Violence In The Gaza

Israel continues today to attack Hamas leaders and Hamas forces within the Gaza Strip, with artillery and from missles fired from Israeli sites. I've been watching this story as it literally unfolds on an hourly basis day to day. I was just watching some news coverage of a hospital emergency room within the Gaza Strip. The scene was indeed gruesome and heartbreaking. There are alot of innocent civilians that are becoming victims of the violence in Gaza. Schools have been hit with Israeli rocket and artillery fire causing massive damage and massive injuries among civilians as well as numerous deaths. Not excluded from those deaths are the children, numbers of children have died in the Gaza Strip over the last few days of fighting.
As I watched the news coverage of the brutal scenes of injured children in the emergency room crying tears from pain, fear and confusion, crying for their mothers, I felt sincere sorrow for the children, for they are the true innocent victims of the mess the adults have created. Also as I watched the news coverage, I noticed that once again, the news media is really only showing us one side of the story, the side that will pull at the heart strings of the world, the injured and dead bodies of civilians, women, men and children. In their reporting, they make it sound as if Israel is purposely targeting areas where civilians will be including schools and playgrounds.
The fact is, that Hamas is nothing more than a cowardly terrorist organization that is using civilians, including the children as human shields. Hamas has been firing rockets into Israel for weeks now, probing them daily with rockets fired from inside the neighborhoods of the Gaza Strip, causing destruction, injuries and death. Israel took these attacks as long as they could without striking back, but honestly how long can a nation stand idly by and let themselves and their people be targeted by rocket fire? How long would The United States stand for itself to be bombed by an opposing force or anyone else before we struck back? Not long I can tell you that, well infact that might be a very good question considering the new presidential cabinet that will be coming to power on January 20th 2009, but that's a whole other story and at least four years of prayers for God to be with us. Today is about Israel and the situation in the Gaza Strip.
For years there has been turmoil over the Gaza Strip and I feel sure there shall always be until the end of time.
While the situation is indeed sad and it is true that innocent people are being killed in it, ask yourself who is really innocent and who is not? It is a fact of course that those wounded and dead children you see killed by Israeli bombs are innocent no doubt. I am certain that Israel is not intentionally targeting these children and civilians. There is proof that they are not, Israeli planes dropped leaflets on many areas warning of coming missle and artillery attacks, urging the innocent civilians to flee the areas.This clearly shows Israel's effort to protect the Palestinian innocent.
Now to the problem, Hamas leaders and forces are now known to be blocking the civilians from leaving these targeted areas, they are using the civilians, especially the women and children as human shields. But it is not working, Israel is still going forward with their attacks, as would we and as did we in Iraq and Afghanistan. You cannot fight the enemy in an area that he is not in, and if the enemy is holding innocent civilians in place, then some innocent civilians will suffer wounds and some will die.
Hamas is known to be firing rockets into Israel from playgrounds, schools, rooftops of homes, all civilian occupied, they are doing this for two main reasons. 1. In hopes that Israel will hesitate and not retailiate.
2. If Israel does retaliate, the news media will be there to show the world images of injured and dead civilians, women and children included, images of blown out neighborhoods, schools, and claim that Israel is intentionally going after civilians. All in an attempt to get the world's attention and anger on Israel, making Israel appear to be the angry beast with no compassion. One of the sad parts of this is, that with the media's help and support, much of the world will buy into this propaganda and show intolerance towards Israel for what is happening in Gaza.
The real fact is, that Hamas is nothing more than just another extremist terrorist organization, they teach or probably better yet "brainwash" followers into being suicide bombers, who strap heavy explosives to their bodies and walk into busy areas such as market places and detonate the explosives killing themselves along with dozens of unsuspecting people around them, they are much like the Al Qaida that America is fighting today, willing to kill themselves in order to kill their foe, hiding in populated areas and school locations where young children are gathered, using the people and the children as human shields. I am sorry but this is not the sign of a legitimate warrior, this is not the example of a soldier fighting for a true cause, no, instead this is the sign of a cowardly terrorist that has not the courage to stand and face his or her adversary in battle, nor sit at a table and seriously talk out an agreement, this is just a terrorist. As we all very well know a terrorist's goal is only death and destruction. Israel is right to be attacking back against Hamas, Hamas should be completely destroyed done away with forever.
You may think or even say this sounds harsh "done away with forever." but isn't something the is done around the world daily, even in America? We find criminals in our nation that have done the most dispicable crime of all, murder or multiple murders, and we sentence them to death and execute them. By doing so we are saying these people are not worth being allowed to live, that the world is a better place without them, and we are correct in that ruling and sentencing. The same should go for terrorists as well, they are nothing more than murderers, and the world would definitely be a better place without them.

