Archive for May, 2006

Amy Proctor finds some interesting details in the Time Magazine story on Haditha.  The details evolve around a nine year old Iraqi girl whose family was killed.  As most bloggers are doing with this event, caveats are needed.  Caveat: Neither Amy nor myself are excusing behavior which results in the revenge killing of innocent civilians.  But, I know I believe, that these Marines deserve and are owed the benefit of doubt until such time that any guilt would be proven in a court of law. 

With that said, could there be doubt that these Iraqi's were nothing more than 'innocent' civilians? 

A Suspicious Piece to the Haditha Puzzle – Amy Proctor 

This is pretty awesome if you're not happy with the current situation with illegal aliens and the US Senate Bill.  Apparently home owner Art Bollinger is in that camp since he created a Statue of Liberty statue to express his displeasure with those illegally crossing the US borders.

Bollinger tells News 11 he will accept anyone into this country as long as they come here legally, but he has no patience for those who sneak in.  "You don't have rights. You are here illegally," said Bollinger of the people who cross the border without permission.  "If I break the law, I go to prison. You break the law and the American government says they'll kiss your behind.  No.  That's ridiculous."

snip….

Bollinger says his wife is from Russia and he had to jump through all kinds of hoops and pay for the process of her becoming a US citizen.  He feels everyone else should do the same.

Bold Statement on Immigration Shows Off Lady Liberties Undies

h/t Lucianne

Linked to Mudville Gazette Open Post

There's a new Soldier blog reporting from Iraq! It's Stone Cold reporting in the IceBlog – The Journal of a Polar Bear in Iraq.  This isn't one of those REMF's either, this is a true blue (har har), bonifide lean mean fightin' machine.  I present to you – Stone Cold.

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm frequently assigned to guard duty given my natural polar bear abilities in intimidation. That was the case as early as when we first got here a few months ago. Here's a photo of me guarding the soldiers' luggage in Kuwait while we were all waiting for the bus.

Go visit and give Stone Cold all the encouragement you can, it's not easy for a Polar Bear to live in 130 degree heat you know.

How many times do we have to hear this same old rhetoric from the Pro-Globalist/Open Borders politicians?  Do they really think we believe them when they regurgitate the mantra "we need them for the jobs no Americans will work"? 

John Hawkins of Right Wing News recently wrote a commentary for Human Events debunking these myths.

Tackling a Handful of Immigration Myths, Misnomers and Red Herrings

Here's the myths:

• We need illegals to do the jobs Americans won’t do.
• We’ve got to bring the illegal aliens “out of the shadows?”
• They’re “immigrants.”
• There’s just no way to secure the border without instituting a guest worker program to help slow down the flow of illegal immigrants.
• There’s no way we can round up and deport 12 million illegal aliens.
• Illegals are an essential part of the economy.
• We want to make illegal aliens “go to the back of the line.”
• I do not support amnesty, but here’s my plan that accomplishes the same thing.

The only reason that politicians won’t call an “amnesty” an “amnesty” is because they have such a low opinion of the American people that they believe we can be tricked with weasel words. It’s not an abortion, it’s a “choice.” We’re not raising taxes, we’re asking people to “pay their fair share.” It’s not amnesty, it’s “earned legalization.” Any way you slice it, it’s the same piece of rancid meatloaf.

If you think now is the time to give up the fight, you're wrong.  Now is the time to start calling your Congressional Representatives.  If you're a Republican and have a Democrat for a Representative, call anyway.  If a Democrat from Conneticut can be influenced to change his vote then yours can too.  Go to the write to Congress box on my right sidebar and put in your zip code.  You'll find your Reps and their telephone numbers.  A phone call or a fax is more effective than an email.  A hand written letter probably won't see the light of day due to stringent screening of all mail to Congress since the unsolved anthrax attack back in 2001.  You can send a free fax through NumbersUSA although this will be a form fax.

You might also want to check out the immediate results of the Senate approved "Immigration Reform" bill at Freedom Folks.  Looks like the rush is on at the border!  If you have time, there's lots of good information about illegal aliens there.

This has been a production of the Guard the Borders Blogburst. It is syndicated by Euphoric Reality, and serves to keep immigration issues in the forefront of our minds as we’re going about our daily lives and continuing to fight the war on terror. If you are concerned with the trend of illegal immigration in our country, join the Blogburst! Send an email with your blog name and url to euphoricrealitynet at gmail dot com.

For those who have stopped by to comment on my post (there's also recent posts about Murhta here and here  and here )about Murtha's outrageous betrayal of the Marines in Haditha because I had the temerity to think these Marines deserve a complete investigation and to be considered innocent until proven guilty.  Isn't that supposed to be the American way? 

If you think all reports of supposed atrocities result in a guilty verdict one needs to read the story of 2LT Ilario Pantano.  People had him tried and convicted prior to his trial back in 2005.  There were supposed "eye witnesses" to this situation but once actual evidence was examined and tried 2LT Pantano was NOT GUILTY!  So, the dominent media tried and convicted a dedicated Marine officer without the benefit of trial and they were wrong.

