LiveJournal – Six Apart Delete Hundreds of Pedophile Sites

LiveJournal Says No to Pedophiles:

UPDATE: IT APPEARS WE HAVE MADE THE NEWS!

"...Some of those stories are parodies; others involve sex. A related genre includes "shota" or "shouta," which generally refers to depictions of romantic relationships between teenage boys or between an adult and an underage boy..."
ARTICLE

Setting a new precedent, LiveJournal, owned by Six Apart Incorporated,
deleted over 500 of its sites or journals today. Responding to requests
from Warriors For Innocence, LiveJournal chose to remove sites that promote pedophilia, child sex, child abuse, and other illegal activities.

LiveJournal has revised their Terms Of Service (TOS) to include new standards that will ensure that they protect the safety and well-being of everyone who visits LiveJournal.

As pedophiles and their sympathizers scramble to find new hosting options, we will be following them and contacting each web host in order to work to enforce a TOS that will ensure that these hosts maintain a responsible and respectable reputation.

LiveJournal and Six Apart have taken a very important step. They chose to maintain accountability for the content placed on their sites. By setting this precedent, they have opened the door for other web hosting companies like Blogger/Google, Blog.com, Xanga, Wordpress, and others to follow in their footsteps.

Special thanks go out to Scott Kraft, the Executive Vice President of Marketing for Six Apart, and Denise Paolucci, the Manager of Customer Service for LiveJournal. They have both been very helpful.

Folks, this is great news! My friends at WFI are truly great Americans and heros to children not just nationally, but globally. Their uncompromising diligence and tenacity has impacted the world in which we live, and I'd like to say a special thank you to Sues and John. Great job guys!

Wednesday Hero!

This Weeks Soldier Was Suggested By Kathy

Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie
41 years old from Ann-Arbor, Michigan


Specialist Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie is a Iraqi American U.S. Army linguist soldier, from Ann-Arbor, Michigan who was kidnapped on October 23, 2006 in Baghdad and has not been seen since.

al-Taayie joined the Army in 2004 to help not only his country, the United States, but also his birthplace of Iraq and was deployed in 2005. On October 23, 2006 he was visiting his wife in the Karrada Shiite neighborhood in central Baghdad when he and his cousin were kidnapped by a group calling themselves Ahel al-Beit Brigades. His cousin was released shortly after. On November 2, 2006 al-Taayie's uncle received a ransom demand of $250,000 for his return. Along with the ransom came a grainy video that showed a man beaten up who was identified as al-Taayie. No more has been heard from al-Taayie or his captures.

For more information on Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie you can go 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. To find out more about Wednesday Hero, you can go here.

Memorial Day 2007

Today was a special treat for Gawfer. He had the opportunity to participate in the 2007 Annual memorial Day ride in Riverside California with about 7000 other patriots, and what an awesome feeling that was. We departed skip Fordyce Harley Davidson Dealership at 0915 and rode about 5 miles to the riverside National Cemetery. What made the ride special was all along the route, hundreds of real Americans could be found flying various sizes of 'Old Glory' and waving to the riders as we passed. There were young kids sitting on top of their back fences in pajamas waving and holding up signs that said thank you. Vets in wheel chairs draped in a US Flag smiling from ear to ear.

One family in particular I noticed was a Hispanic family, with plenty of stars and stripes and not one Mexican flag. One of many tears fell when I saw that, because it was apparent they really appreciate being here, and are not taking this country for granted.

The Riverside Police provided traffic control at every intersection, and the oncoming traffic on the other side of the street stopped to wave and salute. Amazing indeed!

Below are just a couple of pics I snapped. I have written a caption under each one so you know what you're looking at.

Very Cool Tribute Truck

A pic of some of the 7000 riders

More riders ready to ride

Gawfer's FLHX standing watch

Missing Man Formation during the Ceremony

Some 10,00 showed at the Cemetery

Listening to Amazing Grace on the bag pipes performed by the Riverside Philharmonic

Preparing for 'Colors'

A mom tending to her son's site.

Special Memmorial Day Tribute from the Wednesday Hero! Team

A special thanks to Greta and Silke of Hooah Wife for their help.

