Gawfer

"We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God." James Madison

Saturday, March 31, 2007

Ride for a fallen hero SSgt Christopher Webb

Today, I had the honor and privilage of riding with the PatriotGuard to show my support for a fallen hero. His name was SSgt Christopher Webb, and he was KIA 07 March 2007 in Iraq. God speed SSgt Webb, HOOAH!

About the ride.
There were approximately 33 riders and 2 support vehicles today, all with the intent on showing respect for our hero.

As I was riding to the funeral in formation, there were a lot of thoughts and feelings going through my head: Amazing exhilaration riding with so many thundering pipes and American Flags waving in the air, listening to the shouts of support from citizens while riding through Hemet, CA, and wondering if we would encounter protestors. (No protestors around).

After arriving at the church, the widow of SSgt Webb came out to great us and we each had the opportunity to express our personal condolences to her and her family. That in itself was worth the ride, but she also invited us to participate with the color guard toward the end of the service. Veterans were invited and encouraged to snap a salute while taps were played, and the Ride Captain ‘Sparks’ called to "Present Arms!" and "Order Arms!" Nobody does that like a Marine!

Indeed, the ride home was a quiet and thoughtful, saying a prayer for the family of SSgt Webb and one for a safe ride for my fellow PGRs. I am a better person for it.





The Staging area

Going over the route


Before the service


Discussing the color guard participation


Patriot Guard Rider flying the Colors

SNEAKY MARINES: REDUX

Hey all, remember this post from last June? When I saw these pictures, I was ammused and remembered some of the stuff we did in the Navy that wasn't quite 'MilSpec' but never thought I'd run into the artist. Well guess what. Turns out he's darn near a neighbor! Craig tells 'The rest of the Story' on his website TheBleedingOnion. Here is an exerpt:

"...By mid-day, I was getting a little bored of the painting and being a smart-ass, decided to make one of the spots into the figure of a girl, similar to the “Mud-flap” girl. I had gotten part of the head, back and breast done when one of the other guys on my squadron’s paint detail approached and noticed what I was doing. I personally was not planning on leaving it, I was just amusing myself. But my co-painter thought it was funny and joined in. He helped with the hair, since I was having a problem with it and he tackled rear-end.

Soon enough, everyone else on the detail joined in and we worked through the night using large lights on a generator. I figured if the enemy saw the pictures, maybe they would pause for a moment and double check, giving me enough time to pop off some rounds..."

His story is very interesting, and for my friends who spent time in Kuwait and Iraq during Desert Storm, it'll have a bit more meaning. Maybe one of these days I'll ride on over and buy him a beer.

Semper Fi! Craig, and thanks for your service.









Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Born to be Wild

Thanks to Night Rider for finding this lullaby


Saturday, March 24, 2007

My Harley has Arrived!

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket


Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

After three months of waiting, my lady has finally arrived. Have a look!

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Wednesday Hero!

This Weeks Soldier Was Suggested By Jenn

Capt. Alan B. Rowe
Capt. Alan B. Rowe
35 years old from Hagerman, Idaho
1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center
September 3, 2004


The Perfect Marine. That's how many describe Capt. Alan B. Rowe. Respected and dedicated to the Corps and still able to be a husband and father.

Rowe, who was on his fourth deployment since joining the Corps in 1985, died with two other Marines, Lance Cpl. Nicholas Wilt, 23, of Tampa, Florida, and 1st Lt. Ronald Winchester, 25, of Rockville Center, N.Y., when a remote-controlled explosive device detonated as they returned to their vehicle after inspecting a bridge in Anbar province, near the Syrian border.

"He was a quiet, humble person and extremely polite," his widow, Dawn, recalled from their early days of dating. "He was a traditional type of gentleman. My mom was surprised to meet such a ... perfect-picture Marine." "He did a great job balancing a pretty intense Marine Corps career with also being a great husband and father. He worked extremely hard to balance it." "He was so dedicated to the Marine Corps. He was really driven and believed in what he did. He was a Marine’s Marine. Tall, blond and fit. Kind of the mental image you think of when you think of the Marine Corps."

