An announcement straight from from the White House by a correspondent with his brain in a state of suspended animation makes us aware the new administration prefers Coke over Pepsi. When I saw this on YahooNews it brought a smile to my face. This little news nugget from a small, independent and uncorroborated report. Kind of reminds me of the useless boxer v. brief question and unnecessary response by a former president. Now while we can surmise that Sandy Berger was wearing briefs to secure classified documents in his britches, did any of us really need to know what Bill Clinton was wearing under a nice pair of pants? Now if the White House staff is smoking marijuana I would love to know. Otherwise, who gives a flip as to their beverage preference?
Then the ongoing news of the Washington wizards still hoping to tax everything which breathes, moves, and halts long enough for the fingers of government to reach into our wallets. Now while it will bring kadzillions into the coffers to tax us “by the mile” this sort of financial chicanery has no place in a recession economy. But since federal government remains squeamish about diminishment of bureaucracy and duplication of effort I suggest we merely tax the lowly tattoo. Having been a nurse for years and glanced at many a naked body, I have noted a direct correlation between number of tattoos and a low income status. Perhaps we should tax things which drain the paychecks of the poor who are susceptible to buying their wants, whilst begging their needs from the rest of us? Colorized tattoos should be doubly taxed. I have cared for working class poor who claim not to have money to fill a prescription. Yet the designs on their bodies sport a living spreadsheet with investment in the thousands of dollars. The money is spent to put ink on their skins and into their liver bed. Hmmm.... I support tattoo taxation without representation.
Interesting conversations overheard while traveling last week. The gold dust is in the air with the stimulus package. Twice, the same refrain among businessmen. Here is the word: “We need to pull up every prior program or initiative which was denied, rework it and resubmit it again for funding.” Our business community is smart. I don’t fault them for it. My well-being depends on the corporation which employs me. But my last night in Bethesda I handed off ½ of my dinner to a homeless man. It was pretty darn cold on Monday night.
The USMC has a new team member. It is the lowly pack mule. To read further about this operational need in Afghanistan, consider a subscription to a magazine which is one of my favorites: The Marine Corps Gazette. At the moment, I am pondering what to read from a recommended list. It is always good to think on new levels.
Tammy Swofford
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Saturday Blog
Friday, February 27, 2009
The Taliban Takes a Second Wife
On February 16 the Taliban arranged a nikah ceremony with Father Pakistan. They took from him the beautiful daughter Swat and with it the dreams envisioned by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and others for a progressive model of Islam in a modern Muslim-majority state. In exchange for a decrease in the swashbuckling ways of an increasingly destabilizing political force, the beautiful daughter of Pakistan will now belong to another. This restive marriage comes on the heels of a refugee population of an estimated 0.5 million who have fled a school torching, crop-destroying, Shari'ah spouting cleric. Resume please?
Problematic is the re-emergence of the very thing which caused a large diaspora of Muslims in the first place to leave India by the millions with the clothes on their backs, pulling small carts along with the kitchen pots and prayer mats. They sought to engage in the grand experiment of government in a post-British Colonial environment.
Sadly, Pakistan now allows neo-Colonialism within their borders. Surely, any governance of an indigenous people by an outside political force is more of the same, just wearing a different hat. Spit on the British, spit on the Taliban. Pakistan is allowing the same by a default negotiation process. In a sense, what has happened is not too surprising. The NWFP has lacked the oversight of the centralized government in Islamabad for decades. Somewhat left to themselves, and managing quite in the manner they had for centuries, the tribal life had a familiar ebb and flow. The Swat Valley was an exotic tourist destination with its beautiful rivers and ravines along the valley. But this is a new century. Things are different now. The world is smaller; a more dangerous place.
The old adage of he who governs best is he who governs least will not be the case in the Swat Valley. An interpretive model of Shari'ah which believes it in the best interests of humanity to torch schools which seek to educate little girls will perpetuate the cycle of poverty which is easily noted in nations which do not value the education of fifty percent of their population. A cleric who prides himself on burning video stores and terrorizing the innocent has efficiently consolidated his power. There were no songs of joy at this wedding of the second wife. But it will be a haunting political message which will play out in Pakistan over the next few months. After all, the Swat Valley is a mere one hundred miles from Islamabad.
Tammy Swofford
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Father Forgive
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Hollywood Has Issues - Penn, Clooney and Fonda
Sunday's 81st Academy Awards were, not surprisingly, less political than last year's Obamanic pseudo-campaign rally. One standout statement this year was part of Sean Penn's acceptance speech for his role as the elected official and gay rights activist, Harvey Milk. Penn could have merely made a statement in support of marriage equality and civil rights. He, instead, used his minute on the microphone to blame Californians for voting "Yes" on Proposition 8: "...for those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren's eyes if they continue that way of support. We've got to have equal rights for everyone."
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Book Review: Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
Sure, these games of EHM are as old as Cain and Abel, the second generation from the Biblical human genome map. Abel had his skull cracked by his own brother because the elder of the two, Cain, decided there was more profit in raising livestock than growing fruit. Cain, was the first economic hit man (EHM) as far as I am concerned.
But opening up to the tale reveals more than the facts laid out by an EHM, in rather vague terms. The mental twists are subtle and just as the story, deliberately fly under the radar. As with most bestsellers of this nature, the goal of the author is to make an impression, or to paint a picture. So what does Mr. Perkins really put on the page?
*Second, the bias against my faith (Christianity) and my community (military) is introduced again and again. Having never kneeled alongside me in prayer, or stood with me in rank, he displays pretty strong resentment in his writing style. In fact, the concept of resentment is a liberal word usage in the text and one which provides a nuggeted truth. This is the story of a man who spent the best years of his life not as a humanist, but rather to do the bidding of the most powerful and to hell with the consequences. Now, he resents people like me, both Christian and a military officer, who would never imagine playing the games he played.
Strangely enough, Mr. Perkins dedicates the book to his parents and then proceeds to slam them. In the first chapter, “An Economic Hit Man is Born”, we are introduced to parents who are masters of manipulation, thus setting the stage for his own manipulative personality. Somehow their sacrifices which allowed him the benefit of a coveted private school education are discounted, as is their desire for him to attend an alma mater. He cleverly lets us know that his parents used the word “slut” to describe the girls in town who didn’t have it so good. Wow! Who could help but hate them at this point?
