Chaplains and MARINES

Here's a good one. I know you guys are right on the edge of your seat. I'm up at UC yesterday to drive this patient who is still taking chemo so I am waiting at the Infusion Center. I start talking to this lady and she says, "I understand you are a Priest." Before I could say anything, she said, "Father Jerry, I have met a great priest here and am going to mass everyday." I am looking for an opening to tell her that I'm not a priest. She keeps talking. She is from San Diego but came here at the rec of her doctor as he thought this was best Treatment Center in the country. She made her Mom a special rosary out of pearls. She is going to make the Priest one but he believes all rosaries should be black. It is her birthday. She is sixty. Very attractive but emotionally has the look of all breast cancer victims: "a deer caught in the headlights."

I finally decide that I have to confess. I tell her that I am not a Priest but a Presbyterian and am sorry we went on for so long but she was telling good stories. We laughed. She wanted to know if she could still call me "Father Jerry." Of course. I launched into a war story: "in Vietnam, guys would come to me all the time and want me to hear their confession. I would say to them that I am not a Priest. It would be like they didn't hear me, made no difference. I can't tell you the numbers of times I heard confession.

I have a confession to make. I know you're not a priest, but you're the closest to one that I know. My confession: I agree with this quote from a chaplain!
"You cannot exaggerate about the Marines. They are convinced to the point of
arrogance, that they are the most ferocious fighters on earth- and the
amusing thing about it is that they are."
Father Kevin Keaney, 1st MarDiv Chaplain, Korean War

The Marines are the last vestige of true discipline in our society. And, I am fan. PBS had a big special on the Marines Sunday night. It was like an hour and a half commercial. There is a young segment in our society looking for a challenge and the Marines are providing it. HooAhhhhhhhhhhh

POT! Stories Too Good To Keep To Ourselves

Listening to a news spot on TV concerning the mental health of our soldiers and especially the idea that a soldier could have two positive drug tests and still stay in the military, reminded me when I was a soldier in Germany during the early seventies. Soldiers were smoking hashish (stronger and purer pot) with great regularity and I didn't even know it. A couple of them recently told me and we had a laugh, especially how they would come to see me, go to church-feeling good. Then, we turned serious since both are outstanding citizens, (one, retired cop, now a PI; the other, an economics prof at Ohio State) The question I had for them: do all drug users start with marihuana. Answer from them, They think: YES!!!!


As Californians will soon vote whether to legalize or not is a big issue. To be honest, I haven't had much personal experience with pot. I tried a little in Vietnam but nothing. For one thing, I've never smoked and think you have to have been a smoker to be good at it. I was "Bill" as in Clinton, didn't inhale. Then a couple of dozen years ago, I ran into an old high school buddy and he was into it. I tried a puff. Nothing.


So after a healthy discussion with some of my buds, one was convinced that a "brownie" was the answer. Since my buddy was pro legalizing, his thinking, "if you just try it, realize it merely relaxes, you'll see the benefits." So, what the hell! So, here I am with this brownie. Let's just relax, take a little bite, it's not going to kill you. So, a little chunk. An hour or so, nothing. OK, here's another chunk, bigger one this time. I'm sitting on the couch, suddenly, my head begins to hurt, my ears are burning. I stumble to the bathroom. My ears are blood red. I make it back to the couch and pretend to watch TV. The TV looks a little blurry, maybe I just think it is. I seem a little nauseous, where is the relaxing. Maybe the brownie was tainted or bad or something. No, it came from a marihuana dispensary. This is weird. I'm really feeling weird. Maybe I should call 911. What am I going to tell them, "I had a brownie." Dang! The feelings finally passed. I never relaxed. I flushed the rest of it down the toilet. Well, I can tell you this: I KNOW HOW I'M GOING TO VOTE ON THE POT ISSUE.


Was that really your experience of something you forwarded?

It reminded me exactly of my own experience. But mine was worse. You know I'm totally socially liberal and would let anyone do anything so long as it does not harm other people. But in the case of legalizing pot I would vote NO, for two reasons.