To every man and woman who has served and is serving in the United States military, thank you for everything that you do and have done. And every man and woman who's given their life for the cause of freedom will never be forgotten.

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. To find out more about Wednesday Hero, you can go here.

4 years in Iraq

The other day, I posted an email by Michael Yon who is embedded in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq. In that area, he provided an upbeat outlook on the daily goings on in a region that was once torn by unbelievable violence.

But what about the rest of Iraq, and what about our mission? Just what exactly are we accomplishing? Glad you asked. I happened on to this article a few minutes ago, and thought it to be quite illuminating.


Iraq Rebuilding Progress Should Be Taken in Context, General Says
By Tim Kilbride

Special to American Forces Press Service

Source
WASHINGTON, May 24, 2007 – U.S.-led reconstruction efforts in Iraq are making a tangible difference on the ground, but cannot quickly undo 25 years of systemic neglect of the country’s infrastructure, the officer in charge of the rebuilding program said yesterday.
“Our plan when we came in in 2003 was just to jumpstart the construction of the Iraqi infrastructure,” said Army Brig. Gen. Michael Walsh, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Gulf Region Division.

However, a historic failure to maintain the country’s physical plant under Saddam Hussein impeded rebuilding efforts from their outset, Walsh said.

Prior to the start of the reconstruction program, the World Bank estimated it would cost $100 billion to bring Iraq up to speed, the general noted. The United States has contributed $22 billion toward that goal, he explained. The remainder is to be supplied by the government of Iraq and donor nations.

With the U.S. funds spent so far, Walsh said, the Corps of Engineers have completed 3,200 projects around Iraq. Average daily hours of power have increased from 11 to 13 hours per day; oil production capacity is in line with the U.S. goal of 3 million barrels per day; and 138 primary health care clinics are nearing completion throughout the country, he said.

Walsh explained that while the reconstruction program has been generally panned or overlooked by the mainstream media, there are important data points to keep in mind when evaluating rebuilding progress.

To those who’ve characterized Baghdad as being “plunged into darkness” at times, Walsh noted, “Iraq never did have 24 hours level of power.” In fact, he said, much of Baghdad is now often illuminated at night because of shared generators placed throughout neighborhoods.

“They do have power,” the general clarified. “What they don’t have is power off of the grid.”

In the health care realm, Walsh said, U.S. forces are renovating 20 hospitals across Iraq, in addition to the primary care clinics being built. He described the facilities as “turnkey,” meaning that at completion they would be transferred to the Iraqi Ministry of Health for staffing and to oversee their day-to-day operations.

As with most projects involving the Iraqi government, logistics and operational planning remain a challenge, Walsh admitted.

“Their logistics systems are difficult, and they’re running shortages on a lot of consumables,” he said. In addition, he noted, transportation of fuel to run hospital generators is an area of concern.

That said, Walsh observed, the last time he visited a hospital “the doctors and nurses were in place, and they were taking care of the Iraqi people as they come through the door.”

In the oil sector, production stands at 2.6 million barrels per day, with an additional 400,000 barrels per day in spare capacity, Walsh said. “The difficulty right now is making sure the pipelines stay intact,” he noted.

In total, Walsh said, the rebuilding program is making solid headway in a less-than-ideal security environment against a mandate that would take multiple years even in a stable setting.

Approaching the mission from the perspective of an engineer, he observed, “I’ve been doing this for 29 years, and it takes a long time to put infrastructure together.”

By way of comparison, he noted that large infrastructure- construction projects often take years to complete in the United States.

Expectations must be managed and context must be considered in evaluating the reconstruction mission, Walsh reiterated in his closing comments.

“So we’ve been at it (in Iraq) for three years, and people say, ‘Well, have you made a significant change in the infrastructure?’” he said. “I would say, ‘yes.’ But again it’s been under-funded for 25 years. We’re not going to turn it around in three years.”

(Tim Kilbride is assigned to the New Media branch of American Forces Information Service.)

Let’s see, in 4 years we have contributed 22 billion dollars and have:
1. Completed 3,200 projects
2. Average daily hours of power have increased from 11 to 13 hours per day (25% increase over what it was before the war)
3. Oil production capacity is in line with the U.S. goal of 3 million barrels per day
4. And 138 primary health care clinics are nearing completion throughout the country.

