What people bring you joy in your life? Take a few minutes to think about that. It could be your children - seeing the next generation grow up before your eyes is breathtaking. It could be your parents - it's easy to form a strong bond with the people who guided you as you grew up, especially once you're an adult and realize that they did actually know what they were talking about. It could also be your siblings - brothers and sisters usually use each other for fighting partners, but unite against someone outside the family that comes against any of them. It could be your neighbors - people with whom you share a piece of land, evenings and weekends, and common values. It could be anyone, really, and it's not limited to one person, or even one group. I hope that each of you reading this has many people from all these groups.
Now, think about where you would fit in other people's lists. Who loves you? Who enjoys your company? Whom do you help to move furniture, or some other more-than-one-person household chore? Surely this list is long as well.
Now, imagine giving it all up. Give up the family, the friend, the acquaintances, and let them all give up you. That's not a pretty thought, is it? It's also not an uncommon occurrence - over the course of our nation's history, nearly 2.8 million people have done just that. Here's how that breaks down…
Revolutionary War - 10,623
War of 1812 - 6,765
Mexican-American War - 17,435
Civil War - 970,227
Spanish-American War - 4,108
World War I - 320,710
World War II - 1,078,162
Korean War - 136,935
Vietnam War - 211,471
Gulf War I - 760
Gulf War II - 3,000+
2,759,436 - that's roughly the population of Chicago. And, when you look at the highest numbers of casualties outside the Civil War, where they were all American casualties, the main fighters in World War I through Vietnam were drafted. The majority of them did not choose that path for themselves - it was chosen for them. Yet, they went, they gave it their all, and in doing so, we prevailed and freedom was maintained. Also, these numbers don't include the brave men and women who have died in non-combat military operations and training exercises. Though their deaths were not on the battlefield, they were on duty; you can't win a war with an unprepared military.
On this Memorial Day, think of the sacrifice that has been made over the past 230+ years to secure our freedom. And, remember those who, even as I write this, are risking their lives to preserve our freedom. Thank God for such men and women of courage and bravery, and may He continue to richly bless this land.
There was a picket line Thursday in front of the Trimble Tech High School in Fort Worth, Texas. They were protesting the decision to not allow students who failed the state proficiency exam to participate in commencement activities.
The entire article is here, but the funniest part of this (to me) is the picture that accompanies the article. It's preserved below, in case they decide to change it in the original article later.
(Hat tip - James Taranto of Best of the Web Today)
This is an absolutely excellent post on civilized society. It's entitled "You Are Not Alone". It takes an investment of some time, but it's well worth it. I don't agree with 100% of what he says, but I'm probably in the mid-90% range. (This is also the first time I've categorized a post with only the top-level categories - it's that wide-ranging.)
(Hat Tip - Emperor Misha I of the Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler)
I have also created a new blog where I'm going to share devotionals once a week, gleaned from my own personal Bible study. It's linked above as “Weekly Devotions” “A Word from the Word”.
I've set up a new blog. On this blog, I (and possibly other contributors) will talk about technical information (AKA “geek stuff”). If you're looking for those sorts of discussions, check out the DJS Consulting Tech BlogThe Bit Badger Blog. (It's still being built, and will also incorporate the old “My Linux Adventure” series from the previous version of this site.)
This past Wednesday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) declared that this July 4th will be known as “Energy Independence Day” and focus on global warming issues. This is absolutely ludicrous - can they not let us celebrate the founding of our nation without trying to make us feel guilty over our success? I guess not - they feel that the mandate from their November win entitles them to force their earth-centric religion on us.
I wonder what would happen if a Republican politician stood up on the House floor and declared that July 4th will be known as “Sin Independence Day” to remind us to fear a holy God. How long would it be until every leftist organization in the nation called for his removal? The issue is the same. In fact, I think it takes more faith to believe in global warming than it does to be a Christian.
Global warming is based on flimsy science, a short-sighted view of natural weather cycles, outright fraud, and an arrogance that we, as man, can control the weather. If we're so powerful, why can't we make it rain when areas go through droughts? Why can't we keep hurricanes from going whatever way they want? Why can't we drop the humidity in the Southern states? The global warming crowd has no answers for this. Even if we unplugged everything and lived in tents for the next year, it would have no effect on the weather.
The outright fraud is perhaps the most disturbing of the global warming crowd's claims. For example, I'm sure you have seen the picture of two polar bears floating on a piece of glacier. This picture supposedly shows that these poor bears are floating and are going to drown because of the glacier melting. In fact, this picture was taken of young polar bears playing on the piece of ice. A picture of something beautiful in nature is presented as a problem.
And this claim by the Democrats to want energy independence is pretty rich. Which party has been opposed to drilling in the area of the Alaska National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) that was set aside for that purpose many years ago? Which party vilifies the energy companies for making profits? Without profits to invest in research of alternative sources and uses, how much progress do they expect to be made?
Don't fall for this. July 4th is Independence Day - our nation's birthday, the day we declared independence from Britain, and the day we formally began the most successful experiment in representative republicanism to date.
On Monday, FBI agents broke up a terror plot against Fort Dix. A clerk at a video store alerted authorities when they dropped off video to have a DVD made, that showed them firing guns and speaking of the plot. They attempted to buy weapons from an undercover agent, and were arrested.
Now, there's news that three of the six arrested were in the country illegally. There were three brothers with the last name of Duka - they are to whom this is referring.
The Duka brothers were born in the former Yugoslavia and residing illegally in the U.S. Shnewer, a native of Jordan; Tatar, a native of Turkey; and Abdullahu, who was born in the former Yugoslavia, are legal residents. Eljvir Duka called himself “Elvis.”
So, there you have it. For years, folks have pooh-poohed the idea that illegal aliens (or, as their fans like to say, “undocumented workers”) represent a national security threat. Now, we have the first example of the fact that they do. Will Congress still push through their amnesty bill?
Mary Katherine Ham is a video blogger at TownHall.com who regularly posts her HamNation episodes at YouTube.com. Her latest is pure comic genius - "I Do Not Like to Hear Good News". Viewing it is a well-invested 5 minutes.
(Hat Tip - Emperor Darth Misha I of the Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler)