Reason 1 - A couple of years ago when I lived on Funston ave, I went to a party that some of my gay friends were having. They are all very decent normal guys, people I know and like and respect. One of them had made pot brownies. Now, I am not into pot or any other drugs (unless you count beer and wine, which perhaps I should). I had tried all sorts of drugs when I was in high school, just to try. They seemed like a complete waste of time and money and none made me feel particularly happy or interested or excited (except LSD - and I stopped that immediately because I actually liked it and I could tell it was pretty wacky stuff). I was offered a pot brownie at this party. My reasoning was this.... I am an intelligent adult person with good self control. I am with people I trust. Now what is this thing?... It is pot and a brownie. The brownie part is fairly innocuous. OK. And as for the pot, well, it seems like every high school student in the US seems to be smoking the stuff all the time, so how bad can it be? I had a nibble. Nothing. I had some more. Nothing. It tasted good though. I just thought I was immune. So I finished the thing. About 30 minutes passed. Suddenly I felt dizzy and my eyesight and hearing were wobbly. Then I started to feel anxious. I was taken home by Stacy (who was living with me at the time). I drank some water and sat on the bed and then I knew I was feeling very anxious. Then scared. Then very scared. My heart was beating wildly. I was doing everything I could to be quiet and look normal. I tried to tell Stacy what was going on. I tried to tell her I was scared. I could either not talk or only a whisper came out. Apparently I looked very funny because I was sitting bolt upright in bed with my eyes wide open clearly trying to smile but just looking very worried. I new what I wanted to say but I could not make my mouth say the words. It was just like being in a nightmare where you need to move but you are paralyzed. I believed at the time that I had permanently damaged my brain, that I would be able to think like a normal person but that I was forever trapped in this body not being able to talk or communicate. It was absolutely TERRIFYING. I eventually was sick and projectile vomited all over the bathroom. I swear the next day there were green chunks of marijuana vomit all over the bathroom, on the walls and the ceiling. And it absolutely reeked of pot. The next day I was fine again. Just weak and shattered. It was a very frightening experience. Now, when your brain is swamped with unusual foreign chemicals that alter the way you perceive reality, subvert your ability to talk and even to reason, that's a pretty serious physiological event. It's not something that I feel I would ever want to experiment with again. The brain is a pretty tough piece of hardware, but it is not indestructible, and if you damage it enough it will not recover. The lethargy, paranoia, and inability to focus, concentrate, or truly be engaged in life that I see in habitual marijuana users is a powerful deterrent to me. And the experience I had makes me think that any brain, including mine, could be vulnerable.

Reason 2 - I used to live on Funston and Geary, just around the corner from a marajuana dispensary, next to the electronic music shop. I got to see the people who used marajuana. They were not old people with glaucoma or people going through chemo. They were almost 80% young punks in souped-up BMWs and kids in Escalades. None older than about 25 and all clearly disafected, agressive and insecure looking - clearly not nice people. Aaout 20% were just stoners, between 25 and 40. Just long term drug users. Hopeless flotsem and jetsom of society. I would see some of them sleeping in the buishes along Park Presidio. This is not the sort of character development we want to encourage.

I think this stuff should be illegal. It's bad for the people who use it. It's bad for society that has to deal with these people, and it enriches people who are parasites.

Adam

From your experience, pot would not have to be illegal.....people who would try it the way you did and experienced the same effects, would be" innoculated" from further use......and those who found pot to be enjoyable would be able to do so without penalty.... so far, I have not heard of even ONE DEATH from the use of pot.....but we have heard of many deaths attributable to other legal drugs like alcohol...... Accordingly, pot should be legalized......

Afghanistan and Vietnam: Sorry Wars

"We will continue to face huge challenges in Afghanistan, but it's important that the American people know that we are making progress and we are focused on goals that are clear and achievable." The President


What American people is he talking about? I would say, "the American people who care." Here's one who cares and I trust his comments.