Johnny Boy also blames his first wife. She wouldn’t sleep with him before marriage which forced his hand. So while claiming personal discomfort with calling girls sluts, he also feels backhanded by what was probably a rather decent and intelligent woman who put up with a lot from the guy before she dumped him and moved on to a better life.
Mr. Perkins, the adult married male, finds his weaknesses “exploited” by a woman named Claudine, sent to teach him the dark arts of being an EHM. He speculates that she had access to his interview file from NSA which (by his recollection) also uncovered all of his weaknesses….. er, what my parents would more logically label as lack of character. What a man-eater, that Claudine!
What bothers me the most is Mr. Perkins' personal precedence list. If the corporations couldn’t leverage things along with their wits, the C.I.A. jackals would assassinate the non-compliant head of state. If they weren’t successful, well, those of us wearing the cloth of the nation would be sent in for the clean-up. His extreme bias against those of us who move in legal channels and under chain of command structures shows in his chapter titled, “Soldiers and Prostitutes”.
It begins with a dullard of a topic sentence, “After a juicy steak and a cold beer….” Wow! Who woulda thought of putting the word “juicy” in front of the word “steak” and “cold” in front of the word “beer”? Anyway, after the yawner of an opening, Mr. Perkins wants to let us know all about the military. Never mind that he devotes a whole chapter to one trip to a Panamanian bar to drink and watch naked women dance. Alert as a hawk, the irrepressible Mr. Perkins identifies the real evil in the room. Naturally, it is the military men on liberty. It is interesting how he takes one instant in time and craps on all of us in the process. I wonder what our World War II vets think of Mr. Perkins? My guess is a few of them would like to beat him with their canes.
Mr. Perkins takes his hate out on SIL (Summer Institute of Linguistics) missionaries (pp.166-167) when he uses phrases such as “I heard”, “rumors abounded” and “a frequently repeated story” to trounce on an organization of people with whom I am intimately acquainted, having grown up near a training center in Mexico. Read my lips. The man is a resentful liar.
The Bush dynasty takes a distinct beating. While I cannot discount what he has written and some of it is absolutely true, I find it rather strange that he doesn’t bash the ‘tween president who now presides over a billion dollar foundation and has influence pandered himself into unbelievable wealth with “speeches” in Dubai and across the globe. Let’s be fair, John. You bashed everyone except the C&C presidents, Carter and Clinton. Is there a reason, Sir?
In the end, Mr. Perkins presents himself as an observer of the events, not an active participant. He proclaims himself the man in the middle. Psychologically, the writing is that of a man who saw himself in the bleachers. Somehow, there is a sense that he was not even “there”. He tells us about the other players. We get vague introduction to his little office where he would spend time churning out and falsifying data. But when the author truly enters the story it is with a portrayal of someone who loved the poor, understood their plight, and wished for them a better world. It is a distinct trait of those with dirty hands: a disassociated personality. Too bad he has given the destitute a world he helped to create.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Benjamin Netanyahu: Freedom’s Final Guardian?
Every form of government which is not representative is, properly speaking, without form.
-Immanuel Kant, (Perpetual Peace, 1795)
Whenever you have any achievement in the activity of mankind, it is an achievement that is guided by an idea. …And the guiding idea, especially for our two nations?? Israel and America?? has been the idea of freedom.
Benjamin Netanyahu, (Remarks to CPAC’s Ronald Reagan Banquet, 2/17/2001)
The winds of change carry with them the bitterly cold promise of tyranny. Perhaps enough Americans are waking up today to the realization that statists have grown weary of incremental progress. The time is now. The moment has arrived. Add any compelling idiom that comes to mind.
Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu has approximately 6 weeks to form a coalition that will govern the State of Israel. The parliamentary structure of Israel would give most voting Americans a headache should they try to understand it. We have basically two political parties. The Israeli model has at least 17 major political parties, and they are tied to ideologies rather than geographical districts. In the most recent election, Netanyahu's Likud party actually fell one seat short in the Knesset, but has been asked to form the ruling coalition. In the U.S. such a photo finish would bring forth a swimming school of attorneys and Chris Matthews' spittle and tingling legs. In Israel it prompts a series of negotiations. I’m not sure which system is better, but I do know one thing: Israel needs the media savvy, visionary and confrontational confidence of Netanyahu now more than ever.
More importantly, so does the United States of America.
A search following my reading of the ruling coalition headline led me to remarks made to a group in the U.S. by Bibi Netanyahu seven months prior to the attacks of September 11 that same year. There is much to be absorbed and considered in this speech. I encourage the reader to follow the link and read it in its entirety. In his speech Netanyahu covered a myriad of relevant topics one would expect. He acknowledged that both of our countries understand that freedom was the “indispensible component” for prosperity. He used humor and storytelling to share his exchange on the divergent fates of the world’s three oldest major civilizations. What really blew me away was how the former (and new) Prime Minister, in just a portion of a speech, used Immanuel Kant’s “Perpetual Peace” to draw the audience into both an illustration of Israel’s security threats and an understanding of why and how nations must deal differently with free nations than dictatorships.
I wonder if, one decade later, Israel will have to reconsider how it deals with the U.S.A.
Benjamin stands for “son of the right hand”, and Netanyahu means “Given to us by G-d”. One should not mistake title or content for worship. Better to understand that we are witness to a burden potentially falling squarely on the shoulders of possibly the last hope and defender of liberty in the modern world.
Tell me, who else do we have?
A new American administration overreaches with political aggression. Emboldened and encouraged by the statist actions of his predecessor, Barack Obama moves quickly to usurp Constitutional powers granted to state governments through “urban” programs. They seek to nationalize the banks, restrict free speech on the airwaves, Federalize health care coverage and delivery. After reading the Netanyahu remarks, how would you regard us?
Reluctantly, and most likely silently, I would conclude that I was on my own.
Bob
Treo_bob@yahoo.com
“The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail."
-Lady Galadriel, from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Ring”
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Good Morning from Bethesda
Hi Readers!
It will be a rainy day with snow flurries in Bethesda. Yesterday I hiked out to NNMC to buy a pair of gloves and a cap. Although clever enough to consider bringing a coat, I did not imagine the need for any additional outer wear for warmth. For a Texan to consider snow in February is ludicrous for the most part. There have been days in recent weeks where light sports gear was sufficient for our winter landscape sans precipitation.