A Great American History Learning Opportunity Is Being Missed

Tonight I did something I haven't done in awhile, well ofcourse after I returned from taking Jake deer hunting. I got home and I sat and watched a video game that was being played on the television through our Wii game system. I usually pay little attention to these games, but this game was different. This game is titled. "Call Of Duty 3" As I watched the game being played, it was a very realistic re-enactment of the combat action of World War Two that took place between the American and Allied Forces against the enemy German Forces, during and right after the D-Day Invasion of Normandy. As I watched this game and noticed the graphic detail of the grunt's faces and their actions and the massive firepower in the battles. I asked the boys that were playing it; "What Is The Name Of This Game?" They told me and I said to them; " The combat scenes yall are playing out there on the screen are events that actually happened during World War Two, Did Yall Know That?" I was surprised to hear them tell me that they did not know it was something that actually happened.I went on and told them of the great second World War and what all was at stake in it, and how many American soldiers lost their lives in it, and then began to tell them that I had 5 uncles that served in combat in that war two of which gave their lives, and one of which was awarded The Congressional Medal of Honor for his valorous acts in combat. I have no problem whatsoever with companies making video games of the past wars or the current wars. I think it is actually a good thing, it could be a great learning tool to inform America's youth of what this country and so many Americans have gone through to keep this country strong and free and to secure freedom for other nations around the globe. These video games now with their great detail in graphics show very close to what the actual combat looked like from the soldier's ground eye view of it, normally through the view of the sights of his rifle.In order to insure that the youth are getting the information they really need to get from these games, it would be even better to see an introduction included in the beginning of these games that tells how the events depicted in the game are of events that really took place. It should give the players the dates that it happened, the names of the war and the enemy country's name, and it should give detail about casualties, how many served, how many wounded and how many were killed in action. Just be a complete aid in learning about some of America's great history and it's history of great struggle and sacrifice. As I stated previously, I have no problem or hang-ups at all whatsoever with the making and distributing these games for sale to teenagers, I think it is a fine idea. I just realized tonight what a great learning tool that it could also serve to be as well, if only the maker's of these games would include that introduction in the beginning of the game. Because alot of the kids playing these games, don't even really know that what they are playing and participating in is actually a realistic piece of American History. They don't realize that they probably have an uncle, father, or grandfather that served a major role in the war that they are sitting there playing, and that could so easily be reversed.Think about it, American History is a class taught in highschool or was when I was a teenager, and yes it was kind of boring, books and all that in most cases aren't top priority in a teenage boys brain lets face it. But what the teenager doesn't realize, is that when he is playing the game, he is taking an active role in parts of American History Class and just does not know it. A great educational opportunity is being missed here, and it's too easy to correct it, not to.