I've been to Afghanistan more than 35 times; mostly in secure areas but on the borders a few times. It is all tribal in the worst sense of the word. 85% can't even read or write. However, we have done more for women in these years than ever before and from what I understand, except for the Taliban, the fathers in the villages want their daughters to be educated. If we stay it will be a 25 year odyssey, a generation of struggle. The whole country and Pakistan too in these areas lives in the 10th century.

The latest "Time" is pretty dismal about the prospects for women in Afghanistan if we leave. I don't think we should leave,relatively speaking, just get the conventional forces out of there. Leave Special Ops. We've got drones, protect the population centers and just keep fighting the Taliban. And give the women a chance.

I doubt it can happen because our political system won't allow it. Think Vietnam. In Vietnam, the South at least had the semblance of a legitimate democratic government. But , we couldn't see it through and who knows, as it has worked out, maybe the best thing. I don't see that in Afghanistan. For instance, in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh only had nationalism as his goal. In Afghanistan, we don't know what the hell is Karzai's agenda, his brother, tribes, clans: who is on who's side. It is a colossal mess as we have tried to make sense of it. We can't!

At the very least we ought to allow for a very liberal immigration program for women. The picture of the 18 year old on the cover of Time is pretty disturbing. To give the country back to a ruthless, ignorant bunch of fanatics mired in the 15th Century or earlier, is unthinkable. And, now we have had 10 Aid Workers killed by the Taliban. We don't know the circumstances yet but whatever they are, such a loss.

WHY HISTORY MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Even if it doesn't teach anything: think Iraq and Afghanistan.



It was on this day in 1964 during a speech in Congress that Senator Ernest Gruening of Alaska said, "All Vietnam is not worth the life of a single American boy."

Senator Gruening gave an impassioned plea before the House on this day, urging them to oppose further escalation. But the next day, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, authorizing expanded military action in Vietnam. Ernest Gruening was one of only two senators to oppose the resolution; the other one was Senator Wayne Morse of Oregon.

POIGNANT COMMENT FROM ONE OF THE GIRLFRIENDS

I'm heading South, to the land of Huey Long, aka The Kingfish! I'll be eating oysters, shrimp po'boys, and pecan pie, might even try some white lightnin'. New Orleans will be hotter than a $20 pistol on Saturday night and the humidity will make a gator wilt. We're leavin' Thurs early am. Thanks to United's great service, we're flyin' thru LAX,changing planes, arr. NOLA midafternoon. Jan and Lauren will be doing wedding dresses, deciding,etc,etc.
Capt will be visiting folks, Austin's kin folks,etc. I'll be jogging only in the early am. I haven't found a swimming pool yet in all of NOLA, and that's after 11 years of looking, no less. So much for a healthy city. No wonder everybody is 50lbs. over the limit. I'll ret. Monday, but, won't make breakfast until WEdnesday.
Y'all take care, say a prayer for the late Senator from Alaska, Ted Stevens, lost in a small plane crash on the way to a fishing lodge with a few pals. Not easy in bad weather, as we know.
Got a call today from an old USMC classmate from OCS. He's published a book telling the story of all our classmates who were KIA in RVN: 42 out of about 400 who served there. He researched all the records and it seems to be a creditable job as a tribute to those who didn't return. One of our class who is in the group was an Australian citizen, born an raised. Seems he was the most difficult to profile, not much family. He was shot down and MIA. He told me a story that cleared up a mystery: on Christmas night, '67, our company hit the bush to look for a missing Marine Pfc. who didn't return from a night patrol w/ his squad. Evidently he was captured and held a prisoner in Cambodia only to die there 2 years later! Sad. That was a long night for us, in the rain, in the paddies, in the dark: Vietnam.
See you soon,
Capt.

