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kittycelt's blog: "War?"

created on 01/17/2007  |  http://fubar.com/war/b45628

Why daddy?

The other day, my nine year old son wanted to know why we were at war ... My husband looked at our son and then looked at me. My husband and I were both in the Army during the Gulf War and we would be honored to serve and defend our Country again today. I knew that my husband would give him a good explanation. My husband thought for a few minutes and then told my son to go stand in our front living room window. He said, "Son, stand there and tell me what you see?" "I see trees and cars and our neighbor's houses." he replied. "OK, now I want you to pretend that our house and our yard is the United States of America and you are President Bush." Our son giggled and said, "OK." "Now son, I want you to look out the window and pretend that every house and yard on this block is a different country," my husband said. "OK Dad, I'm pretending." "Now I want you to stand there and look out the window and pretend you see Saddam come out of his house with his wife, he has her by the hair and is hitting her. You see her bleeding and crying. He hits her in the face, he throws her on the ground, then he starts to kicking her to death. Their children run out and are afraid to stop him, they are screaming and crying, they are watching this but do nothing because they are kids and they are afraid of their father. You see all of this, son....what do you do?" "Dad?" "What do you do son?" "I'd call the police, Dad." "OK. Pretend that the police are the United Nations. They take your call. They listen to what you know and saw but they refuse to help. What do you do then son?" "Dad.......... but the police are supposed to help!" my son starts to whine. "They don't want to, son, because they say that it is not their place or your place to get involved and that you should stay out of it," my husband says. "But Dad...he killed her!!" my son exclaims. "I know he did...but the police tell you to stay out of it. Now I want you to look out that window and pretend you see our neighbor who you're pretending is Saddam turn around and do the same thing to his children." "And Daddy ... did he kill them too?" "Yes son, he does. What do you do?" "Well, if the police don't want to help, I will go and ask my next door neighbor to help me stop him," our son says. "Son, our next door neighbor sees what is happening and refuses to get involved as well. He refuses to open the door and help you stop him," my husband says. "But Dad, I NEED help!!! I can't stop him by myself!!" "WHAT DO YOU DO SON?" Our son starts to cry. "OK, no one wants to help you, the man across the street saw you ask for help and saw that no one would help you stop him. He stands taller and puffs out his chest. Guess what he does next son?" "What Daddy?" "He walks across the street to the old lady's house and breaks down her door and drags her out, steals all her stuff and sets her house on fire and then...he kills her. He turns around and sees you standing in the window and laughs at you. WHAT DO YOU DO NOW ?" "Daddy.." "WHAT DO YOU DO?" Our son is crying and he looks down and he whispers, "I'd close the blinds, Daddy." My husband looks at our son with tears in his eyes and asks him, "Why?" "Because Daddy.....the police are supposed to help people who need them...and they won't help.... You always say that neighbors are supposed to HELP neighbors, but they won't help either...they won't help me stop him...I'm afraid....I can't do it by myself Daddy....I can't look out my window and just watch him do all these terrible things and..... and.....do nothing...so....I'm just going to close the blinds.... so I can't see what he's doing........and I'm going to pretend that it is not happening." That's when I started to cry. My husband looks at our nine year old son standing in the window, looking pitiful and ashamed at his answers to my husband's questions and he says..."Son" "Yes, Daddy." "Open the blinds because that man... he's at your front door... "WHAT DO YOU DO?" My son looks at his father, anger and defiance in his eyes. He balls up his tiny fists and looks his father square in the eyes, without hesitation he says: "I DEFEND MY FAMILY DAD!! I'M NOT GONNA LET HIM HURT MOMMY OR MY SISTER, DAD!!! I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM, DAD, I'M GONNA FIGHT HIM!!!!!" I see a tear roll down my husband's cheek and he grabs our son to his chest and hugs him tight, and says... "It's too late to fight him, he's too strong and he's already at YOUR front door son.....you should have stopped him BEFORE he killed his wife, and his children and the old lady across the way. You have to do what's right, even if you have to do it alone, before its too late," my husband whispers. THAT scenario I just gave you is WHY we are at war with Iraq . When good men stand by and let evil happen, son....THAT is the greatest atrocity in the world. "YOU MUST NEVER BE AFRAID TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO DO IT ALONE!" BE PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN! BE PROUD OF OUR TROOPS!! SUPPORT THEM!!! SUPPORT AMERICA SO THAT IN THE FUTURE OUR CHILDREN WILL NEVER HAVE TO CLOSE THEIR BLINDS..." If your blinds are closed do nothing with this email. If they are open I do not need to tell you what to do. GOD BLESS AMERICA
Very topical. A big earthquake with the strength of 8.1 on the Richter scale has hit Lebanon. Two million Lebanese have died and over a million are injured. The country is totally ruined and the government doesn't know where to start with providing help to rebuild. The rest of the world is in shock. - The United States is sending troops to help. - Saudi Arabia is sending oil. - Latin American countries are sending supplies. - The small island country New Zealand is sending sheep, cattle and food crops. - The European community (except France) is sending money. - The Asian continent is sending labour to assist in rebuilding infrastructure. - The Australians, not to be outdone, are sending two million replacement Lebanese. God Bless Our Aussie generosity. ======================================== -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Advertisement: Nokia 3120 Special Offer Only $119

