The Bigsibling Blog

I…I…I’m completely speechless. Seriously. I don’t even know what to say to this…

A national tour featuring decorated veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan won’t be stopping at Forest Lake Area High School today as planned, after school leaders abruptly canceled the visit.

Steve Massey, the school principal, said the decision to cancel was prompted by concerns that the event was becoming political rather than educational and therefore was not suitable for a public school.

He said the school had received several phone calls from parents and others, some of whom indicated that they may stage a protest if the event took place.

"The event was structured to be an academic classroom discussion around military service. We thought we’d provide an opportunity for kids to learn about service in the context of our history classes," Massey said. "As the day progressed, it became clear that this was becoming a political event … which would be inappropriate in a public setting.

"We decided to cancel," Massey said. Organizers of the National Heroes Tour then scrambled to relocate the event to the American Legion building in Forest Lake. The visit, which U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Stillwater, had been scheduled to attend, is sponsored by Vets for Freedom, a national organization run by Pete Hegseth, a 1999 graduate of Forest Lake Area High School who served with the 101st Airborne in Iraq in 2005-06.

"I think it’s extremely unfortunate that a school would bow to the political pressure of outside groups and not bring in a veterans organization," Hegseth said. "Are we saying that patriotism and duty and honor have no place in our public schools?" So far, the tour has visited one school, albeit a private school.

The stop in Forest Lake was supposed to involve about 150 social studies students and was going to be closed to the public but open to the media. But the last-minute venue change left Hegseth wondering how many people would actually show up today.

"I don’t know if we’ll have a crowd," he said. "We changed venues, but we don’t have the ability to publicize it." He said he had talked with school officials ahead of time and assured them that the presenters would not make any political statements.

Forest Lake event canceled; too political

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These are his own words. This isn’t some editorialized story. Watch the video. He wants to drastically cut the arms budget. Slow down our military arms research. And get rid of all of our defensive weapons.

No, really, just watch the vid.

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Berkeley, California is one of those liberal hotbeds where the folks run around praising diversity, smoking dope, hugging trees and singing Kumbaya. It’s a place where the treasure and value the freedom of speech - as long as it is speech that they agree with. Their idea of free speech is to give certain groups of people special access and special permits to protest against other groups of people the city council doesn’t like. That is how they define their love of and utter disrespect for free speech.

Case is point is the current actions of the Berkeley City Council. A couple of years ago that stallwart intrepid group called the United States Marines opened up a recruiting office in Berkeley. This was, of course, met with quite a bit of hostility from those freedom loving asshats that hate the United States. Recently, the city council passed a resolution stating that the United States Marine Corps presence is seen as an “uninvited and unwelcome intruders” (heh, as if the United States Marines had ever waited for an invitation). The city council folks say they are just excercising their First Amendment rights. Uhm…yeah, whatever help the asshats sleep at night - I guess.

But in addition to this resolution, they have also voted to give the anti-American group “Code Pink” special permit parking in front of the recruiting office. And special noise permits for protesting the presence of the Marines. The USMC, of course, has no comment on the activities of the city council. They have more class than that. But I would not advocate the Marines removing themselves from Berkeley. In fact, I think it would be great if the Army, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard would open recruiting centers throughout the city. That would give all those Code Pink-O Commie biatches plenty of places to park, and plenty to whine about.

I’m certain they were uninvited and unwelcome intruders on the beaches of Normandy, and on the sands of Iwo Jima, and they managed to perservere against real threats from real enemies. I’m fairly confident they will perservere against the Berkeley city council and the goobs from Code Pink-O Commies.

“The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!” - Eleanor Roosevelt

I saw a bumper sticker the other day which read:

“If you don’t stand behind our troops, stand in front of them. Please.”

This is a sentiment with which I concur wholeheartedly!

Semper Fi Marines

Technorati Tags: United States Marines, Berkeley, Code Pink, City Council

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An update on the trial between Albert Snyder, father of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder who was killed in Iraq, and the Phelps cult. I posted about this a couple of days ago here.

The Kansas City Star’s online “Breaking News” section is reporting

Father of Marine awarded $2.9 million from Phelps family for anti-gay protest at funeral.