TRIP TO North Carolina

Thought you guys might like this. The South is still the South but what the hay. The best example of the overt difference of the the trip yesterday on the way from NC to Spartanburg, SC. I went through a stretch where I took a little toll road. I was handing my buck to the little blond toll taker and she said in that sweet syrupy southern voice, "Thank you very much. We appreciate it." This has lost a little in translation but imagine the GG or Bay Bridge toll taker. We are talking the finger. God bless and God bless "'Merica."

F...THE TRUTH

The media is always interested a story and not the truth. And, for the life of me, I don't see why we can't get it. Well, yes I do: most who watch TV or even read print media don't take the time to be discerning with questions like, like "where is the truth here?"

The latest bruhaha about the USDA female fired over remarks made 20 years ago, now discovered to be taken out of context and video doctored. An example of how media outlets will do or say anything for a story. They don't give a damn about truth and they never apologize. Assholes and sorry MFers is all I can say.

A REAL HERO

In life, rarely do we find ourselves in the presence of someone that we can genuinely call hero. Hero is so banied about in our culture that it is downgraded somewhat. Still, I give it special meaning. I think I get what most are meaning. Most often we hear hero as related to soldiers and rightly so. Why not? But there are heroes and then there are heroes. Warren Chan is a true hero. He didn't just do his duty, he personified his duty by soldiering in a rare way.

I've read somewhere that the WWll combat soldier was in actual combat seventy days. The average for Vietnam combat soldiers was something like 200days. For Warren, it was like 365 days. If he ever came out of the field, I don't know when it was. Let me just kind of spell itout. Warren goes into the Army during Vietnam, is assigned to an infantry unit in the 101st Airborne Division. One would almost have to get into the psyche of the 101st and the country to understand what this means. Vietnam is building up. The generals want more troops. The 101st is training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. They are a proud Division (about 16,000troops). At that time, one of two Airborne Divisions in the Army, the other being, the 82d Airborne. Warren, possibly the only Asian American in the entire Division, surely in our Battalion (1/501sr Infantry)He is sent to jump school. He's a paratrooper.

The 101st deploys to Vietnam. The 1st Brigade is already over there. It is just before Christmas and of course as we now know, just before the 1968 TET offensive which many believe was the turning point of the war. Warren, of course, is thrust into this. He becomes the RTO (radio telephone operator) for the D (Delta) Company Commander of the 1/501st Airborne Infantry battalion. From that time forward, Warren never leaves the field. He is essentially in combat every day. During that period, he sees his platoon leaders wounded or killed, to include his company commander. At one point because he is the ranking person alive, a Sergeant E5, he literally is in charge.

Here's a good story. All his life, Warren has had a speech impediment. In elementary school, through High School, he goes for therapy. Slurring his rrrs according to him, hard for people to understand him. And, of course, this brings me to something that makes me smile. Here you have Warren, hard to understand, what does the Army do? You got it! He is given a job where he talks on the radio constantly. I guess saying "over, out here," maybe doesn't require oratory but there are times... Anyway, his commander, Captain Holland, multi-toured Vietnam leader is his CO (commanding officer). It is a 24/7 thing as they are together, Warren is monitoring radio traffic. They are operating in the AO (area of operations) when they have contact. The Artillery FO (forward observer) calls in for the 105s (artillery guns) to fire. They catch a "short round." (a round that falls on their position, rather than the target). Captain Holland gets hit, a sucking chest wound. Warren realizes what happens and calls for a cease fire. Theys say at first, they can't understand him. Of course they can't. He is excited and this makes his impediment worse. He prays according to him, "please God, I have got to do this. His speech impediment disappears. "Cease fire, cease fire." They understand him." The firing stops. He calls for a medivac. In the meantime, he is on top of Captain Holland applying pressure to his chest wound as the blood is pumping out. The medivac can't come as they have been taking fire, (VC shooting at them and the Medivac is worried that they will get shot down) Suddenly, a General in a Command and Control helicopter who has been monitoring the radio traffic tells them to "pop smoke" he's coming in. He does and they load Captain Holland aboard. He lives.
NOW, WARREN CHAN IS CAN BE CALLED A HERO.

