U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Alpi ReyesCruz, who is from the Dominican Republic, waits for his ride on Combat Outpost Herrera Dec. 2. Reyes, an infantry soldier by trade, was finishing up a seven-month deployment as the Army Research, Development and Engineering Command's science and technology advisor for Regional Command East. The assignment took him all over the region, usually by himself, to document improvements soldiers wanted in their equipment. Once documented, he would relay the information back to the States where prototypes would be made and sent into theater for real-world trials before being mass produced and officially issued.

I went to the PX yesterday looking for some boot laces for one of our Wounded Warriors. His uniforms and boots had to be cut off. So, he has boots, but no laces.

Half the shelves were empty with little signs that begged for patience as “we are experiencing logistical supply shortages due to the blockade in Pakistan.”

Kabul is pissed because the ‘Merican drawdown will result in something like a $14BN loss to their economy. Their economy has seen roughly 11% annual growth over the last 5 years.

In other news, Pakistan has blocked ISAF trucks from crossing Torkham gate from Pakistan into Afghanistan. These trucks provide the majority of our equipment and life support. The Pakis are demanding something like $1750 per truck to be allowed transit, and there are currently over 1000 trucks stuck there (and as they are sitting there, they get pilfered, and attacked by Taliban). These are contracted vehicles, so the drivers are just as likely as not to say “screw it” and leave, with or without their payloads; and even if they stay, we pay them extra for their trouble.

Pakistan is literally holding needed supplies and trying to keep our forces hostage. These are, if you’ll recall, the same “partners” in the war on terror who didn’t know (*ahem*) bin Laden was living right outside their version of the war college. We kill bands of insurgents every day, and if they are anywhere near the border, Pakmil suddenly claims they were Pakistani forces. Even though we clear any kinetic strikes close to the border (within 4km on our side) through the Pakistan military liaison.

Can we please tell India that they are welcome to go jack Pakistan up? I get that Pakistan is a nuclear power, so we can’t exactly bully them, but last I checked, we a) have ICBMs, and they don’t; b) are the only country to ever use nukes in warfare; and c) already have an Army sitting on their border. Any commander in chief with balls would just order one or two of his brigades to seize OUR, taxpayer-provided equipment, and transport it into Afghanistan, with ROE that clearly states to remove any obstacles to that movement. Then, we would cut all funding and diplomatic ties with them, seize any Pakistani owned assets in the US, embargo all of their goods, and sink any ships they have, military or commercial. Just for giggles, we’d then drop bigass bombs all along their border in the “training camps” their military has (which look an awful like insurgent training camps, given that they are full of insurgents training, and not Pakistani military.)

Mario Launi, a WWII veteran who served in the Pacific, will be turning 100 years old on January 26, 2012. He is currently at the Hollidaysburg Lutheran Home, 915 Hickory Street, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648. His family and caregiver have requested the community and all veterans to come together and shower him with cards. So what I am requesting that every patriotic and freedom-loving American in the area join in thanking him for his sacrifices. This will be a small token by letting him know how much we appreciate his selfless and dedicated service.

Thank You so Very Much,

Peggy Lidwell, Ret USA MSG
Service Officer
Post 175
Gallitzin, Pa

The Being Conservative team saw this heart-wrenching yet sobering reminder of our troops’ sacrifice and wanted to share. This is a photo of Landon. His father, Marine LCPL Andrew Carpenter, was killed in Afghanistan a month before he was born.

Lance Cpl. Carpenter was killed in Afghanistan February 19th of this year.

