our relationship. That is our choice. Everyone should be able to make that choice for themselves.

All should be equal under the law. There is no biological basis for not allowing women to testify in court or treating them as sub-human.

Equality under the law does not make us all equal in fact, however. Some are smarter, larger, stronger, nicer, luckier, etc. That shouldn't mean they have fewer (or more) "rights" than the rest of us.

Letters about Rape in Pakistan

2005-08-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally got around to writing the letters. Musharraf is visiting New York next month (September). Please consider letting President Bush and President Musharraf know your opinions on the way Rape Survivors are treated in Pakistan.

Human rights ARE part of our security concerns. We talk of spreading democracy to combat extremism. This WILL work if, and ONLY IF, it is a valid democracy that guarantees the rights of citizens.

Please feel free to alter the letters in any way that maintains the integrity of their message.

Remember to sign your name at the end of the letters.

If you wish to link to the posts, please link to this post.

Letter to President Bush (re: Women's Rights in Pakistan)

2005-08-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

August 6, 2005

President George W. Bush

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20500

president@whitehouse.gov

Dear President Bush:

In the struggle against extremism, guaranteeing the rights of the citizens of the world is a vital weapon. We should begin by doing so at home and urging our allies to do the same.

As you know, the high profile cases of Dr. Shazia Khalid and Mukhtar Mai (also known as Mukhtaran Bibi) have come to the attention of the world press.

We urge you to discuss these matters and the rights of women in Pakistan with President Musharraf.

The government of Pakistan has already taken steps in the correct direction by returning Muktar Mai’s passport. We call on you now to ensure that a more complete justice is done for Mukhtar Mai and Dr. Shazia Khalid and the women of Pakistan.

Pakistan should conduct full investigations into the rapes of both Mukhtar Mai and Dr. Shazia Khalid and bring the perpetrators of these crimes to Justice. Both women must be allowed the right to leave and return to Pakistan, free from harassment of any kind. Neither wishes to reflect poorly on Pakistan, only to bring their stories to light. In fact, Dr. Shazia Khalid wishes to return one day to Pakistan and build a hospital for raped and battered women.

More importantly, justice should be available to all of the women of Pakistan. Hundreds of women suffer the same fate in Pakistan each year, with no international press to protect them. Rape survivors must no longer be treated as criminals.

In order to achieve this goal, Pakistan’s government must address the excessive authority wielded by the tribal councils in Pakistan. Pakistan’s Supreme Court’s ruling on August 4, 2005 is a significant step in the right direction. The next step is to repeal the Hudood laws that restrict the rights of women in Pakistan. As Senator Khurshid Ahmad of Pakistan has recently noted, while Hudood is absolute, the Hudood Ordinances are open to changes.

As the civilized nations of the world fight extremism, they must recognize that guaranteeing universal rights will promote global security. Most importantly, it is the only correct choice for the future of our planet.

Signed,

_________________________________

Letter to President Musharraf (re: Women's Rights in Pakistan)

2005-08-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

August 6, 2005

His Excellency General Pervez Musharraf
President of the Republic
Pakistan Secretariat
Islamabad
Islamic Republic of Pakistan

president@pak.gov.pk

Dear President Musharraf:

As you know, the high profile cases of Dr. Shazia Khalid and Mukhtar Mai (also known as Mukhtaran Bibi) have come to the attention of the world press.

As a world citizens, we wish to thank you for helping to ensure that justice was eventually done for Muktar Mai and her passport was returned to her. We call on you now to ensure that a more complete justice is done for Mukhtar Mai and Dr. Shazia Khalid and the women of Pakistan.

Mukhtar Mai must be allowed to leave Pakistan and then return, free from harassment. As Mukhtar Mai has already declared, she has no desire to criticize Pakistan, only to bring her story to light. Openness will only reflect well on Pakistan in the world community.

Dr. Shazia Khalid, on the other hand, now lives in a type of exile in London. She wishes to return one day to Pakistan and build a hospital for raped and battered women. We hope you will initiate a full state investigation of the rape of Dr. Shazia Khalid and permit her to return to Pakistan with a guarantee of her safety.

Above all, these women and others like them should be treated as the patriots they are. Both these women wish only to strengthen Pakistan. In return for their bravery and honesty, they have been treated like criminals.

We are concerned about the tribal councils that supersede the stateÂs justice in Pakistan. Tribal councils wield excessive authority throughout Pakistan and their decisions should be countermanded, not supported by PakistanÂs police and courts.

Our main concern, as it is the primary concern of Dr. Shazia Khalid and Mukhtar Mai, should be justice for the women of Pakistan. Hundreds of women suffer the same fate in Pakistan each year, with no international press to protect them.

PakistanÂs Supreme CourtÂs ruling on August 4, 2005 is a significant step in the right direction. Your government must continue to assert its authority above the authority of local councils. The next step is to repeal the Hudood laws that restrict the rights of women in Pakistan. As Senator Khurshid Ahmad has recently noted, while Hudood is absolute, the Hudood Ordinances are open to changes.

Please take immediate action to ensure the safety of your female citizens.

Signed,

_________________________________

Okay, Life Got in the Way...

2005-08-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

I promised a letter about Pakistan and didn't deliver on time... work, local volunteering, and general unit support got in the way (really, I only wasted one hour watching Angel, I swear). I do promise one by 1700 US Central Time on Saturday (tomorrow). REALLY. Dearest Husband must shoot tomorrow so it will happen.

A Letter to the US, Canada, and Pakistan

2005-08-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

I looked for a pre-fab letter to no avail. I have a deadline for work today. I will write a letter soon and post it by Friday. Please check back.

I feel very strongly about this. As a world community we need to reject rape. Governments are only valid if they protect their citizens. If we want to strengthen pro-US, secular, Islamic governments, we must promote human rights and security in those nations. Bodily integrity is one of the most basic human rights. Governments the world over must condemn, not condone rape.

Something About Which Evangelical Conservatives and Neo-Socialist Liberals Should Be Able to Agree

2005-08-02T08:07:00.000-07:00

Government-Condoned Rape in Pakistan

I know that is not the title of the article but that is essentially what is happening.

Really... is there anyone in the civilized world who thinks this is okay? Whether you base your repulsion on Judeo-Christian ethics, a concept of universal human rights, or just something deep inside that cries out against injustice, surely we can all agree this is disgusting. I would like to see some relativist argue that this is acceptable... I'll be waiting.

Yes, we need to draw attention to Mukhtaran Bibi and Dr. Shazia. They are survivors and a heroes for standing up for themselves and all of Pakistan's women.

We also need to insist that all women have the right to live a life free from rape and abuse. At the very least, we need to insist that all government take steps towards this future, including (especially) the allies of the United States.

Today I plan to write or locate a letter to the White House about placing pressure on Musharraf and granting political asylum to victims of gender-based persecution. I will post a copy today or tomorrow so others can feel free to send as well.

And yes, I do thank God that I was born here and not there.

I just wanted to add that our security as a nation should by the government's first priority--but the Cold War is over. Human Rights ARE a security issue in today's world.

When's the Islamic Conference on Defeating Terrorism?

2005-08-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

Engineer Summit Focuses on Reconstruction

BAGHDAD, Iraq, July 29, 2005 — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division sponsored an engineer summit July 26 in the Al Rasheed Hotel in the International Zone. Approximately 120 coalition engineers attended.

The United States spends countless man hours, billions of dollars, and thousands of lives on making Iraq work. Yeah, I know it is also in our own self interest... but that doesn't really bother me.

So, my question is--when will there be a major effort within Islam to counter terrorists? I understand that Islam is not a centralized religion. I also respect the basic ideals of Islam. Still, I ask, when will some of the most popular Islamic leaders gather to confront the problem of terrorism?

Even if you do not agree with the war, it seems pretty obvious that the US is trying to help create a prosperous, free, democratic Iraq. What are the goals of the extremists? Given that disparity, how can anyone support them?

The terrorists are offering nothing for the future of Iraq

2005-07-17T22:55:00.000-07:00

This is the whole point.

From an article about Iraqi terrorists using the corpses of two Iraqi civilians as bait for a car-bomb attack:

"The (Iraqi security forces) will not be intimidated by this type of action. We will continue to take the fight to the Godless terrorists," one Iraqi police officer said.

"The terrorists are offering nothing for the future of Iraq. They offer only death to innocent Iraqi people. The people are with us, they support the (police) and the Iraqi army," the police officer said.

Exactly: Godless. Terrorists. Nothing.

Peace March Draws 1,000 in Rural Iraq

2005-07-15T09:16:00.000-07:00

Peace March Draws 1,000 in Rural Iraq

ARMY TIMES - July 18, 2005
By Matthew Cox, Times staff writer

QAYYARAH, Iraq--About 1,000 Iraqis marched through this small, rural town over the July 4 weekend, waving banners and flags in a show of defiance against insurgent violence.

The normally bustling market section of the town sat still as the crowd walked along, chanting, "Our soul! Our life! We give all for Iraq!" during the July 2 event, dubbed the first-ever "Peaceful March Against Terrorism."

The idea for the march materialized in late May at the monthly regional security council meeting. Local Iraqi leaders wanted to hold a peace march in Mosul for the entire area.

