Video by TheCroonerdude.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Digg!
Monday, May 31, 2010
We Still Have Heroes
Labels:
entertainment,
Remember
This is a video which says more than I could ever write to honor this day. It was sent to me by a former Military man. His name is Mike. Thank you, brother. God bless your heart and you.
Video by TheCroonerdude.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!
Video by TheCroonerdude.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Digg!
Other Memorial Day Posts
As I was chatting with my friend Stix, he turned me on to some more wonderful posts for Memorial Day. I would like to share them, as well as some that I have, with you.
RedState.com: Where Have All the Flags Gone?
This is an excellent post about American Patriotism. I recommend it.
Stix: Memorial Day.
This is a great post as well. I recommend it.
Okay, I recommend all of the ones I put here, or I wouldn't be putting be putting them here. ha. Now, let's get back to what I was doing.
Blackfive: Why JD is alive for another Memorial Day.
"The attack on March 26th, 2007 was supposed to destroy the outpost--if not for one man they might have succeeded and there would be 100 more white headstones with wreaths and flags on Memorial day." Continue reading.
Blackfive: The Greatest Man I Never Met....
"All that is needed for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Of all the men I have served with and think of when I honor their sacrifices on this day, the one I think about is the one that I never met. And would like to think that I would have liked to have met him, because I know men of his character, and what good men they are to know.
I think today about Eddie Jeffers...Read more.
EDITOR'S NOTE: I was going to write a post about Eddie myself, but they beat me to it. It is well worth your time.
David Jeffers: Just Say, "You're Welcome".
Frank Salvato: It Should Be Our Honor To Honor.
Blackfive: Memorial Day 2010.
Blackfive: Memorial Day 2010 - What price freedom?
Jus' Sayin': Remembering Those Who Have Served.
Doug's Diaries: Run for the Wall - 2010. [President of Eagles UP!]
Young Americans for Freedom: Memorial Day: Today we remember together.
From my position...On the way!: "Happy" memorial day.
Hat tip: Uncle Jimbo from Warrior Legacy Foundation.
www.Milblogging.com: Memorial Day: Honoring Fallen Military bloggers and Gold Star bloggers within the Military Blogging community.
Bill Wilson: Video and Editorial: In Memory of Heroes.
The Heritage Foundation: Morning Bell: Happy Memorial Day.
The Patriot Post's Mark Alexander: In Memorandum: American Patriots.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!
RedState.com: Where Have All the Flags Gone?
This is an excellent post about American Patriotism. I recommend it.
Stix: Memorial Day.
This is a great post as well. I recommend it.
Okay, I recommend all of the ones I put here, or I wouldn't be putting be putting them here. ha. Now, let's get back to what I was doing.
Blackfive: Why JD is alive for another Memorial Day.
"The attack on March 26th, 2007 was supposed to destroy the outpost--if not for one man they might have succeeded and there would be 100 more white headstones with wreaths and flags on Memorial day." Continue reading.
Blackfive: The Greatest Man I Never Met....
"All that is needed for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Of all the men I have served with and think of when I honor their sacrifices on this day, the one I think about is the one that I never met. And would like to think that I would have liked to have met him, because I know men of his character, and what good men they are to know.I think today about Eddie Jeffers...Read more.
EDITOR'S NOTE: I was going to write a post about Eddie myself, but they beat me to it. It is well worth your time.
David Jeffers: Just Say, "You're Welcome".
Frank Salvato: It Should Be Our Honor To Honor.
Blackfive: Memorial Day 2010.
Blackfive: Memorial Day 2010 - What price freedom?
Jus' Sayin': Remembering Those Who Have Served.
Doug's Diaries: Run for the Wall - 2010. [President of Eagles UP!]
Young Americans for Freedom: Memorial Day: Today we remember together.
From my position...On the way!: "Happy" memorial day.
Hat tip: Uncle Jimbo from Warrior Legacy Foundation.
www.Milblogging.com: Memorial Day: Honoring Fallen Military bloggers and Gold Star bloggers within the Military Blogging community.
Bill Wilson: Video and Editorial: In Memory of Heroes.
The Heritage Foundation: Morning Bell: Happy Memorial Day.
The Patriot Post's Mark Alexander: In Memorandum: American Patriots.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Digg!
MEMORIAL DAY PRAYERS
Below is a familiar writing which we ought to remember more often, but I just wanted to add my 2 cents.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for all the miracles You have performed so far. I pray You continue to hear our prayers. Lift up our Servicepeople, hide them underneath Your wing, and help them to see the enemy before the enemy sees them. Grant them knowledge, understanding of that knowledge, and the wisdom to know what they can and cannot do with this knowledge.
LORD, I pray You keep all of them safe and whole: Spiritually, Physically, Emotionally and Mentally. Bring them home safe and help them to make the transition easier than the last time.
God, I thank You for caring so much for their loved ones left behind. Raise them up above all this dissent and any troubles they may face. I thank You for putting these great ideas into their heads so that we can also help our countrymen and women while they are so far from home. Lift up their wives, husbands, children, parents, friends and other loved ones. Keep them at Your Peace.
Help us all to remember that America is a unique country where we do not know war as the rest of the world does. It is a normal way of life for many, and I thank You that this is not the case here.
You have created for us a unique and beautiful country. You have also commanded us to take good care of it. LORD, there is an awful oil spill off the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. Please use Your Power to stop the spread of this oil from the wetlands, from the fish, from the birds, from the turtles and dolphins, all of which You have created.
I know the fault lies with us, but I beg You, O LORD, please seperate the oil from the land. You are Powerful and Wonderful, O LORD, You have created this land and the oceans, and You are able. Thank You.
I praise You for all the men and women who have come home safely. Please attend to those who need Your tender loving touch to readjust to home life. Yes, please attend to everyone! Especially the families who have missed them so much but had to manage everything without them. It is hard to readjust to having someone just walk in and take over, if they do.
You know the needs of everyone, and I pray they are all met. I do not want to forget our wounded warriors. Please comfort them and their families, friends and loved ones (if they're not married yet). Bless them and thank them for all of us who support and thank them for their sacrifices for protecting our God-given Liberty. Heal them, O my LORD. You are the One that can. Be their Physician, their therapist, and I pray they know You and You know them.
Answer their prayers as long as they don't pray to die. There is too much death. Help them to get over any guilt they are suffering. They did it for their families, for America, and me. God, please bless them forever and ever. In Jesus' precious name I pray. AMEN.
******************************
It is the VETERAN, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the VETERAN, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the VETERAN, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the VETERAN, not the politician, Who has given us the right to vote.
It is the VETERAN who salutes the Flag, and It is the VETERAN who serves under the Flag, [not the protesters, who has given us the right to seek redress from our government. Added by me cuz it did not come with my copy.]
ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.
I'd be EXTREMELY proud if this email reached as many as possible. We can be very proud of our young men and women in the service no matter where they serve.
God Bless them all!
Makes you proud to be an AMERICAN!
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for all the miracles You have performed so far. I pray You continue to hear our prayers. Lift up our Servicepeople, hide them underneath Your wing, and help them to see the enemy before the enemy sees them. Grant them knowledge, understanding of that knowledge, and the wisdom to know what they can and cannot do with this knowledge.
LORD, I pray You keep all of them safe and whole: Spiritually, Physically, Emotionally and Mentally. Bring them home safe and help them to make the transition easier than the last time.
God, I thank You for caring so much for their loved ones left behind. Raise them up above all this dissent and any troubles they may face. I thank You for putting these great ideas into their heads so that we can also help our countrymen and women while they are so far from home. Lift up their wives, husbands, children, parents, friends and other loved ones. Keep them at Your Peace.
Help us all to remember that America is a unique country where we do not know war as the rest of the world does. It is a normal way of life for many, and I thank You that this is not the case here.
You have created for us a unique and beautiful country. You have also commanded us to take good care of it. LORD, there is an awful oil spill off the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. Please use Your Power to stop the spread of this oil from the wetlands, from the fish, from the birds, from the turtles and dolphins, all of which You have created.
I know the fault lies with us, but I beg You, O LORD, please seperate the oil from the land. You are Powerful and Wonderful, O LORD, You have created this land and the oceans, and You are able. Thank You.
I praise You for all the men and women who have come home safely. Please attend to those who need Your tender loving touch to readjust to home life. Yes, please attend to everyone! Especially the families who have missed them so much but had to manage everything without them. It is hard to readjust to having someone just walk in and take over, if they do.
You know the needs of everyone, and I pray they are all met. I do not want to forget our wounded warriors. Please comfort them and their families, friends and loved ones (if they're not married yet). Bless them and thank them for all of us who support and thank them for their sacrifices for protecting our God-given Liberty. Heal them, O my LORD. You are the One that can. Be their Physician, their therapist, and I pray they know You and You know them.
Answer their prayers as long as they don't pray to die. There is too much death. Help them to get over any guilt they are suffering. They did it for their families, for America, and me. God, please bless them forever and ever. In Jesus' precious name I pray. AMEN.
******************************
It is the VETERAN, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the VETERAN, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the VETERAN, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.
It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the VETERAN, not the politician, Who has given us the right to vote.
It is the VETERAN who salutes the Flag, and It is the VETERAN who serves under the Flag, [not the protesters, who has given us the right to seek redress from our government. Added by me cuz it did not come with my copy.]
ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.
I'd be EXTREMELY proud if this email reached as many as possible. We can be very proud of our young men and women in the service no matter where they serve.
God Bless them all!
Makes you proud to be an AMERICAN!
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Digg!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Porn Profiteer For Governor?
I will tell you right off that I do not like Meg Whitman. I have my own personal reasons that do not have anything to this with this email, but this email--if true--certainly does not shine a good light upon her.
This email came from the California Republican Assembly, so I have a tendency to believe it to be true. Here is the article:
A Question Of Judgment: Meg Whitman Laughs At Pornography.
by Karen England, National Committeewoman, California Republican Assembly.
"Meg Whitman’s promotion of pornography shows that she does not have the judgment, character, or values necessary to be governor of California and the face of the California Republican Party.
For months, conservatives have had plenty of reasons to doubt Meg Whitman’s values and judgment. Whitman supports abortion on demand for minors and has vowed to continue abortion funding at taxpayer expense. Whitman is worlds apart from conservatives on these fundamental values issues.
To counter questions about her qualifications, Whitman has based her candidacy on her tenure at eBay. But when conservatives hone in on her controversial decision to create an “adults only” eBay site and facilitate the sale of pornography, she laughs. She denies that this issue of judgment and values is relevant to the gubernatorial election.
Whitman’s liberal defenders argue that she didn’t sell pornography, she merely set up a market and let users decide what to sell. According to this flawed argument, because conservatives are supposed to favor “markets,” we shouldn’t criticize Whitman about pornography.
The truth is that Whitman set rules and made decisions about what items would be available on the eBay site. And if conservatives are serious about protecting culture, we have to ask business leaders to take responsibility when they promote pornography and seek profits at the expense of society.
Around the same time that Whitman set up her “adults only” site, she also instituted a complete ban on the sale of guns on eBay.
She later wrote that her decision to ban guns was one of her “least difficult decisions” and said that gun owners would “cut corners” and facilitate gun crimes. Whitman apparently didn’t have any such qualms about the potential consequences of hardcore pornography, even though it later turned out that the “adults only” eBay site was used in connection with sex crimes.
When a reporter asked Whitman about the eBay pornography site, she laughed.
Whitman should be a little less gleeful about her role and recognize that this is a serious issue. She aided the distribution of pornography and sexual paraphernalia, profiting from an industry that degrades women, glamorizes obscene acts, and encourages promiscuity. While there’s no reason to believe that Whitman was involved in the manufacture of the material sold on her “adults only” site, she clearly facilitated its dissemination. She needs to take responsibility for the fact that there is more pornography in America today because she created the “adults only” eBay.
Whitman’s refusal to even take the issue seriously should be a red flag for conservatives. We are concerned about the sexualizing of American culture. We are worried about our children and grandchildren being exposed to depictions of sexual behavior. And we know that sexualized culture leads to behavior and attitude changes that increase the number of premarital pregnancies and abortions. These are genuine concerns for California families, and we need a governor who understands them.
I don’t believe that California has ever had a Republican nominee for governor who profited from the degradation of women. Let’s not start now."
I am not a prude, but I agree with Karen. You don't like my opinion? Maybe I do not like yours! Round-a-bout is fair play, eh? Funny little thing we have. This GOD-GIVEN free speechy thingy. ;)
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!