Bob Miller will be back tomorrow. He will begin anchoring the Monday spot. His current job responsibilities have him pulling twelve hour days in the executive suite. The only way to make this work, his continued blogging, is to move him around a bit. I appreciate his diligence.
Tom Gordon has a birthday coming up, so I am doing scouting around for a birthday present for him. What does a moderate centrist buy for a liberal Democrat for his birthday? smile
Beyond that, I am shopping, sleeping and reading. It is a great life! I will finish up a book which was given to me and will review it on the blog this week. It has been awhile since any of us have done a review. Everyone enjoy a restful day.
I am heading over to James Oppenheim's site. Feel free to read along.
Tammy Swofford
Saturday, February 21, 2009
"Taking Chance" on HBO - Saturday, February 21
It was about 1500 hrs. on April 9, 2004. Good Friday. A convoy of five American vehicles was patrolling in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. The first vehicle was disabled by an IED, and all hell broke loose. The air immediately filled with lead, RPGs and mortar fire. The second vehicle was able to move out of the kill zone. The third vehicle moved into the KZ and set up base fire. The other vehicles set up outside the KZ, in position to flank the insurgents. PFC Chance Phelps, 19, 1st Marines, was in a turret on the .50-cal, when he took a shot to the head and was killed. Some of our troops made it out of the ambush that day, but [defendamerica.mil] a few Marines sacrificed all.
In the words of Brig. General John F. Kelly, who was there that day: "All the Marines in the patrol did what we trained them to do, did it instinctively, and as if they were born to do it. Every one of them returned fire, moved to the sound of the guns, and took action. There was certainly nothing special about any of them, by the way, other than they were MARINES."
When an American soldier dies in combat, the remains are returned to the U.S. through the mortuary facility at Dover AFB, Delaware. The 2007 National Defense Appropriations Act provides military aircraft transport and an honor guard to escort the fallen to their final destination. Of course, the next of kin may make other arrangements. While President Obama is considering reversing the policy that prohibits the media from photographing flag-draped coffins at Dover, HBO Films is premiering an original movie on Saturday, February 21, about a man who volunteered to escort a fellow Marine's remains to his place of rest.
"Taking Chance" stars Kevin Bacon and is based on the journal of Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, 1st Marines, who volunteered to escort Phelps's coffin from Dover to smalltown Dubois, Wyoming. As he made his way across the country, he witnessed firsthand the respect that young PFC Phelps earned with his commitment to duty, and the strong patriotism of average Americans. Strobl served for 24 years in the USMC, retired in 2007, and is now a Pentagon defense analyst. He wrote the screenplay and served as the military consultant on the film. He noted that the military escort program honors the fact that service members are never alone. "They weren't alone when they were fighting and they shouldn't be alone in their final trip home."
In Flanders Fields
by Lt. Col. John McCrae, MD (Canada)
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Friday, February 20, 2009
A "Coward" Speaks
As someone who, in the early 1960s, took a bus from Connecticut to rural Virginia to help people I had never met register to vote, I really sat up when I read that the Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr. said we are “essentially a nation of cowards” on race relations.
I am certain that Mr. Holder was speaking for effect and really wants to see a full, frank, “nuanced, principled and spirited” debate on topics like affirmative action.
I just don’t know how to proceed. Who is to speak and to whom is that person to speak? I suggest that there are as many positions on racial issues as there are people, probably more, since every race is actually two races, one composed of people one knows and the other the race in general. Having said that, here is my take on affirmative action.
Affirmative action was supposed to be a band aid, something to serve while the wound of inadequate schools healed. Nobody in his right mind would think making allowances for the reality of lousy schools is a worthwhile permanent solution. But, 40 years after the Great Society, more of our schools are in worse shape than they were in the 1960s. Part of that is because there are a lot more schools, but the real reason is a lack of will.
The whole educational system is flawed. The key components, the teachers, get no respect. In college, elementary education majors are not the National Merit Scholars, or the winners of the math, science, or even English prizes in high school. Students in other disciplines tend to look down on the el-eds. They will never make any money. Their reading consists of Dick and Jane books.
Then, when these newly-minted teachers get into the schools, the students don’t have much respect either. Probably something they learned from their parents.
The school buildings themselves are models of form following function. They look like warehouses and that is what they do. That is all they are really asked to do. Just lock Junior up for most of the day so he doesn’t get into trouble or do some costly damage to himself while mommy and daddy go to work. Mommy and daddy work very hard for their money and don’t want to pay for anything more. This is the whole system. Not many schools in even affluent districts teach art, music, have well-equipped biology, chemistry or physics labs, or offer the wide range of courses that used to be available. How many schools now offer German, which used to be required of anyone seeking an advanced degree in the maths and sciences? Greek? Latin? You must be joking. In a number of high schools, even calculus, sine qua nunc for engineering, is not taught.
The really stupid thing in all this is that mommy, daddy and Junior will have to pay just as much, if not more, for remedial courses in what passes for colleges nowadays. Maybe the key is that Junior gets to pay for college. We seem very good at piling huge burdens on our children’s shoulders.
But, Mr. Holder, I don’t think affirmative action is a racial issue. We don’t even want to pay to educate our own children. We just want to pay even less to educate other children.
Tom Gordon
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Roger Barnett, Drug Intervention Specialist
Emma Lazarus wrote:
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
I would add to that:
"But give them to me legally,
That they may be fugitives no more,
Let them pay taxes like you and me,
Let them learn English and go to war,
Let them contribute to Social Security!"
On March 7, 2004, carrying his sidearm and accompanied by his trusty canine, the now 66-year-old former Cochise County Deputy confronted 16 Mexican citizens, 11 men and 5 women, who were trespassing on his property. One of the men was Gerardo Gonzales, who was deported in 1993 for possession of cocaine. This reentry into the U.S. is an additional felony. So, what does a convicted drugrunner and dealer/illegal immigrant do in this situation? He files a $2 million lawsuit, as a part of the $32m suit against Barnett. After a 9-day trial, the federal jury, made up of four men and four women, found that there was no civil rights infringement, and threw out charges of false imprisonment, battery and conspiracy. However, the plaintiffs, represented by MALDEF, were awarded about $18,000 in actual and $60,000 in punitive damages. Only in America, folks.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Lightning Strikes Twice: 9/11 Widow, Beverly Eckert
Beverly Eckert and her husband Sean Rooney died in similar manners. Both suffered violent, fiery deaths involving airplanes. Both had a short window of time to realize they would die. And both of their deaths have spawned conspiracy theories. It's very ironic to me, considering they died nearly 7½ years apart. Rooney died in the South Tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11. His widow Eckert was a passenger on Continental Flight 3407, which crashed in upstate New York on February 12. Talk about lightning striking twice. This accident must be a kick in the gut to both of their families. The couple was married for 34 years. They had no children, but they left behind a legacy that alternately leaves me nodding my head in agreement for standing up for your beliefs, like Eckert, and for dying with dignity, like Rooney; and shaking my head in incredulity at just how bizarre and tragic their story is.