Being alive during a few major freeway remodels that take several years to complete, and no one is shooting at these guys (well most of the time anyway, So Cal you know), I’d say we are making significant progress. I would however, like to know at what point we will deem our job substantially complete and demobilize the majority of our crews.

With that being said, under no circustances would I define this mission a failure, nor would I say we have lost (Harry no nuts Reid). On the contrary, I'd say we have been very successful with our endeavors so far.

So, a hearty WELL DONE to the troops and the Americans in harm's way who are doing a fantastic job to rebuild Iraq!

Wednesday Hero!

Pfc. Joseph Allen Jeffries
21 years old from Beaverton, Oregon
Army Reserve’s 320th Psychological Operations Company
May 29, 2004


Below is all the information that could be found on Pfc. Joseph Jeffries.

Pfc. Jeffries was killed with two fellow soldiers, Capt. Daniel W. Eggers and Sgt. 1st Class Robert J. Mogensen, and an unnamed sailor, when their vehicle drove over an IED in Kandahar, Afghanistan. All four service members were attached to the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan. He is survived by his wife, Betsy, and his parents Mark and Linda Jeffries.

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. To find out more about Wednesay Hero, you can go here.

How's your Perspective these days

This article was published last November, but has started making its way around the internet as a quote from Jay Leno. It is not; however, after reading it this morning, I decided to research its authenticity before I posted it. It was actually written By Craig R. Smith, and published on World Net Daily on November 20, 2006.

It is clearly a great article, and helps refocus our attention away from the MSM and back on real life. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.


WorldNetDaily

Made in the USA: Spoiled brats
November 20, 2006
Craig R. Smith

"The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.

So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What we are so unhappy about?''

Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than
Darfur has seen in the last year?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter
to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs, or militias raping and pillaging the residents, (and) neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S., yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?

Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad?

Think about it......are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the "Media" told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day.

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a
''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads, and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by "Justifying" them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way......Insane!

Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad.

We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day or at least be thankful and appreciative."

Current Conditions in Anbar Province

May 19, 2007
MICHAEL YON SENDS ANOTHER EMAIL FROM ANBAR:


Am still in Anbar and just went another day without hearing a single shot fired. Am out with a small group of Marines who live with a much larger group of Iraqis. I enjoy the Iraqi food more than the food at the dining facilities. Some of the Marines out here live in shipping containers. Their "toilet" is WAG bag. (Waste Alleviation and Gelling.) It's every bit as exciting as it sounds. Basically it's a little ziplock baggie -- one-time use only.

I was told that a chemical munition (artillery shell) was found within the last few days.

Today, went on a patrol with Iraqis and a couple of Marines and we talked with Iraqi villagers for a couple of hours. I got to talk with a man who was about 81. His hearing was not good, so I had to sit close. He said he worked for the British RAF here in about 1945-46. I asked him if the British treated him well and he said they treated him very well. Said he made the equivalent of about 25 cents per day but that was good money back then. There is, in fact, a British-Polish-Indian-Aussie-Kiwi cemetery nearby. (I visited and photographed many of the headstones some days ago.)

All the villagers we got to talk with were very friendly. Kids wanted their photos taken, that sort of thing. They were not asking for candy and that was nice. There was a train track nearby (looked to be in very good condition), and a locomotive turned over on its side, derailed. I asked a man what happened, and he said that about four years ago, during the war, an "Ali Baba" (thief) tried to steal the train but ran head-on into another train! He said the police caught the Ali Baba and he has no idea what happened after that.

Marines are getting along well with the locals. They wave a lot, and stop to talk. If the rest of Iraq looked like this, we could all come home!


Let's hope this continues to spread.

Immigration Bill

How can there be so many opinions about this bill, when it hasn't even been released... nay written yet?! I have heard every talk show host with half a brain provide an opinion either good or bad about this bill, but nobody has read it! When it is released, Read it. Then talk about it.