[...]

Becker's unit was on hand to support the event, but Iraqi army forces provided the bulk of visible security.

"I wanted to be completely in the background," Becker said. "This was their idea, their plan and their march."

[...]

The day of the march, the crowd--which was made up mostly of men and boys of all ages-- began to slowly gather on the edge of town just after 9 a.m. About 45 minutes later, the event kicked off with Iraqi military and government officials in the lead. Participants wore light blue T-shirts specially printed for the march that featured an Iraqi flag and an "I love Iraq" slogan across the front.

At the end of the march route, Iraqis stood and listened to speeches by Atalah and other leaders.

"I thank you all for making this happen!" Atalah shouted to the crowd from atop a three-story school building. "Yes! Yes! Yes for peace. No for terrorists! There is no room for terrorists in this town!"

Both Iraqi and American leaders had hoped that several thousand people would turn out for the march but were still enthused that the event remained peaceful and drew more than 1,000 participants.

Emphasis added.

The article also details the efforts the troups made to work with local leaders to make sure the marchers were safe.

I really should be working but I couldn't resist sharing this with anyone who might come by. I had a hunch that the MSM would not pick up the story. So, I went to Google News and did a search.

This is what came up: Redstate.org. Yup, another blog, albeit of a different sort. The other headlines were all about how there is NO hope for peace in Iraq.

Once again, I have no problem with reporting the difficulties our troops are facing over there. I don't want anything white-washed. I am simply asking that we also emphasize the progress being made.

This article made my day!

I really do believe that in this day and age the news creates reality almost as much as it reflects it. If everyone started talking about all of the progress and all of the Iraqis who have demonstrated that they want peace, others would perceive the tide as turning. Then, those who want peace and democracy would feel more brave about expressing themselves because they would be part of a movement, rather than just asking for martyrdom to a hopeless cause. Finally, those who want to destroy peace would lose their momentum. If all of the headlines spoke of the progress for peace and democracy and how the terrorists were losing, they would have fewer and fewer recruits. Young people would see that their best hope is to pick up tools and books and computers, rather than grenades and guns.

This push has to be based on reality, however. We can't just say that the terrorists are a "few dead enders" and make it so. That's the mistake the anti-drug movement made with "Reefer Madness." If you exaggerate, you lose all credibility.

We need to start small and honest, with articles about 1,000 protesters for peace or soldiers who are helping to rebuild a village. Even tiny pebbles can build into an avalanche.

Everyone who believes in a positive future for Iraq and everyone who wants to create a world without terrorism needs to locate these stories and pass them on. Tell everyone you know! Write letters to your papers! Spread the good news!

London

2005-07-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

My thoughts and prayers are with the dead, the injured, their families, and the people of Britain. That is all I have to say about that right now.

Hospital Opening Furthers Iraqi Progress

2005-07-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

More good news from Iraq!

While I don't think we should ignore the bad news or disregard the problems, part of the solution is to counter the doomsayers and detractors. We can create a (true) sense of momentum by recognizing the progress that has been made.

Imagine the impression it would create if the media reported on one hospital opening for every (redundant) article about Gitmo, for ever car bombing, an article about why an Iraqi policeman or soldier joined up despite the danger.

Media doesn't just reflect reality, it shapes it. It is about time they took responsibility for that power.

Check this out:

Hospital Opening Furthers Iraqi Progress

U.S. Army soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, Task Force Liberty have worked with Iraqi health officials in Owja to open a hospital for the general public...

The hospital served Saddam Hussein’s family and friends, but has been closed for several years. There was much to be done before the hospital was ready for the public.

The hospital is open, but there are still challenges ahead that face Owja Hospital and the Iraqi medical community.

“One of the shortages that they have around here is both female nurses and female doctors,” Wood said. “Basically because the old regime stopped the training programs in the schools, which produced the large numbers of nurses and female doctors. Dr. Hassan is concentrating hard on the educational aspect of medical coverage here in this area.”

“American people are giving us a lot of help,” Hassan said. “Some of this help is by sending their children, sons and daughters and some of them gave their lives to give us freedom. So when they are trying their best for us, why shouldn’t we try to help ourselves also?”

The hospital has 40 beds and the medical coverage is free for the Iraqi people.

Domino's Pizza is People!

2005-07-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

Soylent Green has arrived... my husband brought home pizza today along with a recruitment brochure that proclaims, "Our Most Important Ingredient is Our People!"

I did a search and at least one other blogger has noticed: Where's Charlton Heston when you need him?

Senator Compares Gitmo to Concentration Death Camps

2005-06-16T09:01:00.000-07:00

On the Senate floor, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) read an e-mail from an FBI agent, complaining:

one al Qaeda suspect was chained to the floor, kept in an extremely cold air-conditioned cell and forced to hear loud rap music.

After reading the e-mail, Mr. Durbin said, "If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime -- Pol Pot or others -- that had no concern for human beings. Sadly, that is not the case. This was the action of Americans in the treatment of their prisoners."

On behalf of the United States of America, I would like to apologize to the souls of my dead Jewish ancestors who perished in the Holocaust and holocaust victims and survivors everywhere.

Most of us know that Hitler did not just force Jewish people to listen to Wagner, quote Nietzsche to them, or make them catch chills. Most of us know that these two things do not equate. Mr. Durbin, however, apparently slept through history class.

Not, of course, that I am equating Wagner with rap music. Rap music is obviously far, far worse.

I hope the voters of Illinois plan to send a real apology. On his "contact center" page, Durbin expresses his "hope you take a moment to share your thoughts with me so that I may continue to serve and represent your interests and concerns." Please also keep this in mind in 2008 when Mr. Durbin is up for reelection.

Gold Star Mothers For Peace: Please Allow Your Children to Rest in Peace

2005-06-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

The Urban Grind comments on Religious Liberals and why they are the worst kind.

It has always bothered me when one group or another cloaks their political arguments in religious justifications. I totally respect that some people's faith leads them to certain beliefs, such as not wish to serve in the war. However, we have a separation of church and state and you will have to produce another argument if you want to influence policy, rather than just be a conscientious objector.

What alo upsets me in this case is that these people are making use of their dead adult children's memories for a cause that these independence adults may not have supported. If these children were conscientious objectors, they should not have been in the military. We have a volunteer military.

So, we have mother doing a terrible dishonor to the service and sacrifice her son gave to the country.

As the Urban Grind excerpts:

"We're watching you very carefully and we're going to do everything in our power to have you impeached for misleading the American people," she said, quoting a letter she sent to the White House. "Beating a political stake in your black heart will be the fulfillment of my life," she said, as the audience of 200 people cheered.

Such violent imagery from one who wants to claim a religious justification for urging peace! If she is against the war, that is her business. If she wants to honor her son's death, however, this is just associating his name with more violent imagery and repudiating everything he fought for.

From another article this got me:

Quoting scripture and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Hinson suggested the nation is greedy and morally bankrupt and warned that America's fear of terrorism is excessive and unhealthy. Denouncing "fear that immobilizes, fear that causes you to lash out mindlessly, fear that prompts a nation to launch a preemptive strike against an imagined enemy, fear in excess," Hinson said, "Only God's love can bring that kind of fear under control.

Hmmm... fear that immobilizes... causes you to lash out mindlessly? Pot, kettle, black???

I disagree with her and her inflammatory language but I find it hard to hate her, she did after all lose her son. Heck, I find it hard to hate, in general. I don't know what she was like before but I guess she is probably wild with grief... that causes her to lash out mindlessly. I feel for her.

I wonder what her son would think, though, and if she realizes that she is dishonoring his service.

Grand Master Flash Replaces Sartre

2005-06-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

Glancing at a recent edition of a major high school WESTERN CIV textbook I am using (which shall remain nameless because I am an employee) I noticed that they removed a document by Sartre and replaced it with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's "The Message."

The barbarians have breached the gates.

I do not mind tossing in a little social history, a little rap or hip-hop, something to draw the students in. When you replace Sartre with Grandmaster Flash, however, you have simply sent up the white flag in the culture wars.

No retreat, no surrender! Take a close look at the books your schools are using, students and parents, and don't be afraid to make your opinions known.

Disappearing Comments

2005-06-14T09:49:00.000-07:00

Comments from earlier posts seem to have disappeared! Sorry about that. Hopefully it will not happen again.

I have not been posting a lot lately--I'm trying to finish up work before I go on vacation. When I come back from vacation I'll decide whether I'm going to keep this side of the blog up or if I'm going to just concentrate on "An Army Wife's Life."

2005-06-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

If you don't already read The Onion, you should give it a try. Here's a fun one:

Kuwait Starting To Notice Girls

KUWAIT CITY—In light of the country's recent decision to allow women to vote and hold public office, observers around the world have noted that Kuwait appears to have discovered the fairer sex. "The boys in Kuwait are really taking notice of how much the girls have changed over the country's long political winter," said Fouad Ajami, an expert in Arab affairs. "They're no longer shyly avoiding women they're not related to or clumsily shooting them for not wearing veils in public." Ajami added that he was not entirely surprised by Kuwait's discovery, given its long history of teasing women, calling them names, and stoning them to death for being unclean.