Veterans Day

You know something that I found kind of odd recently? We just celebrated Veteran's Day yesterday November 11th 2008. In my email I recieved numerous "Happy Veteran's Day" emails, many of them stating just how very much we owe our veterans and how our freedoms are secured by the sacrifices that our veterans made and make for us and our great nation.All of which I could not agree with more, for every word of that is the truth. It is indeed the veterans that keep this country strong, free and safe. I appreciate each and every one of them in my heart and in my soul.But what I found very odd or maybe a better term would be "confusing" about these emails and this Veteran's Day, was the fact that we just had our nations Presidential election. In the election race there were two main candidates. The Democrat candidate ofcourse being Barack Hussien Obama, and the Republican candidate being ofcourse John McCain.The thing I find relatively confusing about this celebration of Veterans Day, and all of the ceremonies and praises of the American War Veterans and all of the emails I recieved with words of honor and full support of the veterans, was the fact that in the campaign for The United States Presidency, it basically came down to two candidates, Obama and McCain. Now one of those candidates has never been a veteran and has never really served his country, that candidate is Barack Hussien Obama. But the other candidate is a man that is a highly honored and decorated veteran of war. A man who infact did serve his country and offered up his own life for our very freedom.Now the confusing part of this Veteran's Day, how is it that just days after the election in which the winning candidate was voted in by a large majority of voters, turned out to be the candidate that has never served his country? How is it that we can claim so much honor and admiration, thankfulness and support for our veterans, that a great veteran such as John McCain was defeated in the election for president of this country? I find that very confusing and even contradictory to the appreciation and honor we claim to hold in our hearts for our American veterans.I mean come on, if we believe in our veterans so much as we claim we do, and appreciate them as much as we claim we do, then how can something such as this happen? If a man or woman volunteers and signs the line and puts on the uniform of a soldier and goes willingly into harm's way for this country of ours and for us, then isn't that man or woman a veteran that we claim all of this appreciation and honor for? Well on this election day, I think we failed miserably in showing that we really mean it when we celebrate the veterans and speak words of honor about them. I think we showed just how fake many of us are when it comes to truth, honor and country. A man was voted into office basically just because of his skin color, which would make history by being the first of his race to be president of this country, it certainly was not because of his accomplishments or his experience, for he lacks terribly in both columns. But a man that has given to this country all of his life, was basically dismissed by the voters in the country that he has given his life to. This is something that I just found very confusing as I watched us celebrate veterans day and sung the praises of American veterans. How ironic that we did this just days after we greatly dismissed the experience and sacrifice of one of our great veterans John McCain. But by dismissing one veteran such as him, are we not infact dismissing the other veterans as well?Just something to think about.

I Fear Americans Have Made A Very Dangerous Mistake!