BALTIMORE — A federal jury delivered a $2.9 million verdictWednesday against the Phelps family of Topeka and their homophobe Westboro Baptist Church, a Kansas church that picketed the funeral of a Maryland Marine killed in an auto accident in Iraq last year.

It is believed to be the first individual lawsuit against the Phelps, who are infamous for picketing military and other funerals around the country. They do not contend that the dead soldiers are gay, but that their deaths are punishment by an angry God against the United States for its tolerance of homosexuality.

A grieving father, Albert Snyder, sued for unspecified damages after members staged a demonstration at the March 2006 funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder.

Family and church members, under the leadership of Fred Phelps, Sr., routinely picket funerals of military personnel killed in
Iraq and Afghanistan, carrying signs such as “Thank God for dead soldiers” and “God hates fags.”

Their actions have prompted several states to pass laws regarding funeral protests and Congress has passed a law prohibiting such protests at federal cemeteries.

My thoughts are “ding dong the witch is dead, the wicked witch is dead.” The church will probably not fold with on $2.9 million dollar lawsuit. But since Snyder was victorious, look for a plethora of other suits to follow. I’m thinking that this may finally be the end of the Phelps cult. They’ll have to sell their compound and I won’t be subjected to seeing that god-forsaken giant red and white banner which reads “www.godhatesamerica.com”, right next to their upside down flying Canadian flag, above their upside down flying American flag on my way to work.

Yee Haw!

UPDATE: 31 October, 2007 22:36

I just watched the local news, and they are reporting the judgement at $10.9 million. $2.9 million for compensatory damages, and $8 million for punitive damages. I don’t normally take pleasure in the suffering of others, but on this occasion, I will make an exception!

UPDATE: 1 November, 2007 09:31

I just had to add this picture, stolen borrowed from SoHos.

Secrent Identity? You never seen Fred Phelps and Rev. Kane in the same place at the same time do ya?

You can read more about the Phelps cult history here.

Technorati Tags: Phelps, Albert Snyder, Matthew Snyder, God Hates Fags, Lawsuit

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One hater cries foul, and the National Cemetery Administration runs for cover. A complaint, which the NCA is refusing to release, has been lodged about the flag folding ceremony at Riverside National Cemetery. The complaint prompted the NCA to issue a new flag-folding script to be read as each part of the American flag is folded.

The complaint was made about the recitation of the eleventh fold. The recitation is:

The eleventh fold, in the eyes of a Hebrew citizen, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon, and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The twelfth fold mentions Christians:

The twelfth fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost.

No folds mention atheists, nor Muslims. In the past, atheist attacks on God and the flag (i.e, the Pledge of Alliegence) have fallen short of anything changing. In addition, no complaint was made regarding the words to the twelfth fold. The only problem the one complainant had was to the eleventh fold. The fold that mentions Hebrews, and the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Kind of leads one to wonder, who would make such a complaint? Sure, there are plenty of anti-Semitics out there, the white supremacists and the neo-nazi groups, but they have never made a stink like this before. Also, one would have to wonder why the NCA would cave to such a group. I don’t believe they would. These people are not politically correct enough. They are unapologetic Caucasian folks, and thus, the antithesis of political correctness. No, only some group that would fall into a victim category under the thumb of political correctness could make such a complaint, and have the cowards at NCA quaking in their boots.

If one thinks about it for just a little bit, one can come to the same conclusion I have. Which one group of haters can fall into that victim category, and still be so staunchly anti-Semitic that it shames the likes of Senator Byrd?

h/t FHK

Technorati Tags: Anti-Semitism, Flag Folding Ceremony, National Cemetaries, Veterans, Disgrace, Cowardice

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Marine Cpl. Adam Kokesh served two tours of duty in Iraq. He is a great man. He put himself in harms way and faced the possibility of death each and every day for those two tours. He is a great American. He deserves to be honored, and deserves each and every right that we enjoy - and he fought for. Kokesh is about two weeks shy of his departure from the Marines. His current status is what is called “Individual Ready Reserve.” This means - as far as I can tell - that he is technically still a Marine, and can be called up to serve, but that he is not currently on active duty. He lives at home, travels where he chooses, and does not report to anyone in the military regarding his daily activities.