What the Terrorists Really Fear

2005-06-05T23:10:00.000-07:00

We can debate "torture" and the "reasons" for terrorism and Gitmo and Abu Ghraib until the cows come home but the truth is we're just missing the point.

When it comes down to it, the difference between "us" and "them" is that we try to save human life whereas they try to destroy it. The US would much rather be helping people than blowing them up. (And yes, making a healthy profit in the process... what's wrong with that?)

I had an exciting debate with some friends who visited for Memorial Day weekend during which I asserted that it basically comes down to the fact that we are being attacked by people who simply put a lower value on human life than we do here in the West. One friend was willing to concede this but argued that the issue was about opportunity, mostly economic. He said that if there was more mobility in these societies, they would value life more and not be so eager to blow themselves up.

While I don't think poverty helps matters, I disagree with my friend. The past five or so centuries of Western tradition have been about valuing the individual. The mindset in the Islamic Middle East is entirely different, with, of course, individual exceptions. I don't think that is part of Islam itself but I do think it has become part of Middle Eastern Islamic culture.

Anyway, this is a long-winded introduction to a little bit of good news. The terrorists want to draw attention away from the good we are doing in Iraq, and the fact that this is actually our intent. They want to do this because if Iraqis and Muslims in general begin to see the truth about the United States, they will see that we really just want to help. They will begin to see the value in human life. Then there will be stability, and capitalism, and democracy. Slowly the fear will recede and the fanatics will lose power. That is why the terrorists would prefer riots and battles.

I hope you enjoy reading this bit of news:

New York Civil Affairs Unit 'Supplies' Village

U.S. Army Lt. Col. Roberto L. Garcia, 353rd Civil Affairs Brigade government team chief, has been in Iraq since September, and he said the basic mission of his unit is to help restore the country of Iraq.

“From schools to hospitals, law, agriculture, water - everything from A to Z, we do it,” said Garcia, a Chicago resident and windy-city police officer.

The brigade works with Iraqi French Village council members to discuss concerns in the area, and a large part of Garcia’s agenda revolves around relief missions that provide the local children with school supplies and toys donated by American citizens.

Alumni in Poll Say President of Harvard Shouldn't Quit

2005-06-04T18:51:00.000-07:00

BOSTON, June 4 - A majority of Harvard alumni believe that the university's president, Lawrence H. Summers, has done a good job over all and should not resign, according to a poll conducted for a new independent alumni magazine.

The majority of respondents to the survey, 62 percent, said they disagreed with Dr. Summers's statements, and 58 percent said they thought discrimination and upbringing, not aptitude, was the biggest factor contributing to the under-representation of women in science.

Asked whether Dr. Summers had diminished the university's reputation, 42 percent of respondents said yes, 28 percent said no, and 30 percent said they did not know or refused to answer the question.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents, or 63 percent, said Dr. Summers should keep his job, and just over one-half had a favorable impression of him and said he was a victim of political correctness. A spokesman for Dr. Summers declined to comment.

We should listen to the wisdom of our elders on this one. They understand that they can disagree with Summers without stifling academic discourse.

85 Percent of Iraqis Likely to Vote in October

2005-06-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

Update--

Maybe I'm missing it, please let me know if I am, but this not yet been commented on by any major news source but FOX News. If you've seen this in a major newspaper, please let me know!
---Original Post---

Myers Says 85 Percent of Iraqis Likely to Vote in October

WASHINGTON, June 1, 2005 – Some 85 percent of Iraqis said they will vote in October elections to ratify a new constitution in October, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at a Pentagon news conference today, citing recent polling data.

I wonder how long it will take the national media to pick up this story, if they do at all... What is in the headlines right now besides the usual gloom and doom? Deep Throat and Tom Cruise.

Leaving aside Cruise for a second...

After the election, liberals seemed to think they lost because of values voters. I wonder if the Democrats keep losing because they are simply so stuck in the past. Conservatives are supposed to look back on the past with fondness but it is the liberals who are nostalgic for the old days.

During the election, a number of pundits noted that the Kerry campaign seemed awfully fixated on Vietnam.

Now, our top news story is about the scandals of the Nixon administration. The boomers just don't want to let go.

Star Wars III and Relativism vs. Absolutism

2005-05-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

Finally saw it.

Anyone else disappointed by Lucas' retreat into relativism and his attack on the War on Terrorism?

Seriously...

"If you are not with me, you are... [pause for dramatic effect and dawning recognition amongst slower audience members... now, can't directly quote Bush, too heavy handed even for Hollywood] my enemy."

and

"Only a Sith deals in absolutes."

Come on! I thought Star Wars was supposed to be all about absolutes--the triumph of good over evil. Now you turn relativist on me?

I carried a Star Wars metal lunchbox as kid. You were my brother.

I am so disappointed.

Forsake Our Troops Founder on Hannity & Colmes

2005-05-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

Forsake Our Troops

Watch if you don't have a heart condition.

I hate to give him more publicity. Believe me, I am thinking twice about posting this... but I agree that everyone should know that this type of nonsense is out there.

My goodness... his only point is that the compensation is too high... so that justifies calling soldiers, "Poster [children] for retroactive abortion"? Crook makes himself clearest when he asks, "What idiot risks their life for a country?" If he counts Thomas Jefferson, Sherman, Lincoln, JFK, and countless others as idiots, then count me in.

His logic is about as skewed as can be. Playing the part of a libertarian, claiming that soldiers chose to join and so should receive nothing, he makes a mockery of true conservatism.

I don't even need to address his calculations... which make an example of an O-8, that's right, a Major General, who is essentially the civilian equivalent of a Fortune 500 CEO or CFO making the whopping sum of a little under 129,000 a year. Anyone who has even the slightest familiarity of today's job market can easily make mincemeat of his misinformation.

Newsweek Koran Desecration Article Retracted--Reporter is the Lewinsky Reporter

2005-05-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

I have held off blogging until more of the story came out and because others are already doing such a good job of responding.

Now that Newsweek has printed its woefully inadequate retraction, I do have a few words to say.

Reporter on Retracted Newsweek Article Put Monica on the Map

[Isikoff's] article [about desecration of the Koran], which was blamed for rioting in Pakistan and Afghanistan in which at least 17 people were killed, has been denounced by the Pentagon for relying on what it says is incorrect information supplied by an anonymous source.

In discussing the article yesterday, Mr. Isikoff, who supplied the source for the article, said: "...The big point that leaps out is the cultural one. Neither Newsweek nor the Pentagon foresaw that a reference to the desecration of the Koran was going to create the kind of response that it did..."

Mark Whitaker, the editor of Newsweek, said in an interview yesterday, "Everybody behaved professionally and by the book in this case." Mr. Whitaker said no disciplinary action was being taken against the reporters because they did everything they should have done. "Grounds for discipline would be unethical behavior, fabrication, sloppy reporting or unwillingness to acknowledge the severity of the problem, and none of those things happened in this case."

Mr. Isikoff is, famously, the journalist who discovered the liaison between Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, and it was his reporting that led to impeachment proceedings against the president.

Newsweek has also printed the following:

Last Friday, a top Pentagon spokesman told us that a review of the probe cited in our story showed that it was never meant to look into charges of Qur'an desecration. The spokesman also said the Pentagon had investigated other desecration charges by detainees and found them "not credible." Our original source later said he couldn't be certain about reading of the alleged Qur'an incident in the report we cited, and said it might have been in other investigative documents or drafts. Top administration officials have promised to continue looking into the charges, and so will we. But we regret that we got any part of our story wrong, and extend our sympathies to victims of the violence and to the U.S. soldiers caught in its midst.

I think it is time to send Newsweek a clear message: Apology not taken.

Perhaps Isikoff's behavior steered just slightly clear of unethical and his story was not a total fabrication but certainly the reporting was sloppy. Hasn't there been an unwillingness to acknowledge the severity of the problem?

Also, as a Michelle Malkin reader pointed out Newsweek editors made a deal with Kerry that in exchange for access, anything they discovered during the campaign would not be published until after the election. Claiming journalistic integrity in rushing the Koran story to print is hypocritical after making the Kerry deal.

If you actually subscribe to Newsweek (perhaps for the funny cartoons and quotes page?), please cancel your subscription and let the editors know why you are doing so.

This is the only thing "journalists" who have sacrificed their sacred democratic duty in pursuit of sensationalistic cover stories will understand.

Doctors are more dangerous than Guns

2005-05-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

Curious? Check out Sand Monkey.

All in good fun.

Pay Day Loans for the Military

2005-05-14T15:32:00.000-07:00

Since this is a military issue, I wanted to add my 2 cents.

In case you live in an affluent community, payday loans are essentially loans you get from little storefronts that spring up near every military post. You get cash in exchange for a postdated check that covers the principal, interest, and fees--with annual percentage rates of 200 percent, 400 percent or more. When the agreed upon date arrives and you still can't pay the loan, you can take out another loan to cover the check, with more fees and more interest. In this manner, many spiral downward into uncontrollable debt.

There has been some push to legislate these payday loan businesses. My opinion is that these businesses are legal and simply providing a service (loans to those with bad credit) for a fee that covers their risk. No one made that Private buy a car he couldn't afford, let his insurance lapse, and then get into an accident.