A week after his death, Capt. Rowe was posthumously promoted to major. He leaves behind his wife and two children.


These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by going here.

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Tuesday, March 20, 2007

PTSD effecting more than one third of our returning troops

Military.com

By Christian Lowe

More than one third of American troops returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan have been diagnosed with some sort of mental or "psychosocial" disorder, a new report from the Archives of Internal Medicine finds.

Out of 103,788 veterans assessed in the study, titled "Bringing the War Back Home," more than 32,000 veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom who were discharged from the military between 2001 and 2005 were found by Veterans Affairs examiners to have mental health problems, including substance abuse.

The authors of the study – lead by Dr. Karen H. Seal of the University of California, San Francisco – found that a majority of those determined to have mental health problems were diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or more than 13,200 vets.

And those afflicted with mental or psychosocial disorders tended to be the youngest troops.

"Veterans aged 18-24 were at the greatest risk for receiving mental health or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder diagnoses compared with veterans 40 years or older," the San Francisco VA-sponsored study found. "Targeted early detection and intervention beginning in primary care settings are needed to prevent chronic mental illness and disability."

A spokeswoman from Veterans Affairs headquarters in Washington was unable to provide a comment by press time.

The study's release comes as the Pentagon is reeling from controversy over patient care at its veterans medical facilities, with lawmakers on Capitol Hill calling for investigations and more resources for mental health care. It also sheds light on an expanding group of casualties from the conflict whose scars are more than skin deep.

In response to the growing problem, the White House called on Congress March 9 to establish a new Medical Support Fund that would "improve the effectiveness of efforts to transition returning service members from deployment in support of the global war on terror to a successful return to productive military service or civilian society." The request included $50 million for the fund, which could be used for new research, construction projects or could be added to the Defense Health Program budget.

The medical researchers found that about 13 percent of those diagnosed were women and 54 percent were below 30 years-old. Additionally, more than 30 percent were minorities and about 50 percent were members of the Guard and Reserve.

The complexities of urban warfare and counterinsurgency operations typical of Iraq and Afghanistan contributed to the mental health problems found by VA officials.

"The majority of military personnel experience high-intensity guerrilla warfare and the chronic threat of roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices," the study said. "Some of the soldiers endure multiple tours of duty, many experience traumatic injury and more of the wounded survive than ever before."Go to Military.com's PTSD page

Sunday, March 18, 2007

A Quote for the Ages

“It appears we have appointed our worst generals to command forces, and our most gifted and brilliant to edit newspapers! In fact, I discovered by reading newspapers that these editor/geniuses plainly saw all my strategic defects from the start, yet failed to inform me until it was too late. Accordingly, I’m readily willing to yield my command to these obviously superior intellects, and I’ll, in turn, do my best for the Cause by writing editorials - - after the fact.”Robert E. Lee, 1863

It turns out, the concept of 'Arm Chair Quarterbacking' has been around a little longer than the NFL. What I find so frustrating is when the 'home team' gets behind, the fans turn against them. I'll change the channel if I'm watching a football game, and the home team fans start booing their team. It really makes me sick. As early as the end of the third quarter, cameras pan across the stadium to see fans leaving in disappointment because their team let them down. Throw in the towel! Just quit and go to the locker room you losers! are just some of the cries of defeat that’s heard. This sounds strangely familiar to the current war against terror. Bring our troops home! Re-deploy! All the while our military and the leaders continue to fight.

Whether or not the Robert E. Lee quote is authentic is of little consequence to this post. The point that is trying to be made here is this: While our team is on the field, and this includes the Generals and leaders, we have to be diligent in our support. Because the stakes are so high, we cannot afford to get up in the third quarter and go home. Each American has a responsibility to SUPPORT the home team until this thing is done whether we like the outcome or not.