This email came from the California Republican Assembly, so I have a tendency to believe it to be true. Here is the article:
A Question Of Judgment: Meg Whitman Laughs At Pornography.
by Karen England, National Committeewoman, California Republican Assembly.
"Meg Whitman’s promotion of pornography shows that she does not have the judgment, character, or values necessary to be governor of California and the face of the California Republican Party.
For months, conservatives have had plenty of reasons to doubt Meg Whitman’s values and judgment. Whitman supports abortion on demand for minors and has vowed to continue abortion funding at taxpayer expense. Whitman is worlds apart from conservatives on these fundamental values issues.
To counter questions about her qualifications, Whitman has based her candidacy on her tenure at eBay. But when conservatives hone in on her controversial decision to create an “adults only” eBay site and facilitate the sale of pornography, she laughs. She denies that this issue of judgment and values is relevant to the gubernatorial election.
Whitman’s liberal defenders argue that she didn’t sell pornography, she merely set up a market and let users decide what to sell. According to this flawed argument, because conservatives are supposed to favor “markets,” we shouldn’t criticize Whitman about pornography.
The truth is that Whitman set rules and made decisions about what items would be available on the eBay site. And if conservatives are serious about protecting culture, we have to ask business leaders to take responsibility when they promote pornography and seek profits at the expense of society.
Around the same time that Whitman set up her “adults only” site, she also instituted a complete ban on the sale of guns on eBay.
She later wrote that her decision to ban guns was one of her “least difficult decisions” and said that gun owners would “cut corners” and facilitate gun crimes. Whitman apparently didn’t have any such qualms about the potential consequences of hardcore pornography, even though it later turned out that the “adults only” eBay site was used in connection with sex crimes.
When a reporter asked Whitman about the eBay pornography site, she laughed.
Whitman should be a little less gleeful about her role and recognize that this is a serious issue. She aided the distribution of pornography and sexual paraphernalia, profiting from an industry that degrades women, glamorizes obscene acts, and encourages promiscuity. While there’s no reason to believe that Whitman was involved in the manufacture of the material sold on her “adults only” site, she clearly facilitated its dissemination. She needs to take responsibility for the fact that there is more pornography in America today because she created the “adults only” eBay.
Whitman’s refusal to even take the issue seriously should be a red flag for conservatives. We are concerned about the sexualizing of American culture. We are worried about our children and grandchildren being exposed to depictions of sexual behavior. And we know that sexualized culture leads to behavior and attitude changes that increase the number of premarital pregnancies and abortions. These are genuine concerns for California families, and we need a governor who understands them.
I don’t believe that California has ever had a Republican nominee for governor who profited from the degradation of women. Let’s not start now."
I am not a prude, but I agree with Karen. You don't like my opinion? Maybe I do not like yours! Round-a-bout is fair play, eh? Funny little thing we have. This GOD-GIVEN free speechy thingy. ;)
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Digg!
Voters Guide: Judicial
Labels:
elections,
Justice(s)
There is a Christian gentleman by the name of Craig Huey who researches the votes, the speeches, and many aspects of these judges who are on the ballot for this June 8th vote. I will not say whom I am voting for, because this is your vote, your voice. I just wanted to give you some information since we are never provided any.
The names who do not have a number beside them I believe may be running for the first time and/or have no record. Please remember to vote this June 8th! Have a nice day.
June Election Recommendations
Warning: Do NOT vote for a judicial activist or unqualified judges.
The June California primary ballot has important races for Superior Court judges…but it’s often hard to tell which judges you should vote for.
Unfortunately, many judges sitting on California courts may be incompetent, corrupt, lazy or soft on crime.
Even worse, many are political opportunists who have a political agenda—they are “judicial activists”
A judicial activist legislates from the bench. Instead of strictly interpreting California law, these judges make the laws. Instead of applying the law to facts, they impose their own values on us all.
Ratings:
Judicial Index Average 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Judicial Activist Strict Constructionist
•Positions
•Contributions
•Rulings
•Statements
Qualifications
Unqualified -- Very Qualified
•Experience
•Reputation
•Integrity
•American Bar Association ratings
June 8, 2010 California Primary
Los Angeles CountyJudge-Superior Court; County of Los Angeles; Office 28.
Judge-Superior Court; County of Los Angeles; Office 35.
Judge-Superior Court; County of Los Angeles; Office 117.
Judge of the Superior Court; San Bernardino County; Office 11.
Your election recommendations and results guide for the California Superior Court, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Orange County Superior Court, San Diego County Superior Court, Ventura County Superior Court Riverside County Superior Court and San Bernardino Superior Court Judges and candidate recommendations and results for superior court judges. 2010 Election. Sign up for important alerts and California Superior Court recommendations and results.
Who are these judges? Click here to get instant alerts and updates.
Craig Huey is the coordinator and researcher for JudgeVoterGuide.com.
For over 20 years, Mr. Huey has extensively researched judicial races with an emphasis on California elections.
Mr. Huey is an author, public speaker, entrepreneur and owner of two successful businesses. He has given election recommendations on KKLA’s Frank Pastore show, KWVE’s Brian Perez show and KBRT’s Paul McGuire show in Southern California.
Mr. Huey researches each candidate’s background and positions and talks with most judicial candidates.
Click here to contact Mr. Huey
Judge Voter Guide includes judicial recommendations and results for the California Supreme Court Justice, Court of Appeals Justice and Superior Court Judge
Copyright © 2010 Community Election Forum & Craig Huey. All rights reserved. Judicial Seat Recommendations and Results for California Courts.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!
The names who do not have a number beside them I believe may be running for the first time and/or have no record. Please remember to vote this June 8th! Have a nice day.
June Election Recommendations
Warning: Do NOT vote for a judicial activist or unqualified judges.
The June California primary ballot has important races for Superior Court judges…but it’s often hard to tell which judges you should vote for.
Unfortunately, many judges sitting on California courts may be incompetent, corrupt, lazy or soft on crime.
Even worse, many are political opportunists who have a political agenda—they are “judicial activists”
A judicial activist legislates from the bench. Instead of strictly interpreting California law, these judges make the laws. Instead of applying the law to facts, they impose their own values on us all.
Ratings:
Judicial Index Average 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Judicial Activist Strict Constructionist
•Positions
•Contributions
•Rulings
•Statements
Qualifications
Unqualified -- Very Qualified
•Experience
•Reputation
•Integrity
•American Bar Association ratings
June 8, 2010 California Primary
Los Angeles CountyJudge-Superior Court; County of Los Angeles; Office 28.
•C. Edward Mack - 7Note: Very close rating on C. Edward Mack, Edward J. Nison and Kim Smith but our endorsement is for Kim Smith followed by C. Edward Mack.
•Randy Hammock - 6
•Chris Garcia - 3
•Edward J. Nison - 7
•Kim Smith - 7
•Kendall C. "Ken" Reed - 3
•Mark K. Ameli - 4
•Elizabeth Moreno - 6
Judge-Superior Court; County of Los Angeles; Office 35.
•Douglas W. Weitzman - 4Judge-Superior Court; County of Los Angeles; Office 73.
•Soussan G. Bruguera - 6
•Laura A. Matz - 8Judge-Superior Court; County of Los Angeles; Office 107.
•Marvin G. Fischler - 5
•R. Stephen Bolinger - 4Note: Very close rating on Tony De Los Reyes and Valerie Salkin but we believe Tony De Los Reyes would be best.
•Tony De Los Reyes - 6
•Valerie Salkin - 6
Judge-Superior Court; County of Los Angeles; Office 117.
•Tom Griego - 4Judge-Superior Court; County of Los Angeles; Office 131.
•Alan Schneider - 5
•William Mitchell Margolin - 4
•Pattricia M. Vienna - 6
•Maren Elizabeth Nelson - 6Alameda County Superior Court Judge; County of Alameda; Office 9.
•Jim Garo Baklayan - 2
•Louis Goodman - 3El Dorado County Judge of the Superior Court; County of El Dorado; Office 9.
•John Creighton - 5
•Victoria S. Kolakowski - 4
•Nelson Keith Brooks - 8Mendocino County Superior Court Judge, Room 1; County of Mendocino.
•Robert P. Huckaby - 6
•Caren Callahan - 4Orange County Superior Court Judge; County of Orange; Office 2.
•Ann Moorman - 7
•Scott Steiner - No ContestSuperior Court Judge; County of Orange; Office 13.
•Nick Dourbetas - No ContestSuperior Court Judge; County of Orange; Office 16.
•Andy Manssourian - 9Superior Court Judge; County of Orange; Office 39.
•Gerald L. Klein - 6.5
•Cheri Pham - No ContestSuperior Court Judge; County of Orange; Office 50.
•Lon Hurwitz - 5Riverside County Judge of the Superior Court; County of Riverside; Office 21.
•Julian W. Bailey - 9
•Steve Counelis - 8San Bernardino County Judges.
•Raquel Marquez - 6
Judge of the Superior Court; San Bernardino County; Office 11.
•James Justin Hosking - 8Judge of the Superior Court; San Bernardino County; Office 29.
•Robert Lemkau - 3.5
•Edmund Lee Montgomery - 5.5Judge of the Superior Court; San Bernardino County; Office 31.
•Victor R. Stull - 8
•Lynn M. Poncin - No ContestSan Diego County Superior Court Judge; County of San Diego; Office 14.
•Lantz Lewis - 4Superior Court Judge; County of San Diego; Office 20.
•Craig A. Candelore - 8.5
•Richard R. MonroySuperior Court Judge; County of San Diego; Office 21,
•Jim Miller, Jr.
•Stephen P. Clark
•Bill Trask - 9.5Superior Court Judge; County of San Diego; Office 27.
•Robert C. Longstreth - 4
•Harold Coleman, Jr. - 8.5Superior Court Judge; County of San Diego; Office 34.
•De Ann Salcido - 2.5
•Larry “Jake” Kincaid - 8.5San Francisco CountySuperior Court Judge; San Francisco County; Seat 1.
•Joel R. Wohlfeil - 4.5
•Ronald E. AlbersSuperior Court Judge; San Francisco County; Seat 10.
•Newton Jue LamSuperior Court Judge; San Francisco County; Seat 11.
•Donna A. LittleSuperior Court Judge; San Francisco County; Seat 12.
•Donald S. MitchellSuperior Court Judge; San Francisco County; Seat 13.
•Mary C. MorganSuperior Court Judge; San Francisco County; Seat 14.
•Ronald E. QuidachaySuperior Court Judge; San Francisco County; Seat 15.
•Daniel Dean - 4Superior Court Judge; San Francisco County; Seat 16.
•Richard B. Ulmer, Jr. - 6
•Michael Nava - 3
•Carol YaggySuperior Court Judge; San Francisco County; Seat 2.
•Suzanne BolanosSuperior Court Judge; San Francisco County; Seat 3.
•Susan M. BreallSuperior Court Judge; San Francisco County; Seat 4.
•Ellen ChaitinSuperior Court Judge; San Francisco County; Seat 5.
•Bruce E. ChanSuperior Court Judge; San Francisco County; Seat 6.
•Roderick A. McLeod - 5Superior Court Judge; San Francisco County; Seat 7.
•Harry Dorfman - 7
•Linda Colfax - 4
•Robert Retana - 3
•Ernest H. GoldsmithSuperior Court Judge; San Francisco County; Seat 8.
•Teri Leatrice JacksonSuperior Court Judge; San Francisco County; Seat 9.
•Richard A. KramerSanta Clara CountyJudge - Superior Court; County of Santa Clara; Office 7.
•Thomas Spielbauer - 5Judge - Superior Court; County of Santa Clara; Office 11.
•Joanne McCracken - 6
•Tim Pitsker - 7Judge - Superior Court; County of Santa Clara; Office 19.
•Vanessa A. Zecher - 7
•Julia Alloggiamento - 6Santa Cruz CountySuperior Court Judge; County of Santa Cruz; Office 3.
•Bob Camors - 7
•James B. Sibley - 6Superior Court Judge; County of Santa Cruz; Office 10.
•Philip J. Crawford - 4
•John Gallagher - 5
•Steve Wright - 5Sonoma CountySuperior Court Judge; County of Sonoma; Office 1.
•Rebecca Connolly - 4
•Nancy Case ShafferSuperior Court Judge; County of Sonoma; Office 2.
•John Lemmon - 7Superior Court Judge; County of Sonoma; Office 3.