Trapped in the building above where United Flight 175 hit, Rooney called his wife. Eckert said they tried to live the rest of their lives together in those last moments on the phone. Finally, as he was being overcome with smoke, he calmly told her that it was time to say goodbye, to give his love to his family, and to live a full life. The last thing Eckert heard was the loud explosion of the building collapsing. Only she and other 9/11 WTC casualties' family members can know the experience of wading through the complex aftermath of their emotions, the international outcry, and our own government's reaction. The Pentagon was a military target, which spurned a different set of reactions. Airplanes have been hijacked and/or bombed in the past, such as [guardian.co.uk] Pan Am Flight 103, which was blown out of the sky 20 years ago. While every story is unique, World Trade Center families have a sobering common bond unmatched by any single event in history.
We can't pass judgment on the members of the 9/11 community for the different ways they have dealt with their losses. Some suffer from PTSD or insomnia, some use alcohol or drugs, and some have been able to cope with it and get on with their lives. And there are some, like Beverly Eckert, who have chosen to give voice to their sorrow. The empty place on Rooney's side of the bed would be no more or less empty, than if he had died of a heart attack. But he died in Tower 2. As shocking as the images are to me, even today, it must be a herculean weight on the families. Eckert said she lost faith in the government, knowing they turned a blind eye in the summer of 2001 to warnings of attacks on the U.S. She became an activist and lobbyist. Her opinions differ from mine, as to whether we should have sent troops to Afghanistan, but I admire her strength and determination to improve the way our government operates.
Beverly Eckert on March 3, 2004: "I saw this situation immediately as one which could degenerate into a cycle of violence. We would retaliate and there would be more killing, more death. I immediately had the feeling and hoped that this would not happen, that there would be a different reaction, that we were living at a time and a place, at least in this country, that we would have a more rational reaction than just to kill in response. And as you know, we went into Afghanistan with bombs and I did not support that. I do support stopping terrorists, but I do not think that is the most effective way to stop them ultimately."
Beverly Eckert cofounded the group "Voices of September 11th" with Mary Fetchet, and became a member of many other groups and committees. Her work on the Steering Commitee for the 9/11 Independent Commission helped lead to the signing of the [gpoaccess.gov] Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. This year was starting out to be productive for her. She was on her way on the 12th to attend a ceremony at her and her husband's high school, to award a scholarship she established in his honor. A mere six days earlier, Eckert was one of the 9/11 and USS Cole families who met with President Obama at the White House. She continued to work toward legislation that would implement the 9/11 Commission's 41 recommendations.
In her own words:
[commondreams.org] My Silence Cannot Be Bought
-Blackfoot
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Bragging Rights
While some of you may have "friends in low places" I will be traveling in style when leaving Friday for a few days of R & R in Bethesda, Maryland. Nope. I am not traveling first class but in coach, jack-knifed into one of those those horribly small seats which provides me with a reminder to never give up my Yoga lessons. I am staying at my favorite hotel, which I prefer over some of the more prestigious hotels where I have stayed in the past. It is this little jewel tucked into the Woodmont Triangle area, where shops galore and plenty of restaurants are nearby and there is vibrant pedestrian traffic all day and into the late hours of evening. The hotel where I will be staying has a nice breakfast and a quaint little custom of an afternoon English tea. I ignore the tea and head for the cookie selection. The staff is just great. I hope to enjoy some shopping, reading and needed rest.
But back to traveling in style, I just have to brag a bit. Tucked into my purse will be a challenge coin which was given to me by Army Reserve Ambassador James McEachin on Saturday night. Now, James and I are great friends so a hug of greeting is always the order of the day. But when he said farewell this time, James shook my hand and tucked a challenge coin into my palm. My husband could barely stand me on the trip home. You would have thought that I had just accepted an Oscar.
Challenge coins are just one of the many traditions in the military which give us cohesiveness and a sense of community. Challenge coins can show the emblem of a specific military unit, or can be representative of the rank and authority of the one who distributes them. Their value is one of appreciation, many times given by a high-ranking officer in appreciation to a junior officer. It is an honor to receive one. I have heard it rumored that challenge coins are also used to procure free drinks at the Officers Club, but..... who knows?
Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com
Monday, February 16, 2009
The Cannibalization of the Republic
Answer: By the grain of rice stuck in his throat.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Growing up Shi'a in Iraq
They have traveled 1,400 years to arrive at the point where they are today. Still mourning the death of Husayn ibn 'Ali, they travel to Karbala to pay their respects. It is a rite which has endured for centuries. Although a majority demographic in Iraq, the Shi'a resided as an oppressed political minority under the Ba'athist party of Saddam Hussein. The tether of the Shi'a diaspora in the West provided clandestine humanitarian and financial assistance to their brethren during the difficult rule of a self-serving megalomaniac.
While the Shi'a cry out for vengeance against Yazid for shedding the blood of the Ahl-ul-Bayt it seems that the man made an appearance again yesterday clothed as a woman in a black abaya. Seconds after this female assailant entered a tent of women and children, she detonated her explosive pack and murdered dozens of innocent bystanders, simple pilgrims observing their traditions. While Muhamamad said that Paradise resides under the feet of a mother, it is hard to fathom what resides in the soul of a female suicide bomber who shows no remorse for shedding the blood of a child.
Can we agree that hate is a potent weapon? Sure, an explosive-laden pack was strapped on and functioned according to laws of physics when the trigger was pulled. But what trigger was first disabled in the mind? Possibly the gift of conscience?
Female Suicide bomber
Tammy Swofford
Friday, February 13, 2009
The Good and Bad of Obama’s Lincoln Obsession
"That government is best which governs least."
