Category: Military
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Honoring our Dead, not Forgetting our Living
Here are several things I am not: Republican, Democrat, Liberal, Conservative. Here is one thing I am: A Veteran. A Veteran that looks at Memorial Day and wonders what to say when people on Memorial Day thank me or others, because, I survived and Memorial Day is for those who gave their lives in service […]
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Why we don’t win wars anymore and embolden organizations like ISIS to attack our citizens
The problem is with two words “Exit Strategy.” We all hear the talking heads, consultants, politicians and arm chair quarterbacks (and yes I realize the irony of this statement) talk about how warfare has changed, that the enemy Is harder to find, or more insidious. Frankly I find these words to be false, they are […]
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How to Thank a Veteran
Every year, I repost this with minor updates so we may remember. For those that don’t know what a Veteran is, they are a person who has served or is serving in the armed forces, and has direct exposure to acts of military conflict. What this means is not all those that serve or have […]
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The Gift
There is an element to life and how we live it that is changing due to technology. Countless essays, books, films show how we lose our humanity with the rise of technology and there is an actual movement out there to slow down, appropriately called the Slow Movement. Analog, to me is part of the […]
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Honoring Our Dead, Not Forgetting Our Living (2015)
I wrote this last year, in the wake of the Department of VA scandal. I updated this to show what has not changed (a lot) and what has changed (a little). And that we should still be angry and to keep the count of those we honor on the Fourth Monday of May to the smallest number possible. […]
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It’s Time to give ISIS What They Want
Along with the rest of the United States, I sat in horror yesterday. Like other horrible events, I was at work, and at first oblivious to what was going on, until I got a text from a friend in Chattanooga. “I’m OK, but we’re in lockdown.” I had no idea what was going on, and […]
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The Catch-22 Of The War Against ISIS And Our “Allies” That Support Said War
A few weeks ago, I read in the news that Turkey was going to allow US Planes to use Turkish Airbases to attack ISIS. The first thought in my head wasn’t “Good!”, it was “Wait, What?” followed by a complete humble silence in seeing the awesome power of NATO allies supporting each other </sarcasm>. Especially […]
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The Tempest in the Starbucks Teacup and our Homeless Vets
I am not one who disbelieves that there are attacks against Christmas and Christianity, both here and throughout the world. For example, Christians were forced to convert or die in Mosul when ISIS invaded. And the decline from over 1.5 Million to under 300,000 Christians in Iraq as a whole has happened in just a […]
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How the script has changed with the Paris Bombings for Beirut, Lebanon
There are many articles about why people have seemingly (or really) cared more about France than Lebanon. Here is one more, but not as an explanation in general, but why specifically I feel far more solidarity with France than Lebanon, and why I will continue to do so in this case. Hint – It has […]
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The Lack of Moral Leadership from the United States on the Refugee Crisis
One of the things that makes our country great is that we claim to accept all. We are a nation of immigrants from the first ships in the 1600s, all the way until today. Sadly we are further diminishing in the world’s eyes right when we should lead the world in doing what is right. […]