•James Patrick Casey - 6
•Pat Broderick - 5
•Jamie Ellen Thistlethwaite - 5Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge; County of Stanislaus; Office 6.
•Chris Mazzia - 6
•Philip A. Pimentel - 4Ventura County Superior Court Judge; County of Ventura; Office 10.
•Nancy Williamsen - 5
•Martha Carlton-Magaña - 6
•Shawn D. Bessey - 8
•Geoffrey C. Hutcheson - 4
•William E. Mussman - 8
•Ellen Gay Conroy - 5.5Superior Court Judge; County of Ventura; Office 1.
•Robert J. Taylor - 6
•Lela Henke-Dobroth - 7Don’t miss the 2010 election updates. Click here to sign up to receive special election alerts and updates.
•Ryan Wright - 8
Your election recommendations and results guide for the California Superior Court, Los Angeles County Superior Court, Orange County Superior Court, San Diego County Superior Court, Ventura County Superior Court Riverside County Superior Court and San Bernardino Superior Court Judges and candidate recommendations and results for superior court judges. 2010 Election. Sign up for important alerts and California Superior Court recommendations and results.
Who are these judges? Click here to get instant alerts and updates.
Craig Huey is the coordinator and researcher for JudgeVoterGuide.com.
For over 20 years, Mr. Huey has extensively researched judicial races with an emphasis on California elections.
Mr. Huey is an author, public speaker, entrepreneur and owner of two successful businesses. He has given election recommendations on KKLA’s Frank Pastore show, KWVE’s Brian Perez show and KBRT’s Paul McGuire show in Southern California.
Mr. Huey researches each candidate’s background and positions and talks with most judicial candidates.
Click here to contact Mr. Huey
Judge Voter Guide includes judicial recommendations and results for the California Supreme Court Justice, Court of Appeals Justice and Superior Court Judge
Copyright © 2010 Community Election Forum & Craig Huey. All rights reserved. Judicial Seat Recommendations and Results for California Courts.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Digg!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Goodbye Gary Coleman, RIP
Gary Coleman was one of my favorite actors. (I do have many.) I loved the show Different Strokes. I will miss Gary as will all the loved ones he leaves behind. Gary died today from a stroke, although he suffered many kidney problems. We love you, Gary, say hello to Jesus for me!
Here is a quote from Gary in USA Today:
PS. Oh yeah, Art Linkletter died yesterday. The man who could get children to say the darndest things! I'm not sure he had to do anything to get them to say those things, but he had very funny shows. Please pray for his family and friends as well.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!
Here is a quote from Gary in USA Today:
Through it all, Coleman maintained his perspective and sense of humor. "I parody myself every chance I get," he said. "I try to make fun of myself and let people know that I'm a human being, and these things that have happened to me are real. I'm not just some cartoon who exists and suddenly doesn't exist."You may read the entire article here. Please pray for comfort for his loved ones he has left behind. Thank you.
Despite his real-life travails, Coleman will remain an '80s TV icon, a quick-witted boy whose onscreen charm lives on in television syndication.
PS. Oh yeah, Art Linkletter died yesterday. The man who could get children to say the darndest things! I'm not sure he had to do anything to get them to say those things, but he had very funny shows. Please pray for his family and friends as well.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Digg!
Video Potpourri 5/28/10
Labels:
entertainment
There are some good and some serious videos today. Is it proof of an act of war against South Korea? Does this prove Israel was not at fault? Do you know someone who could benefit from knowing the Lord to change their life around? You decide. Listen. Have a great day.
New Videos from JasonChaffetz.
Cot-side Chat on Ridiculous Sports Resolutions.
New Videos from RightPunditsMedia.
North Korea Submarine Attack, Sinks North Korean Boat (Video Response).
New Videos from votemcclintock.
A Response to the Mexican President.
New Videos from idfnadesk.
Turning Point 4 Drill Simulating Missile Attack on Hospital in Haifa.
Turning Point 4 Drill Simulates Chemical Attack at the Kirya Military Base.
Israeli Navy Commander Vice Admiral Eliezer Marom Briefs Forces Set to Intercept Gaza Flotilla.
4th Annual "Turning Points" National Home Front Command Exercise.
New Videos from LaneCh.
War of the Worldviews with Eric Holmberg (Episode 2).
War of the Worldviews with Eric Holmberg (Episode 1).
New Videos from CBYakima.
Prophetic~Martin Luther King Jr,(Last Speech).
SET FREE!! Teen Challenge~Rehrersburg,PA.
50 YEARS OF MIRICLES!! TEEN CHALLENGE.
New Videos from ReasonTV.
A Teachers' Strike in Paradise.
"The Cartel" Director Bob Bowdon on Education Reform.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!
New Videos from JasonChaffetz.
Cot-side Chat on Ridiculous Sports Resolutions.
New Videos from RightPunditsMedia.
North Korea Submarine Attack, Sinks North Korean Boat (Video Response).
New Videos from votemcclintock.
A Response to the Mexican President.
New Videos from idfnadesk.
Turning Point 4 Drill Simulating Missile Attack on Hospital in Haifa.
Turning Point 4 Drill Simulates Chemical Attack at the Kirya Military Base.
Israeli Navy Commander Vice Admiral Eliezer Marom Briefs Forces Set to Intercept Gaza Flotilla.
4th Annual "Turning Points" National Home Front Command Exercise.
New Videos from LaneCh.
War of the Worldviews with Eric Holmberg (Episode 2).
War of the Worldviews with Eric Holmberg (Episode 1).
New Videos from CBYakima.
Prophetic~Martin Luther King Jr,(Last Speech).
SET FREE!! Teen Challenge~Rehrersburg,PA.
50 YEARS OF MIRICLES!! TEEN CHALLENGE.
New Videos from ReasonTV.
A Teachers' Strike in Paradise.
"The Cartel" Director Bob Bowdon on Education Reform.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Digg!
Founders' Daily Quote(s): 5/24-28/10
Labels:
daily quote,
education
Monday, May 24, 2010.
"To all of which is added a selection from the elementary schools of subjects of the most promising genius, whose parents are too poor to give them further education, to be carried at the public expense through the college and university. The object is to bring into action that mass of talents which lies buried in poverty in every country, for want of the means of development, and thus give activity to a mass of mind, which, in proportion to our population, shall be double or treble of what it is in most countries." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to Jose Correa de Serra, 1817
Tue. 5/25.
?
Wed. 5/26.
"Knowledge is, in every country, the surest basis of public happiness." --George Washington, First Annual Message, 1790
Thu. 5/27.
"Law and liberty cannot rationally become the objects of our love, unless they first become the objects of our knowledge." --James Wilson, Of the Study of the Law in the United States, 1790
Fri. 5/28.
"It should be your care, therefore, and mine, to elevate the minds of our children and exalt their courage; to accelerate and animate their industry and activity; to excite in them an habitual contempt of meanness, abhorrence of injustice and inhumanity, and an ambition to excel in every capacity, faculty, and virtue. If we suffer their minds to grovel and creep in infancy, they will grovel all their lives." --John Adams, Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law, 1756
You mean you did NOT want a welfare state? Well what do you know!
Source: Patriot Post.us - Subscribe.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
"To all of which is added a selection from the elementary schools of subjects of the most promising genius, whose parents are too poor to give them further education, to be carried at the public expense through the college and university. The object is to bring into action that mass of talents which lies buried in poverty in every country, for want of the means of development, and thus give activity to a mass of mind, which, in proportion to our population, shall be double or treble of what it is in most countries." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to Jose Correa de Serra, 1817
Tue. 5/25.
?
Wed. 5/26.
"Knowledge is, in every country, the surest basis of public happiness." --George Washington, First Annual Message, 1790
Thu. 5/27.
"Law and liberty cannot rationally become the objects of our love, unless they first become the objects of our knowledge." --James Wilson, Of the Study of the Law in the United States, 1790
Fri. 5/28.
"It should be your care, therefore, and mine, to elevate the minds of our children and exalt their courage; to accelerate and animate their industry and activity; to excite in them an habitual contempt of meanness, abhorrence of injustice and inhumanity, and an ambition to excel in every capacity, faculty, and virtue. If we suffer their minds to grovel and creep in infancy, they will grovel all their lives." --John Adams, Dissertation on the Canon and Feudal Law, 1756
You mean you did NOT want a welfare state? Well what do you know!
Source: Patriot Post.us - Subscribe.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Carvill on 'Good Morning America'
Labels:
natural disasters,
Politics,
presidents
'Political Stupidity': Democrat James Carville Slams Obama's Response to BP Oil Spill from ABC News.com.
Hat tip: The Patriotic Update (FB).
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Arizona's Classrooms
Labels:
education,
illegal aliens
Today I have several links for you to educate yourselves about what is happening in Arizona. Whether or not you agree with Arizona (I agree), you should at least take the time to educate yourself so you don't sound like wingnut without a scrap of evidence like our govt has sounded recently.
Arizona Legislatures just passed House HB 2288 - Prohibits a school district or charter school from including courses or classes that either promote the overthrow of the United States government or promote resentment toward a race or class of people.
Arizona Curbs Ethnic Study Classes.
Article Discusses California, Arizona, and the New Classroom Law.
In Other News.
GOP Activists Boost Outsiders in Colorado (Mentions Tea Party and 912 Groups)
Thousands Of Non-Profits May Lose Tax Exempt Status.
Hat tip: Janna.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!
Arizona Legislatures just passed House HB 2288 - Prohibits a school district or charter school from including courses or classes that either promote the overthrow of the United States government or promote resentment toward a race or class of people.
Arizona Curbs Ethnic Study Classes.
Article Discusses California, Arizona, and the New Classroom Law.
In Other News.
GOP Activists Boost Outsiders in Colorado (Mentions Tea Party and 912 Groups)
Thousands Of Non-Profits May Lose Tax Exempt Status.
Hat tip: Janna.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Digg!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Airborne brigade returning to familiar ground in Afghanistan
by Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
FORT POLK, La. (May 24, 2010) — For troops seeking the most realistic training experience possible before deploying to Afghanistan, most wouldn’t expect to find it within the pine forests of western Louisiana.
But here at the Joint Readiness Training Center, that’s exactly what the 101st Airborne Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team is realizing, as it goes through a rehearsal exercise designed to build on its strengths and identify any shortcomings before the deployment.
The 4th BCT “Currahee” arrived here earlier this month. It is wrapping up a demanding training regime that Army Col. Sean Jenkins, the brigade commander, is counting on to ensure mission success in Afghanistan.
“This is our last big training exercise,” Jenkins said, before the 4th BCT deploys to eastern Afghanistan as part of the 30,000-troop surge force there.
The 4th BCT will be the last of five 101st Airborne Division “Screaming Eagle” brigades to deploy to Afghanistan. As Army Maj. Gen. John F. Campbell, the division’s commander, was casing the division colors back at Fort Campbell, Ky., Jenkins’ troopers were focusing on the skills they’ll need when they arrive in eastern Afghanistan.
About 60 percent of Jenkins’ soldiers will be returning to the same area of Afghanistan they served in a year and a half ago – a big plus in Jenkins’ book.
“It’s an incredible advantage,” he said. “It takes some of the home-court advantage away from the enemy.”
The Currahee brigade had built strong relationships with their Afghan counterparts during the past deployment that Jenkins plans to reinforce in the months ahead. He was struck how deeply the bonds run when several of the brigade’s former Afghan military counterparts paid a visit to Fort Campbell.
“They knew them by name,” he said. “And I’m not just talking about our guys knowing their names, but them knowing our soldiers, too. “I think it’s a great advantage when you can build upon what you left 17 months ago.”
The biggest change since the brigade’s last deployment is President Barack Obama’s Afghanistan strategy, being implemented on the ground under the leadership of Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal.
“I think the goal is the same: a stable, secure Afghanistan where the people have confidence in [and] support the government of Afghanistan,” Jenkins said.
And McChrystal’s revised tactical directives, issued last July, place an emphasis on protecting innocent civilians while confronting the insurgency.
“It really comes down to the allocation of your resources – your most precious being people – and how you apply the [counterinsurgency] strategy,” Jenkins said. “I don’t look at it as … limitations or constraints. It is actually a benefit. You are getting after that same goal without violating the culture.
“You are honoring the culture of Afghanistan and you are … showing the people that, ‘See? We can do this,’” he said. “We can bring agriculture to your region. We can bring medical. We can bring education without violating the culture.”
Another big change since the Currahee Brigade’s last deployment is the emphasis on increasingly moving Afghan national security forces into the lead.