(Read the full backstory of the Lee quote here: Snopes.com).

H/T: MyPal

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Global Warming or Global blowhard; you decide

The Great Global Warming Swindle (Complete)

This video, will likely be shut down, again, as Al Gore is on the board of Google. In the mean time, take some time and watch the video while its still available. Be advised, the video is 1:15 minutes long.


Wednesday, March 14, 2007

In 1961 (the year you were born)

From my Pal


John F. Kennedy becomes president of the US

And knew Marilyn Monroe... In the biblical sense

An estimated 1200 anti-Castro exiles aided by the US make a failed invasion of Cuba's Bay of Pigs

Dang Libreals screwed it up then too...

Navy Cmdr. Alan B. Shepard Jr. becomes the first US spaceman rocketing 118 miles above the earth

Piercing the ozone for the first time...

Hurricane "Carla" wipes out Texas gulf cities, claiming 46 lives

What? Global warming back then? Where was Al Gore?

Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin makes the first manned space flight

Spilling Vodka over the controls, he barely found his way home.

Wayne Gretzky, Henry Rollins, Fabio, George Clooney, Dennis Rodman, and Diana, Princess of Wales are born

I most resemble Fabio...

New York Yankees win the World series

Whatever...

Green Bay Packers win the NFL championship

Year the "Cheesehead" hat was invented.

Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup

Helicoptor crew?

Disney's One Hundred and One Dalmatians is the top grossing film

And now we own a decendent; Stupid, self centered mut!

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller is published

Huh?

The Miracles' "Shop Around" becomes Motown's first million-selling single

OK, I can dig it. Cool song.

My little beauty has arrived at the dealership

I laid my hands on this beauty today. Just off the truck and ready to be trimmed out, she appeared to be eagerly awaiting the careful attention of the technician who will wire her for security, attach the windshield and give her the final check before she becomes 'my little lady'.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
I was pleasantly surprised because even though the brochure and on line description didn't indicate any pin striping, my little lady has the red and blue lines around the tank and the saddle bags. But the U.S. Flag resting at the base of the rear fender says it all.

It won't be long now.

Wednesday Hero!

Kathy - http://conservativethoughts.wordpress.com
Hank - http://icanplainlysee.wordpress.com
Charles - http://www.sheehanmiles.com


Almost a month ago, the Wednesday Hero Blogroll received an email from a reader named Mike Gardner that contained something he had written in honor of this country's heroes. He asked that it be considered for a future post. It took almost a month, but here is his tribute.

At The Right Time, We Remember

The honor roll goes back farther than we can remember, it contains names we will never know...

I wasn't there when the American Colonial Army stood winter guard in the snows of Valley Forge wearing bloody rags for boots as they fought for my freedom.

I wasn't there in the war of 1812.

I wasn't in the trenches when the German's seared the lungs of young American men with mustard gas as they fought for my freedom in World War One.

I wasn't at Pearl Harbor when a single Japanese bomb detonated a million pounds of black powder on the Arizona and instantaneously killed over one thousand American sailors preparing to defend my freedom against the Japanese and the Nazis.

I didn't see the bullet riddled bodies of the Americans who died defending my freedom in Korea.

I only vaguely remember the nightly news clips of American soldiers as they carried out our government's orders in the jungles and swamps and tunnels of Vietnam.

I have never been with a family who lost a son or a daughter defending Kuwait, Afghanistan, or Iraq.

I wasn't there with any of them when they suffered as prisoners of war in any of these wars.

I have never been with a family whose child died in a peace time military training exercise.

Not every one of our veterans saw combat. Some were clerks, cooks, mechanics, machinists. Some served during war time, some served during peace time, some serve in peace today, ready for battle tomorrow. Today they prepare for the ongoing war against terrorists. Some gave their lives, some suffered wounds, some saw things that no human should ever have to see, and many did things that no human should ever have to do. And all gave their daily life, for a period of time, while many more gave their time to work in the industries that sustained our veterans.