Marine Lance Cpl. Andrew Carpenter, a member of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, was shot in the neck while on patrol in southern Afghanistan. The bullet severed his spinal cord. His heart stopped and it took officials 43 minutes to revive him. Medical officials later declared the 27-year-old brain dead.

~~~

Father Kevin Carpenter spoke with The Daily Herald on Saturday from Germany, where his son was hospitalized. He and his wife flew there last week to spend time with their son.

“We got to tell him we love him. We got to see him. And even though he wasn’t there, we got to hold him,” he said.

The Marine’s father said officials tried their best to keep his son alive and considered flying him back to the U.S. to let his wife see him, but they believe he would have died during the flight.

Crissie Ponder could not fly to Germany because she is pregnant and expecting to give birth in less than two weeks.

Andrew Carpenter joined the Marines in 2007 and was serving his second deployment in Afghanistan. Kevin Carpenter said his son was due back sometime this spring. He married Ponder in 2010.

She declined comment to the newspaper, but wrote on her husband’s Facebook page: “You will always be my soul mate and my best friend forever. … I look forward to seeing you in Heaven one day, baby.”

Cpl. Joseph Davis, who has known Carpenter since childhood, will escort the Marine’s body back to Tennessee once he reaches U.S. soil.

Davis said his friend was always happy wherever he went.

“He lived a full life,” Davis said. “He loved doing what he was doing. He was glad to serve.”

A section of street in his hometown of Columbia Tennessee was named in his honor.

Click here to view the embedded video.

As I am sure many of you have read Michael Avery, a professor from Suffolk University Law School not only balked at the idea of sending care packages to military men and women overseas in active duty, he took it a step further when he said in part:

“I think it is shameful that it is perceived as legitimate to solicit in an academic institution for support for men and women who have gone overseas to kill other human beings.”

He wrote this in response to a campus wide email soliciting holiday care packages. When you look at Mr. Avery’s academic background, it is easy to see why he has this twisted view of the world. Among his credits listed at Suffolk University’s Law School website, he attended the University of Moscow for one year and also has served as special counsel to the ACLU.

Now I could delve into a thoughtful, yet angry tirade about his insensitivity to the military. Or I could say that even as hateful and ignorant as his position is, he has a right to express it under the very First Amendment granted to him in the Constitution; a right that has been fought and died for by our brave military men and women since the birth of our great country.

However, while viewing the responses to the story about this on the Daily Caller’s website, I found one response to be the antithesis of Professor Avery’s asinine comments. I would like now, to post this response and the only attribution I can give is the screen name of the respondent – Night_wolf_45.

Mr Avery,

While a majority of e-mails pertaining to your distaste for US care packages will likely be hostile in nature, I assure you that my message will strive to be anything but. As a US soldier and an officer in a light infantry brigade, I have seen both the dark side of humanity as well as sacrifice in its most pure form. Though not as educated, nor as knowledgeable as you in a vast number of areas, I may speak from experience when noting our operations overseas. While it is true that armies deal in death, we also strive to protect life, as a medical platoon leader in Afghanistan we served both civilian and hostile force with the same diligence and care as we would an American causality. On numerous occasions we treated children screaming from the shrapnel of a misplaced footstep as well as those who proved to be the genesis of the aforementioned injury.

Professor Avery, we do not deal solely in death, as if we did I would not find this career to be a suitable alternative to the academic realm of which I one day wish to return. In fact my job is honestly the antithesis of death, as it is for a vast majority of those who adorn the regalia of a soldier in a modern army. Unlike our enemies, we care for those who bleed, regardless of their affiliation, unlike those who wish us harm, we attempt to abide by the laws of war, and unlike those who leave explosives in crowded streets, we attempt to protect those who cannot protect themselves. While you may see this as an ignorant and idealized version of war, I could say the same for the comments you yourself had made. I am not a murderer Mr. Avery, nor do I condone the slaughter of civilians, I am a man who made a choice to protect living beings in a land that I would otherwise have never seen. True I have witnessed death, from the labored respirations of a dying member of the ANA, to the metaphorical demise of innocence, found in the tear strewn face of a soldier who had lost a comrade before their eyes.  You see Mr. Avery, we were not the agents of death, but rather the nemesis of it. Even when the biological limitations of an individual were on the verge of collapse, we only relented in our battle with mortality when our clinical limitations and beleaguered efforts, could not overcome the inevitable. I am not asking to be called a hero sir, a title that would be better applied to the remarkable men who served under me, I’m simply asking to not be labeled a murderer. As a man of law you can see the distinct difference, if your generalization of those in uniform were to be true, and if all men and women were guilty by association, one would ultimately be forced to surmise that there would be no one left to guard the institutions, as we would all be interned. True, many of us are unremarkable, and unlike those with an outstanding intellect and pension for academia, we found a career in which we can excel. However, regardless of political ideations, we are often taken from home to fulfill the call of duty, both the one were a legally bound to answer, and the one we ourselves intrinsically create. We leave our wives, children, pets, parents, loved ones, bills and personal strife behind us, for a penance of what we should be paid, in a land we seldom know. You see sir, a care package is not a message of death, nor is it a cluster of bullets in a chamber pointed at a child, if anything, it’s a reminder that we are remembered and we are longed for.”

