This from a friend of mine who knows the soldier in question personally, so
I take it that it's probably quite accurate. We need more of this
perspective in media. (The soldier's name was removed for security
reasons.)
MS
Hi everyone.
I'm still alive but freezing my tail off. We got 8 inches of snow last week
and it reached 5 degrees below zero that night. That's not why I'm e-mailing though.
You may have heard about a suicide car bomb attack in Kabul last Thursday. It was at one of our FOB's (Forward Observation Bases) about 27 miles from here. But the real story -- the story you won't read in the American media -- is why no one was killed.
We employ several thousand Afghans on our various bases. Not to mention the economy that is fed by the money these locals are making. Some are laborers and builders, but some are skilled workers. We even have one Afghan that just became OSHA qualified, the first ever. Some are skilled HVAC workers.
Anyway, there is this one Afghan that we call Rambo. We have actually given him a couple of sets of the new ACU uniforms (the new Army digital camouflage) with the name tag RAMBO on it. His entire family was killed by the Taliban and his home was where our base currently resides. So this guy really had nowhere else to go.
He has reached such a level of trust with US Forces that his job is to stand at the front gate and basically be the first security screening. Since he can't have a weapon, he found a big red pipe. So he stands there at the front gate in his US Army ACU uniform with his red pipe. If a vehicle approaches the gate too fast or fails to stop he slams his pipe down on their hood. Then once the gate is lifted the vehicle moves on the 2nd gate where the US Army MPs are. So he's like the first line of defense.
Last Thursday at 0930 hrs a Toyota Corolla packed with explosives and some Jackass that thinks he has 72 Virgins waiting for him approached the gate. When he saw Rambo he must have recognized him and known the gig was up. But he needed to get to that 2nd gate to detonate and take American lives. So he slams his foot on the gas which almost causes the metal gate to go up but mostly catches on the now broken windshield. Rambo fearlessly ran to the vehicle, reached thru the window and jerked the suicide bomber out of the vehicle before he could detonate and commenced to putting some red pipe to his heathen ass. He detained the guy until the MP got there. The vehicle only exploded when they tried to push it off base with a robot but no one was hurt.
I'm still waiting for someone to give this guy a medal or something. Nothing less than instant US citizenship or something. A hat was passed around and a lot of money was given to him in thanks by both soldiers and civilians that are working over here.
I just wanted to share this because I want people to know that it's
working over here. They have tasted freedom. This makes it worth it to me.
Sunday, February 11
Sunday, February 4
A U.S. soldier's view of Iraq
Since everything that follows jibes 100% with what I've heard from others either in Iraq or returning from Iraq, I'm passing this little piece along. It is so true that we, "the people" including the US media do not know enough about what is really going on in Iraq to voice an informed opinion on it, especially if our opinions aid the enemy.
"Following the article I sent about Bush's national address and troop increase, I thought it was a good idea to let you all know what the perspective is over here. I'm tired of hearing the media's skewed version, the politicians squabbling over what they read in a report, and the average ill-informed American ranting about things he knows NOTHING about.
I've been over here a couple of months now, and I've learned more about this country than a year's worth of watching CNN. I've sat in mission briefs with Colonels, talked with village elders, had tea with Sheiks, played with the kids. And I agree with the President. We need more troops and we need to take greater action.
There are 3 major factions here. The Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds. The Shiites are in the majority, but Sad dam was a Sunni, so he kept the Shiites in check. Everyone hates the Kurds, who are Christian and in the vast minority. The Kurds received the brunt of Saddam's murderous tyranny. Now that Saddam is gone, the Shiites have taken control of Baghdad. The largely peaceful Sunnis are now the victims of radical Shiite terrorism. So the young Sunni men, who can no longer go to work and support their families, do what all young men would do. They join the Sunni militia and battle the Shiites. And thus the country sits on the brink of civil war.
But this war is between them. They largely do not concern themselves with the U.S. troops. The insurgents who battle the Coalition Forces are from outside the country. And the biggest problem down here isn't the insurgents. Its the politicians. The local politicians. Even though the country is controlled by Prime Minister Nourial-Maliki, downtown Baghdad is controlled by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr. The Shiites follow Al-Sadr and thus the Prime Minister does what Al-Sadr says. Think of it as if a warlord controlled New York and blackmailed the President into diplomatic immunity.
When 1st Cav (mainly 2/5 Cav) came here in 2004, they took downtown Baghdad (known as Sadr City) by force. It cost many lives, but after a year, we held an iron grip on the largest insurgent breeding ground in Iraq. The insurgents were afraid of the Horse People, and rightfully so. But when 1st Cav left, al-Sadr influenced the Prime Minister to kick out the Coalition forces from that area of Baghdad. He said the Iraqi military forces could hold the city. But all that happened was al-Sadr regained control of his city, and it is now a heavily guarded fortress. A place where insurgents and terrorists can train and stockpile arms. And we cannot go back in because the Prime Minister won't let us. Our hands are tied.
So where does al-Sadr get his backing? From Iran and Syria. Iran supplies him with money and Syria supplies the terrorists. The insurgents that battle the Coalition Forces are from Syria, Somalia and dozens of other places outside of Iraq. Iraq is literally a terrorist breeding ground. They have terrorist and sniper schools here. Why not? They train by teaching them to attack the military forces here. And they have an endless supply of these training tools. They have factories in Sadr City to build bombs. Both Iran and Syria have openly proclaimed their number one goal in life is to destroy the great Western Devil and the little Western Devil (America and Britain). Iran wants to control Iraq to further this purpose. Al-Sadr will get to "run" the country and live like a king, but in reality Iran will pull the puppet strings. Iran will have access to thousands of radical Shiites who will do whatever Al-Sadr tells them to. And Iraq will be used as a breeding ground for terrorism. Terrorism that will be targeted directly at America and Britain. The Iraq Study Group advised we should let Iran and Syria help with rebuilding? Bravo to President Bush for striking that idea down and vowing to keep those two countries out of Iraq.
So how do the Iraqi people feel about everything? Of course they don't want the Americans here. But they would far rather have us here than the Iranians. My platoon visited an average Sunni village on a patrol a few days ago. Their only source of income was to farm, as they could not go to the city to work for fear of violence. Many of the young men had already run off to join the militia for no other reason than to feed their families. They had no school or hospital near them and the community was dying. The village elder's granddaughter was very sick and I was able to treat her. Afterwards he invited me and my Platoon Leader to sit in his house and have tea with him, and we talked about the situation.
The people want peace. The Shiites kill the Sunnis because Al-Sadr tells them to do so. The Sunnis fight back because they have no choice. They are glad Saddam is dead (Sunni or not), but do not want to replace him with another dictator in a politician's clothes (which is what Al-Sadr will become). And they especially don't want Iran in charge. Many innocent Iraqis will die if this happens. These are the words that came out of the elder's mouth:
"We do not want America here, and America does not want to be here. But you cannot leave because the militias control the country. America must use the might of its giant army and sweep through, root out and destroy the militias. Then Iraq can be free and you can leave."