The Marines are looking to give Kokesh a “General Discharge” instead of an “Honorable Discharge” because they believe he violated Marine rules regarding the wearing of uniforms without permission. Kokesh is claiming the Marines are violating his free speech rights. Kokesh was in an anit-war demonstration in Washington, D.C. In the demonstration he was wearing his Marine uniform - but with his name tag and insignia removed. The Marines sent him a letter saying he might have violated a rule regarding troops wearing uniforms without authorization. Kokesh reportedly responsed with a letter that said “[unmentionable] you” (according to the Shanin & Parks radio program on KMBZ 980 AM).

By contrast, let us look at Marine Cloy Richards. He did the same thing Kokesh did, wearing his uniform at an anti-war rally. But when the Marines contacted Richards, he agreed not to wear his uniform without authorization again, and the Marines let it go at that. They did not prosecute him. They did not alter his discharge status. Richards presented himself as a cooperative man of honor. Kokesh, on the other hand, lashed out with obscenities and presented himself as a man without honor, who is uncooperative, and generally not the kind of person the Marines would consider worthy of an “Honorable Discharge”.

This case is not about free speech as Kokesh and his attorneys want to make out. It is as simple as him not following rules. Until discharged, Kokesh is still a Marine, whether on active duty or not. He is still a Marine. He is collecting his Marine pay and benefits (meager as those are) and he should still be subject to the Marine rules and regulations. In no way does prohibiting him from wearing his uniform detract or impair his freedom of speech.

Really, Kokesh brought this whole thing on himself. If he had responded in a civil manner to the Marines notice that he might have violated rules, this whole thing would probably not have ever happened. But if he had, we wouldn’t be talking about him would we? So, his terse, obscene and completely uncalled for and uncivil remark has given him his fifteen minutes of fame. I hope he enjoys it well.

source

Technorati Tags: Adam Kokesh, Marines, Civility, Duty, Honor, Discharge, Trial, Anti-War Protests

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Australia and America have a somewhat similar history. We were both colonies of the United Kingdom, and we both gained our independence just over 200 years ago. From the few Aussies I have met, both people have a similar view of their freedoms and the world.

Australia has committed troops to Afghanistan and Iraq. So it comes as no surprise to me when Aussie PM John Howard lambastes the US Congress for passing a bill that mandates the withdrawal of troops from the war on terror.

Howard, a staunch Bush supporter who has also committed troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, said the vote by the US Congress was “probably not helpful to the general situation in Iraq.”"I think it is wrong, and I don’t think it is doing anything other than giving great comfort and encouragement to Al-Qaeda and the insurgency in Iraq,” Howard said.

“They are looking at all this, they read newspapers, they see it on television and they say, ‘The American domestic resolve is weakening, therefore we should maintain our resolve.’

“If there is a perception of an America defeat in Iraq, that will leave the whole of the Middle East in great turmoil and will be an enormous victory for terrorism.”

When are the Dems going to realize that pulling out is giving up? When they go on TV - and there is no ‘national’ TV anymore, it is all global these days - when they go on global TV and announce that the US has lost the war in Iraq. What do they think that does to the enemy? Do they think that Al-Qaida is going to be energized because of statements such as these? Do they think that our own military will say ‘hoorah! We lost, we ROCK!’.

source

Technorati Tags: Australia, John Howard, Iraq, Terrorism, War on Terror

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That is one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite movies. For those that are not in the know, the movie is the 1987 sleeper Robocop. But even Robocop would have a hard time defeting American soldiers with the ultra-kewl new gear discussed in the Daily Mail article about future weapons.

This stuff makes one want to run out a join the US Army as long as they can get the neato kit described in the article. The pic is stolen from the Daily Mail article (please don’t sue me, I have nothing already).

Man, I have GOT to renew my subscription to Popular Mechanics - they always have this cool stuff in it.

Technorati Tags: Military, Science, Technology, Soldier, Nano-Technology

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