With thoughtful, intelligent folks like this in the military, not only do I feel a swell of patriotism, but I see light at the end of the tunnel of darkness that is modern progressivism.

That was the professor’s response to an email that was sent out by his university asking for support in sending out care packages to our troops.

On the opposite side of the opinion spectrum, here’s a Hollywood celebrity who also expresses his feelings toward those who serve and posts the following on his blog [It's so well-worth the read, I can't help but post it here in its entirety] :

To all my family, friends and fans -

I’m writing this out to all of you after attending an event that turned out to be one of the most moving evenings I’ve ever had…

I had the honor and privilege last night of attending The Basic School Instructor Battalion 236th Marine Corps Birthday Ball at the Greater Richmond Convention Center with Corporal Kelsey DeSantis…

I knew I would have an evening that I wouldn’t forget… Something I could tell my friends about. What I didn’t know was how moved I would be by the whole experience.

I’ve always been very vocal about my support of our Armed Forces. I’ve always felt like they offered us the opportunity to live our lives freely without the fear that so many other nations have to endure still to this day. And, they do it without asking for anything in return. I had this very feeling walking into this dinner. So, to say I was stoked to be there would be more than accurate.

As the evening got started, I met Kelsey and we made our way to the ballroom where the Marine Ball was going to be held. I stopped in an area designated as a kind of VIP for some of the officers, I think. I took some photos and shook hands with some of the men and women who take such great care of our freedom. It was nice to be there already.

Then, we moved to the ballroom where the dinner was set up… For a short while, I had the opportunity to sit with Kelsey, get to know her and get a tiny glimpse into what her life as a Marine was like. She talked about her training in mixed martial arts with a passion, a discipline, and a respect. It reminded me of how I hear my favorite athletes talk about their sport or, how I hear my favorites among my peers in music and film talk about their craft.

We sat in this huge ballroom and were the only ones there as, we had beaten the rest of the soldiers who were on their way in. So, we got a decent amount of time to chat before the ceremony started.

She seemed to me to be so humble and honest… Very cool. She also simultaneously seemed like she was nervous about the whole evening and if I was going to enjoy myself. “Are you ok?” she asked 2 or 3 times. “I hope you are having fun. I know you will once my crew of friends get here to the table.” I have to tell you, it’s not every day that I meet a 23 year old girl and she’s more worried about if I’m having fun or if I’m comfortable! It hit me all of a sudden that these were the type of people that look after us and our freedom… Humble, concerned for others before themselves… This was the type of person our Marine Corps was building. I was really blown away.

It seemed like all of a sudden I was surrounded by her great friends and fellow Marines as the closest ones to her made their way to our table. She again assured me that I was going to love all of her friends–that they were a “kick-ass” group of people.

She couldn’t have been more right. I laughed and laughed with all of them almost immediately and felt very close to them… They reminded me of my friends (the ones I like, at least). Cool, un-affected, and real. This was going to be a fun night.

What happened then took me by such surprise that I was almost brought to tears. In fact, our whole table was…

They started the ceremony. And, the next thing I knew I was watching a video about Pearl Harbor/WW2 and the September 11 terrorist attacks… It was a video with some first-hand accounts from some Marines who were there… Telling their stories of the sights and sounds of war and rescue. So vivid and real. So honest but, so filled with a sense of compassion and adoration for this wonderful country. They spoke with a pride that only they could have acquired through their experience as a US Marine. There was a common theme that I began to notice as well… No matter what the situation. No matter how dire…

They were there FIRST.

There on the front lines.

No questions… Just reaction.

While this tribute was playing, you could hear a pin drop. It was a surreal moment to be in that room with so many of our great Marines who have such a different type of connection to those stories. One that we who don’t serve will NEVER understand. It was familial. It was like they were listening to their own blood brothers. I glanced around the room at young men and women, spouses and soldiers… At kids way beyond their years, really… All so deeply entwined. Not just by battle, even though we who have never endured anything remotely close to those experiences and have NO position to comment on… But, by having such life changing experiences through them and to not ever waver in their love and respect for our homeland. That’s what I saw. A faith in us that has been tested time and time again. And, through it all, NEVER a drop of doubt.

I was truly moved.

The evening went on and we ate and took photos and drank and made jokes.

There were some speeches that prompted many “huahs” and applause. There was laughs. We even danced a little.

I felt so proud to be there. I felt like I was getting a chance to be among my heroes. It’s funny too because a lot of them are SO younger than me.