Not all of those who have protected my freedom were even in the military. Some of them were the firemen, policemen, and paramedics who risked their lives each day, rushing in where most of us would never tread. Some are the doctors and nurses who treat the wounded, and go home and cry for them. Some of them were "just" passengers on commercial airline flights who, with faith in Christ, calmly chose to fight, and die if necessary, rather than let Flight 93 be used as a weapon against their country and their fellow citizens.

When I tried to join the US Air Force, my application was turned down for medical reasons.

Because others were, and will be there, I am privileged to continue to live in the greatest nation the world has ever known and to enjoy the greatest freedoms that any people have ever known.

The honor roll stretches forward to times, and places, and names we will never know...

And so I thank you, veteran, whoever you are, and wherever you are, whenever your service.

Thank you Vet. Thanks Dad. Today, I remember WHY I am free, and I thank you.

I know that when you were asked, at the right time, like Christ, you gave your life for me.


These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by going here.

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Monday, March 12, 2007

With a Voice like Thunder

From Stitches, Co Author of the blog AbsoluteZero has asked me to post this:

Our regular readers (of AbsoluteZero) may recall that we talked of S. 519: Stop the Online Exploitation of Our Children Act introduced by Senator John McCain back in December. For the full background please read the post here: Nowhere to Run Some highlights to consider:

Millions of commercial Web sites and personal blogs would be required to report illegal images or videos posted by their users or pay fines of up to $300,000, if a new proposal in the U.S. Senate came into law.

After child pornography or some forms of "obscenity" are found and reported, the Web site must retain any "information relating to the facts or circumstances" of the incident for at least six months. Webmasters would be immune from civil and criminal liability if they followed the specified procedures exactly.

In addition to the provisions relating to child pornography, the bill also would ensure that sex offenders will register information relevant to their online activities on sex offender registries. Specifically, it would require sex offenders to register their email addresses, as well as their instant messaging and chat room handles and any other online identifiers they use. If a sex offender failed to do so, he could be prosecuted, convicted, and thrown into jail for up to 10 years. The bill would also make the use of the Internet in the commission of a crime of child exploitation an aggravating factor that would add 10 years to the offender's sentence.

It is imperative that this legislation is enacted. It is now before the Senate Judiciary Committee. This is an easy way for you to let your voice be heard, that you are saying NO to internet predators and child sexual exploitation. Read the PDF of this act linked above and if you agree, please send emails to the committee members. Let them know how seriously you stand on this issue and that we expect them to act in our children's best interest. Shout LOUDLY if you must, shout repeatedly if you must, but don't let this opportunity get by you. Let us show those men who seek to destroy our children that we can and will empower ourselves and we will not allow these behaviors to continue!

Senate Judiciary Committee:
Sen. Patrick Leahy [D-VT] EMAIL
Sen. Edward Kennedy [D-MA] Contact HERE
Sen. Joseph Biden [D-DE] EMAIL
Sen. Herbert Kohl [D-WI] EMAIL
Sen. Dianne Feinstein [D-CA] Contact HERE
Sen. Russell Feingold [D-WI] EMAIL
Sen. Charles Schumer [D-NY] Contact HERE
Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL] Contact HERE
Sen. Benjamin Cardin [D-MD] Contact HERE
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse [D-RI] Contact HERE
Sen. Arlen Specter [R-PA] Contact HERE
Sen. Orrin Hatch [R-UT] Contact HERE
Sen. Charles Grassley [R-IA] Contact HERE
Sen. Jon Kyl [R-AZ] Contact HERE
Sen. Jefferson Sessions [R-AL] EMAIL
Sen. Lindsey Graham [R-SC] Contact HERE
Sen. John Cornyn [R-TX] Contact HERE
Sen. Samuel Brownback [R-KS] Contact HERE
Sen. Thomas Coburn [R-OK] Contact HERE

One is the loneliest number. I'm sure that many of you may feel that your voice alone won't make a dent in this problem. Yet together, we are not one.... but one of many. The only time we are powerless is when we do nothing. You don't have to maintain a blog, or interact with these perverts, or read their garbage or try to hunt them down, but acting together our voices alone will make a difference.