Ilario Pantano has written a letter to the editor – Mr. Murtha's Rush to Judgement:

A year ago I was charged with two counts of premeditated murder and with other war crimes related to my service in Iraq. My wife and mother sat in a Camp Lejeune courtroom for five days while prosecutors painted me as a monster; then autopsy evidence blew their case out of the water, and the Marine Corps dropped all charges against me ["Marine Officer Cleared in Killing of Two Iraqis," news story, May 27, 2005].

So I know something about rushing to judgment, which is why I am so disturbed by the remarks of Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) regarding the Haditha incident ["Death Toll Rises in Haditha Attack, GOP Leader Says," news story, May 20]. Mr. Murtha said, "Our troops overreacted because of the pressure on them, and they killed innocent civilians in cold blood."

In the United States, we have a civil and military court system that relies on an investigatory and judicial process to make determinations based on evidence. The system is not served by such grand pronouncements of horror and guilt without the accuser even having read the investigative report.

Mr. Murtha's position is particularly suspect when he is quoted by news services as saying that the strain of deployment "has caused them [the Marines] to crack in situations like this." Not only is he certain of the Marines' guilt but he claims to know the cause, which he conveniently attributes to a policy he opposes.

Members of the U.S. military serving in Iraq need more than Mr. Murtha's pseudo-sympathy. They need leaders to stand with them even in the hardest of times. Let the courts decide if these Marines are guilty. They haven't even been charged with a crime yet, so it is premature to presume their guilt — unless that presumption is tied to a political motive.

ILARIO PANTANO

Jacksonville, N.C.

The writer served as a Marine enlisted man in the Persian Gulf War and most recently as a platoon commander in Iraq.

For a complete history of 2LT Pantano's struggle you'll find the complete story at Euphoric Reality.  Apparently, there's a soon to be book on he and his family's ordeal.

Andi's World received an email from a Sgt Mark Russak who is a Pennsylvania resident and currently serving in the Anbar Province, Iraq.  Sgt Russak visited Rep. Murtha's office and sent Rep. Murtha a letter regarding the Haditha event.  To say that Sgt Russak is a bit steamed about Rep. Murtha's actions is an understatement.  BTW – Sgt Russak is a registered Democrat or was!

For those who live in the area of Franklin, TN. There's a Memorial Day Service at the 5 Points War Memorial at noon today. The Republican women of Williamson County (RWWC) will be serving food and beverages after the service. Yes, the food is free. I think it's hot dogs and brownies. I'll be there so come join us to honor and remember those who have given their life to protect our freedom and life here in the United States of America.

On this Memorial Day, I hope that our nation can put aside partisanship and political animosities to more fully celebrate the lives of a new, great generation of American warriors; the ordinary citizens who achieved extraordinary achievements and made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf.

In September of 2004, nearing the end of a long deployment to Fallujah, the truck in which I was riding with my Marine platoon was hit by a massive suicide bomb. Seven brave American fighting men died instantly in addition to three patriotic Iraqi soldiers. Along with five others, I survived and was evacuated.  After a lengthy rehabilitation, I visited with all seven families of my fallen men. My trip took me from Lafayette , Louisiana , to Concord , California , to Washington D.C. , and places in between.
 
Each visit was difficult, as I was apprehensive of the attitudes of these bereaved families. The families that I got to know during these visits are indicative of the warriors that they raised: spirited, courageous, and noble. I found that while their grief was unfathomable, it was transcended by their pride in knowing that their sons died in the name of freedom and in the pursuit of helping others. They died so others could live. To this day I keep in touch with these families. What they want most for their fallen sons, is not for their deaths to be pitied as a tragedy or tallied as a statistic, but that their lives to be celebrated for who they were, what they achieved and the character they carried in the face of adversity.
 
While anniversaries, birthdays and endless milestones big and small in the lives of their children, spouses, parents and friends will remind us of their absence, Memorial Day in particular should serve as a unique day to remind us of their contributions and their continued presence in our individual and national life. We as a nation are stronger because of them not just in terms of our own security, but more importantly, because their sacrifices are evidence that we remain a nation of honorable men and women willing to place duty above convenience and death before tyranny.

Celebrating those who gave chase to evil – Wade Zirkle, Townhall.com

Isn't it interesting that all the Democrats are falling all over themselves to be sure to say alleged when talking about Rep. Jefferson (D-LA) who is charged with taking bribes and caught with $90,000 of cash in his freezer.  But when it comes to the Marine incident in Haditha, I don't hear any clamor against Murtha declaring their "guilt" without a trial or the completion of the investigation.  I'd also like to hear from a Republican Legislator to confront Murtha and b*tch slap his declarations to defend these Marines.  "Ex-Marine" Murtha needs to be put in his place and the Marines deserve their day in court if the investigation deems it necessary.