The evening wound down for me as, I had to catch a plane. But, I have to say that I had so much fun with Kelsey and her crew of friends. They were just really nice people… Classy Marines but, not without a great sense of humor. Real individuals but, not without a sense of community.

I said my goodbyes to them but, not before I got a chance to tell them how much the evening had meant to me. They made me feel so welcome to be there and I’ll never forget it.

We all have our own individual views on war… But, doesn’t that speak to just another thing that makes this country so special?? The fact that we can all wake up every morning and BE individual with a pure sense of freedom..? But, one thing that can’t be argued is that it’s because of the people who VOLUNTEER their lives to make sure that it’s protected at all times. And, like I said before, doing so while asking for nothing in return…

To all of you that serve every day for us… Ensuring our freedom, I say: My deepest gratitude to you. I’ve met so many of my heroes… From Michael Jordan to Michael Jackson. And, nothing makes me feel more honor and pride than when I get to meet one of you. Last night changed my life and I will never forget it.

To people like me who get to benefit from this type of person… One with character and courage. With strength and bravery. With humility and honor… I say: Send your thanks. Do it however you can. Write a letter, type an email… Hell, buy ‘em a beer next time you run into someone from our Armed Forces in a bar. When they say thank you for that drink that cost you 3 bucks, they’ll mean it. They won’t take it for granted and, they won’t forget it.

Thank you Corporal Kelsey DeSantis. Thank you for inviting me. And, thank you for being my hero.

- Justin Timberlake

How did this come about? Back in July:

Mila Kunis has set a dangerous, albeit awesome, standard for asking celebrities on dates.

Just days after the actress accepted Sgt. Scott Moore’s YouTube request to attend a Marine Corps ball with him, a female Marine has asked the same of Justin Timberlake.

When Kunis was asked about the viral video invitation by Fox411, Timberlake, her “Friends with Benefits” co-star, demanded she go. “You need to do it for your country,” he told her.

Well now J.T., it’s your turn. Cpl. Kelsey De Santis, who is serving at the Martial Arts Center for Excellence in Quantico, posted her own video to YouTube with a similar request. She would like the “Sexy Back” singer to go to her last Marine Corps Ball in Washington, D.C. this November.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here’s the Marine video to Mila Kunis:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here’s Cpl. De Santis’ video to Timberlake:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I haven’t really paid attention to Timberlake’s career. But it’s nice to see those like him who have enjoyed great prosperity show an appreciation to those who make whatever lifestyles we lead possible.

Hat tip: The Michael Medved Show

Henry Schuster:

It’s only natural to think in terms of us v them. Right now, in the public discourse, it seems to be all about the wealthiest one percent and the rest of us – the 99 percent.

However, after covering the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq for the last ten years – including numerous trips to the war zones and to military communities here at home — I’ve learned there’s another one percent, who I call the real one percent. They are the men and women who fight our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (not to mention Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and Libya) and their families. The rest of us are the 99 percent.

We lend our moral support to the one percent. We cheer the veterans when their names are announced at ball games. Maybe we even have ribbons of various colors on our car. We say the obligatory ‘thank you for your service,’ and I believe we mean it. But we don’t really understand what that service really means for these members of the military.

We don’t understand that the cost of war doesn’t end when the troops come home, but is instead often paid out over the years.

This is our real great divide in this country. It is in part the consequence of an all-volunteer military. It is also in part the consequence of fighting wars without involving the rest of us. We weren’t asked to sacrifice after 9/11 or pay for the wars that followed. Imagine the reaction if we had a war tax. Or if there had been a draft. Instead, we’ve got the few fighting for the many and they do it at great cost to themselves and their families.

WaPo:

The Occupy Wall Street movement slogan “We are the 99 percent” is ironic to many of those who are serving, or have served, in Afghanistan or Iraq. Our servicemen and women are not the 1 percent of Americans whom OWS condemns. Rather, this 1 percent goes ignored by the self-proclaimed 99 percent in Zuccotti Park, as well as by those looking down on the protesters from their offices at Goldman Sachs or Citibank. And it is not lost on those fighting in Afghanistan that it was bank accounts, not an interest in or concern for those patrolling Kandahar, that motivated the protesters to take to the streets in cities across America.

The 1 percent who volunteered to serve in the armed forces, and their families, are about the only Americans left who closely follow events in places such as Helmand and Kabul. Most thoughtful Americans could instantly tell you who is pushing for a “9-9-9” tax plan, but ask them to name the commanding general of more than 100,000 troops in Afghanistan and they would not have a clue. (The answer is Gen. John Allen.) Many well-meaning people who debate tax rates and mortgage foreclosures are unaware of a young Army Ranger sergeant named Kristoffer Domeij, who left behind a wife and two children when he was killed last month on his 14th deployment to combat.

The public apathy that has long characterized our involvement in this war is obviously, in large part, the result of an all-volunteer military force that has left the 99 percent blissfully unaware of the daily triumphs and tragedies that mark the lives of many of their fellow citizens a world away.