The 101st will be largely responsible for training and mentoring Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police forces. And exercising a “combined action” strategy initiated by the 82nd Airborne Division, they’ll embed with their Afghan counterparts.
“As we do things forward, everything is [going to be] combined action,” Jenkins said. “Everything this brigade will do, there will be an Afghan lead. So if we are out on patrol, there are Afghans there with us. We have planned it together. We have rehearsed it together, and we are going to execute it together.
“If someone needs to go into a house, the first one in the house is [going to be] an Afghan,” he continued. “The first voice [one] hears is Afghan.”
That focus has been paramount in the training plan the 4th BCT worked out with the JRTC cadre months before its arrival at Fort Polk.
The Currahee have been keeping their eyes on what Jenkins calls the “big six.” It’s an extensive array of capabilities he considers critical to battlefield success: physical fitness, marksmanship, battle drills, medical skills training, driving and, reflecting an area of Army-wide emphasis, resilience.
The brigade’s “Toccoa Tough” program – named for the Georgia town where the storied unit that came to be known during World War II as the “Band of Brothers” was founded in 1942 – emphasizes mental as well as physical resilience for soldiers and their families, Jenkins explained.
Now at JRTC, the brigade is hammering away at those and other capabilities, with an emphasis on company-, troop- and battery-level operations difficult to conduct within the confines of its home station.
JRTC’s extensive training space – 200,000 acres that includes live-fire ranges, situational training exercise lanes and 22 mock Afghan villages – provide the perfect venue for fine-tuning those skills that will be critical in Afghanistan.
Operating under the watchful eyes of trainer-mentors from the JRTC cadre, the soldiers are working shoulder-to-shoulder with role players serving as Afghan security forces as they confront a wily opposing force well-practiced in insurgent tactics.
They interact with the local population, also portrayed by role-players, ever attempting to sway the “hedgers” and fence-sitters and bolster support for the coalition, and more importantly, the Afghan government and national security forces.
“It is not us, [going] forward,” Jenkins said. “It is them seeing the legitimate government of Afghanistan [and them seeing that the] Afghan national security forces are legitimate, and that they are the ones doing it. We are just helping them do it. We give them some backing. We give them some training. But like we have seen in other areas of the world, they have got [to be the ones to do it.]”
Jenkins expressed that commitment in the Pashtun language during a mock news conference integrated into a JRTC training scenario. The brigade will stand “shohna ba shohna” – shoulder to shoulder – with the Afghan national security forces to provide a security environment that “will allow the Afghan people to live their daily lives without fear of insurgents,” he said.
“The Currahee’s number-one priority is to assist the Afghan people and do everything in our power to improve their quality of life,” Jenkins said.
Speaking to his Afghan military counterpart, role-played by an Afghan national, Jenkins pledged his brigade’s support and assistance to the mission. “We are proud to be part of your mission,” he said, emphasizing the word “your.”
“And we will support you in your mission to provide the people a better way of life,” he added.
After the mock news conference, Jenkins expressed confidence that the Afghan national security forces ultimately will be up to the task of assuming full responsibility for their country’s security.
“Many of them are phenomenal,” Jenkins said. “They are incredibly competent people, incredibly competent officers.” Many Afghan noncommissioned officers, he noted, are graduates of the sergeant’s major academy.
Jenkins said he recognizes the importance the U.S. leadership is placing on what happens in Afghanistan during the next six months. And he has no doubt that his own soldiers are up to the task ahead.
“Mission accomplishment is something you are taught from day one,” Jenkins said. “And I think they are going to look at it and say, ‘OK, here’s the challenge. Let’s go out and get after it.’”
PHOTO: The Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., prepares rotational training units with scenarios that replicate situations they will encounter during deployments to Afghanistan.
Source: CENTCOM.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
American Forces Press Service
FORT POLK, La. (May 24, 2010) — For troops seeking the most realistic training experience possible before deploying to Afghanistan, most wouldn’t expect to find it within the pine forests of western Louisiana.
But here at the Joint Readiness Training Center, that’s exactly what the 101st Airborne Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team is realizing, as it goes through a rehearsal exercise designed to build on its strengths and identify any shortcomings before the deployment.
The 4th BCT “Currahee” arrived here earlier this month. It is wrapping up a demanding training regime that Army Col. Sean Jenkins, the brigade commander, is counting on to ensure mission success in Afghanistan.
“This is our last big training exercise,” Jenkins said, before the 4th BCT deploys to eastern Afghanistan as part of the 30,000-troop surge force there.
The 4th BCT will be the last of five 101st Airborne Division “Screaming Eagle” brigades to deploy to Afghanistan. As Army Maj. Gen. John F. Campbell, the division’s commander, was casing the division colors back at Fort Campbell, Ky., Jenkins’ troopers were focusing on the skills they’ll need when they arrive in eastern Afghanistan.About 60 percent of Jenkins’ soldiers will be returning to the same area of Afghanistan they served in a year and a half ago – a big plus in Jenkins’ book.
“It’s an incredible advantage,” he said. “It takes some of the home-court advantage away from the enemy.”
The Currahee brigade had built strong relationships with their Afghan counterparts during the past deployment that Jenkins plans to reinforce in the months ahead. He was struck how deeply the bonds run when several of the brigade’s former Afghan military counterparts paid a visit to Fort Campbell.
“They knew them by name,” he said. “And I’m not just talking about our guys knowing their names, but them knowing our soldiers, too. “I think it’s a great advantage when you can build upon what you left 17 months ago.”
The biggest change since the brigade’s last deployment is President Barack Obama’s Afghanistan strategy, being implemented on the ground under the leadership of Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal.
“I think the goal is the same: a stable, secure Afghanistan where the people have confidence in [and] support the government of Afghanistan,” Jenkins said.
And McChrystal’s revised tactical directives, issued last July, place an emphasis on protecting innocent civilians while confronting the insurgency.
“It really comes down to the allocation of your resources – your most precious being people – and how you apply the [counterinsurgency] strategy,” Jenkins said. “I don’t look at it as … limitations or constraints. It is actually a benefit. You are getting after that same goal without violating the culture.
“You are honoring the culture of Afghanistan and you are … showing the people that, ‘See? We can do this,’” he said. “We can bring agriculture to your region. We can bring medical. We can bring education without violating the culture.”
Another big change since the Currahee Brigade’s last deployment is the emphasis on increasingly moving Afghan national security forces into the lead.
The 101st will be largely responsible for training and mentoring Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police forces. And exercising a “combined action” strategy initiated by the 82nd Airborne Division, they’ll embed with their Afghan counterparts.
“As we do things forward, everything is [going to be] combined action,” Jenkins said. “Everything this brigade will do, there will be an Afghan lead. So if we are out on patrol, there are Afghans there with us. We have planned it together. We have rehearsed it together, and we are going to execute it together.
“If someone needs to go into a house, the first one in the house is [going to be] an Afghan,” he continued. “The first voice [one] hears is Afghan.”
That focus has been paramount in the training plan the 4th BCT worked out with the JRTC cadre months before its arrival at Fort Polk.
The Currahee have been keeping their eyes on what Jenkins calls the “big six.” It’s an extensive array of capabilities he considers critical to battlefield success: physical fitness, marksmanship, battle drills, medical skills training, driving and, reflecting an area of Army-wide emphasis, resilience.
The brigade’s “Toccoa Tough” program – named for the Georgia town where the storied unit that came to be known during World War II as the “Band of Brothers” was founded in 1942 – emphasizes mental as well as physical resilience for soldiers and their families, Jenkins explained.
Now at JRTC, the brigade is hammering away at those and other capabilities, with an emphasis on company-, troop- and battery-level operations difficult to conduct within the confines of its home station.
JRTC’s extensive training space – 200,000 acres that includes live-fire ranges, situational training exercise lanes and 22 mock Afghan villages – provide the perfect venue for fine-tuning those skills that will be critical in Afghanistan.
Operating under the watchful eyes of trainer-mentors from the JRTC cadre, the soldiers are working shoulder-to-shoulder with role players serving as Afghan security forces as they confront a wily opposing force well-practiced in insurgent tactics.
They interact with the local population, also portrayed by role-players, ever attempting to sway the “hedgers” and fence-sitters and bolster support for the coalition, and more importantly, the Afghan government and national security forces.
“It is not us, [going] forward,” Jenkins said. “It is them seeing the legitimate government of Afghanistan [and them seeing that the] Afghan national security forces are legitimate, and that they are the ones doing it. We are just helping them do it. We give them some backing. We give them some training. But like we have seen in other areas of the world, they have got [to be the ones to do it.]”
Jenkins expressed that commitment in the Pashtun language during a mock news conference integrated into a JRTC training scenario. The brigade will stand “shohna ba shohna” – shoulder to shoulder – with the Afghan national security forces to provide a security environment that “will allow the Afghan people to live their daily lives without fear of insurgents,” he said.
“The Currahee’s number-one priority is to assist the Afghan people and do everything in our power to improve their quality of life,” Jenkins said.
Speaking to his Afghan military counterpart, role-played by an Afghan national, Jenkins pledged his brigade’s support and assistance to the mission. “We are proud to be part of your mission,” he said, emphasizing the word “your.”
“And we will support you in your mission to provide the people a better way of life,” he added.
After the mock news conference, Jenkins expressed confidence that the Afghan national security forces ultimately will be up to the task of assuming full responsibility for their country’s security.
“Many of them are phenomenal,” Jenkins said. “They are incredibly competent people, incredibly competent officers.” Many Afghan noncommissioned officers, he noted, are graduates of the sergeant’s major academy.
Jenkins said he recognizes the importance the U.S. leadership is placing on what happens in Afghanistan during the next six months. And he has no doubt that his own soldiers are up to the task ahead.
“Mission accomplishment is something you are taught from day one,” Jenkins said. “And I think they are going to look at it and say, ‘OK, here’s the challenge. Let’s go out and get after it.’”
PHOTO: The Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La., prepares rotational training units with scenarios that replicate situations they will encounter during deployments to Afghanistan.
Source: CENTCOM.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
This Is Politically Cute
Labels:
illegal aliens,
Politics
Here is the link to YouTube in case the video does not work.
Hat tip: SoftGlo from PJTV.com MEMBERS ONLY comment section. Thanks! Have a great weekend everyone.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Digg!
Video Potpourri 5/22/10
Labels:
economy,
entertainment,
God,
gov't,
natural disasters
New Videos from JasonChaffetz.
Cot-Side Chat on Fannie Mae Patents.
Rep. Chaffetz: Why Do Government Mortgage Agencies Own "Cap-and-Trade" Patents?
New Videos from BruceBellott.
Tennessee Teardrops. Bring a tissue.
New Videos from unclejimbomadcity.
In the Crosshairs- ICE, ICE loser. Uncle Jimbo is always Excellent. :)
New Videos from LaneCh.
What is the "Swoon Theory" and is it True? EXCELLENT!
New Videos from CBYakima.
Prophetic~Martin Luther King Jr,(Last Speech).
SET FREE!! Teen Challenge~Rehrersburg,PA. EXCELLENT!
50 YEARS OF MIRICLES!! TEEN CHALLENGE.
PRAYER FOR AMERICA!! Jon Oletzke.
New Videos from ReasonTV.
FCC Commissioner Copps "would love to have jurisdiction over everything."
EPA Rulemaking Matters! Video: Let Your Robotic Voice Be Heard! Let Your Robotic Voice Be Heard!
EPA Rulemaking Matters! Subtitled For Your Protection.
Federal Regulations and You: Partners in Democracy!
Tony Williams: Pro-School Choice, Pro-Business Democrat Running For PA Governor.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!
Cot-Side Chat on Fannie Mae Patents.
Rep. Chaffetz: Why Do Government Mortgage Agencies Own "Cap-and-Trade" Patents?
New Videos from BruceBellott.
Tennessee Teardrops. Bring a tissue.
New Videos from unclejimbomadcity.
In the Crosshairs- ICE, ICE loser. Uncle Jimbo is always Excellent. :)
New Videos from LaneCh.
What is the "Swoon Theory" and is it True? EXCELLENT!
New Videos from CBYakima.
Prophetic~Martin Luther King Jr,(Last Speech).
SET FREE!! Teen Challenge~Rehrersburg,PA. EXCELLENT!
50 YEARS OF MIRICLES!! TEEN CHALLENGE.
PRAYER FOR AMERICA!! Jon Oletzke.
New Videos from ReasonTV.