What appears to have happened within our diplomatic community, is that Prime Minister finally realizes that his days are numbered. If Al-Sadr remains, he will be kicked to the curb. So hopefully he is about to allow us to reenter Sadr City, root out and destroy the enemy. A dramatic troop increase will allow us to do this. And the Horse People are back and ready to finish what they started over 2 years ago.
If leave now, it will be a failure for democracy. Iran will control Iraq and the end result will be more terrorist attacks on America. The American people don't want soldiers dying over here, but its better than American civilians dying over there. Do NOT forget 9/11. They will do it again. The moment we loosen our grip on the noose, they will do it again. And the only way to root out the evil here is to stop beating around the bush, increase troops and destroy the insurgents once and for all. The Iraqi government cannot do this on their own. The Iraqi security forces are inadequate for this task. We are the only ones who can stop Al-Sadr.
Feel free to share this with whomever wants a real soldier's opinion about the war."
"Following the article I sent about Bush's national address and troop increase, I thought it was a good idea to let you all know what the perspective is over here. I'm tired of hearing the media's skewed version, the politicians squabbling over what they read in a report, and the average ill-informed American ranting about things he knows NOTHING about.
I've been over here a couple of months now, and I've learned more about this country than a year's worth of watching CNN. I've sat in mission briefs with Colonels, talked with village elders, had tea with Sheiks, played with the kids. And I agree with the President. We need more troops and we need to take greater action.
There are 3 major factions here. The Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds. The Shiites are in the majority, but Sad dam was a Sunni, so he kept the Shiites in check. Everyone hates the Kurds, who are Christian and in the vast minority. The Kurds received the brunt of Saddam's murderous tyranny. Now that Saddam is gone, the Shiites have taken control of Baghdad. The largely peaceful Sunnis are now the victims of radical Shiite terrorism. So the young Sunni men, who can no longer go to work and support their families, do what all young men would do. They join the Sunni militia and battle the Shiites. And thus the country sits on the brink of civil war.
But this war is between them. They largely do not concern themselves with the U.S. troops. The insurgents who battle the Coalition Forces are from outside the country. And the biggest problem down here isn't the insurgents. Its the politicians. The local politicians. Even though the country is controlled by Prime Minister Nourial-Maliki, downtown Baghdad is controlled by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr. The Shiites follow Al-Sadr and thus the Prime Minister does what Al-Sadr says. Think of it as if a warlord controlled New York and blackmailed the President into diplomatic immunity.
When 1st Cav (mainly 2/5 Cav) came here in 2004, they took downtown Baghdad (known as Sadr City) by force. It cost many lives, but after a year, we held an iron grip on the largest insurgent breeding ground in Iraq. The insurgents were afraid of the Horse People, and rightfully so. But when 1st Cav left, al-Sadr influenced the Prime Minister to kick out the Coalition forces from that area of Baghdad. He said the Iraqi military forces could hold the city. But all that happened was al-Sadr regained control of his city, and it is now a heavily guarded fortress. A place where insurgents and terrorists can train and stockpile arms. And we cannot go back in because the Prime Minister won't let us. Our hands are tied.
So where does al-Sadr get his backing? From Iran and Syria. Iran supplies him with money and Syria supplies the terrorists. The insurgents that battle the Coalition Forces are from Syria, Somalia and dozens of other places outside of Iraq. Iraq is literally a terrorist breeding ground. They have terrorist and sniper schools here. Why not? They train by teaching them to attack the military forces here. And they have an endless supply of these training tools. They have factories in Sadr City to build bombs. Both Iran and Syria have openly proclaimed their number one goal in life is to destroy the great Western Devil and the little Western Devil (America and Britain). Iran wants to control Iraq to further this purpose. Al-Sadr will get to "run" the country and live like a king, but in reality Iran will pull the puppet strings. Iran will have access to thousands of radical Shiites who will do whatever Al-Sadr tells them to. And Iraq will be used as a breeding ground for terrorism. Terrorism that will be targeted directly at America and Britain. The Iraq Study Group advised we should let Iran and Syria help with rebuilding? Bravo to President Bush for striking that idea down and vowing to keep those two countries out of Iraq.
So how do the Iraqi people feel about everything? Of course they don't want the Americans here. But they would far rather have us here than the Iranians. My platoon visited an average Sunni village on a patrol a few days ago. Their only source of income was to farm, as they could not go to the city to work for fear of violence. Many of the young men had already run off to join the militia for no other reason than to feed their families. They had no school or hospital near them and the community was dying. The village elder's granddaughter was very sick and I was able to treat her. Afterwards he invited me and my Platoon Leader to sit in his house and have tea with him, and we talked about the situation.
The people want peace. The Shiites kill the Sunnis because Al-Sadr tells them to do so. The Sunnis fight back because they have no choice. They are glad Saddam is dead (Sunni or not), but do not want to replace him with another dictator in a politician's clothes (which is what Al-Sadr will become). And they especially don't want Iran in charge. Many innocent Iraqis will die if this happens. These are the words that came out of the elder's mouth:
"We do not want America here, and America does not want to be here. But you cannot leave because the militias control the country. America must use the might of its giant army and sweep through, root out and destroy the militias. Then Iraq can be free and you can leave."
What appears to have happened within our diplomatic community, is that Prime Minister finally realizes that his days are numbered. If Al-Sadr remains, he will be kicked to the curb. So hopefully he is about to allow us to reenter Sadr City, root out and destroy the enemy. A dramatic troop increase will allow us to do this. And the Horse People are back and ready to finish what they started over 2 years ago.
If leave now, it will be a failure for democracy. Iran will control Iraq and the end result will be more terrorist attacks on America. The American people don't want soldiers dying over here, but its better than American civilians dying over there. Do NOT forget 9/11. They will do it again. The moment we loosen our grip on the noose, they will do it again. And the only way to root out the evil here is to stop beating around the bush, increase troops and destroy the insurgents once and for all. The Iraqi government cannot do this on their own. The Iraqi security forces are inadequate for this task. We are the only ones who can stop Al-Sadr.
Feel free to share this with whomever wants a real soldier's opinion about the war."
Sunday, January 14
The USA As An Idiocratic Nation
In my reading recently -- political blogs, newspapers, political magazines -- I've begun to seriously wonder if the United States has become an idiocracy instead of the republic it was intended or the democracy we claim.
Now, the word "idiocracy" doesn't exist. At least it doesn't exist in Merriam-Webster or the Oxford Dictionary. It's simply a made-up word coined by some Hollywood writer and used as the title of a movie. But one can assume by breaking the word up that it's coined from combining "idiot" and "democracy." That brings us to a definition of a democracy run by idiots. Since the people and the US Congress run our form of "democracy," it follows (in my mind, at least) that in an idiocracy, dumb people run a democratic form of government.