-Thomas Paine
The government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
-Ronald Reagan
Much has been written, lately, of President Barack Obama’s affinity for Abraham Lincoln. Most cite the obvious: Lincoln’s disdain for slavery and his war to end it, both having Illinois political careers, slender frames and creative legal minds. Yet with the overtly socialist tendencies of Barack Obama, one has to ask “why” a practicing Saul Alinsky radical would ever identify with “a Republican” on anything.
That President Obama has openly spoken of his admiration for the skills and/or accomplishments of Republicans like Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan says a lot about his strength of character. One might be (justifiably) frightened by the prospects of his success, given that he currently presides over the single greatest government takeover of private industry in our lifetime, but he still strikes even the most cynical of conservatives as at least standing for something he believes in.
Yet there must be something more. This blogger tends to look toward Obama’s potentially skewed and/or myopic view of history. President Lincoln, in addition to facilitating an end to slavery, advocated a model of a “strong union” to battle the efforts of the confederate states. Lincoln pressed through the 13th amendment to the Constitution, declaring an end to slavery and a return to the previously un-realized ideals of a well-intentioned and drafted Constitution.
One wonders where a comparison fairly stops, however, in his administration, Lincoln rebuffed attempts by states to assert their sovereignty ...thereby again advocating a strong central government to be prioritized above “states rights”. It is arguable that Lincoln’s primary focus on the Declaration of Independence over the Constitution makes, again, the point that man did not live up to the Constitution, not that the Constitution did not adequately protect individuals from government.
Lincoln championed the Declaration of Independence even more than the Constitution itself. Perhaps this is a window to the soul, and a brief glimpse of why Mr. Lincoln is highly regarded as the best, if not one of the best, presidents ever to have sat in the Oval Office.
I have a sneaking suspicion that the old man is snoring his way through barrel rolls in his grave. He may have “redefined” Republicanism in “the day”, but were he to see what has become of a government in just one national vote, he might find himself troubled by the new president’s radical associations and embrace of socialist values. One wonders what Abe would think about a new administration acquiring for itself the process of gathering the census. A little bold?
You be the judge.
Bob
Treo_bob@yahool.com
Thursday, February 12, 2009
WATER
Okapi Pipeline
Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
H.R. 1 - 111th: Not 1 for me
While mucking through H.R. 1, there are a few things that stand out. For instance, I wonder why Homeland Security is only slated to receive about $1 billion, when government assistance programs' gifts, gifts from you and me, are through the roof. Are we shoveling our pay raises into the stove and lowering our church tithes, just so people who have found a way to abuse the public assistance system can breathe a little easier? I'm not talking about middle class Americans being wasteful. I believe we should all live within our means. But should our means be lowered, in the name of providing for our less hard-working neighbors?
The first bill of this Congress is still in negotiations, but the open-ended Small Business Administration money leaves too much room for political paybacks and lobbyists. Unlike the movies, it is rare that someone will underbid for a contract when they have a blank check. Too many items are written into this bill that might belong in another round of legislation. President Obama talks pretty strongly about "construction" and "work". These are great catchwords, but I like to know what I'm paying for. I'm less than happy that one of the priorities is to build "detention centers" on Indian land, while we are talking about releasing international terrorists back into and onto the world.
I am glad to see the bill includes restoration for the Mississippi River and Tributaries, in the amount of $250 million. The flooding that happened in New Orleans was tragic. Although I think some parts of the city should be relinquished to nature, I respect the history and spirit of the city, and the hardiness and resilience of its citizens. New Orleans is a one-of-a-kind piece of the American pie. Let's restore and reinforce the city, so the next time one of these monster storms hits, we have less rescue and recovery to do. I heard that State Farm Insurance is starting to pull out of disaster areas. As a private company, they can do so. The federal government can't. Unless, of course, they take back the land and prohibit trespassing. I don't think that's necessary. Other countries have perfected their dam and dike systems. So can we.
My ideal stimulus package would include building "The Great Wall of Texas", which would extend across our border from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. If you've ever played the boardgame "Risk" you might have liked to have held your home ground. Alaska is always an area on the map that I like to hold. Like her or not, Sarah Palin was right about Russia being so close to us. We've had Russian subs sneak into our borders. But reading stories out of Texas and California, where illegals sometimes simply walk across the border, it makes it even clearer that unsecure borders are unacceptable. If Obama wants to stimulate our economy, we should first kick out all the illegals. If he wishes, he could convert Gitmo into a Hotel Ritz for credential authorization, since it'll be vacant. Just don't waste my money on yacht-builders and Tuna Pelosi.
-Blackfoot
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
You Can't Handle the Truth, Senator Leahy
Never Again.
LCDR Tammy Swofford, USNR,NC
Monday, February 09, 2009
Let’s fix the leak before bailing
“We have involved ourselves in a confused muddle, having blundered in the control of a delicate machine the working of which we do not understand.”—J.M. Keynes.
Look, this bail-out business is not that tough. In the first place, don’t get over cute. Instead of a loop-hole ridden $500,000 wage ceiling on public companies taking bailouts, impose a 90% tax bracket on incomes over $500,000. That will go a long way to solving a number of the problems that beset us.
Corporate America is not putting enough money into research, which is why nearly 60% of the information technology patents filed in the U.S originated in Asia. If they can’t give money to themselves without giving it to the government, corporate executives might put money into research and development, which could actually increase shareholder value. Putting 10% of corporate earnings into the CEO’s pocket really does nothing for the company and nothing for the shareholder.
The 90% tax bracket would also counter the claim that the $500,000 ceiling would drive the best and the brightest out of the financial industry. Granted that if the clowns that got us into this mess are the best and the brightest, we would all be far better off if they were reduced to cadging change at the St. Marks subway station. But the 90% tax bracket would mean there was no place anyone could go for obscene paydays.
Although no where nearly as important as resuscitating American industry, a 90% tax would also help professional sports and the movie industry. Smaller markets could become competitive since there would be no point in paying multimillion dollar prices for athletes. Hollywood says it can’t afford to exit can’t afford to experiment because it costs so much to make a movie. Lower costs could lead to better movies.
The argument against higher income taxes is that it would sap initiative is not supported by history. Americans were far more inventive in the post War years when the 90% tax bracket was in place than we are now. Now, we have been reduced to selling knock-offs of German and Japanese developments. DeWalt recently came out with copy of the FesTool circular saw and Dremel has a copy of Fein’s MultiMaster Tool. When we had a 90% tax bracket foreign companies were copying us. Now, we copy them.