At the same time, debt hurts military readiness. So, it is in the Military's best interest to discourage the use of these loans. A recent Army Times article offers a number of useful suggestions but you have to subscribe to the print edition to view online.

The main idea is that the military provides a number of options for avoiding payday loans. Unless your children are about to starve (which shouldn't be the case because the military pays for your food and housing), DO NOT TAKE OUT A PAYDAY LOAN. At some posts, the military has given unit commanders the ability to approve interest-free loans of up to $500 on a case-by-case basis and the Pentagon Federal Credit Union Foundation is testing a low-interest payday loan and some bases.

There is little risk of losing money on these loans because the government control these guys' paychecks.

Finally, every military post has a financial readiness center as part of its community services that offers classes, counseling, and information on emergency loans.

These solutions are better than legislation. Attack the demand rather than the supply by educating and providing better options.

Security witness sounds alarm on fake IDs

2005-05-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

Security witness sounds alarm on fake IDs

A woman whose brother was killed in the September 11 attacks yesterday surprised top members of the House Homeland Security Committee with counterfeit Mexican matricula consular cards bearing the members' identities and showcasing how easy it is to get valid identification to board an airplane.

On its Web site the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that all major airlines "accept the matricula in order to allow Mexican nationals to board planes" and that it is accepted by some banks as identification to open an account.

Isn't it good to know that anyone can get on a plane with a fake ID?

Man Blackmailed Into Iraqi Terrorist Attack

2005-05-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

Does anyone still think the terrorists are "freedom fighters?"

Soldiers Rescue Man Blackmailed into Suicide-Bombing Mission

Be proud that your countrymen are there to help these poor people who are being terrorized by foreign jihadis.

I'm an Enterpriser, Too!

2005-05-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

According to the Pew Research Center Quiz, I am an Enterpriser... Just like Michelle Malkin and "Homocon".

Only "9% OF ADULT POPULATION and 10% OF REGISTERED VOTERS" are enterprisers. I wonder what percentage of conservative bloggers are enterprisers...

A shaking red exploding liberal tomato!

2005-05-09T22:01:00.000-07:00

Here's an excerpt from the post from Cathy's World were she describes how one of our liberal friends nearly resorted to fisticuffs in the face of her logic:

What led to all this was a discussion of how Arnold Schwarzenegger's popularity is sinking because of his fight with the California teachers unions -- which balk at the idea that some teachers are better (or worse) than others, and should be rewarded...or dismissed.

Apparently, O'Donnell asserted that every teacher at his child's school is excellent. When Cathy expressed incredulity, O'Donnell responded poorly...check out the photo.

Having been a teacher myself there is so much I'd like to say about the actual subject.

First off, though, I cannot believe he went so ballistic. Screaming is generally speaking an unacceptable response. So much more so because of the physical differences. Big guys who yell are trying to intimidate you. Kudos to Cathy for keeping her cool.

Second, I agree that when people yell they are generally covering up some mistake or flub of their own.

Third, I have this concept of the I call the shaking red exploding liberal tomato and I loved hearing about this example.

As far as the actual issue: yes, some teachers are better than others and should be rewarded (or penalized) accordingly.

One of the problems with this issue is that one angry parent can ruin a teacher's career if there is no career protection. Being a teacher is like having hundreds of bosses. Students often learn the most from teachers that initially frustrate them.

There is so much pressure to give good grades rather than actually teach.

Also, any accountability system has to take into account the different types of classes teachers are assigned. There are so many variables each year. I would like to see an accountability system but I would be VERY cautious about the specifics before implementing them.

2005-05-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

Mardi Gras At the Derby

This has been going on for years!!! I went to the Derby a few years ago and saw girls doing this.

Working for a Boss Who Bullies

2005-05-08T14:15:00.000-07:00

Working for a Boss Who Bullies
One can hope that when the political smoke clears on Mr. Bolton's nomination, the hearings will have done for workplace harassment what the Clarence Thomas hearings did for sexual harassment - raise the profile, get the conversation going, maybe even lead to some laws with teeth.

Of course! That is exactly what we need. More useless unenforceable laws.

My goodness. If you don't like your job, quit!

Some More Thoughts on Teaching Tolerance

2005-05-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

Whenever I am confused about something, I consult the wisest man I know... my husband.

Imagine my pleasant surprise when I see that Josie/ and another reader (to whom I would link but I can't read your profile!) both shared similar points.

What the school should do is provide books that address tolerance in general--like the Dr. Seuss classic, "The Sneetches" (also good for discouraging excessive plastic surgery--ha, ha).

We really don't need to make an issue of sex for kids that young. If they are precocious and ready to discuss such issues, it should be the domain of the parents.

At the same time, the community should have the ultimate say as to what goes into the curriculum. I still say we can't have individual parents making a laundry list of demands.

Been a while..

2005-05-06T10:08:00.000-07:00

I was attending a funeral for an American Hero, my husband's grandfather. This Lt. Col., ret., fought for freedom during World War II.

I'll start blogging again next week when I catch up on my work.

In the meantime, I saw a link promoting this on an allegedly non-partisan website:

I Hate Republicans

Warning: Comparisons are made between campus republicans and the KKK and Bush and Hitler.

The person who made this has serious issues with perspective, not to mention a persecution complex.

Who's in a family - Estabrook Diversity Book Bag

2005-04-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

The jist is that the parents of a kindergartener were upset that the school sent home a diversity bag that included a book that was implicitly approving of a gay household. After an exchange over e-mail, the father went to the school and refused to leave until the principal promised that gay lifestyles would not be discussed in front of his child. He was eventually arrested.

Well, I read the e-mails between the school and the parents. I haven't seen the whole book but I read an except on Amazon.com. Also, here's Michelle Malkin's Blog Entry on the Topic.

Frankly, I'm on the fence (painful, I know).

The book really doesn't discuss sexuality and it was one of a variety of choices available to the parents for discussion at home--not in the class. I don't think it is unreasonable to show children drawings of different types of families so that they don't make fun of children who live in different types of households. The claim is that this book and similar ones "celebrate" homosexuality and I'm just not sure that is the case. Also, the parents could have just chosen a different book from the "diversity bag."

(Of course, I would have rejected the idea of the diversity bag, anyway. We would have pulled out my worn copy of D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths and then I would have donated a copy to the bag.)

At the same time, the parents' request that their child not be exposed to issues of sexuality or values that are contrary to theirs is a fair one. I also think it is inappropriate for a kindergarten teacher to discuss adult love (heterosexual or homosexual) with her class.

On the other hand, is it really reasonable to ask that your child be removed from the classroom if a conversation begins about how a classmate's two fathers took him fishing? Even if morals and values issues are not directly addressed, they come up.

The e-mails seem polite on the surface but I wonder how polite the conversation was in the office? Why did the parents insist on extracting a promise before the initial meeting--that doesn't seem like a good faith effort to resolve the issue. I don't think refusing to leave the school until a promise is made, which might not even be feasible, is the best way to work through a conflict.

Parents should have control over their children's moral education but what if each teacher has a list of twenty different topics each set of parents don't want discussed with their child?

Interracial relationships came up; Kate please go outside for five minutes. Evolution? Johnny, please leave. Mohammed, before you tell us about Ramadan, Ben has to go outside. Oops, sorry, Ben... come back... Jordan is the one who can't hear about other religions.

I really do wish schools would go back to focusing on reading and writing instead of on everyone's feelings. If this school hadn't sent home the book, this would be a non-issue.

That was long-winded, I know... but I really am not sure about this one at the moment. I'm sure there are passionate opinions on this subject and I'd like to hear them.

STOP SPEEDING!

2005-04-29T08:53:00.000-07:00

You made it back from Bagdad--don't kill yourselves here.

If any military or military spouses are reading this, we really need to do something. Picking up my husband last night, I noticed that the sign indicating days since traffic fatalities was back down to 3.

The sign flashes red when we've had recent traffic fatalities, yellow when some time has passed since the last traffic fatality, and theoretically it flashes green when we're doing well--I'm not sure because in the time I've been here I've only seen yellow once and never green.

We're losing more of our soldiers back here than we did in Iraq. I understand that this problem is not unique to soldiers--18 to 25 year old men are especially likely to be involved in fatal crashes. Still, this is the group of 18-25 year old men who are in my community and it makes me especially sad that these soldiers, many of whom have served our nation so honorably, are dying in such a stupid and preventable way.

I'm at a loss of what to recommend. We recently had a very bad accident here and the soldiers were shown a heart-rending video. Apparently this normally jovial group sat in stunned silence. Two days later, two idiots drag raced right passed me.

A wage gap?

2005-04-27T17:27:00.000-07:00

Something I've always suspected... there is no wage gap. There is a priority gap. I think this pretty much speaks for itself:

A wage gap?

Some of Farrell's findings: Women are 15 times as likely as men to become top executives in major corporations before the age of 40. Never-married, college-educated males who work full time make only 85 percent of what comparable women earn. Female pay exceeds male pay in more than 80 different fields, 39 of them large fields that offer good jobs, like financial analyst, engineering manager, sales engineer, statistician, surveying and mapping technicians, agricultural and food scientists, and aerospace engineers. A female investment banker's starting salary is 116 percent of a male's. Part-time female workers make $1.10 for every $1 earned by part-time males.