FCC Commissioner Copps "would love to have jurisdiction over everything."
EPA Rulemaking Matters! Video: Let Your Robotic Voice Be Heard! Let Your Robotic Voice Be Heard!
EPA Rulemaking Matters! Subtitled For Your Protection.
Federal Regulations and You: Partners in Democracy!
Tony Williams: Pro-School Choice, Pro-Business Democrat Running For PA Governor.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Digg!
Greta: AZ Gov Brewer
Labels:
crime,
general,
illegal aliens,
presidents
I don't have to say much on this topic. Either you agree with the overwhelming number of Americans who believe in the rule of law, or you don't. Those of you do not are the ones that tearing down our beloved country. Stop it.
Have a nice day.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!
Have a nice day.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Digg!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Silence is an oath I can't keep
Labels:
anti-Liberty,
crime,
documentary,
nk
Two courageous young women were doing a documentary on the crimes being committed by North Korea when they were forced into captivity by the North Korean guards. This is heartfelt account of one sister trying to free her sister from hell.
Hat tip: CNN.
Editor's note: Laura Ling is co-author with her sister, Lisa Ling, of "Somewhere Inside: One Sister's Captivity in North Korea and the Other's Fight to Bring Her Home" (HarperCollins).
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- On June 8, 2009, nearly one year ago, I stood before a judge in North Korea's Supreme Court and was sentenced to 12 years in one of the country's notoriously brutal labor camps, also known as death camps.
My legs wobbled in fear, and I grabbed the podium in front of me, fearing I would faint.
Three months earlier, I was on assignment for Current TV. I was reporting on the trafficking of North Koreans, most of them women, who escape to neighboring China, where they are used and exploited. Following a local guide we'd hired, my colleague Euna Lee and I did regretfully step foot into North Korean territory for no more than a minute.
As we made our way back to China, North Korean soldiers chased us onto Chinese soil and violently dragged us back into North Korea.
We were the first Americans tried in North Korea's highest court. Our sentence, two years for trespassing and 10 for "hostile" acts, shows where the North Korean government's real concerns lie. Leery about a negative portrayal of its regime, the North Korean authorities decided the documentary we were making would threaten their government. It was seen as a hostile act meant to weaken or bring down the country.
No country on Earth is more paranoid about its image than North Korea, which has maintained its firm grip on power in part because of its ability to indoctrinate its people. North Korea is one of the world's most closed-off societies, with little known about what goes on inside. Its citizens know little about the outside world.
The regime's mass propaganda machine carefully and consistently disseminates information to the North Korean citizenry extolling the virtues of the communist state and its megalomaniacal "Dear Leader," Kim Jong Il.
During nearly five months of captivity, I was allowed to watch television in a guard's area and saw black-and-white movies about the Korean War and the heroic communists defeating their arch-enemy, the United States. Rallies celebrating a recent satellite launch or nuclear test featured North Korean men and women proudly, defiantly waving their fists in the air. I rarely spotted any young adults, or college-aged spectators within the crowds, just older folks who seemed less likely to cause disruptions.
With their booming voices, newsreaders listed off the latest achievements made by Kim Jong Il, such as the opening of a chicken-processing factory or the building of a dam. At night, I had to put a pillow over my head to drown out the patriotic anthems sung by the military choir.
But beneath all this flag-waving is a different reality. Escapees from North Korea paint a stark picture of a place where human rights don't exist. The slightest criticism or disrespect paid towards Kim Jong Il could land one in a hard labor camp, where starved and tortured prisoners scavenge for food while performing backbreaking work.
When my Current TV colleagues and I were in the northeastern part of China that borders North Korea, we spoke with several defectors who had fled the desperate conditions, seeking food and freedom across the border. While they have been able to get more sustenance in China, freedom has not come as easily.
The Chinese government does not regard these defectors as refugees, even though they face certain, brutal punishment if they are sent back to North Korea.
A young woman, whom I'll call Ji-Yong, recounted her escape, braving the rushing waters of the Tumen River that separates North Korea and China. Not knowing how to swim, she nervously made her way across the frigid waters in the dark. She had been told she could find a better life in China and that there would be work opportunities in the computer industry. Instead she was placed in the online sex industry and was forced to undress for clients who watched her via the web. Her boss tied her arms behind her back and locked her in a room to prevent her from escaping.
With help from a friend, she was able to get away, but with nowhere to go and no money, she ended up working for another online sex company. She was grateful that her boss treated her humanely and allowed her to go outside for breaks. With tears streaming, smearing her thick black eyeliner, she spoke of how much she missed her mother.
Ji-Yong's story is becoming increasingly common as traffickers prey on vulnerable and scared women from North Korea. Many others are sold like commodities into loveless marriages where they are abused and treated like slaves.
North Korean women have no legal status in China, so the children they bear with Chinese husbands also suffer. The Chinese government does not grant these children citizenship; they must live in the shadows as stateless children with no access to public health care or education. If the mothers are deported, or leave their husbands, the children are often left abandoned and orphaned.
During my captivity, I thought about the North Korean defectors who had opened their lives to me. Thinking about their struggles gave me strength to endure.
I might have been living the biggest horror of my life, but what I was going through paled in comparison to what North Koreans in their country and in neighboring China have lived through and continue to struggle against today. I am fortunate to be home in America now, where freedom is my birthright. North Koreans are imprisoned.
But there is hope. Organizations such as the nonprofit LiNK (Liberty in North Korea) are on the frontlines of raising awareness about the desperate plight of North Korean defectors and helping escapees find refuge in countries where they can begin new lives. LiNK's campaign "The Hundred" aims to rescue and resettle 100 North Korean defectors.
Their efforts are risky because they must shuttle defectors from secret shelters in various countries across Asia before they can find safe haven in countries such as South Korea or the United States. This video shows North Korean defector, Ki-Won, and his journey to freedom with the help of LiNK.
Recently a bill was introduced in Congress by Sam Brownback, R-Kansas in the Senate, and Rep. Ed Royce, R-California, and Diane Watson, D-California, in the House that seeks to address the issue of North Korean orphans and stateless children in China. If passed, the bill will help pave the way for families in the United States to adopt eligible children.
In June, I stood before a North Korean judge and expressed my hope that the United States and North Korea might one day establish closer relations. That desire still exists.
I also promised that if released, I would never report on the issue of defectors or North Korean human rights abuses again. That is an oath I cannot keep as long as the people of North Korea remain silenced.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Laura Ling.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!
Hat tip: CNN.
Editor's note: Laura Ling is co-author with her sister, Lisa Ling, of "Somewhere Inside: One Sister's Captivity in North Korea and the Other's Fight to Bring Her Home" (HarperCollins).
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- On June 8, 2009, nearly one year ago, I stood before a judge in North Korea's Supreme Court and was sentenced to 12 years in one of the country's notoriously brutal labor camps, also known as death camps.
My legs wobbled in fear, and I grabbed the podium in front of me, fearing I would faint.
Three months earlier, I was on assignment for Current TV. I was reporting on the trafficking of North Koreans, most of them women, who escape to neighboring China, where they are used and exploited. Following a local guide we'd hired, my colleague Euna Lee and I did regretfully step foot into North Korean territory for no more than a minute.
As we made our way back to China, North Korean soldiers chased us onto Chinese soil and violently dragged us back into North Korea.
We were the first Americans tried in North Korea's highest court. Our sentence, two years for trespassing and 10 for "hostile" acts, shows where the North Korean government's real concerns lie. Leery about a negative portrayal of its regime, the North Korean authorities decided the documentary we were making would threaten their government. It was seen as a hostile act meant to weaken or bring down the country.
No country on Earth is more paranoid about its image than North Korea, which has maintained its firm grip on power in part because of its ability to indoctrinate its people. North Korea is one of the world's most closed-off societies, with little known about what goes on inside. Its citizens know little about the outside world.
The regime's mass propaganda machine carefully and consistently disseminates information to the North Korean citizenry extolling the virtues of the communist state and its megalomaniacal "Dear Leader," Kim Jong Il.
During nearly five months of captivity, I was allowed to watch television in a guard's area and saw black-and-white movies about the Korean War and the heroic communists defeating their arch-enemy, the United States. Rallies celebrating a recent satellite launch or nuclear test featured North Korean men and women proudly, defiantly waving their fists in the air. I rarely spotted any young adults, or college-aged spectators within the crowds, just older folks who seemed less likely to cause disruptions.
With their booming voices, newsreaders listed off the latest achievements made by Kim Jong Il, such as the opening of a chicken-processing factory or the building of a dam. At night, I had to put a pillow over my head to drown out the patriotic anthems sung by the military choir.
But beneath all this flag-waving is a different reality. Escapees from North Korea paint a stark picture of a place where human rights don't exist. The slightest criticism or disrespect paid towards Kim Jong Il could land one in a hard labor camp, where starved and tortured prisoners scavenge for food while performing backbreaking work.
When my Current TV colleagues and I were in the northeastern part of China that borders North Korea, we spoke with several defectors who had fled the desperate conditions, seeking food and freedom across the border. While they have been able to get more sustenance in China, freedom has not come as easily.
The Chinese government does not regard these defectors as refugees, even though they face certain, brutal punishment if they are sent back to North Korea.
A young woman, whom I'll call Ji-Yong, recounted her escape, braving the rushing waters of the Tumen River that separates North Korea and China. Not knowing how to swim, she nervously made her way across the frigid waters in the dark. She had been told she could find a better life in China and that there would be work opportunities in the computer industry. Instead she was placed in the online sex industry and was forced to undress for clients who watched her via the web. Her boss tied her arms behind her back and locked her in a room to prevent her from escaping.
With help from a friend, she was able to get away, but with nowhere to go and no money, she ended up working for another online sex company. She was grateful that her boss treated her humanely and allowed her to go outside for breaks. With tears streaming, smearing her thick black eyeliner, she spoke of how much she missed her mother.
Ji-Yong's story is becoming increasingly common as traffickers prey on vulnerable and scared women from North Korea. Many others are sold like commodities into loveless marriages where they are abused and treated like slaves.
North Korean women have no legal status in China, so the children they bear with Chinese husbands also suffer. The Chinese government does not grant these children citizenship; they must live in the shadows as stateless children with no access to public health care or education. If the mothers are deported, or leave their husbands, the children are often left abandoned and orphaned.
During my captivity, I thought about the North Korean defectors who had opened their lives to me. Thinking about their struggles gave me strength to endure.
I might have been living the biggest horror of my life, but what I was going through paled in comparison to what North Koreans in their country and in neighboring China have lived through and continue to struggle against today. I am fortunate to be home in America now, where freedom is my birthright. North Koreans are imprisoned.
But there is hope. Organizations such as the nonprofit LiNK (Liberty in North Korea) are on the frontlines of raising awareness about the desperate plight of North Korean defectors and helping escapees find refuge in countries where they can begin new lives. LiNK's campaign "The Hundred" aims to rescue and resettle 100 North Korean defectors.
Their efforts are risky because they must shuttle defectors from secret shelters in various countries across Asia before they can find safe haven in countries such as South Korea or the United States. This video shows North Korean defector, Ki-Won, and his journey to freedom with the help of LiNK.
Recently a bill was introduced in Congress by Sam Brownback, R-Kansas in the Senate, and Rep. Ed Royce, R-California, and Diane Watson, D-California, in the House that seeks to address the issue of North Korean orphans and stateless children in China. If passed, the bill will help pave the way for families in the United States to adopt eligible children.
In June, I stood before a North Korean judge and expressed my hope that the United States and North Korea might one day establish closer relations. That desire still exists.
I also promised that if released, I would never report on the issue of defectors or North Korean human rights abuses again. That is an oath I cannot keep as long as the people of North Korea remain silenced.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Laura Ling.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Digg!
McClintock's Response to President Calderon
Labels:
illegal aliens,
presidents
It is about time someone had the cajones to tell foreigners to get out of our business. Now if only we could get this administration to do it's job, I wouldn't find it necessary to write posts like the one just before this.
If the video isn't working, here is the link to YouTube courtesy of Congressman Tom McClintock.
Now if only we could just have 434 other members like him...
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!
If the video isn't working, here is the link to YouTube courtesy of Congressman Tom McClintock.
Now if only we could just have 434 other members like him...
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Digg!
Arizona v Obama+Illegal Aliens
Labels:
crime,
current events,
illegal aliens,
presidents
The news I have to bring to your attention saddens me greatly. I never in my lifetime thought I would ever see the POTUS declare that he was not going to protect one of the states in our Union. Friends and countrymen, there is no longer a United States. We are under Tyranny. Thank you so much you Leftists commies.