And why do I believe we in America have evolved into an "idiocracy?" How about this, for starters:
Where in the world do we get off believing that we, the people, can possibly know enough about a war to decide what to do about it? And why would we believe that Congress would know better than we? Neither we nor members of Congress are privy to the kind of information we need to make decisions like that -- nor should we be.
The reason we aren't -- and should not be -- given full access to all the necessary information regarding the conduct of war is simple: What we know, the enemy knows. During the Second World War, when the nation went all out to win, there were slogans about that sort of thing. "Loose lips sink ships" was one. Letters home from troops were censored, not because the soldiers would intentionally say something to compromise war plans but because they may not KNOW that something they wrote was aiding the enemy.
Current newspapers like the LA Times and the NY Times have recently demonstrated how irresponsible the media can be when it comes to compromising the war. Demonstrators who attend military funerals to protest the war demonstrate their insensitivity not only to grieving families but show that they will go to any extreme (even to sell out their country) to try to stop the war. They certainly shouldn't have the information they need to make responsible decisions because they've demonstrated by their actions that they are not responsible.
It is sheer idiocy to allow polls to guide the war. And it is idiocy to listen to Congress, who have demonstrated again and again that party loyalties are more important to them than loyalty to our country.
The American voter has plenty to learn about in order to vote responsibly: health issues, social security, education, infrastructure (disaster relief, the US highway system), social issues, environmental issues...the list is long. But NOT war.
Another symptom of idiocracy in America is the fact that the average citizen cannot rely on one (or even two) newspaper or magazine to report the truth about any given issue. Where the media should be striving for balance in reporting and should be offering two sides of any particular issue, we find both blatant and subliminal one-sidedness. The American media seem to have taken a page from Goebbels (Hitler's propagandist) who operated on the belief that if you tell a lie often enough, people will come to believe it.
Today anyone who doesn't watch CNN, Fox News, and a network news show along with reading at least one liberal newspaper or magazine, one conservative paper or magazine and a variety of political bloggers, he or she simply cannot get enough information on any one issue to vote responsibly. In addition to all that, the voter must be aware of assumptions made in seemingly nonpolitical publications -- little comments and jabs at the behavior or reputations of politicians and policy makers that the writer assumes the reader will accept as fact but in reality is simply rumor or, worse, a lie.
When it comes to war, only Generals in the field should be consulted. The President should make the necessary decisions by considering their input and theirs only. If Generals who have not served in this particular conflict want to express opinions, they should go to the war zone and serve with the troops before going before microphones. To do anything else is irresponsible.
As for the American people, we should be supporting the war, our troops and our President until we win this conflict. This is not the time for bleeding hearts -- that must come only when we have won and we can reach out to help heal the people who have suffered.
Arguments about why we are there and how we got there are simply not useful or appropriate. It's time to reject idiocracy and reclaim our right to win as citizens of a free and democratic republic.
If we are a free idiocracy now, we must change or we soon will not be free at all.
Now, the word "idiocracy" doesn't exist. At least it doesn't exist in Merriam-Webster or the Oxford Dictionary. It's simply a made-up word coined by some Hollywood writer and used as the title of a movie. But one can assume by breaking the word up that it's coined from combining "idiot" and "democracy." That brings us to a definition of a democracy run by idiots. Since the people and the US Congress run our form of "democracy," it follows (in my mind, at least) that in an idiocracy, dumb people run a democratic form of government.
And why do I believe we in America have evolved into an "idiocracy?" How about this, for starters:
Where in the world do we get off believing that we, the people, can possibly know enough about a war to decide what to do about it? And why would we believe that Congress would know better than we? Neither we nor members of Congress are privy to the kind of information we need to make decisions like that -- nor should we be.
The reason we aren't -- and should not be -- given full access to all the necessary information regarding the conduct of war is simple: What we know, the enemy knows. During the Second World War, when the nation went all out to win, there were slogans about that sort of thing. "Loose lips sink ships" was one. Letters home from troops were censored, not because the soldiers would intentionally say something to compromise war plans but because they may not KNOW that something they wrote was aiding the enemy.
Current newspapers like the LA Times and the NY Times have recently demonstrated how irresponsible the media can be when it comes to compromising the war. Demonstrators who attend military funerals to protest the war demonstrate their insensitivity not only to grieving families but show that they will go to any extreme (even to sell out their country) to try to stop the war. They certainly shouldn't have the information they need to make responsible decisions because they've demonstrated by their actions that they are not responsible.
It is sheer idiocy to allow polls to guide the war. And it is idiocy to listen to Congress, who have demonstrated again and again that party loyalties are more important to them than loyalty to our country.
The American voter has plenty to learn about in order to vote responsibly: health issues, social security, education, infrastructure (disaster relief, the US highway system), social issues, environmental issues...the list is long. But NOT war.
Another symptom of idiocracy in America is the fact that the average citizen cannot rely on one (or even two) newspaper or magazine to report the truth about any given issue. Where the media should be striving for balance in reporting and should be offering two sides of any particular issue, we find both blatant and subliminal one-sidedness. The American media seem to have taken a page from Goebbels (Hitler's propagandist) who operated on the belief that if you tell a lie often enough, people will come to believe it.
Today anyone who doesn't watch CNN, Fox News, and a network news show along with reading at least one liberal newspaper or magazine, one conservative paper or magazine and a variety of political bloggers, he or she simply cannot get enough information on any one issue to vote responsibly. In addition to all that, the voter must be aware of assumptions made in seemingly nonpolitical publications -- little comments and jabs at the behavior or reputations of politicians and policy makers that the writer assumes the reader will accept as fact but in reality is simply rumor or, worse, a lie.
When it comes to war, only Generals in the field should be consulted. The President should make the necessary decisions by considering their input and theirs only. If Generals who have not served in this particular conflict want to express opinions, they should go to the war zone and serve with the troops before going before microphones. To do anything else is irresponsible.
As for the American people, we should be supporting the war, our troops and our President until we win this conflict. This is not the time for bleeding hearts -- that must come only when we have won and we can reach out to help heal the people who have suffered.
Arguments about why we are there and how we got there are simply not useful or appropriate. It's time to reject idiocracy and reclaim our right to win as citizens of a free and democratic republic.
If we are a free idiocracy now, we must change or we soon will not be free at all.
Friday, December 22
Made in the USA : Spoiled brats (AMEN)
I received this via e-mail this morning. I can't agree more. And you "intellectual" libs/progressives might as well quit right now since you never seem to read anything you don't already agree with.
"The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right? The same magazine that employs Michael (Qurans in the toilets at Gitmo) Isikoff.
The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.
I starting thinking, What we are so unhappy about?
Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?
Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all involved. Whether you are rich or poor they treat your wounds and even, if necessary, send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.
Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home, you may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of having a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes; an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.
How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.
Then there are the actors, singers, comedians, and politicians who visit foreign countries and badmouth the U.S.A. and our President.
Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.
I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?
Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a "general" discharge, an "other than honorable" discharge or, worst case scenario, a "dishonorable" discharge after a few days in the brig.