In the second place, don’t give money to crooks. That seems like a no brainer. However, in 2006 AIG agreed to pay $1.6 billion to settle with state and federal regulators over improper accounting and bid-rigging charges. More recently, five executives from AIG and Gen Re, the reinsurance company owned by Berkshire Hathaway, were convicted 16 counts including conspiracy, securities fraud, mail fraud and lying to the SEC. The AIG former executive, Christian Milton, was wrist-slapped with a four year sentence earlier this year. Is it any wonder that the first thing AIG did after receiving $85 billion of taxpayer money was spend $400,000 to reward their architects of disaster to a California resort? That is what crooks do, and they will continue to do it as long as they can get their hands on somebody else’s money.
Recidivism is just as common among the doyens of Wall Street as it is among the rummies of the Bowery.
Consider the case of John Meriwether. As head of government trading at Salomon Brothers, he failed to get rid of a rogue trader whose actions almost killed the company, which would have collapsed financial markets around the world. Meriwether, Peter Principaled himself into founding Long Term Capital Management, which...wait for it… damned near brought the financial system to its knees.
Tom Gordon
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Adding Life to your Years
Today I had an extremely interesting conversation with one of my clients at work. His mind was keen and it was wonderful to banter our thoughts back and forth with each other. We moved from Pakistan to Chad and the Sudan, back to Korea and forward to Vietnam and then moved to the present, discussing issues which are confronting the African continent. While Bill Gates may have unleashed mosquitoes on a crowd, this man and I shared our greater concerns for Africa. He was surprised at what I had to offer up, and I was grateful to learn a few things from him. Did I mention that he is in his mid-seventies and still manages large transnational projects overseas?
For many years I have considered the question of aging and have made a few observations of my own. It seems there is a unique segment of the population who are able to add "life" to their "years". I have cared for individuals in their mid-fifties who are psychologically postured as if they are at death's door. They might as well move along, because they are just taking up space. But I have also interacted with individuals in their nineties who were not only physically spry but also mentally engaged. They were not stalled intellectually but moving forward in a vibrant manner. The differences seem to come from lifestyle choices. Here are the choices I have made for my own life.
*Read every day! A friend taught me the value of taking a book or periodical on every errand. The point was made that a fifteen minute wait in a physicians office, or a five minute delay for an appointment is time wasted if it is spent staring off into space. It is rare that at least one book, or a book and a magazine are not tossed into the back of my Jeep. I mall walk on my days off from work. I walk and I read. An hour later and chapter further along in a book I make my way back to my vehicle.
*That brings up the second point. Make exercise a lifestyle. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Navigate a pre-determined walking route from day to day. Join a gym. Morbid obesity does not add "life" to your "years".
*Be passionate regarding at least one issue which involves stewardship of the earth and its inhabitants. If you want to save the whales, for god's sake, be the best little whale-saver in the world. If you want to see that malaria is curtailed in Africa, join the Bill Gates crowd. My money goes to Lahore, Pakistan on occasion. If you are moved with compassion for the regional poor support your local charities. But do something to give back to humanity. Don't be a braggart. Just do a good deed. Do it quietly and without expectation of reward.
*Enjoy the arts and music. Attend a symphony or ballet. Visit a museum or art gallery. Recently my husband and I joined another couple to see an exhibit at the Kimball Art Museum. It is one of our favorite haunts.
*Love..... Yes, love people. There is something to be said for kindness, goodness and love. I am a nurse. I prefer a hug to a handshake; that is just the nature of my personality. But I have found that individuals who liberally share this feeling known as "love" tend to be more actively engaged in other aspects of life. It is the bitter, who withdraw from this beautiful gift called "Life". So add life to your years! smile
Tammy
Friday, February 06, 2009
Under My Skin: Obama's First Negotiation Tactic a Tantrum
"We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt."
--Thomas Jefferson, letter to Samuel Kercheval, 12 July 1816
"What do you think a stimulus bill is?! That's the point!"
-Barack Obama, February 5, 2009 [To charges that current "stimulus" legislation is "spending"]
Tonight Barack Obama addressed the Democratic Caucus at their retreat in Williamsburg, Virginia. By several accounts, including CNN pundits, his delivery may have done more damage than good to the troubled “stimulus” bill losing steam in Congress.
The new president began his remarks as he often does, with bubbling enthusiasm and gregariousness. It certainly helped being in front of a friendly crowd, but anyone who has paid attention would know Mr. Obama can do the same regardless of the audience. What floored me, and I didn’t even sit down to watch 25 minutes of impromptu whining, was just how quickly President Barack Obama allowed his frustration to show in his rhetoric.
A genius while following the teleprompter, Mr. Obama is known to be dangerous when speaking extemporaneously. In this engagement, the president sounded more like a pacifier-weaning toddler than the post-partisan change agent he’s marketed himself to be. Declaring repeatedly that the public voted for change in November, the president didn’t scold the Democratic Caucus for foolishly building pork into what was to be a “rescue” plan. He did not address that ACORN payoffs and expansions of government, while the country is in financial crisis, do not sit well with a public already cynical about the behaviors of Washington.
Instead, he railed against “the failed policies” of the last eight years. He chided and ridiculed the opposition, forgetting his introductory (apparently disingenuous) attempts at balance, forgetting only to invoke the name of Rush Limbaugh once again. What could have been an opportunity to build on that introduction, perhaps encouraging the majority party to accept an amendment that may tip the balance, instead became another emotionally-based campaign speech defending the mission of the recent election.
Mr. Obama has been failed by his Democratic allies in the legislative branch. They don’t need Republicans to pass legislation. They have the numbers. Republicans are weak, right? But they needed some to fold and that did not happen. More importantly, public opinion is against the brash and irresponsible spending being proposed.
And the first ACORN has fallen...
Bob
Treo_bob@yahoo.com
Thursday, February 05, 2009
How do you want to live?