Well the Presidential election has come and gone, and I can't say that I am feeling very confident about the winner. I was and still am a fan and supporter of John McCain. I honestly feel that the citizens of America that voted Obama into office have made a great mistake. A mistake that was guided completely upon the color of the man's skin. So many people were so desperate to make history by electing the first black person as President in the history of this great nation, that I feel their desire blinded them to much more important issues.This is a time of grave danger for this country in the world's eye. We have Muslim enemies that wish nothing more than to see this country destroyed completely and all Americans struck dead. They have proven this over the years and have proven that they will stop at nothing in order to achieve this, even if it means taking their own lives to do it.This is certainly not a time to elect a "Terrorist Friendly" President, or a president that is weak and inexperienced when it comes to defense. But that is certainly what has been done. Not only has a president that is weak and inexperienced in defense been elected into office, but a president who has basically zero experience in leadership. This fact certainly cannot be disputed by anyone. Obama has led absolutely nothing in his lifetime that qualifies him to lead this nation.As I watched the news on election night, and saw when they announced that Obama had officially won the election. For the first time ever I saw the American news agency "CNN" show a live feed of the people in Africa celebrating in the streets wildly the victory of Obama, one would have thought that those too were Americans who had supported Obama. Why on earth would an American news agency show the celebration of people in Africa because a certain candidate won the presidency of The United States Of America? I mean what's it to the people of Africa? Absolutely nothing!At least it should mean absolutely nothing to them, but why does it? I think we will soon find out the answer to that question in the coming months after January 20th 2009. I think when we see Obama pull the American troops from Iraq, we will very soon after that, see Obama order American troops to Africa to try and stop the waring and genocide that is taking place in many parts of Africa.Pulling the troops from Iraq before the goal is achieved, will be a disgrace to all that have served there. It will be a slap in the face to all of the families of those brave American soldiers that have given their lives in Iraq and those that have been wounded. To bring them home before victory is achieved will be the same as sending a message to all of those loved ones of soldiers that gave their lives in Iraq that says; " Sorry we have decided that the war was a mistake and wasn't worth fighting afterall, oops sorry your loved one died for nothing." That is a message this country cannot afford to send again. We sent it after the Vietnam War and it devastated hundreds of thousands of vets and their families.If there is one place on earth that is unworthy of sending American soldiers to fight in, that place is Africa! Anywhere on the continent of Africa. Those are barbaric people, they could care less about the Americans. Many of you may not know, but in 1993 American troops were in Africa. They were in the region near Somalia. They were there to keep peace and aid in the safe distribution of relief food shipments sent from all around the world to aid the starving people in Africa. They were starving because of waring clans in Africa. The worst was headed by a warlord named Muhammed Farah Adid. He was a ferocious warlord and is responsible for the death of millions. American Rangers and other United Nation peacekeepers in the area stood watch over the hungry and gave them protection and food. Then came the day of October 3rd 1993. The Elite 75th rangers 3rd Bat along with members of the also Elite Delta Force, were ordered into the city of Mogadishu, Somalia, actually into the Bakara Market section. We flew in and roped down from Blackhawk Helicopters and in a humvee convoy.Once inside the Barkara Market section, the citizens along with Adid's militia began blocking off the streets behind us with old cars, wagons, tires and setting them on fire, virtually trapping us within the city.They opened fire on American Rangers and Delta Force, a long fight ensued that would last all day and through the night of the 3rd of October and into the morning of the 4th. By the end of the battle (which was the worst battle since the Vietnam War) 19 young American soldiers would lay dead, and another 78 would be wounded, and two Blackhawk Helicopters would be shot down. Some of the bodies of the American soldiers killed in the combat, were taken by the enemy stripped of their uniforms naked, dragged around the dirty streets and hacked to pieces with machetes. Two Congressional Medals Of Honor were posthumously awarded to Sgt. Randy Shugart and Sgt. Gary Gordon, for their greatly heroic acts of leaving the safety of the helicopter they were on high above the action where they were serving as snipers, they requested 3 times to be put on the ground near the site of one of the helicopter crashes so they could protect the injured crewmen who were being advanced upon quickly by hundreds of armed militia. Gordon and Shugart fought gallantly until their last round of ammunition was used at which time the enemy overtook them killing them both. It was the first time a Congressional Medal Of Honor had been awarded since the Vietnam War.The very people we were there to help, turned on us, bit the hand that fed them. After the assault President Clinton ordered all American servicemen out of Africa. A request by General Garrison was made to allow the remaining rangers and delta force to go back into the Bakara Market and hit the enemy back, but the request was denied and all American servicemen were denied the victory over a rag tag militia and ordered home.So should we go back into Africa again to help the people? Absolutely not, but it is quite evident that we will end up there within the next four years if not sooner. And what a disgrace that will be going back to where we had tried to help people before but were shamlessly slaughtered. But now we have a president that has ties in Africa, his father was a muslim from Africa, his grandmother is a muslim that lives still today in Africa.Americans have made a terrible mistake in voting this man into office, I firmly believe that. I firmly believe we will greatly regret it. America brace yourself for a long and bloody war that I feel sure looms like a dark cloud on the horizon. A war to completely stop what is taking place in Africa will take more years and more lives than the war in Iraq ever could. We stand to lose as many lives in Africa in the first few months of battle than we have in Iraq since it began.My last and final word in this column, is how did we as Americans sink so low as to elect a president with no leadership experience, no dedication to this country's values and morals, no service to this country whatsoever, over electing a man that has proven himself all of his life to be a leader? John McCain has served his country all of his life, almost giving his life for this country. He was offered early release from being a prisoner of war in Vietnam because his father was an Admiral in The United States Navy, but John McCain being the dedicated leader he is, refused to accept the early release offered to him by the enemy. He refused the early release because the enemy refused to release his fellow soldiers along with him. He would not leave his fellow soldiers in the hands of the enemy alone. That is the sign of dedication, that is the sign of a proven leader, and that my friends, is the sign of a Great President!