VIETNAM WILL NEVER BE OVER

The Vietnam war ends. 39 year anniversary. I don't think so. In a real sense, it isn't over. On PBS, Jeffrey Brown interviewed the author of
The Things They Carried. It wasn't very satisfactory to me. No
comments would have been comforting, however. I don't know exactly
why. Tim O'Brian gave some innocuous answers about war. This isn't
criticism of him although it sounds like it. He actually is going
around talking to kids in schools about war, his book. It sounds like
some good responses from the kids.

The sour grapes are mostly my fault. I want someone to raise hell, to
say what war is all about. How governments make stupid decisions and
then try to justify them. It is not that war in Afghanistan or Iraq is
not a noble effort at least in theory but it is stupid. And, without
going into a rant, let us lament the fact that we lost 58,000 plus
Americans in Vietnam and accomplished nothing but the scars we still
live with. Let me hear the argument that we have accomplished
something in Iraq. There's almost as much chaos as when we invaded.
American deaths are way down as we have moved out of the cities but
with great regularity, thr people are being killed. They are
struggling with the government after no clear cut winner in the recent
election. I'm still skeptical that we'll be able to get out clean. In
Afjghanistan, we are operating with the best strategy to be successful
I think. The only caveat: in Afghanistan 20 years for it to possibly
work. No way. So, this ex soldier ain't celebrating the anniversary of
the ending of the Vietnam war.

PTRAEOUS AS MAGICIAN

Give me a break! If there has ever been any idea that Congress is a
bunch of brainless politicians in denial of any semblance of reality,
the 100% confirmation so quickly of General Petraeus has got to be it.

After listening to his statements about the future of Afghanistan, I
am personally aghast. He could not make it any plainer. There is no
end in sight for Afghanistan. And, to think that reasonably smart men
seize on something like, "artificial deadlines."

This is bpth stupid and weird. Petraeus says things like, going to get
worse before it gets better, expect more deaths, going to take years.
WHAT! We are locked into a strategy that with just a rudimentary
understanding of the difficulties, makes the idea of winning so much
worse than even Vietnam, I shutter. You have to be kidding me.

I don't even want to sound out my "crying in the wilderness" views of
Afghanistan but any way you look at it: a fast tract to nowhere. I
hope and pray that Petraeus is not believing his press releases already.

SELF FULFILLING PROPHESY

I sure as hell hope not. I am no apologist for the president but admit upfront that I am a Democrat. Mostly out of honoring my Dad. He would turn over in his grave if he thought any of his boys were Republicans. This from a man convinced that FDR saved the world. really consider myself more of an Independent.

So, these polls predicting the demise of the Democrats fit in that self fulfilling prophesy. You say something long enough, then it becomes true. The polls, which I hate, are predicting a takeover of the Congress. What! Where the f... are peoples' heads. Don't they remember the Bush years: (I voted for George W. The first time): two wars, an economy
in shambles. Where are the heads of this crowd polled. I'VE NEVER BEEN POLLED.

I do think that for some odd reason, polls are more true than not but here is a time when individual Democrats need to turn this "mother" around. Those of us who try to be objective, the kids and others who elected Obama need to get off our asses. And, keep guys like the president's press guy, Gibbs, from almost conceding defeat. Who in the f... wants to return to where we were.

Personally, I think we expect too much out of a president. He is our leader but most of what goes on in the country is out of his hands, i. e., Unemployment is high. It is hard to know why, indicators are that we are recovering. We want to think the jobs will be back. Maybe, maybe not but it isn't the president's fault.

What is baffling to me is why would people turn to yesteryear which was disastrous. HERE'S A VIEW, people who have these really entrenched views, mostly the Fox News types. Even when presented with the facts,
i. e., jobs created through the stimulus, they can see construction work being done, statistics back it up, they still stick to their views. There is nothing the President can do to turn them around. A University of Michigan study says essential the same thing. What I would like to see happen will never do it. The Individual Democrats should make their mantra: our first priority was that we did what was good for the country, i. e., a stimulus package to get people working, health care for all Americans, etc. And, if that is not good enough for you, f... you very much.