I doubt it. No one else in this adminstration has, why should he be any different? He probably hasn't heard of the Mexican Army incursions into our country either, or the kidnappings, rapes, and murders by illegal aliens.
Is every crime committed by an illegal aliens? NO. But the ones that are would not have happened if the federal government had gotten off their arses and done their job.
JUNE 5th THEIR WILL BE A TEA PARTY IN SUPPORT OF ARIZONA'S LAW IN ARIZONA. If you would like more information, I will get it for you. I am so pee'd I can't even write anymore right now, so have a great weekend all.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!
Feds Will Not Process Arizona Illegal Aliens.After reading the article, I got very angry. This is not only reckless, unconstitutional, and arrogant, it is criminal. To announce publicly that you will not carry out the responsibilities for which you took an oath ought to be grounds for prison time. How dare you tell one of our states that you are not going to process any of their illegal aliens! Did you READ the damn law?
May 21, 2010, 06:39 PM
Today, the President had an agent of the Secretary of Homeland Security announce that Arizona is now a free place for illegal aliens. Arizona has been declared by President Obama to be an Open Border State --that is his answer to the Rule of Law.
"A top Department of Homeland Security official reportedly said his agency will not necessarily process illegal immigrants referred to them by Arizona authorities.
John Morton, assistant secretary of homeland security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, made the comment during a meeting on Wednesday with the editorial board of the Chicago Tribune, the newspaper reports.
"I don't think the Arizona law, or laws like it, are the solution," Morton told the newspaper."
Imagine the Federal government announcing, openly and defiantly, that it will not obey or enforcement laws passed by Congress and signed by a President?
This is anarchy, from a man who calls a well known terrorist, Bill Ayres a friend. This from the President who had a State department official apologize to China for a State that was enforcing Federal law.
This was from a man who welcomed a foreign president, the head of Mexico , into the White House, and agreed with him in his denouncing an American State for following the Federal law.
Disgrace is not a strong enough word. Outrage is not a word that conveys the strength of feeling of betrayal by our President.
Disgust comes closest. If you want to turn in illegal aliens call 866-347-2423. If you are calling from Arizona please know the President no longer recognizes you as a State.
Read More...
--- If you enjoy my newsletter, please help my readership grow by passing it around. If some one sent this to you, and you would like your own subscription, you can sign up on my web page at www.capoliticalnews.com
I doubt it. No one else in this adminstration has, why should he be any different? He probably hasn't heard of the Mexican Army incursions into our country either, or the kidnappings, rapes, and murders by illegal aliens.
Is every crime committed by an illegal aliens? NO. But the ones that are would not have happened if the federal government had gotten off their arses and done their job.
JUNE 5th THEIR WILL BE A TEA PARTY IN SUPPORT OF ARIZONA'S LAW IN ARIZONA. If you would like more information, I will get it for you. I am so pee'd I can't even write anymore right now, so have a great weekend all.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Digg!
Founders' Daily Quote(s): 5/17-21/10
Labels:
daily quote,
News
Monday, May 17, 2010.
"[D]emocracy will soon degenerate into an anarchy, such an anarchy that every man will do what is right in his own eyes and no man's life or property or reputation or liberty will be secure, and every one of these will soon mould itself into a system of subordination of all the moral virtues and intellectual abilities, all the powers of wealth, beauty, wit and science, to the wanton pleasures, the capricious will, and the execrable cruelty of one or a very few." --John Adams, An Essay on Man's Lust for Power, 1763
Tue. 5/18.
"Remember democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." --John Adams, letter to John Taylor, 1814
Wed. 5/19.
"[D]emocracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security, or the rights of property; and have, in general, been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths." --James Madison, Federalist No. 10, 1787
Thu. 5/20.
"The known propensity of a democracy is to licentiousness which the ambitious call, and ignorant believe to be liberty." --Fisher Ames, speech in the Massachusetts Ratifying Convention, 1788
As we see with the way this Congress is treating our Troops.
Fri. 5/21.
"No one more sincerely wishes the spread of information among mankind than I do, and none has greater confidence in its effect towards supporting free and good government." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to Trustees for the Lottery of East Tennessee College, 1810
Mark Alexander is in New York for graduation exercises of the United States Military Academy.
Visit PatriotPost.US daily for our editors' choice of News, Opinion and Policy of interest to our readers.
Source: Patriot Post.us.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
"[D]emocracy will soon degenerate into an anarchy, such an anarchy that every man will do what is right in his own eyes and no man's life or property or reputation or liberty will be secure, and every one of these will soon mould itself into a system of subordination of all the moral virtues and intellectual abilities, all the powers of wealth, beauty, wit and science, to the wanton pleasures, the capricious will, and the execrable cruelty of one or a very few." --John Adams, An Essay on Man's Lust for Power, 1763
Tue. 5/18.
"Remember democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." --John Adams, letter to John Taylor, 1814
Wed. 5/19.
"[D]emocracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security, or the rights of property; and have, in general, been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths." --James Madison, Federalist No. 10, 1787
Thu. 5/20.
"The known propensity of a democracy is to licentiousness which the ambitious call, and ignorant believe to be liberty." --Fisher Ames, speech in the Massachusetts Ratifying Convention, 1788
As we see with the way this Congress is treating our Troops.
Fri. 5/21.
"No one more sincerely wishes the spread of information among mankind than I do, and none has greater confidence in its effect towards supporting free and good government." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to Trustees for the Lottery of East Tennessee College, 1810
Mark Alexander is in New York for graduation exercises of the United States Military Academy.
Visit PatriotPost.US daily for our editors' choice of News, Opinion and Policy of interest to our readers.
Opinion.
Ann Coulter: Republicans on Track to Snatch Defeat from Jaws of Victory.
Paul Greenberg: The Calm Between Two Storms.
Victor Davis Hanson: Marinestan.
Michael Reagan: How Would You Like Your Tea -- Sweetened or Unsweetened?
Jeff Jacoby: Kagan Hearings Need Not Be a 'Hollow Charade'.
Cal Thomas: A Crack in the School-Choice Dike?
Debra Saunders: Grim Milestones in War's Headstones.
Michael Barone: The Golden Age of Centrism Wasn't So Golden.
R. Emmett Tyrrell: The Taranto Principle Vindicated Again.
Larry Elder: It's Not 'Anti-Incumbency,' Stupid; It's 'Anti-Liberalism'.
Ken Blackwell: How's that Apology Thing Working Out?
George Will: Slow Learners at the 9th Circuit.
L. Brent Bozell: Eric Holder Can't Read?
Jonah Goldberg: Left, Right and Wrong.
Ben Shapiro: Democrats: Learn to Read.
More Opinion.
Patriot Headlines.
Jobless Claims in U.S. Increase as Dismissals Remain Elevated.
Pelosi Vows to End 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' by the End of Year.
Kerry: Academy of Sciences Report Shows 'Urgent' Need for Climate Bill.
Next Year's Budget Sinking in Deep Red Ink.
Obama Says Administration Taking 'Very Close Look' at Arizona's Immigration Law for Civil Rights 'Implications'.
Mexican President Denounces Arizona Law Despite Laws Against Illegal Immigration in His Own Country.
Senate Democratic Whip Compares Sealing the Mexican Border to Trying to Keep Drugs Off of I-95.
White House to Announce Energy-Loan Plan.
Senators Press for National Guard Troops on Border.
20,000 People in Greek Protest March to Parliament.
Record Growth Among Entrepreneurs in U.S.
Obama Clamors for Federal Fix to Immigration Woes.
More Headlines.
Policy.
The Heritage Foundation.
The Cato Institute.
Hoover Institution.
National Rifle Association.
Ludwig von Mises Institute.
National Center for Policy Analysis.
Ann Coulter: Republicans on Track to Snatch Defeat from Jaws of Victory.
Paul Greenberg: The Calm Between Two Storms.
Victor Davis Hanson: Marinestan.
Michael Reagan: How Would You Like Your Tea -- Sweetened or Unsweetened?
Jeff Jacoby: Kagan Hearings Need Not Be a 'Hollow Charade'.
Cal Thomas: A Crack in the School-Choice Dike?
Debra Saunders: Grim Milestones in War's Headstones.
Michael Barone: The Golden Age of Centrism Wasn't So Golden.
R. Emmett Tyrrell: The Taranto Principle Vindicated Again.
Larry Elder: It's Not 'Anti-Incumbency,' Stupid; It's 'Anti-Liberalism'.
Ken Blackwell: How's that Apology Thing Working Out?
George Will: Slow Learners at the 9th Circuit.
L. Brent Bozell: Eric Holder Can't Read?
Jonah Goldberg: Left, Right and Wrong.
Ben Shapiro: Democrats: Learn to Read.
More Opinion.
Patriot Headlines.
Jobless Claims in U.S. Increase as Dismissals Remain Elevated.
Pelosi Vows to End 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' by the End of Year.
Kerry: Academy of Sciences Report Shows 'Urgent' Need for Climate Bill.
Next Year's Budget Sinking in Deep Red Ink.
Obama Says Administration Taking 'Very Close Look' at Arizona's Immigration Law for Civil Rights 'Implications'.
Mexican President Denounces Arizona Law Despite Laws Against Illegal Immigration in His Own Country.
Senate Democratic Whip Compares Sealing the Mexican Border to Trying to Keep Drugs Off of I-95.
White House to Announce Energy-Loan Plan.
Senators Press for National Guard Troops on Border.
20,000 People in Greek Protest March to Parliament.
Record Growth Among Entrepreneurs in U.S.
Obama Clamors for Federal Fix to Immigration Woes.
More Headlines.
Policy.
The Heritage Foundation.
The Cato Institute.
Hoover Institution.
National Rifle Association.
Ludwig von Mises Institute.
National Center for Policy Analysis.
Source: Patriot Post.us.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
US Teacher Promotes Sedition
Labels:
crime,
entertainment,
wars
In this video you will see a banner behind the teacher speaking. It states, 'HATE SPEECH IS NOT FREE SPEECH'. I beg to differ. Who's speech is hateful? Anything that disagrees with him? Then I have plenty of hateful words, and they come from our Constitution!
If the video is working properly (sometimes they delete them), here is the link at YouTube. It was posted by Stand with Arizona.
Hat tip: Someone on Twitter. Sorry, but I lost your name. Thanks for the tip.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!
If the video is working properly (sometimes they delete them), here is the link at YouTube. It was posted by Stand with Arizona.
Hat tip: Someone on Twitter. Sorry, but I lost your name. Thanks for the tip.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Digg!
Signs of progress in central Helmand
ISAF Joint Command
KABUL, Afghanistan (May 19, 2010) – Three months after the launch of Operation Moshtarak, clear signs of progress are evident throughout central Helmand.
"There are many positive indicators, especially in the areas of development and economic growth," said Maj. Gen. Nick Carter, Regional Command-South commander. "We have roads being built, district centers being reconstructed, and a lot of minor infrastructure projects under way."
Governance and education.
Freedom of movement is key to delivering governance – in the form of traditional shuras as well as in health services, education and the judiciary. Since the first day of the operation, shuras called by provincial and district leaders have brought local elders together with government and combined force representatives to provide participants opportunities to raise concerns and discuss local matters.
Election shuras were held in Chah Anjir, the Nad-e Ali district center and the Bolan "T" junction between April 26 and 28. Attendance at the shuras was approximately 1,200, 400 and more than 1,200, respectively, indicating local nationals felt secure enough to begin to engage with their government in large numbers. Nearly 500 squatters from the Bolan "T" turned out to ensure they are represented.
An election shura was held in Nad-e Ali, May 11, to choose new members for the district community council. More than 600 elders elected 45 members to represent the district and said they were happy with the district’s new representation.
Governance is taking root throughout the region. A growing number of key government positions are being filled in the districts of Marjah and Nad-e Ali. Additional administrative offices are being built and enhanced services are being offered to residents, including new health care clinics and schools.
Improvements in education have been seen in central Helmand with the opening of new schools and the hiring of new teachers. The first schools, held under tents or in the open air, were established within a week of the commencement of Operation Moshtarak. There are now 13 schools in Nad-e Ali and nine in Marjah with 150 government-licensed teachers providing instruction to an estimated 3,100 students. Approximately 425 of these students are girls.
Economic growth.