So why then the flat out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells. Just ask why they almost were going to allow O.J. Simpson to write a book and do a TV special about how he didn't kill his wife but if he did.... . insane! And, they did it during the Vietnam Conflict. I was there dealing with them as the public affairs representative for a major command. News representatives and reporters for the major TV networks would come to us to cover our soldiers.
To give you an example, they wanted to show how our soldiers lived and apparently covered that story. Two weeks later we received the news reels from the U.S. and we could see what they had actually shown on TV. They would find soldiers who played basketball or were in an on-post club or were lounging in their barracks with a beer, or were at the PX shopping during duty hours. Their explanation was the troops had nothing to do and were not really needed there and nobody knew what they were doing. What they didn't tell the TV audience and readers was that these soldiers worked shifts, had worked during the night and enjoyed their free time.
This is just one of many examples how matters were misrepresented. I remember that many of us told our loved ones not to believe anything they hear or see in the media. I have heard comments like that from soldiers now serving in Iraq.
Stop buying the negative venom you are fed every day by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad.
I close with one of my favorite quotes from B.C. Forbes in 1953:
"What have Americans to be thankful for? More than any other people on the earth, we enjoy complete religious freedom, political freedom, social freedom. Our liberties are sacredly safeguarded by the Constitution of the United States , 'the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man.' Yes, we Americans of today have been bequeathed a noble heritage. Let us pray that we may hand it down unsullied to our children and theirs."
I suggest that this Holiday Season we sit back and count our blessings for all we have. If we don't, what we have will be taken away. Then we will have to explain to future generations why we squandered such blessing and abundance. If we are not careful this generation will be known as the "greediest and most ungrateful generation." A far cry from the proud Americans of the "greatest generation" who left us an untarnished legacy.
"The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right? The same magazine that employs Michael (Qurans in the toilets at Gitmo) Isikoff.
The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.
I starting thinking, What we are so unhappy about?
Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?
Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all involved. Whether you are rich or poor they treat your wounds and even, if necessary, send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.
Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home, you may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of having a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes; an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.
How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.
Then there are the actors, singers, comedians, and politicians who visit foreign countries and badmouth the U.S.A. and our President.
Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.
I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?
Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a "general" discharge, an "other than honorable" discharge or, worst case scenario, a "dishonorable" discharge after a few days in the brig.
So why then the flat out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells. Just ask why they almost were going to allow O.J. Simpson to write a book and do a TV special about how he didn't kill his wife but if he did.... . insane! And, they did it during the Vietnam Conflict. I was there dealing with them as the public affairs representative for a major command. News representatives and reporters for the major TV networks would come to us to cover our soldiers.
To give you an example, they wanted to show how our soldiers lived and apparently covered that story. Two weeks later we received the news reels from the U.S. and we could see what they had actually shown on TV. They would find soldiers who played basketball or were in an on-post club or were lounging in their barracks with a beer, or were at the PX shopping during duty hours. Their explanation was the troops had nothing to do and were not really needed there and nobody knew what they were doing. What they didn't tell the TV audience and readers was that these soldiers worked shifts, had worked during the night and enjoyed their free time.
This is just one of many examples how matters were misrepresented. I remember that many of us told our loved ones not to believe anything they hear or see in the media. I have heard comments like that from soldiers now serving in Iraq.
Stop buying the negative venom you are fed every day by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad.
I close with one of my favorite quotes from B.C. Forbes in 1953:
"What have Americans to be thankful for? More than any other people on the earth, we enjoy complete religious freedom, political freedom, social freedom. Our liberties are sacredly safeguarded by the Constitution of the United States , 'the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man.' Yes, we Americans of today have been bequeathed a noble heritage. Let us pray that we may hand it down unsullied to our children and theirs."
I suggest that this Holiday Season we sit back and count our blessings for all we have. If we don't, what we have will be taken away. Then we will have to explain to future generations why we squandered such blessing and abundance. If we are not careful this generation will be known as the "greediest and most ungrateful generation." A far cry from the proud Americans of the "greatest generation" who left us an untarnished legacy.
Thursday, October 5
For Our Troops
I can't imagine a heart so cold and unfeeling that it wouldn't want to help our troops in any possible way. So when I came across the following list of web sites, I thought all of you would like to know about them.
http://www.operationhomelink.org - Free computers for spouses or parents of deployed soldier in ranks E1 - E5.
https://www.operationuplink.org - Free phone cards.
http://anysoldier.com/ForSoldiersOnly.cfm - To sign up for sponsoring soldier care packages for theater.
http://www.operationshoebox.com - free shoebox care package.
http://www.treatthetroops.org -free cookies.
http://bluestarmoms.org/airfare.html - lowest airfare available.
http://bluestarmoms.org/care.html - free care packages.
http://www.heromiles.org - free air travel for Emergency Leave, and for the family members of injured soldiers to travel to Medical facility.
http://www.bluestarmothers.org/airlinespecials.php - Airline discounts for R & R.
http://www.booksforsoldiers.com/forum/index.php - free books, DVD's, CD's.
http://www.militarymoms.net/sot.html free care packages (your family member signs up to have sent to you).
http://operationmilitarypride.org/smsignup.html - free care packages.
http://www.soldiersangels.org/heroes/submit_a_soldier.php - get adopted to receive stuff.
https://www.treatsfortroops.com/registration/index.php - free gifts and care packages.
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2004/n11232004_2004112312 free shipping/packing materials for shipping to troops.
And don't forget to thank them individually and applaud them collectively.
http://www.operationhomelink.org - Free computers for spouses or parents of deployed soldier in ranks E1 - E5.
https://www.operationuplink.org - Free phone cards.
http://anysoldier.com/ForSoldiersOnly.cfm - To sign up for sponsoring soldier care packages for theater.
http://www.operationshoebox.com - free shoebox care package.
http://www.treatthetroops.org -free cookies.
http://bluestarmoms.org/airfare.html - lowest airfare available.
http://bluestarmoms.org/care.html - free care packages.
http://www.heromiles.org - free air travel for Emergency Leave, and for the family members of injured soldiers to travel to Medical facility.
http://www.bluestarmothers.org/airlinespecials.php - Airline discounts for R & R.
http://www.booksforsoldiers.com/forum/index.php - free books, DVD's, CD's.
http://www.militarymoms.net/sot.html free care packages (your family member signs up to have sent to you).
http://operationmilitarypride.org/smsignup.html - free care packages.
http://www.soldiersangels.org/heroes/submit_a_soldier.php - get adopted to receive stuff.
https://www.treatsfortroops.com/registration/index.php - free gifts and care packages.
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2004/n11232004_2004112312 free shipping/packing materials for shipping to troops.
And don't forget to thank them individually and applaud them collectively.
Franks and Foley
Talk about tempests in teapots! Why don't Republicans remind the nation that Rep. Barney Franks (D-MA) is still serving in Congress. He, unlike Foley, actually did have sex with a homosexual back in the 1980s, complete with the attendant scandal. Didn't hurt his career at all. Perhaps it's better to do it than to talk about it.