I'm tired

INTERESTING POINT OF VIEW FROM A MAN WHO HAS "BEEN THERE". > > > > > LETTER FROM : LTC JOE RAPYA, USA > > "I'm Tired" > > Two weeks ago, as I was starting my sixth month of duty in Iraq, I was > forced to return to the USA for surgery for an injury I sustained prior to > my deployment. With luck, I'll return to Iraq to finish my tour. > > I left Baghdad and a war that has every indication that we are winning, to > return to a demoralized country much like the one I returned to in 1971 > after my tour in Vietnam. Maybe it's because I'll turn 60 years old in > just four months, but I'm tired: > > I'm tired of spineless politicians, both Democrat and Republican who lack > the courage, fortitude, and character to see these difficult tasks > through. > > I'm tired of the hypocrisy of politicians who want to rewrite history when > the going gets tough. > > I'm tired of the disingenuous clamor from those that claim they 'Support > the Troops' by wanting them to 'Cut and Run' before! victory is achieved. > > I'm tired of a mainstream media that can only focus on car bombs and > casualty reports because they are too afraid to leave the safety of their > hotels to report on the courage and success our brave men and women are > having on the battlefield. > > I'm tired that so many Americans think you can rebuild a dictatorship into > a democracy over night. > > I'm tired that so many ignore the bravery of the Iraqi people to go to the > voting booth and freely elect a Constitution and soon a permanent > Parliament. > > I'm tired of the so called 'Elite Left' that prolongs this war by giving > aid and comfort to our enemy, just as they did during theVietnam War. > > I'm tired of antiwar protesters showing up at the funerals of our fallen > soldiers. A family who's loved ones gave their life in a just and noble > cause, only to be cruelly tormented on the funeral day by cowardly > protesters is beyond shameful. > > I'm tired that my generation, the Baby Boom -- Vie tnam generation, who > have such a weak backbone that they can't stomach seeing the difficult > tasks through to victory. > > I'm tired that some are more concerned about the treatment of captives than > > they are the slaughter and beheading of our citizens and allies. > > I'm tired that when we find mass graves it is seldom reported by the > press, but mistreat a prisoner and it is front page news. > > Mostly, I'm tired that the people of this great nation didn't learn from > history that there is no substitute for Victory. > > Joe Repya, > Lieutenant Colonel, U. S. Army > 101st Airborne
At this point I am at tears begging people for answers, and ask...why must this hatred go towards us soldiers? What have we ever personally done to you? We volunteered to join during a wartime situation and joined knowning that one day we could be called to duity. I got my award for joining during a war time situation and wear it proudly. But i am appalled at the actions. For those who protest like the officer on trial I am ashamed to say are part of our military. We signed the contract knowing this could happen and that we could die. All we want is respect in our jobs. We dont ask that you support the war, just us. Dont use our funerals as a place of protest....We wouldn't create a riot at yours. -ARMYGIRLKATZ- The newspaper wrote a lovely article over him. He was an amazing friend and man. Never EVER argued about going to iraq. I think the only thing most said was "I want to be home. I miss it there. " that was the total amount of words said in his protest. But at his funeral yesterday (which i was unable to attend but would have gotten national news if i had been there due to beating someone down) there were protestors. People were unhappy that he was dead. His funeral attended by friends who protested the war were there breaking the solem additude. I was unhappy too but i wouldn't protest. I was pissed because they didn't give him the burial he would have wanted. It was hard to know that while people were mourning his death and laying him to rest in his final place others were doing something to make him turn in his grave. But none the less the media ignored the protestors once again failing to show the stupidity an apalling acts of society.Instead they wrote a beautiful article about his funeral. -City salutes fallen hero, son buried- Sig Christenson Express-News Military Writer Pastor Timothy Hoke stood silently at the podium at Faith Presbyterian Church, collecting his thoughts on a sunny but somber day. A minute or so passed. "Words fail me," he said. "When I got the call Saturday evening, just about to go to sleep, I couldn't think of anything more shocking. And I ask myself, what can you say in times like this?" A large color photo of Army Cpl. Timothy Allen Swanson in camouflage uniform prompted that reaction. Young, vibrant, cheerful and proud, he was among three soldiers killed that Saturday, Jan. 27., by a roadside bomb in Iraq. He was 21. Fighting through their grief, Hoke, Swanson's father and a buddy who survived the blast found plenty to say Monday as the Army, Mayor Phil Hardberger and congregants gave him a fond farewell. Still, it didn't come easily. A large crowd at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery wiped sniffles and tears away as a horse-drawn caisson brought Swanson's flag-draped coffin to a shelter they gathered around. Air Force Capt. James Covelli broke the silence with "Amazing Grace" on a clarinet, the notes taking wing on the cool southerly breeze that whispered through the shelter. The eight-member Fort Sam Houston Honors Platoon slowly took Swanson's casket off the caisson and placed it on a bier. "Ready! Face!" cried the platoon's commander, a sergeant. Two platoon members remained, their white-gloved hands holding an American flag over the cherry wood casket. Hoke led a prayer. The crowd sang "Amazing Grace" as Covelli again played. "He died for your brothers, your sons, your wives and your homes," Hoke said. "We thank God for Cpl. Timothy Swanson and the many others who've made this same sacrifice, and our hearts go out to Tim's family and to his friends. We weep with you, we grieve with you and we mourn with you." A 2003 Clark High School