Let's make some waves! Pass this information on to your family, friends and neighbors. Many people are not aware that this legislation is being considered. So let's act together to achieve our goals by letting our lawmakers know that we support this legislation. Let's make a small step towards stopping those who use the internet to find their victims, those who offer encouragement and solace to fellow child predators, those who use the internet as a tool for pedophile activism. Let us please do our part to try and make the internet and the world a safer place for children...the way it should be, and together our one voice will become like thunder.

We were a silent, hidden thought in the folds of oblivion,and we have become a voice that causes the heavens to tremble. ~ Gibran

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Iraqis Helping Troops Find Weapons Caches, General Says

By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, March 9, 2007 – Iraqis in the country’s north, fed up with ongoing violence, are leading U.S. and Iraqi forces to some of the largest weapons and bombs caches found in the region to date, the commander of Multinational Division North told Pentagon reporters today.
This comes as U.S. troops in that area are handing off most counterinsurgency missions to Iraqi forces, allowing U.S. troops to focus on killing or capturing those who finance, make and emplace the deadly improvised explosive devices, said Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, commander of Multinational Division North and the 25th Infantry Division.

So far this year, his forces have nearly doubled the monthly averages for finding IED caches, Mixon told reporters in the Pentagon via a satellite link from Contingency Operating Base Speicher, outside of Tikrit. The forces also have doubled the monthly average for killing the insurgents who use them, he said.

“The enemy is ruthless in using IEDs,” Mixon said. “We are equally as aggressive and violent in our approach to defeat them.”

Mixon said a cache found last week in Diyala had enough material to make about 130 “explosively formed projectiles,” as well as military-grade rockets and mortars, the largest find of that type so far. While EFPs make up only one percent of IEDs used against coalition forces, they are among the most deadly.

The find was part of an Iraqi forces-led mission and was based on a tip by a local informant, Mixon said. No arrests were made, but officials are still working with the informant to identify insurgents involved.

Locals are more willing to lead coalition forces to weapons and bombs caches partly because of the increased presence of Iraqi forces, Mixon said.

Source

Related Sites:
Multinational Corps Iraq

Human nature is interesting. If you are like me, just a little bit supersticious, you are reluctant to talk about significant progress lest you "jinx" it. LOL! But I am encouraged that the reinforcements we are sending are making a positive impact.

Our military has never really done well as a policing force. We don't train our Soldiers and Marines to be police officers; we train them to be warriors. We train them to be the meanest, baddest _ _ _ on the battlefield. So, I'm all for transitioning them out of the roll they are currently in, and building them up for the next front on Islamic terrorism.

We will never eradicate terrorists from this planet. So we must control them, and the only way to control them is to be diligent in prosecuting them when they raise their ugly sheetheads.

Friday, March 09, 2007

Sudden Jihad Syndrome or Weapon of choice

This is a two part post. The first half is a sober look at our society, while the second, is an actual defense of our rights. Read to the bottom to see the whole picture.

Part 1

My pal Gunz just posted this report written by Larry Pratt.

By Larry Pratt
Convinced that they will go to heaven if they die killing infidels who Mohammed taught his followers to hate, some Muslims don’t bother joining al Qaeda or some other organized band of thugs. They get so filled with hatred from hearing Islamic sermons and visiting jihadi web sites that they decide to become freelance Jihadis.