Surprisingly, Farrell argues that comparable males and females have been earning similar salaries for decades, though the press has yet to notice. As long ago as the early 1980s, he writes, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that companies paid men and women equal money when their titles and responsibilities were the same.

Farrell argues that many men outearn women by a willingness to take risky and dangerous jobs as well as work that exposes them to stress and bad weather or that requires a transfer to an undesirable location in another city or country. Women are more likely than men to pick glamorous jobs that tend to pay less. A London School of Economics study tracking 10,000 post-1993 United Kingdom graduates from 30 universities found that males were earning 12 percent more than women. The men tended to stress salary and were more likely to take up engineering, math, and computing. The women were more apt to seek socially oriented jobs and as undergraduates had favored majors in education and the arts.

Check this out from Mallard Fillmore:

There is no wage gap!

...and the media doesn't care!

Syria - Weapons of Mass Destruction and Pulling Out of Lebanon

2005-04-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

CIA can't rule out WMD move to Syria

The CIA's chief weapons inspector said he cannot rule out the possibility that Iraqi weapons of mass destruction were secretly shipped to Syria before the March 2003 invasion…

"Whether Syria received military items from Iraq for safekeeping or other reasons has yet to be determined," he said. "There was evidence of a discussion of possible WMD collaboration initiated by a Syrian security officer…"

"It was unlikely that an official transfer of WMD material from Iraq to Syria took place," his report stated. "However, ISG was unable to rule out unofficial movement of limited WMD-related materials."

Speculation on WMDs in Syria was fueled by the fact that satellite images picked up long lines of trucks waiting to cross the border into Syria before the coalition launched the invasion. Mr. Duelfer previously had reported that Syria was a major conduit for materials entering Iraq that were banned by the United Nations.

Sounds like pretty solid evidence to me. What were the conveys carrying if not weapons of some sort? Portraits of Saddam Hussein? All that medicine he was hiding so he could blame the United States for the death of Iraqi babies?

Saddam placed such importance on illicit trade with Syria that he dispatched Iraqi Intelligence Service agents to various border crossings to supervise border agents, and, in some cases, to shoo them away, senior officials told The Washington Times last year.

Today, U.S. officials charge that Syria continues to harbor Saddam loyalists who are directing and financing the insurgency in Iraq. The Iraq-Syria relationship between two Ba'athist socialist regimes has further encouraged speculation of weapons transfers.

This is enough right here that I think we should put some serious pressure on Syria. Let’s not let their withdrawal from Lebanon deflect attention from the fact that Syria is still a major security risk. Give up the Baathists and any weaponry now, Syria.

Several senior U.S. officials have said since the invasion that they thought WMD went to Syria.

Retired Marine Lt. Gen. Michael DeLong, the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command during the war, said in his book, "Inside CentCom," that intelligence reports pointed to WMD movement into Syria.

In October, John A. Shaw, then the deputy undersecretary of defense for international technology security, told The Times that Russian special forces and intelligence troops worked with Saddam's intelligence service to move weapons and material to Syria, Lebanon and possibly Iran.

"The organized effort was done in advance of the conflict," he said.

I think the WMD thing is a bit of a red herring--but I wouldn't be surprised if they exist. Seriously, we went into Iraq because Saddam Hussein was a horribile dictator who was a long-term security risk to us and our allies. That's justification enough for me.

Syrian soldiers leave Lebanon - April 27, 2005

MASNAA, Lebanon -- Syria ended its nearly 30-year occupation of Lebanon yesterday, pulling its last 250 soldiers across the border after an upbeat ceremony that glossed over the tensions between the two neighbors.

WAHOO!!!

"We sacrifice our blood and souls for you, Bashar," went the chant in support of Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose likeness was posted all over the vehicles.

Jon Stewart had someone on the other night (a scholar of Islam whose name I cannot recall) who argued that it is a clash within Islam and not a clash of civilizations. He was very convincing but reading this paragraph really drives home the point that even if there is a battle for the soul of Islam, there is a fundamental difference between the West and Islamic civilization as it now exists. Could you imaging US troops chanting, “We sacrifice our blood and souls for you, Bush?” Our troops sacrifice their blood for the people of the United States—and their souls are their own. That is the fundamental difference between even “moderate” fanatics and a free people.

[A State Department spokesman] said it was premature to speculate on whether the move would improve rocky U.S.-Syrian relations and said no decision had been made on the return to Damascus of U.S. Ambassador Margaret Scobey, who was recalled to Washington for consultations in mid-February to express U.S. unhappiness with Syria.

Given the other article, I don’t think we should send her back in anytime soon. We'll resume diplomatic ties when they stop harboring and funding Baathist thugs and turn over any illegal weapons.

Even before Mr. Hariri's death, Syria was ordered in a U.N. resolution to withdraw from Lebanon.

‘Cause we all know how effective THAT is. Seriously, is there any doubt that the US invasion of Iraq, coupled with stepped up Lebanese resistance, is what drove this?

Japanese Internment

2005-04-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of completing a section about Japanese Internment in the US curriculum I am writing. I will not be able to read Michelle Malkin's book before my deadline but I have read this post: HOW NOT TO TEACH JAPANESE INTERNMENT.

I have an open mind on this subject and would like to present both sides to the students so they can review the evidence and decide for themselves.

If anyone has any thoughts or can point me to primary or other sources, it would be much appreciated.

THANK YOU!!!

The Tempest in the Ivory Tower

2005-04-22T17:06:00.000-07:00

I know that this is old news but I can't resist commenting... heck, I got so angry, I created this button. I don't know if anyone else cares about how this man is the subject of an intellectual witch hunt but, if you are interested, you can post one, too. Post the button and link back to this post and I'll link to you, too. Just let me know by e-mailing me: a r m y w i f e l i f e at h o t m a i l.

You can also buy t-shirts supporting Summers at: http://www.vivasummers.com/
You can write to Larry Summers at: Lawrence_summers@harvard.edu

The Tempest in the Ivory Tower

Summers said he wouldn't rule out the possibility that innate gender differences might help explain why there aren't more women in the hard sciences. Offered tentatively, his comments set off a fierce debate, at Harvard and beyond. Summers apologized to the faculty and vowed to ''temper'' his ''words and actions.'' But that wasn't enough for members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, who passed a no-confidence vote in Summers at a faculty meeting on March 15 - the Ides of March.

I do not understand this one bit. How can intellectuals be against discussion of ideas? On another level, what is so terrible about the idea that men and women are innately different? I like our differences. He didn't say, "Girls can't do maths." Summers is just pointing out that innate differences might account for the imbalanced representation. What is wrong with throwing out a theory for exploration? There have been so many faculty and student quotes about how he is too controversial--shouldn't a scholar be constantly testing boundaries? Last time I checked, there is significant evidence that men and women not only have bodies that function differently but brains that function differently as well. Calling for more exploration and research seems logical to me... there's that "logic" again. At the same time, he called for an exploration of ways to increase that representation. I'm still not seeing what was so awful here.

To some, however, the outrage was also a sign of trouble in academia - which, as the critic Stephen Metcalf recently observed in Slate, ''has devolved into a series of now highly routinized acts of flattery, so carefully attended to that one out-of-place word is enough to fracture dozens of egos.''

Sarcasm alert: ...which is just so conducive to intellectual development.

In some ways, it recalls the campus turmoil of the 1960's. Only this time around, the protesters aren't the undergraduates; they're the faculty, who to some extent remain immersed in the values and pieties of the 60's and are clashing with a president intent on bringing Harvard in line with today's political and economic realities.

Here's another fun one... the liberal biases of professors. In the old days, they called conservatives dinosaurs and asked them to notice that the times they were a changing. Now that the times are once again readjusting, and they are the dinosaurs, these radicals simply won't let go of their glory days.

He is a liberal, but of a particular kind. [Summers] was a leading proponent of globalization when many other liberals were lamenting its discontents. Summers also hews to a kind of bottom-line market-driven thinking, which can seem deeply at odds with the humanistic values of the academy. And he is unapologetic about American power on a campus steeped in post-Vietnam ambivalence about such things.

He vocally supported bringing R.O.T.C. back to Harvard from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where it had been exiled after Vietnam-era campus protests and where it remained because of later protests over the military's discrimination against homosexuals. And he supported Harvard's honoring the Solomon Amendment, which ties federal funding to universities' allowing military recruitment on campus, something students and faculty had protested. In this way, as Bradley writes, ''Summers explicitly linked the future of the United States in its fight against terrorism with the success of Harvard.''

In another effort to address the global situation, Summers delivered a speech on campus in September 2002 in which he criticized a campaign calling on Harvard and other universities to divest from Israel. ''Serious and thoughtful people are advocating and taking actions that are anti-Semitic in their effect if not their intent,'' he said.

This is MY KIND OF LIBERAL!!! Let's see... Free market (check), support for our military (check), willing to accept the realities and responsibilities of being a leader in the world's sole superpower (check), and calling for support for our DEMOCRATIC ALLIES WHO ARE NOT TRYING TO BLOW US UP (check). If Harvard doesn't want him, I hope he runs for office.