I am in agreement with FredThompson who wrote: "... I’d tell you what was in the legislation, but 24 hours after the politicians agreed the bill looked good, the Senate lawyers were still writing what may turn out to be a one thousand page document. In fact, a final version of the bill most likely will not be made available to the public until after the legislation is passed..." My friend from England would say "that's a load of codswallup". "...Is it any wonder that a lot of folks today feel like they’re being sold a phony bill of goods on border security? A “comprehensive” plan doesn’t mean much if the government can’t accomplish one of its most basic responsibilities for its citizens -- securing its borders. A nation without secure borders will not long be a sovereign nation..."

Here is one example of what open borders can lead to:

May 26th of last year I POSTED about a fellow employee who lost his mom because someone who had snuck across our southern border illegally and had decided he was a proficient driver lost control of his car and crossed 3 lanes of directional traffic, a 75 yard dirt median and 3 lanes of oncoming traffic to collide with Nancy's vehicle, killing her instantly. He was driving an unregistered vehicle without a license or insurance.


Word has it this is going to be expensive:

April 27th of last year I POSTED an article that measured the results of the failed amnesty of 1986 and the costs incurred. After just 10 years, we had reached over 78 Billion dollars. Yesterday on several radio shows, I heard the figure will now be over 3 trillion dollars for this effort, and we STILL don't have a fence!

It has been said over and over again that a fence would make us just like Berlin Germany... WRONG! The Berlin wall was an attempt to keep people in, ours will be to keep people specifically BAD GUYS that seek to do us harm OUT!

I have become weary of people like John McCain who waffle on issues like this. He is a war Hero with out a doubt, but clearly being a war hero does not make him sanctified.

Look, if a boat has a hole in the hull, you can bail all you want but your still gonna sink. You first must find the hole and close it. Then remove the unwanted ballast. So staying true to that analogy, Can we just build the damn fence and screen those who come? Then we can work on clearing out the refuse already here. And clarify once and for all the anchor baby rule. It does not apply to those who are here illegally!

A request for Prayer

My friend Doug from PoliticoPistachio is facing a big challenge and is asking for prayers. So, I am asking my readers across the nation to help out. I believe God created us in His image, and understands us far better than we understand ourselves including how to fix us when we get sick.

So, if you would, say a prayer for Christopher Doug's son, who is facing cancer at the young age of 22.

Thank you friends,

Gawfer

Soldier who needs a little help

2nd Update- Anonymous said...

I just checked the bank account and there was $500.00 more deposited today that makes it about $4500.00. I thank you so much.
Laura
May 19, 2007 7:27 PM


Update - As of 05/15/07: The funeral fund is now up to $3,876.00. Thank you to all who have helped the Cooper family.

Yesterday, I was one who received an email from some folks who are trying to lend a hand to a Soldier who needs a little help.


Cav Mom wrote: "A Soldier could use our Prayers

I just got off the phone with a beautiful woman, Laura Cooper. On April 9th her husband lost his battle with lung cancer. Laura has two sons. Christopher, 23yrs old is in the US Army serving in Iraq. Justin, 20yrs old is a student at Texas State College.

They could use our prayers..."

Kyle from LoneStarPundit posted the article yesterday saying:

"...According to his mother, Laura Cooper, her son barely made it before her husband died, but is now having to sacrifice even more.

Christopher Cooper Jr., 23, came home to attend his father’s funeral but only had five days to grieve with his mother and younger brother before having to head back to Iraq to take part in the Untied States’ military campaign in the Middle East. His brother, Justin Cooper, 20, is attending Texas State College.

Chris Cooper Sr., 47, died April 9, only months after finding out he had lung cancer in November. His widow, Laura Cooper, works part-time for A+ Autos in Pinehurst and was already struggling to work and take care of her disabled mother who went blind due to diabetes.

Laura Cooper has worked for the auto shop for eight years. When her husband developed cancer, her struggle to care for her ailing family and work got harder and it left her with little funds.

With one son in college and the other in Iraq, there was no one for her to turn to. She said her son is already sacrificing so much for his country, but he offered to sacrifice even more by taking out a loan against his military pay to help cover his father’s funeral expenses..."

Last year, a bunch of folks got together and helped raise a pile of cash for another soldier whose wife was diagnosed with cancer, and subsequently died. If you find yourself wanting to help this young man out, a Pal Pal acount has been established by Cav Mom. To Make a donation, click on the button, and go to the bottom of the page.