The condition is recognizable and has been labeled Sudden Jihad Syndrome (SJS) — although some people are unable, or unwilling, to recognize SJS. Politically correct spokesmen for the FBI and other agencies seem to be under orders to issue a denial that a SJS-related murder could possibly have anything to do with Islam.

The rest of the population should come to grips with the fact that many in America are susceptible to SJS. The best antidote for many SJS-related acts of terrorism is a bullet fired from the gun of a prospective victim.

The following list is offered to show that SJS is a reality, and that rational Americans should be prepared to deliver the most effective known antidote – a bullet administered at the first sign of an outbreak of SJS.

March 1994 – Rashid Baz, a Muslim from Lebanon, opened fire on a van containing members of the Lubavitch Hassids in Brooklyn. One was killed.

February 1997 – Palestinian-born Ali Abu Kamal opened fire on the observation deck of the Empire State Building, killing a tourist and injuring six other people before committing suicide. His daughter, Linda Kamal, said in 2007 that the family is tired of lying and admitted that a letter had been found on her father’s body explaining his Muslim hatred for Israel and America.

July 2002 – Egyptian-born Hesham Mohammed Hadayet walked into the Israeli Airlines El Al terminal at the Los Angeles airport and began shooting Jews. He killed two and injured another four. He was known to sympathize with al Qaeda.

September 2002 – Patrick Gott killed one and wounded another in the New Orleans airport. He had entered the terminal with a shotgun and his Koran.

October 2002 – John Mohammed and Lee Malvo killed 13 people in the Washington, DC area. Both were converts to Islam and had attended a jihad training camp in southwestern Virginia.

August 2003 – Mohammed Ali Alayed almost totally decapitated his erstwhile Jewish friend, Ariel Sellouk, following Alayed’s getting serious about his Islamic faith. He went to a mosque after killing Sellouk.

October 2005 – Joel Henry Hinrichs III, a convert to Islam, was an engineering student at Oklahoma University. His student career ended when a bomb he had strapped on himself went off prematurely outside a crowed stadium, killing only himself. Police subsequently cleared explosives from the apartment that Hinrichs had shared with Muslim students from Pakistan.

April 2006 – Muslim Ayhan Surucu was so angry when his sister started to wear make-up and date men in Berlin, Germany, that he put a gun to her head at a bus stop and killed her. Boys at a nearby school, attended mainly by the children of immigrant Muslim families, cheered and applauded when news of the murder reached them.

May 2006 – Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student, rented an SUV and drove it through a crowded part of the campus– intentionally trying to hit people and wounding nine. In a series of letters to the student newspaper, he explained that he acted in obedience to Koranic dictates.

June 2006 – Michael Ford, a Muslim convert, walked into work at a Safeway warehouse in Denver and opened fire on his coworkers, killing one and injuring five. Relatives explained that he was being teased at work because he’s a Muslim and he could not take it anymore.

July 2006 – Naveed Alzal Haq, a Pakistani, walked into the Jewish Federation Center in downtown Seattle and shot six women– killing one, and wounding five( one of whom was pregnant). He stated matter-of-factly: “I am a Muslim American angry at Israel.”

August 2006 – Omeed Aziz Popal, a Muslim Afghan refugee, used his SUV as a weapon and ran down at least 14 people and a bicyclist in the San Francisco Bay area. He was targeting Jewish neighborhoods to terrorize.

January 2007 – A 22-year-old Muslim, Ismail Yassin Mohamed, stole a car in Minneapolis and rammed it into other cars before stealing a van and doing the same, injuring several drivers and pedestrians at crosswalks and on sidewalks before police caught up with him. Mohamed called himself a “terrorist.”

February 2007 – Ibrihim Ahmed, a Memphis cab driver and Muslim, was enraged that two passengers did not agree with him about Islam. When they got out of the cab, he tried to run them down, striking one in a parking lot.