One of the most visible signs of economic growth is the re-opening of local markets. Many of them had been closed for years, especially during the time of Taliban rule. More than 20 markets are now open for business, attracting more vendors and shoppers than due to increased security, better freedom of movement and higher quality of goods. Nearly $400,000 has been spent refurbishing bazaars in Nad-e Ali and Marjah. There is a $1 million project getting underway to rehabilitate the Loy Chareh Bazaar, which will employ more than 100 laborers and benefit thousands of local and regional Afghans by improving the variety and amount of goods traded within the southeast Marjah area.
"The basic point is that you’re seeing stability and prosperity begin to flourish in central Helmand and what you see is a consumer culture beginning to happen," said Carter.
Programs such as the Governor’s Food Zone Program, Afghanistan Vouchers for Increased Production in Agriculture (AVIPA) and the Marjah Accelerated Agricultural Transition Program (MAAT-P) help Helmand farmers move from growing poppy to cultivating legal crops. Without these alternatives, farmers find it difficult, if not impossible, to make this important change. At the end of the first week of May, the economic stimulus phase of MAAT-P came to a close, and 7,000 hectares of farm land were registered and verified, representing nearly half of the farmland the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated could be used for poppy.
The provincial government’s seed distribution program has proven extremely successful. Seeds have been provided to 20,000 farmers in the area, most of whom were previously dependent on poppy cultivation for their livelihood. These programs have created the required combination of farm preparation and inputs for the next season that gives the farmer a chance to break the cycle of poppy.
"Cash-for-work" programs are employing approximately 4,000 local residents per day, and nearly 80,000 "man-labor" days have been paid out for initiatives. Road construction and irrigation improvements, in particular, will enable farmers to get their products to market and help the Helmand valley reclaim its title as the "breadbasket of Afghanistan."
Security and freedom of movement.
Despite notable successes in development and economic growth, there are still challenges to be faced in the region. Insurgents continue to be active in the area, particularly in Marjah, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) remains a lethal threat to local residents, government officials and combined forces.
Fortunately, the number of IED strikes in central Helmand is declining, while the number of IED finds is rising. This positive trend is attributed to effective partnering of combined forces and the growing number of local residents volunteering information to combined forces about the location of IEDs.
While the decrease in IED strikes is a positive development, it has been accompanied by a troubling spike in small-arms engagements in Marjah. Using hit-and-run tactics that endanger both civilians and combined forces, insurgents have mounted an aggressive intimidation campaign.
"We have been in large parts of Nad-e Ali for at least 15 months at the point at which we launched the Operation Moshtarak," said Carter, "so the project is at least a year further on than Marjah. The point is that by being a year further on and by adopting the approach and the amount of resources that have been applied to it, one will see what will happen in Marjah in due course."
Freedom of movement in central Helmand continues to improve. A recent analysis revealed a dramatic increase in vehicle movements along the main traffic artery, Route 608, which runs from Nad-e Ali down through Marjah. Weekly vehicle flow numbers for local residents travelling this road increased by 440 percent between March 20 and May 8. The latest reports show nearly 40,000 vehicle trips along Route 608 in a one-week period. This is a very encouraging sign that people are more confident in the security situation.
"There is still work to be done in both Marjah and Nad-e Ali," said Carter. "But the trends are positive, and my bet is we’re in a good place in terms of the resources available on the ground and in the way in which the campaign is progressing."
Operation Moshtarak is an Afghan-led initiative to assert government authority in the center of Helmand province. Afghan and ISAF partners are engaging in this counter-insurgency operation at the request of the Afghan national government and the Helmand provincial government.
Source: CENTCOM.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
KABUL, Afghanistan (May 19, 2010) – Three months after the launch of Operation Moshtarak, clear signs of progress are evident throughout central Helmand.
"There are many positive indicators, especially in the areas of development and economic growth," said Maj. Gen. Nick Carter, Regional Command-South commander. "We have roads being built, district centers being reconstructed, and a lot of minor infrastructure projects under way."
Governance and education.
Freedom of movement is key to delivering governance – in the form of traditional shuras as well as in health services, education and the judiciary. Since the first day of the operation, shuras called by provincial and district leaders have brought local elders together with government and combined force representatives to provide participants opportunities to raise concerns and discuss local matters.
Election shuras were held in Chah Anjir, the Nad-e Ali district center and the Bolan "T" junction between April 26 and 28. Attendance at the shuras was approximately 1,200, 400 and more than 1,200, respectively, indicating local nationals felt secure enough to begin to engage with their government in large numbers. Nearly 500 squatters from the Bolan "T" turned out to ensure they are represented.
An election shura was held in Nad-e Ali, May 11, to choose new members for the district community council. More than 600 elders elected 45 members to represent the district and said they were happy with the district’s new representation.
Governance is taking root throughout the region. A growing number of key government positions are being filled in the districts of Marjah and Nad-e Ali. Additional administrative offices are being built and enhanced services are being offered to residents, including new health care clinics and schools.
Improvements in education have been seen in central Helmand with the opening of new schools and the hiring of new teachers. The first schools, held under tents or in the open air, were established within a week of the commencement of Operation Moshtarak. There are now 13 schools in Nad-e Ali and nine in Marjah with 150 government-licensed teachers providing instruction to an estimated 3,100 students. Approximately 425 of these students are girls.
Economic growth.
One of the most visible signs of economic growth is the re-opening of local markets. Many of them had been closed for years, especially during the time of Taliban rule. More than 20 markets are now open for business, attracting more vendors and shoppers than due to increased security, better freedom of movement and higher quality of goods. Nearly $400,000 has been spent refurbishing bazaars in Nad-e Ali and Marjah. There is a $1 million project getting underway to rehabilitate the Loy Chareh Bazaar, which will employ more than 100 laborers and benefit thousands of local and regional Afghans by improving the variety and amount of goods traded within the southeast Marjah area.
"The basic point is that you’re seeing stability and prosperity begin to flourish in central Helmand and what you see is a consumer culture beginning to happen," said Carter.
Programs such as the Governor’s Food Zone Program, Afghanistan Vouchers for Increased Production in Agriculture (AVIPA) and the Marjah Accelerated Agricultural Transition Program (MAAT-P) help Helmand farmers move from growing poppy to cultivating legal crops. Without these alternatives, farmers find it difficult, if not impossible, to make this important change. At the end of the first week of May, the economic stimulus phase of MAAT-P came to a close, and 7,000 hectares of farm land were registered and verified, representing nearly half of the farmland the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated could be used for poppy.
The provincial government’s seed distribution program has proven extremely successful. Seeds have been provided to 20,000 farmers in the area, most of whom were previously dependent on poppy cultivation for their livelihood. These programs have created the required combination of farm preparation and inputs for the next season that gives the farmer a chance to break the cycle of poppy.
"Cash-for-work" programs are employing approximately 4,000 local residents per day, and nearly 80,000 "man-labor" days have been paid out for initiatives. Road construction and irrigation improvements, in particular, will enable farmers to get their products to market and help the Helmand valley reclaim its title as the "breadbasket of Afghanistan."
Security and freedom of movement.
Despite notable successes in development and economic growth, there are still challenges to be faced in the region. Insurgents continue to be active in the area, particularly in Marjah, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) remains a lethal threat to local residents, government officials and combined forces.
Fortunately, the number of IED strikes in central Helmand is declining, while the number of IED finds is rising. This positive trend is attributed to effective partnering of combined forces and the growing number of local residents volunteering information to combined forces about the location of IEDs.
While the decrease in IED strikes is a positive development, it has been accompanied by a troubling spike in small-arms engagements in Marjah. Using hit-and-run tactics that endanger both civilians and combined forces, insurgents have mounted an aggressive intimidation campaign.
"We have been in large parts of Nad-e Ali for at least 15 months at the point at which we launched the Operation Moshtarak," said Carter, "so the project is at least a year further on than Marjah. The point is that by being a year further on and by adopting the approach and the amount of resources that have been applied to it, one will see what will happen in Marjah in due course."
Freedom of movement in central Helmand continues to improve. A recent analysis revealed a dramatic increase in vehicle movements along the main traffic artery, Route 608, which runs from Nad-e Ali down through Marjah. Weekly vehicle flow numbers for local residents travelling this road increased by 440 percent between March 20 and May 8. The latest reports show nearly 40,000 vehicle trips along Route 608 in a one-week period. This is a very encouraging sign that people are more confident in the security situation.
"There is still work to be done in both Marjah and Nad-e Ali," said Carter. "But the trends are positive, and my bet is we’re in a good place in terms of the resources available on the ground and in the way in which the campaign is progressing."
Operation Moshtarak is an Afghan-led initiative to assert government authority in the center of Helmand province. Afghan and ISAF partners are engaging in this counter-insurgency operation at the request of the Afghan national government and the Helmand provincial government.
Source: CENTCOM.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Warrior Legacy Foundation: My Post
I have written a short post over at the Warrior Legacy Foundation titled, 'Be Encouraged'. This is a great site doing great works. It was started by a very decent Military man. (Or is that some very decent men?)
I am not now, nor have I ever been, enlisted or drafted or anything else in the Military. Let's get that straight from the beginning. I did try to enlist in 1980 (I'm pretty sure that was the year, but it was in the beginning of the year so it could have been 1981), but I did not pass the physical. So I am not a LIAR like some people we know...
I just appreciate and love our Military men and women so very much. You have no idea (nor do I, for that matter) what they sacrifice just to keep us free. Yes, they have earned my respect. They are the only ones in this government that I still have any trust and respect for!
It certainly isn't the politicians...phtewee.
Please read my post, and check out Warrior Legacy Foundation. Even if you are a civilian, you may still join. After all, they let me join. haha.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!
I am not now, nor have I ever been, enlisted or drafted or anything else in the Military. Let's get that straight from the beginning. I did try to enlist in 1980 (I'm pretty sure that was the year, but it was in the beginning of the year so it could have been 1981), but I did not pass the physical. So I am not a LIAR like some people we know...
I just appreciate and love our Military men and women so very much. You have no idea (nor do I, for that matter) what they sacrifice just to keep us free. Yes, they have earned my respect. They are the only ones in this government that I still have any trust and respect for!
It certainly isn't the politicians...phtewee.
Please read my post, and check out Warrior Legacy Foundation. Even if you are a civilian, you may still join. After all, they let me join. haha.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Digg!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
SK To Blame NK For Torpedoing SK Ship
Labels:
Asia,
un,
war things
Oh joy. Nothing to see here. They are going to the UN to hold North Korea accountable for torpedoing South Koreans ship back in March.
Answer me this. Is North Korea not under all the sanctions there is already? Why are we even bothering to talk to these warmongers?
Here is my plan: Quietly go block by block in Seoul, South Korea and relocate the 20.5 million people that live there, and then bomb the hell out of Kim Jong Il's house, government places, electrical grids (if there is any), radio transmission places, train tracks, roads, air power, and nuclear weapons sites. PERIOD.
You may read about this in the National Review Online by Daniel Foster: ROK Officially Blames PDRK for Warship Attack.
"The Washington Post reports:
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!
Answer me this. Is North Korea not under all the sanctions there is already? Why are we even bothering to talk to these warmongers?
Here is my plan: Quietly go block by block in Seoul, South Korea and relocate the 20.5 million people that live there, and then bomb the hell out of Kim Jong Il's house, government places, electrical grids (if there is any), radio transmission places, train tracks, roads, air power, and nuclear weapons sites. PERIOD.
You may read about this in the National Review Online by Daniel Foster: ROK Officially Blames PDRK for Warship Attack.
"The Washington Post reports:
South Korea will formally blame North Korea on Thursday for launching a torpedo at one of its warships in March, causing an explosion that killed 46 sailors and heightened tensions in one of the world's most perilous regions, U.S. and East Asian officials said.Please read the whole article.
South Korea reached its conclusion that North Korea was responsible for the attack after investigators from Australia, Britain, Sweden and the United States pieced together portions of the ship at the port of Pyongtaek, 40 miles southwest of Seoul. The Cheonan sank on March 26, following an explosion that rocked the vessel as it sailed in the Yellow Sea off South Korea's west coast.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Digg!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Video Potpourri 5/15/10
Labels:
entertainment,
God,
gratitude,
health,
natural disasters,
new media,
News,
Politics,
prayers,
taxes
New Videos from machosauceproduction. [If the video has been removed from YouTube, please go to PJTV.com.]
Why I'm A Conservative Republican 2.0.
New Videos from JasonChaffetz.
Rep. Chaffetz on Dylan Ratigan Show 5-12-2010 on anti-incumbent sentiment.
