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Memorial Day

Posted by Cynewulf on Monday, May 28, 2007 1:23:55 PM
 I'm sitting here at the computer in my Disney shirt (silhouettes of Mickey, Donald, and Goofy standing reverently with the Stars and Stripes in the background), reflecting as I peruse some of the Memorial Day stories in my local paper, the Tampa Tribune. 

As I type (whatever I want), my son runs around with a couple of Transformers in his hand, battling (evil Decepticons against the good Autobots); my two-year-old daughter climbs up into my lap, smiles, thrusts a book (Sometimes I Like To Curl Up In A Ball) at me, and, after I read it, runs off for another; my wife takes a well deserved nap (she was up early in the AM with both kids while I slept in); and The Backyardigans blares on the TV behind me. 

And it came to me, all the small things we take for granted.  Free time.  Our kids' smiles.  The free speech of others (in the form of children's cardboard books and cartoons on TV).  So, I want to take this time to say Thank You to all of those men and women, past and present, who have made all of these small moments possible for my family and for all Americans.  Thank you for your service to our great country.  May it always deserve you.

Oh, and here's a few great Memorial Day links:

In Their Honor 

"The saddest funerals are the ones no one comes to."
 
Memorial Day: Sacrifice Lives On

This is a memorial to 51 men with ties to the Tampa Bay area who have given up their lives in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait.

U.S. Troops Rescue 41 From Al-Qaida Hideout

"U.S. forces raided an al-Qaida hideout northeast of Baghdad on Sunday and rescued 41 people who had been kidnapped by the insurgent group, some as long as four months ago, a U.S. military spokesman said."

The Loss of Proportion

This is a re-run of a Steyn column on Memorial Day that ran a few years ago.
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Damnesty, The Gift That Will Keep On Giving

Posted by Cynewulf on Monday, May 21, 2007 10:53:17 PM
 Fort Dixon.  Immigration.  Illegal immigration.  Amnesty.  It's-Not-Amnesty Amnesty.  Borders.  Security.  Border security.  Lack thereof.  Comprehensive.  Anybody else sick of hearing that word?  It's supposed to be a magic word.  Like Abra Cadabra.  Or, rather, Hocus Pocus.  We've arrived at the Rubicon.  Maybe.  I wonder which way the die will be cast.  And to keep that somber note going, here's a couple of Mark Steyn columns for your perusal:

Fortress America's Gate Is Open

"On one hand, America creates a vast federal security bureaucracy to prevent another 9/11. On the other hand, American politicians and bureaucrats create a parallel system of education and welfare and health care entitlements, maintaining and expanding a vast network of fraudulent identity that corrupts the integrity of almost all state databases."

Capitulation, From A______ To Z

"But, as John McCain declared, 'This is what the legislative process is all about' — and in the sense that it's a sloppily drafted bottomless pit of unintended consequences on a potentially cosmic scale whose sweeping 'reforms' will inevitably require even more sweeping reforms of the reforms in a year or two's time, he's quite right."


And for a slightly different take, here's Jack Kelly (I don't agree with him 100%, but he makes some good points):

Order On Our Borders

"I also blame President Bush. His apparent refusal to get serious about border enforcement has enraged many conservatives, driving them toward more extreme positions. An indication of the Bush administration's lack of seriousness is that just two miles of the border fence Congress authorized last year has been built."

Bonus:

And, by way of rebuttal, check out A Gift To The Democrats by Sandra Wise.

Double Bonus (aren't you guys lucky?):

Pasadena Phil has info to a Rasmussen report on immigration and border enforcement.  I think you'll find it very interesting:

So, We're Bigots Are We?

Also, BrianR takes a look at Bush's legacy, particularly in relation to illegal immigration:

The Bush Legacy
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Voices From The Front IX

Posted by Cynewulf on Monday, May 14, 2007 11:24:26 PM
In this episode of Voices From The Front, you'll meet Jonathan Shiroma, a Sacramento TV news reporter who is in the National Guard; Candice Oropeza, first lieutenant of the Coast Guard Cutter Monomoy; Krista Englert, a medic working with the Provincial Reconstruction Team (her focus is on human rights and women's development); and Donald Degidio Jr., commander of the 37th Engineer Battalion and Task Force Eagle.  Again, everyone should be thanking the Tampa Tribune for putting these out.

National Guard Capt. Jonathan Shiroma - 3/12/06

"It's really not fair to give a time line. We, as Americans, we like things to happen quickly. I know there are soldiers out there who agree with some of the polls that we should be gone within one year. I just know good work has begun here, and that the soldiers that are here, or who have been here, a lot of them are committed to making sure this thing is completed."

1st Lt. Candice Oropeza - 4/9/06

"We defend the oil platforms and make sure they are safe and secure. We teach maritime safety to the local fishermen, how to be safe on the water. We do some search and rescue. We've gotten a couple of phone calls - a fisherman sick or a boat sinking - and we go out and help them."

Staff Sgt. Krista Englert - 4/16/06

"I draw a lot of courage not so much from the up-armored vehicles that we have, but from the Iraqis who come out, who might be targets because they cooperate with the coalition forces. I don't think it could get any more brave than what they're doing."

Lt. Col. Donald Degidio Jr. - 4/23/06

"The local people love to see the United States come through. There's a tremendous energy in the school system, and that's who we're really winning the hearts and minds of. The children know we're their friend.  Not only do we improve a road, but we also put a school along that route. The greatest thing is helping out the next generation."

Bonus:
What are witchdoctors doing in Iraq?  Find out here.

And:

Captain Yanity (showcased under VFTF 8) dropped off a comment here at Exeter leaving her blog address.  Her blog covers her experience in Afghanistan starting back in August of 05 and continues to what she's doing now in the States.  Check it out:

http://afghanistan.thecolumbiarecord.com/
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Is All Rosy With Sarkozy?

Posted by Cynewulf on Thursday, May 10, 2007 2:36:17 AM
Here, for your reading enjoyment, are a couple of columns pertaining to the French election.  So, grab some wine and cheese, and peruse at your leisure.

First up, is Mark Steyn's Shortest of Honeymoons.

"Is the French election a belated acknowledgment of reality or the latest attempt to dodge it? "

And next, is another Jack Kelly bit, In Spite of His Pro-American Sentiments.

"But anti-Americanism in France, like anti-Americanism in America, largely is confined to a privileged elite. The large crowd at Mr. Sarkozy's victory party broke out in spontaneous cheering and applause when he said America could count on France's friendship."

Bonus:
Dick Morris has a column on similarities between Hillary and the loser of the French election (Royal):

Hillary's French Lessons

"What does the defeat of Segolene Royal, the first woman to seek the French presidency, mean for Hillary Clinton, in the midst of her pursuit of the Oval Office?"
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Pelosi and Reid: Nananananana, We Can't Hear You!

Posted by Cynewulf on Monday, May 07, 2007 9:14:54 PM
Jack Kelly, in his most excellent column, "Plugging Their Ears," questions recent decisions made by Nancy "Assad Owns Me" Pelosi and Harry "I'm A Loser" Reid.  No, he doesn't question how good the decisions are in and of themselves, but whether they were good political decisions, which is something altogether different.  It turns out, in this case, that, either way, these were not the brightest choices that could have been made.  Go ahead, click on the link, and read for yourself.

"The bumbling Ms. Pelosi seems almost statesmanlike compared to Sen. Reid..."

It's nice to know that, whether in the majority or not, most Dims remain the same.
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