During the early part of WWII, the Army assigned AK National Guard soldiers, the newly-federalized 297th Infantry, out of the Territory and to the States. The reasoning was that Alaska was too vast and too undeveloped to spend resources to defend. That is, until Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and Admiral Yamamoto started sending naval vessels to the Aleutian Islands, a mere 750 miles from Japan. They bombed Dutch Harbor on June 7, 1942, killing 100 Americans. Japan seized the islands of Adak and Kiska in the summer of 1942 and held them for almost a year, before organized U.S. forces attacked and took them back. This is the first time we had experienced enemy occupation since the War of 1812. May it be the last.
There is more to the story. Or, should I say, there are more than 6,600 stories that haven't been written in our American History textbooks. They are stories that are dying along with their tellers, at the sadly rapid rate that our WWII veterans are passing away. When Alaska was under attack, Governor Ernest Gruening organized a militia. The [alaskool.org] Alaska Territorial Guard was in the business of building our infrastructure and protecting our land against foreign enemies from 1942 to 1947. But business was not good for them. Meaning, they received no pay. It was a volunteer army. Gruening stated that during recruiting trips, many white men asked how much they would earn. Not one Native person asked. Maybe because they had more invested in this land, the land of their ancestors. White settlers could always go back to their families, if Alaska couldn't be defended. Where would these Native citizens go?
In the famous words of Country Joe McDonald, these men: "put down their books and picked up a gun." Former Governor Tony Knowles granted high school diplomas to those who left school to serve. A nice gesture, but what does a retired senior living in the Bush need with a piece of paper? These men deserved compensation. The problem was that they were not recognized as U.S. military members, because Alaska was a territory until 1959. In 2000, Senator Ted Stevens introduced legislation that changed the law and officially recognized their enlistment as federal service, allowing them to receive VA benefits. Some soldiers, who went on to join the U.S. Military, could now add their WWII service to their official service records. Retro-dated honorable discharges began to be awarded in 2004. There are many out there who have not yet received theirs. There are many in the remote villages who might not even know about the status changes, including the latest update.
The Army has now decided that there is no law that makes provision for the retirement benefits that these 26 veterans (and hopefully more to come) are receiving. The checks were terminated on February 1, in the middle of one of our coldest winters in recent history. Governor Sarah Palin wrote a [gov.state.ak.us] letter to Barack Obama and other Powers that Be on behalf of these men. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich are introducing legislation, hoping to clarify that these veterans are eligible for retirement benefits. In the short-term, the Army has released a one-time emergency payment, the equivalent of two months' worth of benefits. That will hopefully help them get through the coldest part of the winter.
However, I don't think these men should receive compensation because "they're old; it's cold; fuel is expensive" or for any other humanitarian or moral reason. They neither need, nor want, our pity. They gave their service to our nation in a way that nobody else could, at that time and in those environments. If you want to find just an iota of an example of how proudly they served, try this experiment:
Google "alaska territorial guard" under the "News" link at the top. When it brings up dates, click on "1990s". On page 2, you'll begin to see many "Anchorage Daily News : OBITUARIES" links. Click on page 3 and keep clicking.
Without paying the $2.95, you can get a general idea of how honored these people were to have served the United States of America, not knowing what the outcome would be, and not asking for one cent in return. It is often one of the first things their families mention about them.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
How do you want to die?
I saw a story on the TV news about a 25-year-old soldier, Daniel Pharr, whose girlfriend bought him a skydiving lesson. Everthing was great until about 5,500 feet, when Pharr realized his tandem instructor was non-responsive to questions. As he neared the ground, he realized he was aiming toward a house, so he steered away. That led him into the path of collision with a tree, so he corrected again. He credits Army training with teaching him to stay calm and to work through problems. He safely landed and began CPR on his instructor, but it was too late to save his life. It sounds tragic, but maybe that's the way George Steele, 49, had always said he wanted to go. Or maybe not. Maybe he wanted to die in his sleep at the age of 100. The great truth about life and death is that: It's not up to us.
[YouTube] Part of Pharr's Interview
There is a tragic story in Bay City, Michigan, about Marvin Schur, a WWII veteran and Purple Heart recipient, who froze to death in his own home last month. The story I can gather is that he was a widower with no children, who was estranged from his closest relative, a nephew, because of a family rift. The neighbors who found his body, after checking on him because they noticed a different pattern of behavior, said he was hard of hearing and may have suffered from dementia. Not surprising for a man of 93.
Have you ever paid a bill late? Who hasn't, right? Well, this Michigan city made the mistake of putting "limiters" on their customers who were late on paying their bills. A crime in the middle of winter if you ask me, an Alaskan. A neighbor who also had a "limiter" on her electricity said that she only learned about it because she saw a guy jumping her fence. No city worker bothered to tell her about how it works. She learned through experience that she had to turn off everything, including unplugging her refrigerator, to do laundry, or her power would go out. If she overloaded the system, she had to trudge through the deep snow to flip the reset switch. She commented that Mr. Schur wouldn't have been able to grasp the concept of why his power was out or might not have been physically able to walk through the snow and ice to flip the reset button.
As far as I know, Mr. Schur might have been a "crusty old guy" who cursed at the paper boy for throwing the paper into the tulips. He might have never bought a box of Girl Scout cookies in his life. Was he registered to vote? Hell, I don't know. What I do know is that this man took the oath and travelled to the South Pacific to try to save fellow Americans' lives. How many? If it's even one soldier who was saved by Mr. Schur, I think it's salary and retirement money well-spent. Our soldiers, sailors and airmen are components of a team that support each other. But, where would we be without our medical staff, who help to keep these fine young men and women going?
My father's brother survived a bullet wound to the head. He was a Marine who put his boots on the ground on Iwo Jima, hoping to complete the mission. Instead, he was laid alongside the battle dead on the beach, until someone heard his wispy breath and called for a medic. Thanks to a medic, he survived to marry the love of his life and to father 6 children, my cousins who carried his coffin. When he died, I had the honor of following the hearse in the back seat of my parents' car. Every house in the little one-horse town that my uncle lived in for most of his life flew the flag of our nation. I hadn't been back for a couple of years, and remarked to my father that I didn't realize that the whole town displayed flags. He simply said, "It's for Bill." We drove on through the town, in a silent respect that will forever in my mind connect my father, also a war veteran, and my uncle.
-Blackfoot
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine: In need of a brake job
The American Society of Reproductive Medicine is in need of a brake job. And there should be enough of us who are royally angered about this latest stunt to demand legislation which curtails the ability of whacko physicians to prey on women in need of a psychiatric consult. Whoever orchestrated the miracle of the “Suleman octuplets” needs a credential review.