New Videos from RightPunditsMedia.
Sherri Lynn Davis: Texas Teacher Beats Student (Video).
Seattle Police Attack Video.
New Videos from BruceBellott.
"Tennessee Teardrops" a flood benefit song.
In case you are unaware, there has been a horrific flood in Nashville, Tennessee. Has the president mentioned it? Has the media condemned him for not showing up there? Could it be because it is a red state? You decide.
The first video had here was removed by the person who put it up. Could be they ran into some copyright trouble. Anyway, this one is just a good (only there is no music). In case my computer won't work right for this video, here is the link to YouTube.
Thirty people dead at last count. How many have to die before the president decides it's a natural disaster? Oh, that's right. No muslims and it's a red state. How stupid of me to think Tennessee was a part of those 57 states.
New Videos from unclejimbomadcity.
In the Crosshairs-Eric Holder Cakeboy.
New Videos from CBYakima.
"RUN WITH ME" A call to seek God!!
Revival: He is Coming! The ABALONEKID.
2 MOM ~ One Heartbeat At A Time ~ S.C.Chapman.
New Videos from ReasonTV.
Fixing San Diego: A conversation with Councilman Carl Demaio.
Sweden's March Towards Capitalism: Economist Andreas Bergh on the "Capitalist Welfare State".
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again. Digg!
Why I'm A Conservative Republican 2.0.
New Videos from JasonChaffetz.
Rep. Chaffetz on Dylan Ratigan Show 5-12-2010 on anti-incumbent sentiment.
New Videos from RightPunditsMedia.
Sherri Lynn Davis: Texas Teacher Beats Student (Video).
Seattle Police Attack Video.
New Videos from BruceBellott.
"Tennessee Teardrops" a flood benefit song.
In case you are unaware, there has been a horrific flood in Nashville, Tennessee. Has the president mentioned it? Has the media condemned him for not showing up there? Could it be because it is a red state? You decide.
The first video had here was removed by the person who put it up. Could be they ran into some copyright trouble. Anyway, this one is just a good (only there is no music). In case my computer won't work right for this video, here is the link to YouTube.
Thirty people dead at last count. How many have to die before the president decides it's a natural disaster? Oh, that's right. No muslims and it's a red state. How stupid of me to think Tennessee was a part of those 57 states.
New Videos from unclejimbomadcity.
In the Crosshairs-Eric Holder Cakeboy.
New Videos from CBYakima.
"RUN WITH ME" A call to seek God!!
Revival: He is Coming! The ABALONEKID.
2 MOM ~ One Heartbeat At A Time ~ S.C.Chapman.
New Videos from ReasonTV.
Fixing San Diego: A conversation with Councilman Carl Demaio.
Sweden's March Towards Capitalism: Economist Andreas Bergh on the "Capitalist Welfare State".
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
Digg!
Karzai thanks Airborne Soldiers, families
101st Airborne Division
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (May 14, 2010) – Afghan President Hamid Karzai brought a message of thanks to Soldiers and their families here today, as the 101st Airborne Division continues to deploy to his country.
Karzai’s visit comes on the heels of a week of talks in Washington, D.C., with President Barack Obama. The two leaders used the time to help repair relations between Afghanistan and the United States after a year of rising tensions.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates recognized the history and sacrifice of the 101st Airborne Division Soldiers and their families in introducing of Karzai.
“[The sacrifice] is especially true on a post like this one, where almost everyone here today has either just returned from a deployment or is about to head out and confront the hardship and dangers half a world away,” Gates said.
In a hangar filled with more than 1,200 soldiers and spouses, Karzai concluded his trip to the United States by focusing on the improvements in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban almost 10 years ago. He is the first leader of the post-Taliban government.
“Since then, the story of Afghanistan, on many accounts, has been one of extreme achievements,” Karzai said.
Advances in education, health care and the economy are all indicators that Afghanistan is progressing, Karzai said. Women’s roles in the predominantly Muslim country also indicate the changing mindset. About 27 percent of the country’s leaders are women, more than in the United States and other Western nations.
“We have more women in our Parliament than many [other] countries have,” Karzai said.
The Afghan leader also lauded the free press that the liberation of Afghanistan from Taliban rule provides. Instead of one government-owned radio and television station, Karzai said, the country now boasts dozens of radio and television stations, as well as newspapers.
“The bad thing is they all are against me, no matter what I do,” Karzai joked. “It looks like the free press doesn’t like presidents anywhere in the world.”
With the help of U.S. soldiers to bring peace, Karzai said, Afghanistan can be a great tourist destination in the future. However, the leader recognized that much must be done to ensure his nation’s prosperity.
“Yes, we still have problems,” he said. “Yes, we are still a very poor country. We have miles to go, and miles to go before we can call ourselves sufficient.”
After his speech to soldiers and spouses, Karzai greeted deploying Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, at the post’s personnel processing center.
“Soldiers and officers, it is a distinct honor for me to be with you here today,” Karzai said. “Especially the day that you are also leaving for Afghanistan to work for your country and to also work for my country.”
Before coming to Fort Campbell, Karzai met with wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and paid his respects to the fallen at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
“It was heart-rending and extremely difficult to see soldiers without their arms and legs,” Karzai said of his visit to Walter Reed.
At Campbell, he was able to shake the hands of Soldiers, spouses and children present. Army Maj. Gen. John F. Campbell, commanding general of 101st Airborne Division and Fort Campbell, was impressed by Karzai’s support.
“He had a deep passion for the families and really thanked them for their selfless sacrifice and for what their husbands and wives are doing in Afghanistan now and will do in the future,” he said. “He recognized the great sacrifices that our soldiers and families have rendered over the last nine years in Afghanistan.”
Karzai thanked the families for everything they have done to improve the lives of Afghanistan’s people. He spoke of a desire to return to Fort Campbell with some Afghan families after the Soldiers return and the fighting is complete, so that the 101st Airborne Division can be properly thanked for its efforts.
“They will speak from their heart,” he said. “They will express their gratitude.”
One Fort Campbell spouse considered the visit to be a learning experience and said it was encouraging in the face of upcoming deployments.
“It’s just nice to see that we have good relations between our countries,” said Roya Lorge, wife of a 101st Aviation Brigade Soldier. “I didn’t realize the health care situation over there, and the education of the children, how much that has increased since we’ve been there.”
Army Staff Sgt. Joseph Hart, 3rd Battalion, 101st Aviation Brigade, deployed to Afghanistan once previously. He said Karzai’s message was “uplifting,” and helps make the sacrifices of combat worthwhile.
“It’s just nice to know that what we’re doing is going to mean something,” Hart said, [and that] we’re not just doing it without anything to show for it. The Afghanistan people deserve to have all the wonderful freedoms that we have, and sometimes we have to sacrifice ourselves for a bigger cause.”
Army Lt. Col. Johnny Davis, commander of the deploying 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, added his take on Karzai’s visit.
“It is a big deal,” he said. “As a matter of fact, I never thought it would happen here on Fort Campbell. … What I think is critical [in Afghanistan] is that the Taliban are not part of the conversation. They are the obstacle. I’m going to support the people, and everything secondary to that is just an obstacle to us. We will overcome that. We’re certainly headed in the right direction.”
Gates, along with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl W. Eikenberry and Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, accompanied Karzai to Fort Campbell.
About 20,000 Fort Campbell Soldiers are scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan by the end of the year. More than 10,000 already are in theater. The entire 101st Airborne Division will be in Afghanistan for the first time, with two brigades in Regional Command South and four brigades in Regional Command East.
“I wish them all good health, success and a happy time in Afghanistan and for them to come back safe to the arms of their loved ones here,” Karzai said.
Source: CENTCOM.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (May 14, 2010) – Afghan President Hamid Karzai brought a message of thanks to Soldiers and their families here today, as the 101st Airborne Division continues to deploy to his country.
Karzai’s visit comes on the heels of a week of talks in Washington, D.C., with President Barack Obama. The two leaders used the time to help repair relations between Afghanistan and the United States after a year of rising tensions.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates recognized the history and sacrifice of the 101st Airborne Division Soldiers and their families in introducing of Karzai.
“[The sacrifice] is especially true on a post like this one, where almost everyone here today has either just returned from a deployment or is about to head out and confront the hardship and dangers half a world away,” Gates said.
In a hangar filled with more than 1,200 soldiers and spouses, Karzai concluded his trip to the United States by focusing on the improvements in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban almost 10 years ago. He is the first leader of the post-Taliban government.
“Since then, the story of Afghanistan, on many accounts, has been one of extreme achievements,” Karzai said.
Advances in education, health care and the economy are all indicators that Afghanistan is progressing, Karzai said. Women’s roles in the predominantly Muslim country also indicate the changing mindset. About 27 percent of the country’s leaders are women, more than in the United States and other Western nations.
“We have more women in our Parliament than many [other] countries have,” Karzai said.
The Afghan leader also lauded the free press that the liberation of Afghanistan from Taliban rule provides. Instead of one government-owned radio and television station, Karzai said, the country now boasts dozens of radio and television stations, as well as newspapers.
“The bad thing is they all are against me, no matter what I do,” Karzai joked. “It looks like the free press doesn’t like presidents anywhere in the world.”
With the help of U.S. soldiers to bring peace, Karzai said, Afghanistan can be a great tourist destination in the future. However, the leader recognized that much must be done to ensure his nation’s prosperity.
“Yes, we still have problems,” he said. “Yes, we are still a very poor country. We have miles to go, and miles to go before we can call ourselves sufficient.”
After his speech to soldiers and spouses, Karzai greeted deploying Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, at the post’s personnel processing center.
“Soldiers and officers, it is a distinct honor for me to be with you here today,” Karzai said. “Especially the day that you are also leaving for Afghanistan to work for your country and to also work for my country.”
Before coming to Fort Campbell, Karzai met with wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and paid his respects to the fallen at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
“It was heart-rending and extremely difficult to see soldiers without their arms and legs,” Karzai said of his visit to Walter Reed.
At Campbell, he was able to shake the hands of Soldiers, spouses and children present. Army Maj. Gen. John F. Campbell, commanding general of 101st Airborne Division and Fort Campbell, was impressed by Karzai’s support.
“He had a deep passion for the families and really thanked them for their selfless sacrifice and for what their husbands and wives are doing in Afghanistan now and will do in the future,” he said. “He recognized the great sacrifices that our soldiers and families have rendered over the last nine years in Afghanistan.”
Karzai thanked the families for everything they have done to improve the lives of Afghanistan’s people. He spoke of a desire to return to Fort Campbell with some Afghan families after the Soldiers return and the fighting is complete, so that the 101st Airborne Division can be properly thanked for its efforts.
“They will speak from their heart,” he said. “They will express their gratitude.”
One Fort Campbell spouse considered the visit to be a learning experience and said it was encouraging in the face of upcoming deployments.
“It’s just nice to see that we have good relations between our countries,” said Roya Lorge, wife of a 101st Aviation Brigade Soldier. “I didn’t realize the health care situation over there, and the education of the children, how much that has increased since we’ve been there.”
Army Staff Sgt. Joseph Hart, 3rd Battalion, 101st Aviation Brigade, deployed to Afghanistan once previously. He said Karzai’s message was “uplifting,” and helps make the sacrifices of combat worthwhile.
“It’s just nice to know that what we’re doing is going to mean something,” Hart said, [and that] we’re not just doing it without anything to show for it. The Afghanistan people deserve to have all the wonderful freedoms that we have, and sometimes we have to sacrifice ourselves for a bigger cause.”
Army Lt. Col. Johnny Davis, commander of the deploying 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, added his take on Karzai’s visit.
“It is a big deal,” he said. “As a matter of fact, I never thought it would happen here on Fort Campbell. … What I think is critical [in Afghanistan] is that the Taliban are not part of the conversation. They are the obstacle. I’m going to support the people, and everything secondary to that is just an obstacle to us. We will overcome that. We’re certainly headed in the right direction.”
Gates, along with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl W. Eikenberry and Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, accompanied Karzai to Fort Campbell.
About 20,000 Fort Campbell Soldiers are scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan by the end of the year. More than 10,000 already are in theater. The entire 101st Airborne Division will be in Afghanistan for the first time, with two brigades in Regional Command South and four brigades in Regional Command East.
“I wish them all good health, success and a happy time in Afghanistan and for them to come back safe to the arms of their loved ones here,” Karzai said.
Source: CENTCOM.
May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.
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