Actually, Afghanistan is a war of choice
By Ian Welsh

Michael Steele's comments on Afghanistan remind me of my favorite definition of a gaffe: "saying the truth in the worst way possible." To wit, Steele said that Afghanistan is a war of Obama's choosing, and that everyone who's occupied Afghanistan has come to grief over it. Now one can quibble a bit over the details of who came to grief and who didn't, but basically he's right. Afghanistan went badly for the Russians and the British, most recently. There's a reason Afghanistan is called the "graveyard of Empires" and if the US isn't careful it'll be the graveyard of the US empire.

Likewise, yes, this is a war of choice for Obama. He could have done his review, said, "Hey, there are almost no al-Q'aeda fighters in Afghanistan anymore, so we won, let's go home." He could have said, "Fighting in Afghanistan is seriously destabilizing Pakistan, which is far more important than Afghanistan, so let's go home." He could have said, "Yes, if we leave, some al-Q'aeda camps might spring up but we can always bomb them and anyway there are plenty of failed states where al-Q'aeda can set up camps and we can't occupy all of them."

The point is that continuing in Afghanistan was a choice. Obama could have chosen otherwise. Not being in Afghanistan will not create an existential threat to the US.
So yeah, Steele was right. Of course, being the RNC chairman, Steele isn't allowed to say things that make sense and contradict Republican warmongering. Now here's a truth that Steele didn't tell.



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MY REACTION TO THE ABOVE ARTICLE


I like this. And, I think there is much truth. I've had what I have believed is a solution all along, that fits politics (which cannot be escaped); Steele should have been pushing it: leave 20-30,000 Special Forces troops in Afghanistan, fight for the population centers, use it as a training ground. (We spend millions of dollars a year training all the Armed Forces in desert warfare at the National Training Center in the deserts of California) Allow for a very liberal immigration policy to the US, especially for women. You'd have to do that to satisfy the politics of it. Guys like John McCain have gone "round the bend" I think and sound exactly like Vietnam but not much choice as politics go. And, unfortunately, Steel is no MLK who had the moral ground to publicly condemn the Vietnam war. Fortunately, too, he had all these draft dodgers (and this isn't negative but the draft obviously made it easier to protest--dodging bullets in Vietnam is not the same as protesting in Berzerkly). I hope Steele doesn't resign and he has "color" on his side. The guy has withstood financial scandal and so hang in with this. Make them fire him and he can be a martyr.

A PACEMAKER RUINED THEIR LIVES

A really good article, written by writer who lives in Mill Valley,California was recently in the New York Times. The basic gist of the piece had to do with an issue that faces so many: declining health in later life and the sometimes intransigence of the Medical Community. The writer told how a pacemaker ruined the lives of her Mom, herself and two brothers. The pacemaker had a 10 year battery life while her dad had strokes, dementia, would nor die and docs would not remove it. Heart kept ticking. Sad but most difficult thing and implied in this article was the profit motive for the doctor and the medical community. It showed the importance of having a well thought out and specific Medical Directive and a physician that would agree to abide by it.

VICTORIA AND A MEDICAL DIRECTIVE

Victoria had a simple faith and philosophy which was wrapped around
being reunited with her brother Fred, who died in a plane crash on his
last flight before receiving his aviator wings; her beloved retired
military father (WWl) and her devoted mother. Toward the end,
Victoria's life was linked to this goal. Consequently, she was
determined not to remain on this earth longer than neccessary. To her,
as her body gave out and her activity level decreased, i. e., she had to
give up driving--time to go. At this point of her life, having every possible
contingency in a Medical Directive was beyond important. She made sure her physician would adhere to her wishes and he agreed. And, when it
was time for her journey, Victoria met her goal. God bless her.