When the news first broke I was a bit suspicious. The obstetrical team describing the delivery looked somewhat skittish while announcing they had delivered babies “a” through “g” before realizing there was a baby “h”. Eight babies in one female human uterus! Just like a litter of puppies! Except that in this case, the single mother in question already has six other children. And did I mention, all previous children were conceived with IVF technology?
Grandma is fit to be tied, and proclaims she will skeedaddle as soon as her daughter comes home. And from the looks of the picture of the ole homestead, the babies A through H will not each have their own private nursery. Possibly the mother can place a pole with a cat tree in the living room to care for the poor little things.
A few questions beg a response. Grandma spilled the beans and says her daughter was paid to have the IVF. Average cost for a one-shot-attempt at in vitro fertilization is around fourteen thousand dollars. Ms. Suleman has six kids already. How did she pay for this little financial splurge?
But check out the average cost of raising a child. Based on the information from the Department of Agriculture the cost of raising a child from birth to adulthood is about $125,000 dollars. I assume these figures do not include children like my own who break bones, nearly knock out their eyeballs, and are clubbed with a baseball bat in the forehead while playing Little League baseball. I don't even want to reconsider what our children have cost us in accidents alone.
Does Ms. Suleman have a million dollars in reserve to welcome eight new babies? And how the heck does she support the other six? Nadya Suleman is a thirty-three year old woman with fourteen children, all conceived with IVF technology. I think fair is fair. The doctor who “fathered” these children in the lab should pay child support and share custody. May he (or she) get all eight of ‘em, every other weekend, until they are eighteen. The physician should also be required to set up a college fund. Surely, the M.D. wishes for these babies to be educated in like manner as afforded him/herself? And if Medicaid is the temporary financial surrogate, the physician should be sued for reimbursement. I can only hope that the distressed grandmother can also find a clever lawyer. Surely, there is a means for her to also teach a lesson to the ignorant and amoral.
Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com
Monday, February 02, 2009
"Big Brother" at the Super Bowl
Super Bowl XLIII passed…. without a terror incident. Approximately 75,000 ticket holders passed through the various gates and corridors to find their seats at the Raymond James Stadium to enjoy our American tradition. It was a great game, especially the last quarter. Pittsburgh won, men cried, and as for me, I cleaned up the kitchen after the game.
I have had conversations with two different individuals involved in stadium security for major sporting events. It boggles my mind, the operational considerations of the security teams tasked with the safety of our citizens. If you were there and enjoyed your hot dog, nachos and beer, everything was celebrated with a safety net provided by modern technology.
We should gladly welcome “Big Brother” to the 21st century. Babylonian and Chinese fingerprinting on clay tablets are no longer sufficient for the day when it comes to identification. Biometric applications are the new necessities on a planet which now sustains greater than six billion souls. Iris scans, palmar hieroglyphics, keystroke technology, facial templates, and keyhole satellite technology have my complete support. I remember the day the Navy sent me to the clinic to give a DNA sample. A strange sense of melancholy overtook me when I realized that I had completely lost the gift of anonymity. Sure, I had my life turned inside out to get my clearance, but my cells hadn't been harvested yet, as part of my file. Somehow, I no longer felt unique. But then I gave myself a mental slap: What the heck? The Navy could now scrape me off a tree to identify my remains, should there be the need.
Did the Los Alamos National Lab have a portable pod of bees at the game to scent out explosives, or maybe the “Wasp Hound” was tested? Was your face compared to a template of a terror suspect as you passed through the gate? What information passed through a computer within seconds of an online ticket purchase for the Super Bowl? Every vendor, stadium employee, food truck and electrician came under some level of scrutiny. Master lists kept track of I.D.’s and personnel. But it is the things you have probably not considered, which provided the most safety.
Technology will continue to explode and the range of human capability will expand. The new inventions and applications which we fear may be the very tools required by our government for our continued safety. So to our government, and the shadow of "Big Brother" I give a bow. Another year is underway and Americans remain safe and at peace.
For photographic fun, double click here. Then locate a spot and double click a couple more times.
I zoomed in on former President Clinton to see if I could catch him dozing off. No such luck! But check out Al Gore! Doesn't he look pretty bundled up? Isn't he supposed to be Mr. Global Warming?
Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Super Bowl XLIII, an American tradition made possible by the U.S. Military
The most extravagant showcase of American capitalism will be on display today. From the multi-millionaire athletes on the field to the A-list half-time entertainment show, the Super Bowl exemplifies the free enterprise system. Where else will you find advertisers willing to pay $3 million for a 30-second ad? The NFL has built it and, baby, they come. But to fans who watch more than this one "special" football game a year, the gridiron is a microcosm of American life. You have sibling rivalry, like McNabb and T.O.; injury-induced early retirements, like Joe Theisman's; and great comebacks, like Teddy Bruschi's. Pro sports might not bring about world peace, but they inspire the fans to believe in something bigger than themselves and to persevere through pain.
9/11 had that effect on many Americans. One man, who was was inspired to give more of himself, was Arizona Cardinals safety, Pat Tillman. He turned down a better contract offer from the Rams, and loyally stuck with the Cards. His loyalty to America was even greater. He quit his high-paying job to join the Army. On the table was his 3-year, $3.6 million NFL contract. Tillman's brother Kevin also enlisted, giving up a pro baseball career. Could you walk away from that kind of money? A physical young man, Tillman joined the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment out of Ft. Lewis, WA. He served a tour in Iraq in 2003, and was serving in Sperah, Afghanistan, when he was killed by "friendly fire" on the evening of April 22, 2004. He was 27 years old.
While there are rumors regarding what happened on the road that night, there is one solid fact that shines through: Soldiers like Tillman are one of the best examples of believing in something bigger than ourselves and persevering through pain. The Pro Football Hall of Fame lists 21 NFL active and ex-players who were killed during WWII. Though contracts weren't as hefty then, these men answered the call to duty and left their families behind for a different kind of battlefield. Today, I'll be sitting in my comfortable chair with my feet up, watching the game. I'll have a cold beverage or two and too much fattening food. It can never be said enough that our American traditions are made possible by the men who put on the military uniforms of our nation. May the service members who are overseas today know the comfort of their own chairs soon, and may their loyalty never be betrayed.
-Blackfoot