Sunday, September 17
Through The Glass Darkly
Saudi "scholar" Suleiman al-Omar declared in June 2004: "Islam is advancing according to a steady plan. America will be destroyed." He may be right and here are some of the reasons why:
* American dependence on Middle East oil. Although American nuclear scientists had learned how to neutralize and dispose of nuclear waste, the US Department of Energy shut down the only facility in this country that could accomplish that safely and without risk. It would take 20 years to reactivate it.
* American insistence that entrepreneurism and free markets, competition and freedom of choice are the way to a better life for Muslims. Islamists reject that. "The West calls for freedom and
liberty. Islam rejects such liberty. True liberty is obedience to
Alla," as Sheikh Mohammed al-Tabatabi said in 2004. Judeo-Christians understood that and built America on those principles in the first place. America has lost her moral focus.
* The division in America over the war. Some don't believe we're at war at all, others want to take the fight to the terrorists. Some advise "dialogue," others want to nuke Islamic sites. "A house divided against itself" cannot win.
* The fact that the Muslims use the media and the Internet quite skillfully to con Western politicians and especially the Western media. The fact that al-Jazeera is aided and abetted by Western journalists is an example of this.
* The low level of Western political leadership. There is no FDR on the political scene with the ability to con, charm and downright lead this country into the kind of all-out effort to win this war or any other. The nation must be rallied the way it was in the 1940s, to be willing to make the necessary sacrifices to get "down and dirty" to win this thing. The position of Secretary of Defense should NEVER be held by a civilian, especially in wartime.
* The lack of understanding, especially among American "progressives" of the true nature of the Islamic revival. They prefer to blame the revival on colonialism, ignoring the truth of Islam -- its oppression of dissent, its maltreatment of women, its hatred of groups like Jews and gays and its committment to use violence against them. "Progressives" prefer to overlook those little details and instead call attention to the mistakes Western governments have made in the past.
* Inconsistency in US policy. The "experts," academics and commentators who are the apologists for the worst that is done in the name of Islam. Bloggers and pundits who believe that their opinions are more important than the issues. With all this conflicting advice, US policy has become increasingly inconsistent.
* Underestimation of the Muslim world community and misunderstanding the nature of Islam. It is not a "religion of peace" nor is it a "religion hijacked" or "perverted" by "the few". Its moral intransigence and its jihadist ethic along with the refusal of most Muslims to share a common set of values with non-Muslims is justified by the Koran.
As David Selbourne wrote recently in the London Times, "Islam is not even a religion in the conventional sense of the term. It is a transnational political and ethical movement that believes that it holds the solution to mankind's problems. It therefore holds that it is in mankind's own interests to be subdued under Islam's rule. Such belief therefore makes an absurdity of the project to "democratise" Muslim nations in the West's interests, an inversion that Islam cannot accept and, in its own terms, rightly so. It renders naive, too, the distinction between the military and political wings of Islamic movements; and makes Donald Rumsfeld's assertion in June 2005 that the insurgents in Iraq "don't have vision, they're losers" merely foolish."
If we pull out of Iraq and leave Afghanistan, it is entirely possible that the best that could happen would be that we in the United States will have to learn to live as the Israelis do -- with terrorist bombings in our restaurants, hotels and theaters because Americans refuse to see the true nature of what we're up against. It's even more likely that we'll face nuclear suitcase bombs in our cities once Iran acquires capability to spread that technology around.
It's certainly not the future we invisioned for our grandchildren.
* American dependence on Middle East oil. Although American nuclear scientists had learned how to neutralize and dispose of nuclear waste, the US Department of Energy shut down the only facility in this country that could accomplish that safely and without risk. It would take 20 years to reactivate it.
* American insistence that entrepreneurism and free markets, competition and freedom of choice are the way to a better life for Muslims. Islamists reject that. "The West calls for freedom and
liberty. Islam rejects such liberty. True liberty is obedience to
Alla," as Sheikh Mohammed al-Tabatabi said in 2004. Judeo-Christians understood that and built America on those principles in the first place. America has lost her moral focus.
* The division in America over the war. Some don't believe we're at war at all, others want to take the fight to the terrorists. Some advise "dialogue," others want to nuke Islamic sites. "A house divided against itself" cannot win.
* The fact that the Muslims use the media and the Internet quite skillfully to con Western politicians and especially the Western media. The fact that al-Jazeera is aided and abetted by Western journalists is an example of this.
* The low level of Western political leadership. There is no FDR on the political scene with the ability to con, charm and downright lead this country into the kind of all-out effort to win this war or any other. The nation must be rallied the way it was in the 1940s, to be willing to make the necessary sacrifices to get "down and dirty" to win this thing. The position of Secretary of Defense should NEVER be held by a civilian, especially in wartime.
* The lack of understanding, especially among American "progressives" of the true nature of the Islamic revival. They prefer to blame the revival on colonialism, ignoring the truth of Islam -- its oppression of dissent, its maltreatment of women, its hatred of groups like Jews and gays and its committment to use violence against them. "Progressives" prefer to overlook those little details and instead call attention to the mistakes Western governments have made in the past.
* Inconsistency in US policy. The "experts," academics and commentators who are the apologists for the worst that is done in the name of Islam. Bloggers and pundits who believe that their opinions are more important than the issues. With all this conflicting advice, US policy has become increasingly inconsistent.
* Underestimation of the Muslim world community and misunderstanding the nature of Islam. It is not a "religion of peace" nor is it a "religion hijacked" or "perverted" by "the few". Its moral intransigence and its jihadist ethic along with the refusal of most Muslims to share a common set of values with non-Muslims is justified by the Koran.
As David Selbourne wrote recently in the London Times, "Islam is not even a religion in the conventional sense of the term. It is a transnational political and ethical movement that believes that it holds the solution to mankind's problems. It therefore holds that it is in mankind's own interests to be subdued under Islam's rule. Such belief therefore makes an absurdity of the project to "democratise" Muslim nations in the West's interests, an inversion that Islam cannot accept and, in its own terms, rightly so. It renders naive, too, the distinction between the military and political wings of Islamic movements; and makes Donald Rumsfeld's assertion in June 2005 that the insurgents in Iraq "don't have vision, they're losers" merely foolish."
If we pull out of Iraq and leave Afghanistan, it is entirely possible that the best that could happen would be that we in the United States will have to learn to live as the Israelis do -- with terrorist bombings in our restaurants, hotels and theaters because Americans refuse to see the true nature of what we're up against. It's even more likely that we'll face nuclear suitcase bombs in our cities once Iran acquires capability to spread that technology around.
It's certainly not the future we invisioned for our grandchildren.
Friday, August 18
Face It, America
Until the USA faces the truth, we are in mortal danger. The truth:
1. There are no innocent civilians in World War III.
As long as there are mothers who will fill their baby's bottles with chemicals and take them on airplanes to blow them up, there are no innocent civilians.
As long as parents allow their children to carry explosives in back packs with the intention of blowing up restaurants and convoys, there are no innocent civilians.