A WAR STORY

Our unit in Nam was operating in a free fire zone, (nobody suppose to be there, meaning, Vietnamese). Along beside this stream was a few little huts. It had been raining like if you ever saw Forest Gump, rained so hard it was sideways, about as miserable as you can imagine. So, at night, it was quite a treat to slip inside one of these huts and get a little sleep. The huts had almost no roof and so the rain poured in but still, something. Some straw was on the floor. It was about three in the morning and I was awaken by something on me, you guessed it: a rat and not a field mouse either, something like a small cat. For whatever reason, I was calm as a cucumber and remembered that several of our guys had been bitten and had to take these gosh awful tetanus shots or whatever they give you for possible ravenous rat bites: had to take them in the belly. I turned my head to the side and there was a platoon of rats, they were in a line to walk across me. Would you believe that I lay there and they all walked across and I didn't get bitten. Should I put this in the miracle category.

DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS

On Talk of the Nation on NPR (National Public Radio), I listened to a
program about Muslim Women wearing the habib I think it's called,
covering the head. They had some women on who heads (no pun intended)
some organization of supporting women who cover, etc, then some twenty
something Muslim who was covered, very conservative and wearing it was
a great dedication to God she allowed. Then we had all these women
calling in. Some Mormon types wearing a special type of underwear,
both men and women. Then some young Pentecostal female called in
telling about her devotion to God by justifying it all with Scripture.
She wore long dresses

I was doing OK listening till all this "prooftexting" of the Bible
started. Prooftexing is taking a small portion of something and
applying it to a broad princrple. The "prooftexer refuses to accept
the whole scripture: that which comes before and after.

As a person of faith, this proof texting doesn't do a thing for me.
Religious people can do anything they please but for goodness sakes
don't try to justify what you are doing by prooftexting the Bible. The
radical Muslims do it by the use of the Koran. I don't know the Koran
but I do know the Bible. One big difference in radical Muslims, I
guess, is they have moved to violence. Christians in modern times,
other than the occasional abortion idiot, are not running around
trying to kill people. Sorry, I digress.

Prooftexting the Bible shows people's ignorance I think. The Bible is
a wonderful book and I believe it. And, as my seminary professor, Dr
Boyce, use to say, treat the Old Testament, as Wisdom literature,
meaning great stories. But, arguing the Bible is mostly a waste of
time for thinking people unless you simply agree to disagree. My
advice, stick to the gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They are
about what Jesus said and did.

HELEN THOMAS-An I con

What the f...Helen Thomas, 89, is authorized to say what she wants.
Just kidding. Nobody really is! But, talk about an over reaction. Give
me a break! If her remarks are the worse thing ever said about Israel,
they are damn blessed and that is saying it mildly. I support Israel.
Us Southern types are raised with the adage, anybody who f...s With
the Jews are eventually going to get it. But what the hell. Helen
Thomas is a news icon and this a piss poor approach by the political
correct police. Robert Gibbs calling it reprehensible is taking himself way too serious. And, the rest of the press. Talk about Hull Defolade (couldn't be found). Are they scared of Israel? Nobody is immune or should be from taking a few hits. Helen, over the top but come on! The Prez ought to have said, "Helen, this is a bit much and you know better." She is 89 for God's sake. What the hell, lighten up.

A FAST TRAIN TO NOWHERE

As we begin to apply the Counter Insurgency Strategy to ridding the
Taliban in what most believe is the most important spot in
Afghanistan, Kandahar, I've become more and more convinced that very
simply we need a Soviet style solution. Get the hell out.

Talk about a long shot! F...here is just one little piece taken from a
great article in NY Times, titled, Kandahar--a better title would have
been, Back To The Future. And the reason?--the reporter arrives in
Kandahar to witness, "a young widow forced into marriage with an
elderly man is being taken to the main mosque and stoned to death, by
one of her own children, among others, for alleged adultery with her
husband's 38 year old son."