graduate, Swanson was killed with Pfc. Jon St. John II, 25, of Neenah, Wis., and Pfc. David Toomalatai, 19, of Long Beach, Calif. The Army said they died after an improvised explosive device, or IED, detonated near their Humvee while on convoy in the Taji area — long a hotbed of the Sunni insurgency. Swanson was the 29th Bexar County resident to die in combat since 9-11 and is among 309 Texans who have so far fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the Defense Department. Swanson, who was on his second tour of Iraq, joined the Army after graduating from Clark, where he'd been in the ROTC program. He had been an M-1 tank crewman in his first tour. Swanson changed jobs before deploying again, this time serving with a personal security detail used for high-ranking officers and dignitaries. His boss survived the blast. Standing to one side of the casket, Staff Sgt. Cedric Frasier stood at attention, his broken left arm in a sling, until it was his turn to speak. He did so from the heart and wore it on his battle dress uniform this day. "He was my soldier. I understand that you were his family," Frasier, 35, of Williston, Fla., told Swanson's parents, Keith and Dana Howard, through tears. "I was the other family." Before the burial ended, Hardberger presented an award in Swanson's honor and a city proclamation to his family. The Army posthumously awarded him a Bronze Star with valor, Purple Heart and Army Good Conduct Medal. The American flag that had covered Swanson's casket was folded, and a smart, slow salute given. Moments later, his parents cradled the flag as they once did their boy. A line of people stood to pay their respects before returning to First Presbyterian, where a long procession of cars led by the Patriot Guard Riders began the day's proceedings. In the sanctuary, Keith Howard, a church elder, led a service full of song and Bible passages. Tissue boxes dotted the pews. Swanson was remembered as an outdoors enthusiast who hunted, fished and hiked. Hoke said he "will always be remembered for having a wonderful smile and strong and steadfast spirit. Not only was he an American hero, he was our hero who will always be missed." In a deeply personal reflection, Howard recalled a conversation he had with Swanson before he married his mother. The boy, then 6, asked, "Can I call you dad?"
10 Things all of us Military Wives get tired of hearing... *Repost* if you've ever felt like strangling someone for asking you one of these... 1. I don't know how you do it. Well, guess what? In all honesty, I don't know how I do it either. I just do. Because really, what other choice do I have? 2. I could never deal with it if my husband was gone for that long. Hmmm...how does hearing how someone else can't deal with it help me to deal with it? 3. Are you scared that something may happen to him while he's there? This one has always really perplexed me. Of course, I'm scared. I wouldn't be human if I wasn't. But being reminded of the fact that something may happen to him doesn't help me out. 4. Do you miss him? Every time I get asked this, I just want to respond "Oh, no, definitely not. I like it when he's gone. It gives me the chance to be all by myself 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Who wouldn't want that?" Of course, I miss him. Wouldn't you miss your husband? 5. I know just how you feel. My husband was on a business trip last month for three days and I just thought I would die. Are you kidding me? First, I barely notice now if my husband is only gone for three days. Second, unless his business trip was to a place where everyone is openly carrying a gun in the street trying to kill him and suicide bombers and roadside bombs are prevalent, its not remotely close to being the same. The only thing I may give you on this one is that you know what it's like to sleep in an empty bed. 6. Do you worry about him cheating on you? Or along the same lines...How can you go without sex for so long? Well, people, it is a little thing called self control. That and a love for my husband and respect for my marriage. Do some people cheat? Sure they do - both here in the states and overseas. But people cheat in civilian marriages too. Being in the military has no bearing on that. 7. How can you sleep at night knowing your husband is a murderer? Won't you be afraid when he comes home? This one sets me off more than any other. No soldier is a murderer. Have they had to kill someone? Quite possibly. But there are a great many soldiers who never have. It's not something they talk about in daily conversation. Regardless of what they do overseas, it does not make them a murderer. They are in a war zone and following orders. I have never once even had an inkling that I should be afraid of my husband because he is a soldier. 8. I'm so sorry your husband had to be deployed. Don't you just hate President Bush? My husband joined the military of his own free will Before 9/11 knowing full well that he would probably be deployed. The President may be the one running the show, but my husband knew what he was getting into when he joined. I'm proud of him and his accomplishments. And I don't discuss politics or religion with anyone. 9. If you truly supported your husband, you would be protesting so..he wouldn't have to deploy again/could be brought home/the war would end. Really? My definition of support must be much different than the definition of support by these people. Supporting my husband means supporting him in what he does and what he believes in. It does not mean disrespecting the men and women who volunteered to defend our country and our rights. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have the right to protest in the first place. I'm certainly not putting myself in a position where it could be construed as anything other than 100% support for our troops and their families. 10. I can't believe your husband did this to you. Aren't you mad at him? Um, what?! My husband didn't do anything to me. He honors his agreements and he follows the orders of his superiors. There's certainly nothing sad or maddening about having a husband who fulfills his commitments. Don't feel sorry for me. I'm proud of my husband and I completely support him.