But most important of all, as long as the Muslim community refuses to take responsibility for the insurgents in their midst and decline to purge them, one-at-a-time if necessary, there are NO innocent civilians.
If the Lebanese army would rout the Hezbollah from Lebanon, there would be no Israeli invasions. If the Syrians and Iranians would purge the killers from their midst, there would be no danger for the rest of the world.
In the meantime, however, the United States should (and really must) blow up all of the Iranian and Syrian oil fields to cut off terrorist financing.
1. There are no innocent civilians in World War III.
As long as there are mothers who will fill their baby's bottles with chemicals and take them on airplanes to blow them up, there are no innocent civilians.
As long as parents allow their children to carry explosives in back packs with the intention of blowing up restaurants and convoys, there are no innocent civilians.
But most important of all, as long as the Muslim community refuses to take responsibility for the insurgents in their midst and decline to purge them, one-at-a-time if necessary, there are NO innocent civilians.
If the Lebanese army would rout the Hezbollah from Lebanon, there would be no Israeli invasions. If the Syrians and Iranians would purge the killers from their midst, there would be no danger for the rest of the world.
In the meantime, however, the United States should (and really must) blow up all of the Iranian and Syrian oil fields to cut off terrorist financing.
Thursday, August 3
Hezbollah is Our Enemy, Too
by Jeff Jacoby Boston Globe
According to a pair of Gallup polls released last week, 83 percent of
Americans say Israel is justified in taking military action against
Hezbollah, while 76 percent disapprove of Hezbollah's attacks on
Israel. Yet when asked which side in the conflict the United States
should take, 65 percent answer: neither side. Indeed, 3 in 4
Americans say they are concerned that the US military will be drawn
into the fighting, or that it will increase the likelihood of
terrorism against the United States.
Gallup's numbers suggest two things. First, that most Americans,
sizing up the warfare in northern Israel and southern Lebanon,
recognize that Hezbollah is the aggressor and that Israel is fighting
in self-defense. And second, that most Americans believe this fight
has nothing to do with the United States.
Welcome to Sept. 10.
For years Osama bin Laden had preached that it was "the duty of
Muslims to confront, fight, and kill" Americans. His adherents had
responded by blowing up the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and
slamming a boat laden with explosives into the USS Cole. Yet most
Americans paid no attention to Al Qaeda and its threats — until 3,000
people lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.
Has nothing been learned from that experience?
Hezbollah's barbaric assault on Israel — kidnapping and murdering
soldiers who weren't engaged in hostilities, firing waves of missiles
into cities and towns, packing rockets with ball bearings meant to
maximize suffering by shredding human flesh — is part and parcel of
the radical Islamist jihad against the free world. Nothing to do with
the United States? It has everything to do with the United States.
Hezbollah hates Americans at least as implacably as Al Qaeda does,
and rarely misses an opportunity to say so.
"We consider [America] to be an enemy because it wants to humiliate
our governments, our regimes, and our peoples," railed Sheik Hassan
Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, at an enormous rally in February
2005. (Video of Nasrallah's speech, which was broadcast on
Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV, has been posted on the internet by MEMRI,
the Middle East Media Research Institute.) "It is the greatest
plunderer of our treasures, our oil, and our resources. . . . Our
motto, which we are not afraid to repeat year after year, is: 'Death
to America!' "
And from tens of thousands of Hezbollah supporters came the answering
cry: "Death to America! Death to America! Death to America! Death to
America!"
These are anything but empty threats. Prior to 9/11, Hezbollah was
responsible for more American casualties than any other terrorist
organization in the world. Among its victims was Army officer William
F. Buckley, the CIA station chief in Beirut who was abducted by
Hezbollah in March 1984 and who died after 15 months in captivity of
torture and illness.
And the young Navy diver Robert Stethem, singled out during the 1985
Hezbollah hijacking of TWA Flight 847 and brutally beaten before
being shot to death.
And William Higgins, a colonel in the Marine Corps and commander of
the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, who was seized by Hezbollah
in February 1988, tortured, and eventually hanged. (As Michelle
Malkin perceptively noted last week, the tape of Higgins, bound and
gagged and swinging from a rope, was one of the first publicly
disseminated jihadi snuff films.)
And the 241 US servicemen murdered by Hezbollah on Oct. 23, 1983,
when a suicide bomber drove a truck rigged with 12,000 pounds of TNT
into their barracks at the Beirut airport.
And the 19 US servicemen killed in the 1996 bombing of Khobar Towers
in Saudi Arabia.
For more than two decades, Hezbollah's Shi'ite fanatics, backed by
Iran and sheltered by Syria, have made it their business to murder,
maim, hijack, and kidnap Americans with the same irrational hostility
they harbor for Israel. Yet when Tony Snow, the Bush administration's
gifted spokesman, was asked on July 19 whether the president
believes "that this is as much the United States' war as it is
Israel's war," he answered, "No," and then tried to change the
subject. A moment later the question returned: "I don't think you
really answered the part about why is this not our war?"
Snow's incredible reply: "Why would it be our war? I mean, it's not
on our territory. This is a war in which the United States — it's not
even a war. What you have are hostilities, at this point, between
Israel and Hezbollah. I would not characterize it as a war."
9/11, it was said time and time again, "changed everything." No
longer would Americans walk around with eyes wide shut, oblivious to
the threat from the Islamofascists. Not our war? Listen again to the
Hezbollah hordes: "Death to America! Death to America!"
They're serious about it — deadly serious. Why aren't we?
According to a pair of Gallup polls released last week, 83 percent of
Americans say Israel is justified in taking military action against
Hezbollah, while 76 percent disapprove of Hezbollah's attacks on
Israel. Yet when asked which side in the conflict the United States
should take, 65 percent answer: neither side. Indeed, 3 in 4
Americans say they are concerned that the US military will be drawn
into the fighting, or that it will increase the likelihood of
terrorism against the United States.
Gallup's numbers suggest two things. First, that most Americans,
sizing up the warfare in northern Israel and southern Lebanon,
recognize that Hezbollah is the aggressor and that Israel is fighting
in self-defense. And second, that most Americans believe this fight
has nothing to do with the United States.
Welcome to Sept. 10.
For years Osama bin Laden had preached that it was "the duty of
Muslims to confront, fight, and kill" Americans. His adherents had
responded by blowing up the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and
slamming a boat laden with explosives into the USS Cole. Yet most
Americans paid no attention to Al Qaeda and its threats — until 3,000
people lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.
Has nothing been learned from that experience?
Hezbollah's barbaric assault on Israel — kidnapping and murdering
soldiers who weren't engaged in hostilities, firing waves of missiles
into cities and towns, packing rockets with ball bearings meant to
maximize suffering by shredding human flesh — is part and parcel of
the radical Islamist jihad against the free world. Nothing to do with
the United States? It has everything to do with the United States.
Hezbollah hates Americans at least as implacably as Al Qaeda does,
and rarely misses an opportunity to say so.