Wednesday Hero!

This Weeks Soldier Was Suggested By Cindy

Lance Cpl. Steven Chavez
20 years old from Hondo, New Mexico
2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force
March 14, 2007


Tears ran down cheeks and strong men choked back emotion as the city of Hondo, NM payed tribute to fallen Marine, Steven Chavez. LCpl. Chavez lost his life on March 14, 2007 in a non-combat incident in which he was accidentally shot.

Chavez enlisted in the Marine Cops. right after he graduated in 2005. "You pray and you pray that the day never comes, and then it does," said Novelda Chavez, Chavez's mother. "Your emotions are mixed — it’s not true, it’s a bad dream, a bad dream you never wake up from."

In a letter Chavez wrote before he was sent to Iraq, he wrote:
"First of all I would like to thank everyone for your support. When I'm home on leave and when I'm away. That is so important to me. Thank you for your kind, supporting words in your letters and for the packages I've received. Those are awesome.

I've been through some pretty hard times, in the short time I've been in the Marine Corp. None harder then what I'm about to face. Yes I'm scared; nothing is scarier than the uncertainty of what your future holds for you. I'm prepared to face whatever lies ahead.

I put my life in the hands of the Lord. And pray that He guides my fellow soldiers and I down a safe path, that He will calm our fears, and give us the strength to do the job we have been trained to do, and to do that job well.

There are many lonely nights, when you're lying in your bunk thinking of family and friends, wondering what they are doing at that very moment. Wondering what mom is cooking for supper. I can almost taste the tortillas on the griddle.

I want to say to all of you tonight, I wouldn't change one thing about my life.

I've never been more proud of the choices I made in my life than the day I graduated from basic drill instructor placed that Anchor, Globe and Eagle Pin in my hand I knew then I was a UNITED STATES MARINE!

I'm Proud to protect and serve My Country

I'm Proud to protect and serve My Community

I'm Proud to protect and serve you

Thank you so much for your Support. Keep those letters coming. Mail is a precious commodity when you're so far from Home.

YOUR U.S. MARINE

LANCE CORPORAL STEVE CHAVEZ"

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. To find out more about Wednesay Hero, you can go here.

Wednesday Hero!

Spc. Josiah H. Vandertulip
21 years old from Irving, Texas
2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division
October 14, 2004


Louise Vandertulip fussed at her son about his spending. He bought wild, overpriced hats that had flames on them or horns coming out of the top, she said.

While in Army basic training, he bought portraits of himself. His mother told him to save his money.

She's glad he didn't listen.

The hats and the pictures are all a part of her memories now.

Spc. Josiah H. Vandertulip was killed in Baghdad when his patrol came under small arms fire.

Josiah Vandertulip joined the Army right after his graduation from Irving High School in 2002. He spent a year in South Korea before being stationed at Texas' Fort Hood in February. Against his mother's advice, he volunteered to go to Iraq. She told him to wait, to go to college.

"When he was determined to do something in his heart, he would do it and hell or high water couldn't keep him from it," she said

By going, he knew someone else with a young family could be saved from serving, relatives said.

He always had the important things right, Louise Vandertulip said.

"There's a lot of rest in knowing that he died doing what he believed in and doing what he thought was right," she said.

"We have a much more real sense of the cost for the freedom that we enjoy now," said his father, Robert Vandertulip.

"Josiah was the first brand new soldiers I recieved as a dismounted team leader in Korea. He was one of the Best soldiers I have had the honor to train and work with. He loved being a soldier as much as any guy I have met. He was a great leader in the absence of his superiors. I could always count on him to make sure the mission was accomplished. I watched him change over the year I had him from a goofy kid, to a hard charging soldier."
Sgt. Nickolas Faul

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. To find out more about Wednesay Hero, you can go here.

War Weariness

Today, while enduring my 2 hour commute home from the 'O.C.' to Riverside, HughHewitt read a letter he recently received from his friend in the 'green Zone' on his radio show.

It is so succinct, I had to swipe it for my 'many readers' to enjoy... so, enjoy.