Do you know?

Did you know? I didn't know! How could we? Its called a purpose! A purpose of helping a country be able to stand on its own two feet. You think that we are there to capture Bin Laden, and since we havent, its been a waste! Well, before you cast your vote as a republican hater....read this and then tell me if we have made headway! Did you know that 47 countries' have reestablished their embassies in Iraq? Did you know that the Iraqi government currently employs 1.2 million Iraqi people? Did you know that 3100 schools have been renovated, 364 schools are under rehabilitation, 263 new schools are now under construction and 38 new schools have been completed in Iraq? Did you know that Iraq's higher educational structure consists of 20 Universities, 46 Institutes or colleges and 4 research centers, all currently operating? Did you know that 25 Iraq students departed for the United States in January 2005 for the re-established Fulbright program? Did you know that the Iraqi Navy is operational? They have 5 - 100-foot patrol craft, 34 smaller vessels and a naval infantry regiment. Did you know that Iraq's Air Force consists of three operational squadrons, which includes 9 reconnaissance and 3 US C-130 transport aircraft (under Iraqi operational control) which operate day and night, and will soon add 16 UH-1 helicopters and 4 Bell Jet Rangers? Did you know that Iraq has a counter-terrorist unit and a Commando Battalion? Did you know that the Iraqi Police Service has over 55,000 fully trained and equipped police officers? Did you know that there are 5 Police Academies in Iraq that produce over 3500 new officers each 8 weeks? Did you know there are more than 1100 building projects going on in Iraq? They include 364 schools, 67 public clinics, 15 hospitals, 83 railroad stations, 22 oil facilities, 93 water facilities and 69 electrical facilities. Did you know that 96% of Iraqi children under the age of 5 have received the first 2 series of polio vaccinations? Did you know that 4.3 million Iraqi children were enrolled in primary school by mid October? Did you know that there are 1,192,000 cell phone subscribers in Iraq and phone use has gone up 158%? Did you know that Iraq has an independent media that consists of 75 radio stations, 180 newspapers and 10 television stations? Did you know that the Baghdad Stock Exchange opened in June of 2004? Did you know that 2 candidates in the Iraqi presidential election had a televised debate recently? OF COURSE WE DIDN'T KNOW! WHY DIDN'T WE KNOW? OUR MEDIA WOULDN'T TELL US! Instead of reflecting our love for our country, we get photos of flag burning incidents at Abu Ghraib and people throwing snowballs at the presidential motorcades. Tragically, the lack of accentuating the positive in Iraq serves two purposes: It is intended to undermine the world's perception of the United States thus minimizing consequent support, and it is intended to discourage American citizens. ---- Above facts are verifiable on the Department of Defense web site. ......Pass it on! Give it a Wide Dissemination Thank you to all the troops that risk their lives so that this could be possible. Be careful and God speed.