February 2007 – Sulejman Talovic, a Bosnian Muslim immigrant, went to a Salt Lake City mosque on a Friday night. Then he went to one of only two malls in the state which prohibits civilian carrying of concealed weapons. He killed five before an off-duty cop (not subject to ban) used a concealed firearm stopped his murder spree.

Cornell University did a study estimating that there are seven million Muslims in the U.S. If even a single percent of that population is motivated to go kill a few infidels for Allah, the country would be facing 70,000 murderers on the loose.

The examples that I have found of Islam being the driving force for murder show that the prospect of Sudden Jihad Syndrome should be reason to loosen the country’s concealed carry laws. The Utah Jihadi did not have a concealed carry permit, but he carried his weapons to the scene of the crime concealed anyway. Why should the laws make it harder for the rest of us to counter what criminals are already doing?

Put another way, our current restrictions on concealed carry on the books in most states facilitate murder by tying the hands of victims.

The law should be on our side, not on the side of the bad guys.
Source: ‘Sudden Jihad Syndrome’

After I saved this post as a draft, my pal Jake sent me this article:

Part 2

WEAPONS OF CHOICE

Court dumps D.C. gun ban

Federal appeals judges' opinion declares 2nd Amendment grants individual right
Posted: March 9, 20073:41 p.m. Eastern
© 2007 WND
In a major decision addressing interpretation of the Second Amendment, a federal appeals court today overturned the District of Columbia's handgun ban, declaring the constitutional right is not limited to militias as the city had argued.

The majority opinion in the 2-1 decision said activities protected by the Second Amendment "are not limited to militia service, nor is an individual's enjoyment of the right contingent upon his or her continued intermittent enrollment in the militia."

The judges also ruled unconstitutional the city's requirement that registered firearms be kept unloaded, disassembled and under trigger lock.

Writing for the majority, Judge Laurence Silberman said the Second Amendment's "prefatory language announcing the desirability of a well regulated militia – even bearing in mind the breadth of the concept of a militia – is narrower than the guarantee of an individual right to keep and bear arms."

"The Amendment does not protect 'the right of militiamen to keep and bear arms,' but rather 'the right of the people,'" the judges asserted.

The opinion continued:
"The operative clause, properly read, protects the ownership and use of weaponry beyond that needed to preserve the state militias. Again, we point out that if the competent drafters of the Second Amendment had meant the right to be limited to the protection of state militias, it is hard to imagine that they would have chosen the language they did. We therefore take it as an expression of the drafters’ view that the people possessed a natural right to keep and bear arms, and that the preservation of the militia was the right’s most salient political benefit—and thus the most appropriate to express in a political document."

We, as american citizens have the right based on our constitution to bear arms.

Period.

Amendment II
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. Constitution

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Wednesday Hero!

This Weeks Soldier Was Suggested By SJ Reidhead

Cpl. Jennifer Parcell
Cpl. Jennifer Parcell
20 years old from Bel Air, Maryland
Combat Logistics Regiment 3, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force
February 7, 2007


Cpl. Jennifer Parcell was petite, but one learned quickly that underestimating her was foolish.

"She was an absolute firecracker," Master Sgt. Jerry Widner said. "Just a go-getting machine."

Her relentless can-do attitude led her to volunteer for Iraq. And then to volunteer for the Lioness Program, which provides female Marines for searches of Iraqi women to respect Muslim cultural mores.

Parcell was killed Feb. 7 in Anbar province when a woman she was searching blew herself up with a suicide vest. Parcell had started doing the searches a week before and was three weeks from going home.

You can read the rest of Cpl. Jennifer Parcell's story here.


These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. If you would like to participate in honoring the brave men and women who serve this great country, you can find out how by going here.

Labels:

Monday, March 05, 2007

Reagan, 1964

Astounding! History has once again repeated itself. We are faced with the same mindset that existed in 1964.



Will we never learn?