And, does any thinking person, outside the "can do" military generals
labor under any illusion that we can reconcile our culture with one
mired in the 15th century. PLEASE. Give me a break. Evidence after evidence indicates that under the best scenario, Afghanistan is a "fast train to nowhere." Forget all that bullshit about embarrassed/shamed if we get the hell out. If we
continue to be this stupid, we might be the mext to get stoned.

THE NON VIETNAM VET

It is always a little HUMOROUS to me when someone claims to have served
in Vietnam but didn't. For at least ten years after Vietnam, we didn't
talk about Vietnam. It wasn't that we were ashamed of what we did but
we weren't stupid either. For almost some inexplicable reason, the
general public somehow identified us with the ills of the country,
made worse by Vietnam. So, what did we do? Kept our mouths shut.

To be honest, we simply did our duty. Next case. And, time does some
crazy things, at least in my view. Serving in Vietnam has become a
kind of badge of honor. "I am a Vietnam vet" became in vogue.

I was absolutely intrigued. Vets were coming out of the woodwork. And,
suddenly I would see guys claiming to be vets that simply made me
smile. The homeless guys who were drugged out were putting Vietnam vet
on their signs--Please help. Vietnam vet. Many were too young to be
Vietnam vets and, the old guys were getting mileage out of it.

Now, of course, we are getting guys like Blumenthal, a politician from
Connecticut embellishing his resume. He went from a six month Marine
Reservist to a combat vet. Now, trust me, that is a leap. What do vets
think about it? We are all over the map. For me, I could care less. I
did my duty, served my country, survived. Other vets are not so kind.
They range from calling Blumenthal a sorry MF to lying SOB to typical
politician.

Here's what I've noticed about non vets. When I talk to them,
regardless of what they say, there appears to be some sort of
underlying feeling--a major singular event of their lives happened and
they missed it. In a sense, maybe this "missing this singular event,"
regardless of the reason, is behind the "wanna be" types like
Blumenthals' lying. Let me give Blumenthal a little comfort. Vietnam
was a "sorry" war and you didn't miss a f...... thing! Still, you
shouldn't lie.

BRAVEST WOMAN IN AMERICA

The World Affairs Council is a forum for various individuals of note
to speak and promote their positions, usually with an accompanying
book. Recently, my wife and I, along with friends, attended to hear
Hersi Ally. Here's the short version of who she is. She wrote a book,
Infidel, a very good memoir, where she confronted radical Islam
attitudes toward women. When I read it, I thought "this is going to
get her killed." She has now written one called, Nomad, which I
haven't read but will. From Somalia, she escaped a forced marriage,
went to the Netherlands, eventually became a member of paliarment.
Made a movie, condemning Muslim treatment of women. Gus Van Gogh who
produced movie was killed by crazed Muslim for insulting Mohammed.
Eventually, she resigned from parliment, mainly due to politics and
eventually made her way to U. S. primarily because we could protect
her. Good for us.

To me, Ally has become a singular voice for facing up to radical
Islamists throughout she world. She made several points in her talk:
one had to do with our failure to confront and condemn Islam
radicalism. For instance, we have no trouble condemning Christianity
and she used the Catholic Church as an example. The press has been
merciless toward the Church whereas they tread lightly in condemning
Islam for their various practices centered in the 15th century, i. e.,
stoning, beheadings, mostly centered on the various interpretations of
the Koran. No trials, hearings, nothing. We look the other way. She
called it a type of naiviety. I would say, it is more of the American
"political correctness." Very complicated in a sense and often wrapped
up in our insane and stupid politics. Ali also zeroed in on American
Muslims who are untiring in their efforts to defend Islam as opposed
to honestly discussing the faith.

I've become a big fan of Hersi Ally's bravery in speaking out. I
didn't feel that she got the chance to be as honest and forthright as
she wanted to be at the WAC. The moderator appeared to be way
overboard in wallowing in PC herself.

It was obvious from the audience that we were a friendly and
appreciative crowd as we gave her a standing ovation. To me, she is
now an American treasure. I hope we are protecting her with an
intention that befits her.