It's not altogether surprising, then, that Bradley's book includes descriptions of Summers that echo familiar characterizations of President Bush. Summers ''is not an intellectual, because intellectuals know the power of doubt,'' a professor and signer of the divestment petition tells Bradley. In Bradley's view, that's only one of his shortcomings. Among many cartoonish characterizations in ''Harvard Rules,'' he dwells on Summers's table manners and often disheveled appearance.

Just like our President, Summers is intelligent. Because he doesn't play by the same rules of the Northeastern liberal academic elite, however, he is a barbarian. If you attack Republicans however (Michael Moore comes to mind immediately), then your slovenly appearance is a sign that you prefer substance over style. HYPOCRISY ALERT!

Beyond that he emphasizes that Summers happens to be the first Jewish president of Harvard, and notes that that might inform his views on Israel and foreign policy.

This part REALLY got to me. The only reason for someone to support Israel is because they are Jewish? How anti-Semitic is that? I really thought we were over this.

And hence Summers's efforts to crack down on grade inflation at Harvard, where in 2001 about 90 percent of students graduated with honors, compared with 50 percent at Yale that year.

A little off topic from this post but I just wanted to say "thpt" to those who think Yale is "easier" than Harvard... just because Yalies have more fun!

Anyway, longer post than I intended... but I hope others will join me in supporting Summers' First Amendment rights and his obligation as President of one of our preeminent colleges to promote debate--even if it isn't "popular."

Shaping Young Minds... Why I'm Busy

2005-04-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

Just taking a short break to let you know that I've been using my time away from blogging well. I'm currently writing a US History curriculum, including text, activities, and assessments.

You'll be happy to hear that I include all sorts of fun facts about our founders' Christian influences and how the New Deal didn't actually work.

I've also been busy with volunteering.

I'll be back (maybe tomorrow) with some thoughts about Larry Summers.

Name Change

2005-04-19T13:43:00.000-07:00

If you've been here before, you may notice that I changed the name. I found myself mainly blogging about politics so this blog is now: "Your Military Right."

I still want a blog for family, friends, and those interested in the life of an Army Officer's Wife, so I created a new blog: http://mollypitcher.blogspot.com/

Right now, that blog will most likely be updated once a week. Once my Dearest Husband deploys, I will blog several times a week.

A Radical in the White House

2005-04-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

Bob Herbert really bugs me. Here's his paean to the New Deal:

A Radical in the White House

That more wasn't made of this anniversary is not just a matter of time; it's a measure of the distance the U.S. has traveled from the egalitarian ideals championed by F.D.R. His goal was "to make a country in which no one is left out." That kind of thinking has long since been consigned to the political dumpster. We're now in the age of Bush, Cheney and DeLay, small men committed to the concentration of big bucks in the hands of the fortunate few.

To get a sense of just how radical Roosevelt was (compared with the politics of today), consider the State of the Union address he delivered from the White House on Jan. 11, 1944.

Roosevelt referred to his proposals in that speech as "a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all regardless of station, race or creed."

Among these rights, he said, are:

"The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation.

"The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation.

"The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living.

"The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad.

"The right of every family to a decent home.

"The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health.

"The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident and unemployment.

"The right to a good education."

I want to point out that even F.D.R. said "adequate" and "decent"--not the right to waste your money on a fancy car with no insurance, crash it, and then have the government come to your rescue and finance your color TV with cable, designer clothes, fancy lifestyle.

When F.D.R. started the US down the path to socialism, people were starving in the streets, small farmers were driven from their land, and hardworking individuals were unable to find work at any wage... these people were just hoping for "adaquate" and "decent." Now, people feel they are entitled to a ghetto-fabulous dreamworld without lifting a finger.

USA Freedom Corps Director Discusses Volunteerism in America

2005-04-18T15:37:00.001-07:00

During a party my senior year of a college, a member of a liberal organization approached me, looking perplexed.

He said, "I heard you won a community service award."

Me: Why do you look surprised?

Him: I thought you were a conservative.

??? I suppose my heart wasn't bleeding enough to meet his definition of a volunteer.

Volunteerism is near and dear to my heart and, I think, the hearts of many conservatives and Republicans. Democrats think we are cruel because we want to cut government programs that benefit the poor. The truth is, though, that we don't intend to leave hard-working, honest people who have fallen on hard times high and dry. Conservatives just believe that private organizations can handle these needs more efficiently and effectively.

Part of the recent success of the Republican Party has been to regain the moral high ground. The party does this not by harping on non-issues (like the gender of who is in someone's bed) but by appealing to our better sides.

So, it is with mixed emotions that I read this article: USA Freedom Corps Director Discusses Volunteerism in America. To what extent should the government promote volunteerism?

I am of two (at least) minds on this one. Volunteering is good for the soul and I do believe that, as human beings, we have responsibilities towards one another. I also believe that service to one's country gives a citizen a sense of ownership. At the same time, if it is mandatory or paid (as in the Army or teaching or AmeriCorps or Peace Corps), it isn't really volunteering. At the same time, service requirements or guidelines can still provide a sense of ownership and may encourage those who serve to volunteer once their service is complete.

One the other hand, I abhor the New Deal and believe that government involvement drives away private charity, philanthropy and volunteerism. People say, "Isn't that why I pay taxes?"

So, can the government get involved in promoting volunteerism and service without harming private service initiatives? Is this something the government should touch at all?

Thoughts?

I leave you with these links and encourage you to volunteer your time, regardless of your political affiliation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics - 2004 Report on Volunteerism - This report does not show a political affiliation breakdown--anyone seen one?

Freedom Corps - Latest government foray into our personal lives or valuable tool to encourage personal responsibility? Either way, find out about how the government is promoting volunteerism.

Servenet and Volunteer Matchmatch you with local service opportunities.

Serviceleader has tips for new and experienced volunteers and volunteer leaders.

Just for the ladies: The Junior League.

Brief Argues that First Amendment Protects Bloggers

2005-04-15T11:28:00.001-07:00

I've been enjoying a weekend away from the computer, including a lovely drive through Texas Hill Country (the wildflowers are in bloom).

Dearest Husband is going to head off into the field for about 3 weeks so I should be back to blogging and working. I won't see him or talk with him but I'll be able to hear him (BOOM! BOOM!)!

Check this out:
Brief Argues that First Amendment Protects Bloggers

This is so terribly important given the mainstream media's bias. Everyone should have a voice and that voice should be protected by the First Amendment.

BTW - I published this on the 17th, not the 15th.

Military Health Care in Jeopardy (Mooching War Widows?)

2005-04-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

So much news today! I'll deal with this issue first since it is a military issue. The gist is that longterm military health benefits are in jeopardy.

Military Health Care in Jeopardy

"It's costing mightily and it's in competition with some of the weapons systems," Senator Warner said.

But he said that having a first-class health plan for retirees was a crucial selling point for recruiting and retaining soldiers. "There's no sense in buying modern weapons," he said, "unless you've got healthy, intelligent people who can operate them and are willing to stay there."

The cost of military health care is now bigger than the Army's budget for buying new weapons, the Navy's budget for new ships and submarines, or the Air Force's budget for new planes....

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is "very concerned with the growth" of new benefits and entitlements "that accrue principally to those who've left service, especially the retired community," said David S. C. Chu, the under secretary of defense for personnel. "The nation adopted them for good reason, but they are causing a significant cost issue for future defense budgets."

The retirees persuaded almost every member of Congress to support Tricare for Life, a permanent entitlement. Many lawmakers believe that criticizing it would be political suicide, said Representative Mark Steven Kirk, a Republican from Illinois and a Navy reserve officer, one of the few members of Congress who has publicly questioned the price of the promise.

So, basically we've created this welfare state for everyone, including people who have never worked a day in their lives, and this welfare is a sacred cow. However, they're willing to talk about taking away benefits for people who risked their lives for this country. Gee, that makes a whole lot of sense sense.

The truth is that Tricare for Life is a recruitment tool, not a handout. When people join the army, they take into consideration the fact that the army is going to take care of them for the rest of their lives, whether that be the next five minutes before a jihadi explodes an IED near their convoy or for the next fifty years.

Also, let's make some other cuts first before we cut into this recruitment tool and well-deserved reward. I'm not saying that a change in the system should be up for discussion, just that there is a lot more fat to trim before we make this sacrifice.

Walmart Resisting Unionization

2005-04-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

Wal-Mart Leaves Bitter Chill

For my libertarian friends who don't want to register online, I've excerpted some key pieces (in italics) and added my comments. The overall idea is a Walmart is closing after a union was started.

The Wal-Mart here is one of three in the area, and it was welcomed when it opened more than three years ago. The town's manufacturing legs are getting old: Both Alcan and Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. paper mills closed lines in their plants last year, costing 1,200 jobs.

"Economically, it's not a good time for us," said the mayor of the Saguenay area, Jean Tremblay. The new Wal-Mart was swamped with applications, and those who were hired thought themselves lucky.

Okay folks: supply, demand. Learn it, live it, love it. You don't demand MORE when you have no bargaining power!

"I never had a job as good as this before," said Lynn Morissette, 44, who tracks inventory in the store. "I worked in the daytime. I thought I had a good wage, and I was a shareholder, too, so I could save up some money. I was going to retire here."