H/T: BottomLineUpFront

March 5th, 1979

Exactly 28 years ago today, Monday, March 05, 1979; I began my adventure in the United States Navy. By 1:00PM (1300 hrs), I was “Nut to Butt” with 84 other recruits waiting to have every hair on our heads removed.
While sitting in the barber chair, the man running the clippers asked if I wanted my sideburns. Thinking that a little individuality would be nice, I said sure. So he gave them to me in a plastic baggy.

Sometime about week 3-7, we were all feeling a little proud of our recent accomplishments, and we were outside on the ‘pad’ doing every manner of busy work. Since my shoes were polished, letters to my girlfriend written, and my bunk ship shape ready for inspection, I thought I’d just lower my cover over my eyes and take a little 'cat nap'. Now for those who have never had the opportunity to experience the thrills of ‘boot camp’, allow me to shed some light on the subject.

Our Company Commanders (drill instructors for other branches) would take a look at the new recruits, and based on age and maturity, they would select a few and appoint them to positions of leadership within the company. The top recruit was known as the 'RCPO' or Recruit Chief Petty Officer. There is also 'RPO1' or Recruit Petty Officer 1st Class. These two individuals have a great deal of responsibility as well as a lot of stroke.

Well, on this warm, sunny Sunday afternoon, while resting my tired little eyes, RCPO walked over and addressed me. He said “seaman Recruit __Gawfer__, you need to sit up and polish your shoes.” I said “RCPO, my shoes are polished 4-0.” He said “then sit up and write your letters to home.” Feeling very proud that I had already accomplished my assigned tasks, I said “RCPO, all my letters have been written.” He said “then just sit up.” Hmmm. Not catching the hint, but knowing it was absolutely necessary to obey, I said “RCPO, you suck.” The next thing that came out of his mouth sent chills down my spine. He said “Seaman Recruit __Gawfer__, come with me.”

The next few moments are etched so deeply into the tablets of my heart, if I succumb to Alzheimer’s, I will never forget. I followed him to the Company Commander’s office where PO1 Davis, a real Gunner’s Mate 1st class who served aboard Destroyers was busy writing reports of some sort. RCPO requested permission to speak, and after a moment, it was granted. He proceeded to tell PO1 Davis the conversation that had just occurred between RCPO and me, and was diligent to not leave out any details. Without lifting his head, PO1 Davis (who seemed to be about 6’-20” or bigger) quietly asked “is that true Recruit __Gawfer__ , do you think RCPO sucks?”

Faced with choice of telling the truth or trying to lie my way out of this life threatening situation, I elected to tell the truth… “Yes Petty Officer Davis, I said RCPO sucks.”

With a fury I have yet to witness again, his head appeared to grow 6 times its original size, saliva glands working full speed and blood shot eyes bulging from his eye sockets, he threw his writing utensil across the room bouncing it off my chest, and striking a chair with the back of his hand causing it to become airborne and land on my shoeless feet, ( I was in Bath Slippers). He began yelling at such a volume, the entire RTC San Diego new my deepest feelings about RCPO. Somewhere in his rant he asked the question “do you think I suck Seaman Recruit __Gawfer__? Because I appointed RCPO to his post, if you think he sucks then you must think that I suck! Is that true?!?!?” The only sound that could be mustered from my skinny little 17 year old body was “no petty Officer Davis, I don’t think you suck”. Punishment ensued, but it was nothing compared to the humiliation I had just endured, and doesn’t even warrant being shared.

Saturday, March 03, 2007

Fred Thompson throwing his hat into the ring?

ThirdWaveDave posted this yesterday. I have liked this guy when I first saw him in 'The Hunt For Red October' . More recently, I have agreed with his position on the War on Terror, and his support for our leadership. I have said this many times, a house divided against itself cannot stand. If we as a country cannot unite to defeat our enemies, we will be doomed.

Senator Fred Thompson is considering a run for the White House in 2008. I've always liked this man and thought he had the star power to make a successful run for president. Reagan had some star power as well.