~~~

Back in 2005, not even halfway into our decade of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, my grandfather, a World War II veteran, sometimes used to scan the headlines of his newspaper, toss it aside in disgust, and complain loudly, “Don’t they know there’s a war on?” Sadly, the answer now is the same as it was then. Some Americans will, in fact, pause this Veterans Day to reflect on the sacrifices made by the United States’ latest generation of veterans. And that is a good thing. But, come Monday, as the opening bell ushers in a new day on Wall Street, U.S. soldiers heading out on patrol will once again be the furthest thing from many minds.

Happy Veterans Day to all those who currently serve and to those who have served, from one of the 99%ers: Thank you for your service. You men and women will always Occupy Honor and Respect.

This is a video I put together last year with permission from James Hooker, the songwriter. I think it’s still valid for 2011:

Click here to view the embedded video.

“They’re on our right, they’re on our left, they’re in front of us, they’re behind us; they can’t get away from us this time.-Chesty Puller, USMC, Chosin Reservoir, Korean War

“We’re surrounded. That simplifies the problem!”
-CHESTY PULLER, USMC


“We’re not retreating, Hell! We’re just attacking in a different direction!”
GEN. OLIVER SMITH, USMC

Happy 236th Birthday to our United States Marine Corps!

Every Marine is, first and foremost, a rifleman. All other conditions are secondary
-General A. M. Gray, USMC

Even with the mistake, this video is awesome…like watching a deadly Japanese tea ceremony, performed by professional badasses:

Click here to view the embedded video.

“The deadliest weapon in the world is a MARINE and his rifle!”
GEN. PERSHING, US.ARMY

Here’s a modern update to a classic joke:

A large group of Taliban soldiers are moving down a road when they hear a voice call from behind a sand-dune.

“One Marine is better than ten taliban”.

The Taliban commander quickly sends 10 of his best soldiers over the dune whereupon a gun battle breaks out and continues for a few minutes, then silence.

The voice then calls out “One Marine is better than one hundred taliban”.

Furious, the Taliban commander sends his next best 100 troops over the dune and instantly a huge gun fight commences. After 10 minutes of battle, again silence.

The voice calls out again “One Marine is better than one thousand Taliban”.

The enraged Taliban Commander musters one thousand fighters and sends them across the dune.

Cannon, rocket and machine gun fire ring out as a huge battle is fought. Then silence.

Eventually one wounded Taliban fighter crawls back over the dune and with his dying words tells his commander,

“Don’t send any more men, its a trap. There’s actually two of them.

The inaugural Warrior Open golf tournament, presented by the George W. Bush Presidential Center, was held at Las Colinas Country Club Oct.10-11, 2011. Photo by Eric Draper

President Bush talks with warrior Dale Beatty and his son Lucas, who was also his caddy, during the practice round of the Warrior Open, Sunday, October 9, 2011. Photo by Grant Miller.