Ah, the free market is a beautiful thing. She felt some ownership and worked harder and was happy. Was that good enough for the do-gooder unionizers?

Those involved in the organizing effort claim they were harassed by the company. "We were targeted fairly quickly by Wal-Mart," said Pierre Martineau, a 60-year-old maintenance man who helped organize the union. He said he was humiliated and ridiculed by managers at a store-wide meeting and followed around by supervisors who made implied threats.
"I felt treated worse than an animal," he said.

Those who did not want a union say organizers harassed them to join. "People signed the cards just to get some peace" from the union organizers, said Noella Langlois, 53, who works in the clothing department. "They thought they would vote against it in a secret vote."

So, some people are jerks, big surprise there. Doesn't sound like either side broke any bones, though.

In fact, there was a vote last April that rejected the union. But under Quebec labor laws, the organizers could try again. When they collected signed union cards from 51 percent of the employees, the law declared the Jonquiere Wal-Mart a union shop.

Pelletier, the Wal-Mart spokesman, says the Quebec laws are unfair, and only a secret ballot would show the true feelings of the workers.

"Signing a union card, when there's someone on your doorstep at night saying, 'Sign this card,' should not be the last word," he said. "A democratic, secret vote is the only way to avoid intimidation by either the union or an employer."

Wow, what a revelation! People are more likely to give you their true opinion when the ballots are secret. D-e-m-o-c-r-a-c-y... what a concept!

Company officials said [the store] was losing money, and the demands of the union would have made it even less tenable.

"You can't take a store that is a struggling store anyway and add a bunch of people and a bunch of work rules," Wal-Mart chief executive H. Lee Scott Jr. told The Washington Post after the announcement.

Again: supply and demand. There's a certain elegant beauty to it. Here's an idea: don't kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. If you demand too much, your employer will up and move. Demand what you are worth--fair market price.

Some here in Jonquiere don't believe the company's claim that the store was losing money. They say the chain sacrificed the store to make a point to its employees across Canada and the United States, where union organizers are involved in dozens of organizing drives and court battles.

Yeah, because major corporations always make business decisions to make a point rather than make money. Um, if they did that on a regular basis, THEY WOULDN'T BE A MAJOR CORPORATION!

The announcement deepened animosities among the employees. Those who liked their jobs and said they were happy at Wal-Mart are bitter at the union for its tactics, which they blame for the store closure.

"We were duped by the union. There was absolutely no need to unionize," said Rejan Lavoie, 40, a single father who took a job as a department manager at Wal-Mart to be home in the evenings with his 8-year-old son. He fears he will not find another job with a workable schedule.

"We weren't asking for the moon," said Bergeron, who spent two years quietly contacting fellow employees at their homes to enlist them in the union. "It's the largest and richest company in the world. They could afford to improve conditions. We only wanted to be treated like human beings."

Hey Bergeron, you aren't starving... why don't you send everything you don't need to some starving people? Gee, maybe because you work so that YOU can enjoy the fruits of your labor. Walmart is a business, not a charity. It is also a business that was providing your town with much needed jobs... until you got involved.

Sylvie Lavoie, 40, said she is unsure how, as a single mother, she will support herself and her 10-year-old daughter after the store closes. But the backup cashier, who earns $7.55 an hour, said she does not regret joining the union drive.

"We can't regret trying to make our lives better," she said at the union hall. "I don't know what I'll do, but I know my daughter will be proud of me."

Next time you want to make your daughter proud of you by trying to make your lives better, get additional training or education. Then she can be proud AND you won't have to wonder how you will support your family.

Cat-Kill Bill 'Not Going Anywhere'

2005-04-14T10:02:00.000-07:00

Click the title for the article.

I am relieved but at the same time that someone made DEATH THREATS to the guy who proposed the idea. I think it is a sick idea but DEATH THREATS?

Anyway, while we are on the subject of cats. One of my cats is developing problem solving skills and I am scared. We have the cord for a shade wrapped around a bracket. First she batted at the cord in one direction, then tried it from the other direction. She then realized that she was having some more success but couldn't complete unwrap it. So, she began to examine it from above, trying to unwrap it with her teeth. It is only a matter of time before she can pick the locks.

The other cat is dumb, though. He was climbing the screen door so I shut the class. He figures out he can't climb the glass so he turns around. I think he's giving up. Nope, he is getting a head start. He takes a running leap into the glass door. He's pretty heavy, too. I thought he might crack it.

What would be really frightening is if they team up... brains and brute strength... shudder.

D.R.A.F.T.: P.I.M.P. Parody

2005-04-13T20:53:00.000-07:00

If you don't mind some Jib-Jab style humor from the other side and a little profanity, check out: D.R.A.F.T..

Have fun!

Adopt a Soldier

2005-04-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

I saw this on The Patriette:

You can adopt a soldier at Soldiers' Angels and help provide morale-boosting support to our soldiers. If you are looking to do something nice for our troops, here's an opportunity!

Which reminds me, I should bake another batch of cookies for DH's platoon, soon.

So, why don't I go back to teaching?

2005-04-12T20:37:00.000-07:00

I am a teacher and right now I work from home. The reasons why are probably something I'm going to struggle with in this blog.

For starters, did you know that every time I move (which us army wives do often) I have to get a whole new series of certifications?

That usually entails application fees, test fees, and licensing fees... which will run you about $150-200 for a single certification, more if you want multiple certifications. Then there are the hours you spend getting fingerprinted, taking the tests, and filling out paperwork.

Of course, education is a local and state issue and should remain that way. At the same time, we are experiencing a shortage of teachers in many areas of the nation. Wouldn't streamlining the process bring at least some more teachers into teaching AND save money?

For example, one of the tests most states require is a BASIC LITERACY TEST! Gee, I have my SAT scores, my two Ivy-League degrees, my GRE scores, 5 years worth of teaching experience, and test results from two other states... but every time I move the state wants PROOF that I can READ AND WRITE!!!

Sorry if I got a bit agitated there. Seriously, the only way to know for sure if someone can teach is to put them in a classroom. Why not accept any one of a dozen tests to prove a baseline of intelligence and then leave it up to the individual school districts as to who they think is qualified to teach.

The cost and certification aggravation aren't the only reasons I'm unsure I want to step foot back in the chalkboard jungle. I'll discuss the other two big reasons in more depth another time but I'll give you a hint (it isn't the kids) and two guesses.

Bush Speech at Ft. Hood

2005-04-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

Well... DH got up at 1:30 am so he could report at 2am (0200 for you military types). After formations and a 4 mile march, they waited.

The President spoke at 10am (yes, 8hrs after formation) for about 15-20 minutes. He told them men that they did a good job and are making the world a more peaceful place. He also said that as the Iraqis begin to take more responsibility for their security, we will be able to move into a more supporting role. No discussion of reduced forces or reduction in deployment length. Nothing groundbreaking--but thank you for coming to speak to our soldiers, President Bush!

Apparently the powers that be did not increase the number of guards at the main gate so some soldiers had trouble making it for formation! At least the soldiers have the rest of the day off!

I just visited the Drudge Report and added a link to a story about the speech.

Man Date???

2005-04-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

Someone gets paid to write this junk?
Simply defined a man date is two heterosexual men socializing without the crutch of business or sports.

Although "man date" is a coinage invented for this article, appearing nowhere in the literature of male bonding (or of homosexual panic), the 30 to 40 straight men interviewed, from their 20's to their 50's, living in cities across the country, instantly recognized the peculiar ritual even if they had not consciously examined its dos and don'ts. Depending on the activity and on the two men involved, an undercurrent of homoeroticism that may be present determines what feels comfortable or not on a man date, as Mr. Speiser and Mr. Putman discovered in their squeamishness at the Modern.

The Man Date

I seriously doubt that when my husband meets a buddy for dinner that an undercurrent of homoeroticism is present. WTH?

Dinner with a friend has not always been so fraught. Before women were considered men's equals, some gender historians say, men routinely confided in and sought advice from one another in ways they did not do with women, even their wives. Then, these scholars say, two things changed during the last century: an increased public awareness of homosexuality created a stigma around male intimacy, and at the same time women began encroaching on traditionally male spheres, causing men to become more defensive about notions of masculinity.

Uh... Just go grab a bite and talk. Why does this have to be a gender politics issue? Leave it to a NY Times writer.

Artificial Intelligence 20 Questions

2005-04-12T05:29:00.000-07:00

I'm off to an appointment this morning, so here is something with which to play:

20 Questions

Notice how it will improve each time you play the game.

Fun or Scary? You decide.

Killing Kittens

2005-04-11T18:46:00.000-07:00

Yeah, the title is inflammatory but, I think, appropriate. We're talking about shooting kittens!

Right now this is on the mows main page. In case it moves, this is the article and this is Jay's response.

Where to begin? I agree that feral cats are a problem. I also agree that people should have the right to do pretty much anything on their own property. If a rabid feral cat is attacking, go ahead and shoot it. Seriously, though, this law is basically giving any idiot the right to start shooting at any cat.

First, cats can easily slip outside and often slip out of their collars. There is little way to know if the cat is truly "feral" or just a pet that got outside... especially a distance. Also, shooting at such small "game" is likely to result in a number of misses, therefore injuring the animal and making it suffer. There are so many other ways to curb this sort of problem so the people who propose this must want to shoot cats. What sort of sick person would derive pleasure from shooting cats???