"We consider [America] to be an enemy because it wants to humiliate
our governments, our regimes, and our peoples," railed Sheik Hassan
Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, at an enormous rally in February
2005. (Video of Nasrallah's speech, which was broadcast on
Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV, has been posted on the internet by MEMRI,
the Middle East Media Research Institute.) "It is the greatest
plunderer of our treasures, our oil, and our resources. . . . Our
motto, which we are not afraid to repeat year after year, is: 'Death
to America!' "
And from tens of thousands of Hezbollah supporters came the answering
cry: "Death to America! Death to America! Death to America! Death to
America!"
These are anything but empty threats. Prior to 9/11, Hezbollah was
responsible for more American casualties than any other terrorist
organization in the world. Among its victims was Army officer William
F. Buckley, the CIA station chief in Beirut who was abducted by
Hezbollah in March 1984 and who died after 15 months in captivity of
torture and illness.
And the young Navy diver Robert Stethem, singled out during the 1985
Hezbollah hijacking of TWA Flight 847 and brutally beaten before
being shot to death.
And William Higgins, a colonel in the Marine Corps and commander of
the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, who was seized by Hezbollah
in February 1988, tortured, and eventually hanged. (As Michelle
Malkin perceptively noted last week, the tape of Higgins, bound and
gagged and swinging from a rope, was one of the first publicly
disseminated jihadi snuff films.)
And the 241 US servicemen murdered by Hezbollah on Oct. 23, 1983,
when a suicide bomber drove a truck rigged with 12,000 pounds of TNT
into their barracks at the Beirut airport.
And the 19 US servicemen killed in the 1996 bombing of Khobar Towers
in Saudi Arabia.
For more than two decades, Hezbollah's Shi'ite fanatics, backed by
Iran and sheltered by Syria, have made it their business to murder,
maim, hijack, and kidnap Americans with the same irrational hostility
they harbor for Israel. Yet when Tony Snow, the Bush administration's
gifted spokesman, was asked on July 19 whether the president
believes "that this is as much the United States' war as it is
Israel's war," he answered, "No," and then tried to change the
subject. A moment later the question returned: "I don't think you
really answered the part about why is this not our war?"
Snow's incredible reply: "Why would it be our war? I mean, it's not
on our territory. This is a war in which the United States — it's not
even a war. What you have are hostilities, at this point, between
Israel and Hezbollah. I would not characterize it as a war."
9/11, it was said time and time again, "changed everything." No
longer would Americans walk around with eyes wide shut, oblivious to
the threat from the Islamofascists. Not our war? Listen again to the
Hezbollah hordes: "Death to America! Death to America!"
They're serious about it — deadly serious. Why aren't we?
Wednesday, August 2
A Jewish View of the War
Date: July 30, 2006 2:48 PM
Dear -----,
There are four buses parked outside the public school just down my
block . The buses fill up with tens of soldiers who are on their way
up to the north .They are reserves. I can see some men in uniform in
the playground, pushing their young kids on the swing. They don't
know when they will be back. 2 weeks ago, on Friday night, Shabbat,
in the middle of the night, 3 other buses left from the same
location. From all over the country different units are called to
meet at their location to be bused up with their group.
We are in our 21st day of the war.
Though in Ra'anana rockets do not fly, and for that we are totally
grateful, there IS a local daily war effort.
Two weeks ago our shul e-mail sent out an urgent message. 150 people
have arrived at the local dormitory school. They need towels. "We
want 100 towels, new or used by 7:30 *tonight*". When I dropped some
off at 7 it looked like they had met their goal.
Next e-mail, same day, due to lack of time "we" (a local young rabbi
and his family) bought groceries and toiletries for these 150 who had
literally fled their homes in the north. We are looking for donations
to cover the cost of items *that have already been bought and
distributed.* Talk about cutting out the middle men. Talk about
taking matters into your own hands.
Later in the week the municipality of Ra'anana asked for residents to
house people from up north. At first I thought, it was enough, I had
done my part. There wasn't much room and I'm not home during the day
to look after strangers in my house. But then I thought, they are
fellow Jews with missiles landing near their homes. Some are old, and
some are babies and they are running EVERY HOUR to the local shelter
because they live in apartments without a useable shelter.
So I called and offered our house. I called 3 times to offer because
no-one was taking me up on my offer. After that I realized that God
was sending me a message. If no-one is coming and you offered 3
times, then maybe he is giving you a break!
The next day they joyfully called and told me they had found the
perfect family, dati , 2 young kids from Tzfat.
"They are in a bad way," the social worker said. They want to leave
first thing tomorrow morning (it was Thursday night). I called right
away, to "invite" this family.
"Well. we aren't sure. My husband wants to be with the family for
Shabbat"
It turns out that this is not uncommon. The wives want to get away
and the husbands prefer to stick it out.
"Call me after Shabbat", I said, if you still want to come.
I haven't heard from them.
Our kids keep asking, are they coming? are they coming? They want
people.
Earlier in the week another e-mail went out that an organization
called "Table to Table that collects food for the needy and delivers
packages was putting together packages for the soldiers. Asking for
volunteer to help pack I went, (Elisheva brought Elana, Avital and
Eitan were still in camp) 3 long tables were set up, assembly-line
style in a dark, un-air-conditioned warehouse. Donated goods from
Elite, and private donations, were swiftly loaded into individual
bags, chips, chocolate bars, jelly beans, sometimes soap, then tied
and tossed into a huge crate. We filled one crate every 12 minutes.
We filled about 10 such crates in an hour. Then huge guys loaded the
crates up onto 2 trucks, which were driven up north to be handed out
to soldiers.
From the beginning of the war a family in R'anana has used their
house a place to drop off cakes to give to residents in the north as
a small treat to let them know we care and that it is hard to bake
for Shabbat when you are running all day to the shelters. They
collect from 8-10 Friday morning and have someone drive the cakes up
for Shabbat. After 2 Fridays they asked us to please pack up and send
some art supplies to occupy the kids who are stuck for hours in the
shelter. So it was a chance for people to get rid of all their extra
coloring books and stuff. Some people even went out and bought new
art supplies. I went out and bought different art supplies, window
paints and transparencies, markers and construction paper, mosaic
tiles and cardboards and glue. I found some old shoe boxes ( a few
too many of those in my house) and small gift boxes and made boxes of
2 craft projects each for about 10 kids. Then we printed big
labels "craft projects made by Eitan , Avital, Elana and Noam
Fortinsky, Akiva 73 Rannana." Sometimes people want to know where its
from to thank you and put a name or family to a gift. Anyway, when I
delivered the boxes on Friday morning I saw there were tables of
stuff, cakes, coloring books, reading books a few toys. The organizer
came over and thanked me over and over. "how did you think to package
it,? Where did you get the boxes? If everyone would package we
wouldn't have to spend hours sorting through tables of stuff and
repackaging into boxes!"
I really didn't realize it was a big deal . I just thought it would
be easier to hand out that way.