Just Something I Was Thinking About Tonight! A Fight I Couldn't Win

We were just soldiers, holding our ground. Shots ringing out and then men go down. We were caught in Harm's Way. way too far from home. Well it's not about pride, or the headline story. Not for the country or even Ol' Glory. At times like that, you're just trying to bring each other back home. I ran over to help my friend. I tried so hard to keep the life inside of him. Yes I tried. But that was a fight I couldn't win. A fight I couldn't win.

Drinking & Driving, Blood On The Highway

I have for the past several years been an opponent of drinking alcohol while driving, or driving under the influence of alcohol. I will be the first though to admit that I in the past have been guilty of this crime, but it was in my late teenage years and very early twenties, and I am now a near 47 year old man (Thanks to the Good Lord Watching Over Drunkards And Fools). But over I would say the last 20 years, drinking and driving has recieved alot of attention, alot of education has been taught in our schools of the dangers of drinking and driving. Then there is the M.A.D.D. Organization, an oranization originally formed by mothers of children that have been killed by alcohol related traffic accidents, they are a beacon of light when it comes to getting the knowlege out about driving under the influence. I myself am a member of M.A.D.D. I have spoken at the meetings and rallies for them. Why? Because I too am a victim of an alcohol related accident. I was hit head-on by a drunken driver when I was 22 years old and driving home from work one February evening. The impact and power of the collision I will never forget, slamming me into the dashboard and then through the windshield, breaking bones and fracturing my skull. The injuries were devastating, and the therapy and recovery were grueling to say the least, but fortunately I did survive by God's Grace. Since then I have been against drinking and driving, the accident which set me in the victims seat of such a terrible thing, made me see my own actions from the victims side, and it changed my life and conduct forever.
But this is not about me this time, for there was an accident in my small rural community in the dead of night on a lonely stretch of highway. Three teens riding in a pick-up truck under the influence of alcohol and traveling at an estimated speed of 90 miles per hour, lost control of the truck in a slight curve and veered over into the oncoming lane. When they did, a car carrying a man and his wife were coming from the other direction. They were so close there was no time for braking or swerving. The impact was upon them before they could blink.
I will first tell you of the victims of this terrible accident, the wife died from her injuries around 5:45 am. The husband is clinging to life in a very serious condition. They are parents to two small children, a daughter age 7 and another daughter age 4. These two children have lost their mother, and may very well now lose their father.
Now the teens that caused the accident by driving under the influence. Two of them, one the driver of the pick-up truck and the other a passenger in the truck, died instantly on impact. A third person in the truck also a passenger sitting in the middle of the seat, was critically injured, so badly that she was air lifted by medi-vac helicopter from the scene of the accident and rush flown to the trauma center in Jackson, Mississippi, where she is listed in very critical condition, she is in a coma, she has multiple cuts all about her body, multiple broken bones including a skull fracture with brain injury, and her left arm was severed just below her shoulder in the accident and cannot be re-attached. She has been given little chance of surviving her injuries and that if miraculously she does survive them, it is never expected for her body to function properly again, she will need assistance for the rest of her life.
Learning of this devastating accident makes me think about the times that I too rolled the dice on not only my own life but the lives of innocent others and chose to drink and drive. No one on earth has the right to do that. Not to defend my actions back then, because there is no defense for them. Back then though there was little taught about the dangers of drinking and driving.
However today things are way different than they were when I was teenager. It is taught in schools about the dangers of drinking and driving. It is in commercials on television, it is on the news, it is on billboards along the highways, police and other law enforcement agencies set up road blocks in an effort to catch drunk drivers. Most if not all police departments have special units set aside named D.U.I. Task Force who's prime goal is to cruise around the streets watching for irradic driving, in hopes of catching drunk drivers and taking them off the streets. The knowlege of drinking and driving now days is everywhere we look.
For teenagers it's everywhere they look as well, magazines they read run ads about drinking and driving, movie trailers often have a small segment about the dangers of it. They are taught it as I said in school. There is no reason now for anyone not to understand fully how wrong this is, and how dangerous it is and that by drinking and driving it does not only consider You, the other drivers out there on the streets are a concern about it as well.
In one of my comments while speaking at a M.A.D.D. seminar and rally, I made the comment, that "Drinking And Driving Is Exactly The Same As Standing Off From A Crowd Of People And Firing A Rifle Bullet Into The Crowd, For Awhile You May Be Lucky And Not Harm Anyone Or Be Caught, But If You Continue To Fire, Eventually You Will Hit Someone."
Drinking and driving is no different from that, if you do it enough times, you will end up hurting someone, or killing someone, and that someone may very well be yourself.
Have enough respect for yourself not to endanger yourself by drinking and driving, care enough about your loved ones not to leave them in the pain of losing you, and have enough respect for the other drivers out there on the highway, not to choose on your own to place them in danger. There is blood up there on the highway, make certain your not the next one to spill it, by making sure you never choose again to drink and drive!