Guarding the tomb

Keep it moving, please, even if you've seen it before. 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, It is th e veteran, who serves under the Flag, ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM. I don't know if you saw this in the news but it really impressed me. Funny, our US Senate/House took 2 days off as they couldn't work because of the expected storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported tonight that, because of the dangers from Hurricane Isabelle approaching Washington DC, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, "No way, Sir!" Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment; it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a serviceperson. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930. I don't usually suggest that many emails be forwarded, but I'd be EXTREMELY proud if this one 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!!!

John Glenn

JOHN GLENN SAID Things that make you think a little: There were 39 combat related killings in Iraq in January. In the fair city of Detroit there were 35 murders in the month of January. That's just one American city, about as deadly as the entire war-torn country of Iraq. When some claim that President Bush shouldn't have started this war, state the following: a. FDR led us into World War II. b. Germany never attacked us; Japan did. >From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost ... an average of 112,500 per year. c. Truman finished that war and started one in Korea. North Korea never attacked us .. >From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost ... an average of 18,334 per year. d John F. Kennedy started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam never attacked us. e. Johnson turned Vietnam into a quagmire. >From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost .. an average of 5,800 per year. f. Clinton went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent. Bosnia never attacked us. He was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three times by Sudan and did nothing. Osama has attacked us on multiple occasions. g. In the years since terrorists attacked us , President Bush has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Libya , Iran, and, North Korea without firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who slaughtered 300,000 of his own people. The Democrats are complaining about how long the war is taking. But It took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno to take the Branch Davidian compound. That was a 51-day operation.. We've been looking for evidence for chemical weapons in Iraq for less time than it took Hillary Clinton to find the Rose Law Firm billing records. It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard than it took Ted Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick. It took less time to take Iraq than it took to count the votes in Florida!!!! Our Commander-In-Chief is doing a GREAT JOB! The Military morale is high! The biased media hopes we are too ignorant to realize the facts But Wait . There's more! JOHN GLENN (ON THE SENATE FLOOR) Mon, 26 Jan 2004 11:13 Some people still don't understand why military personnel do what they do for a living. This exchange between Senators John Glenn and Senator Howard Metzenbaum is worth reading. Not only is it a pretty impressive impromptu speech, but it's also a good example of one man's explanation of why men and women in the armed services do what they do for a living. This IS a typical, though sad, example of what some who have never served think of the military. Senator Metzenbaum (speaking to Senator Glenn): "How can you run for Senate when you've never held a real job?" Senator Glenn (D-Ohio): "I served 23 years in the United States Marine Corps. I served through two wars. I flew 149 missions. My plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire on 12 different occasions. I was in the space program. It wasn't my checkbook, Howard; it was my life on the line. It was not a nine-to-five job, where I took time off to take the daily cash receipts to the bank." "I ask you to go with me ... as I went the other day... to a veteran's hospital and look those men ... with their mangled bodies . in the eye, and tell THEM they didn't hold a job! You go with me to the Space Program at NASA and go, as I have gone, to the widows and Orphans of Ed White, Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee... and you look those kids in the eye and tell them that their DADS didn't hold a job. You go with me on Memorial Day and you stand in Arlington National Cemetery, where I have more friends buried than I'd like to remember, and you watch those waving flags. You stand there, and you think about this nation, and you tell ME that those people didn't have a job? What about you?" For those who don't remember . During W.W.II, Howard Metzenbaum was an attorney representing the Communist Party in the USA. Now he's a Senator! If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you are reading it in English thank a Veteran. It might not be a bad idea to keep this circulating
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