On Shabbat my friend came over to me and said she started crying when
she saw my small boxes. Of course she was there delivering her brand
new craft materials and books but she said she was so moved to see
the names of the kids and those neat small boxes that she just
started crying.
You see, everyone is making an effort. Everyone is trying. Because
this is our war. Though we are not on the front lines, our friends
kids are. When Benjy Hillman of Shwartz streeet in Ra'anana's apache
helicopter crashed,everyone was affected. He was married 3 weeks
before. When Ro'I Klein, father, husband and son, who grew up in
Ra'anana, was killed as he threw himself on a grenade in Binj Bent in
order to successfully save his 2 fellow soldiers, all fellow Jews
were amazed at his bravery.
Although we aren't on the front lines we are the home front
supporting them and our need to help and their needs, are our
responsibility.
The rav said this Shabbat that Rambam, in Hilchot Melachim, talks
about a war like this. It is not a war for our children, or our
parents or even for our country. It is a war for Hashem. WE are doing
the fighting for him. All of our soldiers truly know that. That is
how they can throw their own bodies on a grenade. Because the Mesirut
Nefesh for Hashem is what drives all of us to do our best, and we all
pray. It is what will help to rebuild the Beit Hamikdash , in our
day.
So, that is what we are doing these days in Ra'anana, and that is
what it is like living in Israel during a war and I hope I got some
of the feeling across in a way different from the regular media.
Wishing you all a Tzom Mo'eel,
Hadassah
Dear -----,
There are four buses parked outside the public school just down my
block . The buses fill up with tens of soldiers who are on their way
up to the north .They are reserves. I can see some men in uniform in
the playground, pushing their young kids on the swing. They don't
know when they will be back. 2 weeks ago, on Friday night, Shabbat,
in the middle of the night, 3 other buses left from the same
location. From all over the country different units are called to
meet at their location to be bused up with their group.
We are in our 21st day of the war.
Though in Ra'anana rockets do not fly, and for that we are totally
grateful, there IS a local daily war effort.
Two weeks ago our shul e-mail sent out an urgent message. 150 people
have arrived at the local dormitory school. They need towels. "We
want 100 towels, new or used by 7:30 *tonight*". When I dropped some
off at 7 it looked like they had met their goal.
Next e-mail, same day, due to lack of time "we" (a local young rabbi
and his family) bought groceries and toiletries for these 150 who had
literally fled their homes in the north. We are looking for donations
to cover the cost of items *that have already been bought and
distributed.* Talk about cutting out the middle men. Talk about
taking matters into your own hands.
Later in the week the municipality of Ra'anana asked for residents to
house people from up north. At first I thought, it was enough, I had
done my part. There wasn't much room and I'm not home during the day
to look after strangers in my house. But then I thought, they are
fellow Jews with missiles landing near their homes. Some are old, and
some are babies and they are running EVERY HOUR to the local shelter
because they live in apartments without a useable shelter.
So I called and offered our house. I called 3 times to offer because
no-one was taking me up on my offer. After that I realized that God
was sending me a message. If no-one is coming and you offered 3
times, then maybe he is giving you a break!
The next day they joyfully called and told me they had found the
perfect family, dati , 2 young kids from Tzfat.
"They are in a bad way," the social worker said. They want to leave
first thing tomorrow morning (it was Thursday night). I called right
away, to "invite" this family.
"Well. we aren't sure. My husband wants to be with the family for
Shabbat"
It turns out that this is not uncommon. The wives want to get away
and the husbands prefer to stick it out.
"Call me after Shabbat", I said, if you still want to come.
I haven't heard from them.
Our kids keep asking, are they coming? are they coming? They want
people.
Earlier in the week another e-mail went out that an organization
called "Table to Table that collects food for the needy and delivers
packages was putting together packages for the soldiers. Asking for
volunteer to help pack I went, (Elisheva brought Elana, Avital and
Eitan were still in camp) 3 long tables were set up, assembly-line
style in a dark, un-air-conditioned warehouse. Donated goods from
Elite, and private donations, were swiftly loaded into individual
bags, chips, chocolate bars, jelly beans, sometimes soap, then tied
and tossed into a huge crate. We filled one crate every 12 minutes.
We filled about 10 such crates in an hour. Then huge guys loaded the
crates up onto 2 trucks, which were driven up north to be handed out
to soldiers.
From the beginning of the war a family in R'anana has used their
house a place to drop off cakes to give to residents in the north as
a small treat to let them know we care and that it is hard to bake
for Shabbat when you are running all day to the shelters. They
collect from 8-10 Friday morning and have someone drive the cakes up
for Shabbat. After 2 Fridays they asked us to please pack up and send
some art supplies to occupy the kids who are stuck for hours in the
shelter. So it was a chance for people to get rid of all their extra
coloring books and stuff. Some people even went out and bought new
art supplies. I went out and bought different art supplies, window
paints and transparencies, markers and construction paper, mosaic
tiles and cardboards and glue. I found some old shoe boxes ( a few
too many of those in my house) and small gift boxes and made boxes of
2 craft projects each for about 10 kids. Then we printed big
labels "craft projects made by Eitan , Avital, Elana and Noam
Fortinsky, Akiva 73 Rannana." Sometimes people want to know where its
from to thank you and put a name or family to a gift. Anyway, when I
delivered the boxes on Friday morning I saw there were tables of
stuff, cakes, coloring books, reading books a few toys. The organizer
came over and thanked me over and over. "how did you think to package
it,? Where did you get the boxes? If everyone would package we
wouldn't have to spend hours sorting through tables of stuff and
repackaging into boxes!"
I really didn't realize it was a big deal . I just thought it would
be easier to hand out that way.
On Shabbat my friend came over to me and said she started crying when
she saw my small boxes. Of course she was there delivering her brand
new craft materials and books but she said she was so moved to see
the names of the kids and those neat small boxes that she just
started crying.
You see, everyone is making an effort. Everyone is trying. Because
this is our war. Though we are not on the front lines, our friends
kids are. When Benjy Hillman of Shwartz streeet in Ra'anana's apache
helicopter crashed,everyone was affected. He was married 3 weeks
before. When Ro'I Klein, father, husband and son, who grew up in
Ra'anana, was killed as he threw himself on a grenade in Binj Bent in
order to successfully save his 2 fellow soldiers, all fellow Jews
were amazed at his bravery.
Although we aren't on the front lines we are the home front
supporting them and our need to help and their needs, are our
responsibility.
The rav said this Shabbat that Rambam, in Hilchot Melachim, talks
about a war like this. It is not a war for our children, or our
parents or even for our country. It is a war for Hashem. WE are doing
the fighting for him. All of our soldiers truly know that. That is
how they can throw their own bodies on a grenade. Because the Mesirut
Nefesh for Hashem is what drives all of us to do our best, and we all
pray. It is what will help to rebuild the Beit Hamikdash , in our
day.
So, that is what we are doing these days in Ra'anana, and that is
what it is like living in Israel during a war and I hope I got some
of the feeling across in a way different from the regular media.
Wishing you all a Tzom Mo'eel,
Hadassah
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