From Col. Marc, Inside The Green Zone, On War Weariness
Posted by Hugh Hewitt 10:56 AM
From my friend, Col. Marc, inside the Green Zone:

I have not been following the news much, just too busy, but occasionally while in the Dining Facility the TV has on CNN. Mostly at the time I am there it is Lou Dobbs. He and some other media outlets have talked about the war weariness of the American people. I have heard him speak of the Presidents poll numbers being down because the American public is tired of four years of constant war. I don't understand it.

I want to look at this war in perspective. First, why is the American people weary of the war. They certainly are not fighting it. The great majority are not even involved or knowledgable of this war. The war is being fought by a very few of the American people. It is they who sacrifice and defend the nation. Of the 300,000,000 people in the US only about 1.5 million are in any way engaged in fighting this war. That is the 150,000 who are overseas deployed in a war zone and the 1.35 million who support or have rotated into and out of the war zone for their combat tour. That is .05% of the Nation carrying the burden of the war. All of those who are making that sacrifice are doing so as volunteers because they believe in the nation in its greatness and in the mission that we are doing. The American people are not even asked to sacrifice for the conduct of the war. There is no rationing, there is no limit on travel, there is no censorship. I can post this email to you and say anything I want as long as it does not contain classified material or contain insubordinate statements. There is no one cutting and pasting my letters. The taxes are not up because of the war. They may go up, but that is a Democratic tactic to gain a bigger budget. It is not to fund the war effort. In fact they want to unfund the war, yet taxes would still go up.

So I ask you how are you all weary of the war? How is it impacting you? Only those who fight it and the few who are related or friends of those in the war zone are really impacted by the war. The casualties are not even heavy. Certainly not the 480 a day during WWII. Those who have given their lives for the safety of the nation in a large part are forgotten by the public at large, only their loved ones know the weariness of loss. Not the public. So again how is the nation weary of the war? Many of them don't even know what is going on over here. They don't pay attention.

What I think is that the news media likes to make the public weary of the war. They constantly mis-state the situation and constantly speak of the weariness. Well I have been here for 41/2 months I work every day. I am tired and separated for my friends and family but I am not weary of the war. Nor are my brother and sister Soldiers Sailors Airmen and Marines. We know the cost and we know what we buy every month we are here. We kill more of the terrorists we draw them from all over the Middle East and kill them here. We have chosen the place and the time for this fight and now the American people must stand up and support their soldiers in the conduct of a war that was voted upon and approved by the Representatives of those same people. The Congress and the people committed us to this war, not just The President. Once you have committed your army to the field you must support it in the field. To do anything else puts us at great risk while fighting to defend you. Tell Harry Reid and Lou Dobbs the war is not lost and you are not weary of it. I am not ready to end this in defeat, so can you do any less?

Wednseday Hero!

Once agian, I have been late with posting (sorry M*A), so today, Wednesday Hero is delivered to you on Saturday. I can't let this one fall by the wayside since he is a shipmate.


Pat - http://www.ajourneyintothepast.blogspot.com
Lorrie - http://morningglory2.wordpress.com
David - http://thunderrun.blogspot.com
Brian - http://www.stopliberals.com


This Weeks Soldier Was Suggested By Echo9er

Hospital Corpsman HM3 Luis E. Fonseca Jr.


On August 11, 2004, HM3 Luis E. Fonseca, Jr. was awarded the Navy's second highest decoration. The Navy Cross, which is awarded for extraordinary heroism while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States and must be performed in the presence of great danger or at great personal risk, was awarded for his actions while serving with Amphibious Assault Vehicle Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, Task Force Tarawa, II Marine Expeditionary Force.

On March 23, 2004, Fonseca, Jr.'s unit were trying to take the Saddam Canal Bridge. Five Marines were injured when their vehicle was hit by an RPG. Fonseca, while still being fired upon by machine guns and RPG's, pulled the Marines to safety and established a casualty collection unit inside his own medical evacuation vehicle. After his vehicle was hit once again, Fonseca organized litter teams and directed the movement of four of the Marines, while personally carrying one wounded Marine over open ground to another vehicle. On November 15, 2004, Seaman Fonseca was awarded the "Grateful Nation Award" from the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs for his actions.

"I was doing my job," said Petty officer Fonseca. "I wish I could have done more."

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.