I am not usually a touchy-feely animal rights activist but this makes me sick AND this is about resisting a waste-of-time inhumane law rather than trying to pass some waste-of-time law to provide unnecessary protections.

Bush to Speak at Ft. Hood

2005-04-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

Since it has already been on the news... Bush is coming to Ft. Hood. We've been hearing about this for weeks and DH has to be there super early... which means the alarm will ring at about 2 am. So much for beauty sleep!

Conservatives Who Like Protest Rock Anonymous

2005-04-11T11:14:00.000-07:00

White House Letter: President Bush's iPod
As for an analysis of Mr. Bush's playlist, Mr. Levy of Rolling Stone started out with this: "One thing that's interesting is that the president likes artists who don't like him."

I was just talking with DH about this! I think it is funny that, as conservatives, we enjoy so much of this protest-rock. DH says the music is good and we can enjoy the ironic kitsch of the politics. Hmmm...

Bolton

2005-04-11T09:26:00.000-07:00

From a Washington Post article: "Bolton Faces Tough Questions on Hill":

"In the diplomatic world, neither bluntness nor rhetorical sensitivity is a virtue in itself," the Indiana Republican said. "There are times when blunt talk serves a policy purpose; other times it does not.

Hear, hear! We don't need more polite talk, we need some bluntness. That's lovely that the UN wants to have little clubby meetings and pass meaningless resolutions that bash the US or Israel... but should have no part of it. The UN's General Assembly should research and discuss REAL issues and then make RECOMMENDATIONS to the few nations that actually have the power to get anything done. Then it might actually be relevant... maybe.

The New York Times says this was a rebuke of Bolton? I think it is exactly the reason why he is a good choice.

Tomato Liberals

2005-04-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

I'd like to introduce you to phenomenon I call the shaking red exploding liberal tomato (or tomato liberal for short).

Basically, you take a sheltered student or graduate of an elite institution, preferably one who has lived all his life in a major city in the Northeast, and challenge their assumptions with facts. Then, watch the fun. I promise the liberal will start to insist his opinion is "just plain right" with no evidence. Then, as you continue to debate, he will visibly quake and turn tomato red. If you don't stop, you'll swear he is just about to explode.

Since I've moved to Texas, I enjoy this sport a lot less often but there is always the internet and Austin.

The Draft - Universal Service

2005-04-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

DH (Dear Husband) and I have very supportive families but they are all slightly confused about his decision to join the army. To their "Vietnam" generation, smart, educated people joining the military seems odd. Hmmm... wouldn't you prefer to have intelligent people taking care of your nation's defense?

Shouldn't the nation's defense fall on the shoulders of representatives of the whole populace? Shouldn't our armed forces look like our nation? Shouldn't every community have a stake in our armed forces?

Shouldn't service be a duty?

I think we should have a two or three-year universal service requirement in this country. Not everyone should necessarily have to serve in the combat arms in the Army but I think we would benefit both from a corps of citizen soldiers and from every citizen providing real service to the country. Conscientious objectors could work as teachers in underserved populations or be part of an armed forces auxiliary that would have the discipline of the armed forces but would only be assigned domestic, non-combat tasks like clerical support work or natural disaster relief.

Maybe that would kick some of the apathy in this nation in the butt.

Power of Attorney

2005-04-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

I recently saw an article saying that military members should not give their spouses power of attorney.

So, as a military spouse do you need a general power of attorney? Yes, you do.

If your friends at JAG say you don't, just go down to your neighborhood Staples or other office supply stores and pick up the form for yourself. Once you fill it out, you can have it notarized. Your local bank probably has a notary.

While you are at it, call all banks and credit card companies and either get your name on those, too, or find out if they require specific power of attorney forms (most do). Also make sure you fill out one of those deployment readiness books together (even if your spouse is just going on extended training).

You'll need the general power of attorney to do almost anything for which the account holder is your spouse (cell phone, utilities, etc.).

Okay, yeah... there are spouses who cheat on their soldier and take all of his (usually) money. If that's you, shame on you. Seriously soldiers, don't you know if your spouse is disloyal or airheaded before you leave? If you have a responsible and loyal spouse, there should be no problems. If you have any doubts (past infidelity, gambling or shopping addictions) than give the power of attorney to someone you trust who will look out for the best interests of you and your family (maybe a parent). This way, if your spouse needs emergency funds or help, someone who she (again, usually) can reach will be able to help.

Please don't leave your family stranded just because there are a few bad apples out there.

Opening Day

2005-04-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

Well... Here I am... set up under a pseudonym. I expect, if DH (Dear Husband) approves, I'll be adding details about my life as an Army Wife. Once upon a time I was a college student, then I was a teacher, and I expect some day I'll be a mother. Technically, I'm currently a freelance writer... but really I am an ARMY WIFE.

Perhaps that sounds terribly un-P.C. ... that my husband's career would be such a large part of my identity. Well, I never did go in for the P.C. stuff, anyway. Truth be told, being an army wife can be very time-consuming and rewarding, especially if you are an officer's wife. The Army controls where we go, which in return controls so much of what we do.

Although gone are the days when a wife directly makes or breaks her husband's career (unless perhaps he's running for President), a committed spouse can make any intense career choice more manageable. I'm finding this so much more so no that DH is an army officer than when he was a lawyer.

Expect to find... funny (at least to me) anecdotes, thoughts about la vida military, hopes, anxieties, dreams, commentaries on current events. Don't expect too many salacious tidbits, though. I'm sure I've already included enough information that a clever person could put two and two together if they liked.

Your Military Right

Seriously, why are you still here?

Why Are You Still Here?

Kill the Blog

Like Sausages, Indeed...

Okay, I'm Being Good and Watching the Roberts Hearings (For Now)

Roberts Hearings or...

The ACLU and Dress Codes: Are Thongs Protected Speech?

Good News - Iraq: Economic Progress

Foamy the Squirrel Speaks the Truth About Hurrican Katrina

New York Times Katrina Coverage: Abandoning Any Semblance of Objectivity?

September 11, 2001

Red Crescent to be Memorial for Terrorist Victims

Rockers, Benefit Concerts, and the Hurricane

Good News: Iraq: Troops Donate Supplies to Iraqi School Children

Katrina: Racism?

Sharing the Burden

Bush's Efforts to Help Katrina Victims

Superdome Update

Rapes in the Superdome?

Katrina: Aid in Temple, TX

Education: The Good Fight

Good News in Afghanistan: Afghan Army Leads Demining Operation

Good News: Commander Says North-Central Iraq Ready for Elections

Anti-War Protestors' Disgusting Display at Army Hospital

Good News in Iraq: Iraqi, U.S. Soldiers Keeping Sadr Streets Safe

Gary Qualls Challenges Cindy Sheehan to a Debate

Britain is *gasp* defending itself...

Good News... Iraq and Afghanistan

Disappointed in Jon Stewart - Cindy Sheehan

Tip Leads to IEDs; Stolen Child Rescued

Pirro, Again

Reason NCOs Rock, #243

Jeanine Pirro

Freedom Walk

Building Infrastructure in Afghanistan

Democracy and Civil Rights for Iraqi Women

Letters about Rape in Pakistan

Letter to President Bush (re: Women's Rights in Pakistan)

Letter to President Musharraf (re: Women's Rights in Pakistan)

Okay, Life Got in the Way...

A Letter to the US, Canada, and Pakistan

Something About Which Evangelical Conservatives and Neo-Socialist Liberals Should Be Able to Agree

When's the Islamic Conference on Defeating Terrorism?

The terrorists are offering nothing for the future of Iraq

Peace March Draws 1,000 in Rural Iraq

London

Hospital Opening Furthers Iraqi Progress

Domino's Pizza is People!

Senator Compares Gitmo to Concentration Death Camps

Gold Star Mothers For Peace: Please Allow Your Children to Rest in Peace

Grand Master Flash Replaces Sartre

Disappearing Comments

What the Terrorists Really Fear

Alumni in Poll Say President of Harvard Shouldn't Quit

85 Percent of Iraqis Likely to Vote in October

Star Wars III and Relativism vs. Absolutism

Forsake Our Troops Founder on Hannity & Colmes

Newsweek Koran Desecration Article Retracted--Reporter is the Lewinsky Reporter

Doctors are more dangerous than Guns

Pay Day Loans for the Military

Security witness sounds alarm on fake IDs

Man Blackmailed Into Iraqi Terrorist Attack

I'm an Enterpriser, Too!

A shaking red exploding liberal tomato!

Working for a Boss Who Bullies

Some More Thoughts on Teaching Tolerance

Been a while..

Who's in a family - Estabrook Diversity Book Bag

STOP SPEEDING!

A wage gap?

Syria - Weapons of Mass Destruction and Pulling Out of Lebanon

Japanese Internment

The Tempest in the Ivory Tower

Shaping Young Minds... Why I'm Busy

Name Change

A Radical in the White House

USA Freedom Corps Director Discusses Volunteerism in America

Brief Argues that First Amendment Protects Bloggers

Military Health Care in Jeopardy (Mooching War Widows?)

Britain is gasp defending itself...