As I Sit Here In Peace And Comfort

As I sit here in the peace and comfort of my home down in Dixie, it is strange to think of what so many other Americans are going through at this very moment across the ocean on foreign lands.
War is among us, we are at war on two fronts as I write, Iraq and Afghanistan. We didn't start the war no, we were struck first on the fateful day of September 11th. We did not choose our enemy, for it was the enemy that chose us. This we must remember above all.
It saddens me often to hear Americans say that we should not be in this war, and that they do not support it.
America is not a war mongering nation, America is a peaceful nation but a proud nation, a courageous nation. It is because of America that two World Wars and the tyranny and murder plotted within them was stopped. For if not for America most of the European nations would not know freedom today and it is likely that the Jewish faith would have been wiped from existence had we not intervened and stopped Adolph Hitler and his Nazi plan to rule the world.
It is a fact, that democracy, freedom exists in countries where it never could have before had it not been for the aid and assistance of The United States. For even in the current war in Iraq, very little of the good we have accomplished there is being focused on. Not many Americans realize that because of American troops fighting courageously in Iraq, that the Iraqi people held their first real election. For many Iraqis it was their first time to ever vote at all, it was something they never in their lifetime expected to be able to do. But we made it possible and we made it happen.
In the war in Iraq, we have captured the former dictator Saddam Hussien, a man that was just as ruthless as Adolph Hitler was in World War II. We also captured his henchmen and brought them to the Iraqi leadership for justice, and it was the Iraqi people who called for their executions for the crimes against humanity they had commited, and it was the Iraqi courts that decided these men must die for their crimes, and it was the Iraqis that carried out those executions. Something they could never have done had it not been for the support and bravery of American troops. For in the past, if an Iraqi citizen so much as spoke out negatively about Saddam Hussien, that person was immediately executed in the streets and usually their family was as well, children included. But this has been brought to an end, Saddam can never again harm a soul.
These good things we have accomplished in Iraq are never the focal point of the American media. They for some reason choose to tell us the bad things of the war, how many Americans have lost their lives in it and about innocent Iraqi civilians being injured or killed, or suspected terrorist prisoners being tortured. And for the most part they only want to give us THEIR OPINION of how the war is going and if it should be going period. Which is definitely an example of journalism gone wrong. By doing this, the media is basically spreading false propaganda for support of the enemy our sons and daughters and other loved ones are facing every day.
With all of this on my mind tonight, as I sit here in the peace and comfort of my office in my home, I also wonder about the young soldier that is bleeding his or her life's blood out in the desert sands of Iraq or the mountainous regions of Afghanistan. I wonder who's heart will be breaking tomorrow in America when they get the news and I pray for them. I wonder if I will be the one getting that heartbreaking news, and I pray it won't be me. As I do I feel the guilt of a parent, for to pray it is not you that gets that terrible news, it feels the same as if you are hoping it is another parent that gets it. Inside I know I do not wish that news upon any parent ever!
Ok I reckon I have said enough in this post, have a goodnight and know that you're sleeping safe from the terrorist attacks tonight because of our troops over there laying it on the line to capture, defeat and kill if need be those that wish to see us (all Americans) dead and our nation completely destroyed. If protecting ourselves from that is not worth fighting for, well then what could possible be?