President Bush played a few holes during the practice round with warrior Dan Nevins on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011. Photo by Eric Draper — at Las Colinas Country Club.

President Bush will host the Warrior Open golf tournament in Dallas, Texas October 10-11. To learn more and to apply, visit http://warrioropen.com/. Photo by Grant Miller

President Bush and Dan Nevins walk to the next hole during the practice round of the Bush Center inaugural Warrior Open Golf Tournament, Las Colinas Country Club, Irving, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011. Photo by Eric Draper

President Bush celebrates a warrior's putt during the practice round of the inaugural Warrior Open Golf Tournament on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011. Photo by Eric Draper

HuffPo:

the former commander-in-chief tells The Associated Press there’s one aspect of his presidency he still misses: interaction with U.S. troops. And Bush, who sent them to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, says that despite his desire to remain largely out of the public eye, he wants to make sure veterans and military members know they still have his support.

“I was a little concerned that our veterans don’t think that I still respect them and care for them a lot,” Bush told the AP. He added later, “There’s nothing as courageous in my judgment as someone who had a leg blown off in combat overcoming the difficulties.”

Bush is hosting next week’s Warrior Open golf tournament in suburban Dallas, an event featuring members of the U.S. Armed Forces wounded while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, including those who lost limbs and suffered brain injuries. Bush joined more than a dozen wounded military members in the Warrior 100 – a 62-mile mountain bike ride he hosted in West Texas last spring.

These public appearances are the exception to the lifestyle Bush has led in his post-presidency.

After leaving office two years ago, Bush and former first lady Laura Bush bought a house in Dallas and started work on the George W. Bush Presidential Center, slated to open in 2013. He has attended select events relating to the center, as well as a ceremony with President Barack Obama marking the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But he has largely remained out of the public eye.

Bush said he doesn’t want veterans to mistake his private nature with a lack of appreciation for what they’ve done on the battlefield.

“They hadn’t seen me and they hadn’t seen me with the troops,” he said. “So therefore I am using mountain biking and golf to stay connected with the military, people who served during my presidency.”