Gateway Pundit has put together a number of links showing the history of cowardice of Rep. John Murtha who is continually given a pass by the dominent media and his Democrat peers.  What is laughable is the continued label given to Murtha of the "hawk" of the Democrat Party in the House by the dominent media.  Murtha was one of President Clintons advisors back in the early '90's during the Somalia action.  You know, where Clinton cut and ran and then re-inserted troops to Somalia without any muscle to act as needed not only for a successful mission but also to defend themselves.  I guess to the dominent media a "Hawk" within the Democrat Party means someone who follows the French white flag of surrender!

I just ran across this show and originally thought it was a rerun but it's a first run.  I think Jesse James got a great learning experience too.  He spent 10 days at Balad Air Base converting a gutted humvee to a souped up 1000 hwp flying machine.

It's on the Discovery Channel and is still on if you're reading this until 10pm CDT.

In Iraq, Jesse James sees action for a reluctant Discovery Channel

He spent 10 days in Iraq just outside of Baghdad, where he stayed with troops of the 181st Transportation Battalion. As part of the trip, James worked alongside a group of mechanics to soup up a war-damaged Humvee.

“It was totally, like, life-changing,” James says of the trip. “There’s so much stuff flying around, in every aspect of the media, everybody claims to know what’s going on over there. I just wanted to go see what’s really happening.”

And did he.

In one scene, James is downright giddy while shooting a machine gun and hanging out of a helicopter. In another, he visits injured soldiers in a hospital. And in another, the air-raid sirens go off and the battalion is seen moving to a safe place.

“It’s not safe,” he says. “It’s as safe as can be. We’re sitting there laughing and joking during the mortar attack, but three soldiers were killed then. You can hear bombs and stuff like that going off.”

Update after watching the show: You know what was really cool about this show?  Jesse James went to Iraq against the wishes of the Discovery Channel, his new wife Sandra Bullock (course what wife would "want" their husband to go to Iraq?) and his family.  Plus, he had to pay for the engine and parts for this conversion and pay to have it shipped to Iraq.  I will say that it is evident that he was woefully ignorant of the situation in Iraq and what our Military is all about, this is now someone who will probably forever be a defender of those who defend us. 

The whole project fell apart which was interesting to see.  Somebody screwed up and something with the pump broke.  I think it made the show all the more interesting, the dynamics of emotion with not achieving the goal.  I was kind of looking forward to seeing this hotrod humvee.  They had a special paint job that had been done that was kickin'. 

It was a good Iraq special to watch, look for it to be replayed.  I know I will cause I missed the first 30 minutes. 

 The 49th annual Indy 500 Festival Parade paid tribute to Indiana’s rich culture, as well as the nation’s military.

“It makes me proud to be around all these other people that have experienced why our country’s free,” Indiana Army National Guard Spc. Ryan Rees, of C Company, 113th Medical Support Battalion, said. He was speaking not only of his fellow servicemembers, but also those they have fought for.

Rees and more than a dozen other servicemembers representing each of the five services participated in the parade at the invitation of the American Legion. Military participation in the parade is a constant, Lt. Col. J.R. Newman, with the Indiana Air National Guard’s 181st Fighter Wing, said.

“The whole weekend leading to the Indy 500 and then all the way through to Memorial Day is all about the military,” he said, praising the patriotic spirit of the city.

“It’s just tradition,” he added. “It’s kind of neat to be a part of it.”

Indy 500 Weekend Kicks Off With Parade Featuring Military

Patriotic Guard Riders, a group that participates in military funerals at families’ request, shows their support for the military in the 49th annual Indy 500 Festival Parade, in Indianapolis May 27. Photo by Samantha L. Quigley  

Servicemembers accompany the American Legion float, “Legacy of Service,” to the cheers of the crowd during the 49th annual Indy 500 Festival Parade, in Indianapolis. Photo by Samantha L. Quigley  

Let's see now, there's 3 branches of government for the Federal Government.  Executive, Legislative and Judicial.  So, if you have the Executive and Judicial branches involved in the House search of  Jefferson's (D-LA) House Office how is it that one branch is trying to usurp power?  Here, let me 'splain further:  The FBI is part of the Executive branch and the search warrant obtained from a JUDGE is from the Judicial branch. 

I guess Hastert got his panties in a knot and his ego was bruised.  Too bad Denny.  This is what happens when you break the law and it doesn't matter if you're a Congressional Representative or Senator.  That's the whole issue here, these people want "Special" treatment.  I can't believe I'd ever say this but I actually agree with Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA).  Frank who is about as far left as one can get thinks this was proper and House Members shouldn't think they are exempt from breaking the law and the subsequent long arm of the law. 

But the most damning and amazing thing here was Hastert and Pelosi wanted all evidence seized to be returned!!  And it looks like the White House was going to comply with this demand (I'm sure a little something called Illegal Alien amnesty might have affected this) but if not for some officials at the FBI and Justice putting their jobs on the line.

The possibility of resignations by Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales; his deputy, Paul J. McNulty; and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III was communicated to the White House by several Justice officials in tense negotiations over the fate of the materials taken from Rep. William J. Jefferson's office, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

A Defiant Stance In Jefferson Probe – Washington Post