Military members and veterans groups have generally held Bush in high regard, despite the nationwide protests and international controversy that grew more fervent as the American death toll grew in Afghanistan and Iraq under his command.

~~~

Bush, who since leaving office also has made appearances at events for organizations that benefit troops, said he gets inspiration from meeting members of the military who have overcome serious injuries. He said there’s not much he misses about the presidency, but added he does miss being commander-in-chief because he has “great respect for those men and women who wear the uniform.”

Brian “Ski” Donarski, 43, is among the veterans Bush has invited to the two-day golf tournament that starts Monday. The Army first lieutenant was seriously wounded when a mine blew up in Iraq in 2006 and spent 13 months rehabilitating from a traumatic brain injury, a fracture in his neck, bulged disks in his back and undergoing shoulder surgery.

Though Bush has spent most of the past couple of years out of the limelight, Donarski never doubted the former president’s commitment to the troops.

“I know he didn’t forget us,” he said.

David Hartley, police chief of the small southeast Texas town of Hempstead, also supports Bush, even after losing his 25-year-old son, Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Lee Hartley, in 2008 in Iraq. For the last two years, the chief has organized the Watermelon Run for the Fallen in Hempstead to raise money for organizations that help veterans and their families. Hartley, whose last run drew about 3,500 people, also said he’s never doubted the Republican president’s commitment to the troops.

“The man literally cares for our troops and I have the upmost respect for him,” Hartley said. “Everything he does, he does from his heart.”

Besides interacting with veterans and service members, Bush plans to stay involved in public policy through his already-active institute, which focuses on education reform, global health, human freedom and economic growth.

But, he makes clear, “I don’t miss the fame.” He said he and Laura are content with their life back in Texas, where he served as governor for six years before winning the presidency.

After the propaganda effort by the MSM to elect the empty suit called Obama, everyone is extremely suspicious of efforts to promote this man of no accomplishment. Thus when the White House gave Sony (a company that just hosted another fund raiser for the eternal campaigner) the supposed top secret details of the mission to assassinate Osama, the paranoia strikes deep; but seriously, is this president that ignorant to publicize top secret data on the wide screen to the world? I don’t think so

There is paranoia over Sony’s movie on Bin Laden; I am not sure it is worthy of our attention. Scheduled to be released a month before the presidential election, Conservatives are convinced it will be an attempt to cast Obama as a commander of commandos type role who couldn’t have been closer unless he was in the chopper and Liberals are hoping against common sense, it will portray the president in a positive light and will make the American public forget the failures of the past.

There are several factors within this dynamic that we as Conservatives and Liberals are ignoring. Propaganda films in the tradition of Goebbels are painfully obvious and laughable by standards of a literate viewer. The films of Michael Moore come to mind and they certainly swayed a segment of the cerebrally challenged, but now they have become cult films for those who are intrigued by the bald faced lies.

We are now comparing directors, Goebbels and Moore, they are considered caricatures of serious film directors. Robert Redford is a serious director who lets his political convictions overwhelm his artistic talent and his legacy will reflect his compromises.

Kathryn Bigelow is scheduled to direct the Bin Laden Film. She directed The Hurt Locker, if you recall there was no political motive expressed in that movie. It portrayed the characters who defuse the bombs in Iraq and she portrayed them in a manner that left the viewer breathless during the intense drama of the action scenes; at least I was breathing hard and my hands were shaking during those scenes. She did it, she showed us the men who do an unsung job and portrayed them as heroes. She didn’t promote the BS like the typical Hollywood Liberal of the Meryl Streep, Robert Redwood tradition of hating everything about America but the money.

In other words, she relied on artistic talent rather than Leftist rubbish to portray our heroes, a rare quality for our movie people.

She has a following and a name that can be developed. Do you really think she will jeopardize her future to make a propaganda movie for a failure like Obama.

A propaganda movie can also backfire on the Liberals and Obama leaving them shattered for decades. The world is not the naive place it was when Gore and Moore promoted their lies to the world.

I may be the only Conservative who feels this way, but I say let Bigelow make her movie. She, the Liberals, and Obama know the gamble of not portraying this mission accurately and the inevitable result of a propaganda movie becoming the laughingstock of the world.

There are many former service men and active military who will be watching this movie with the most critical eyes in the world. You aren’t going to fool these patriots. Let the cameras roll or should I say let the heads roll if you mess up.

Arleen Ocascio, director of the VA cemetery in Houston, has decided to take the Marxist Revolution a step further and has decreed that there will be no references to God or Jesus and that all ceremonies must be written and submitted to her for pre-approval. Obviously, this low level bureaucrat has decided Obama’s Revolution is stalled and she must pick up the standard and impose her will on the veterans who come to the cemetery to bury their loved ones.

According to her, there will be no mention of a Christian or Jewish God at future ceremonies, she has spoken and her feelings reflect the Democrats and their antagonism against God. There seems to be no antagonism against Allah, at least he has not been mentioned in Ms Ocascio’s demands that religion or God not be mentioned in the ceremonies taking place in her cemetery.

Marilyn Koepp, Secretary of the National Memorial Ladies, a volunteer group that attends every funeral at this particular cemetery, was told by Arleen Ocascio that they could not mention God while on the cemetery grounds.

It’s true that Obama’a Democrats wants to erase all traces of God from public buildings and our schools, but why must they insist that the veterans who pay the ultimate sacrifice or old heroes from the wars of yesteryear deny the presence of God before being interred with their brothers. Why is this tyrant being allowed to impose the Socialist creed against religion on the grieving families of our patriots. Is Obama’s hatred of our military, going to be allowed to force undue suffering on our Goldstar families when they are at their most vulnerable time.

There is a movement calling for the firing of Arleen Ocascio, not a reassignment, a termination. It is imperative that we demand her termination; otherwise, similar encroachments by Obama’s Socialism will continue to erode away our freedoms and the Constitution. If we allow every Marxist ideologue with a bit of power to usurp our freedoms at their whim, we will lose our Liberty.

This woman must be terminated, not transferred to sow other cushy job, but terminated without benefits. We can no longer stand around and watch these petty tyrants throw their weight around and cower in fear. They are petty Marxists who think they have power over the Constitution because of Obama’s disregard for the Constitution.

We have been pushed, it is time to show these pathetic little Marxists how the brotherhood of patriots regards their disregard and disdain of our basic rights and freedoms.

Don't Mess With Our Vets