We Will Be Watching
Official photographic portrait of US President Barack Obama (born 4 August 1961; assumed office 20 January 2009) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
President Obama, you won last night’s election by 2,791,867 votes. In a nation of over 314 million, that is hardly a mandate. Don’t you dare think you are in the Oval Office because you won the hearts and minds of the American people. The only reason you got re-elected is because your clever campaign advisers understood the numbers game that is the Electoral College. Remember, nearly half the nation voted against you. Nearly half the nation did not buy into the fictitious “War on Women”, the half-truths, class warfare, race baiting, and outright lies put forth by your campaign machine. Nearly half the nation, did not trust the mainstream media to give us the unbiased facts. Nearly half the nation has no faith or trust in your ability to lead.
Millions of us are capable of understanding that it is possible for man to hold strong values and convictions and live them out in his personal life, yet still be able to govern based on the will of the people and the rule of law. You exploited the fears of those who couldn’t understand that.
Millions of us understand the basic economic principle that true prosperity is the result of hard work and wise choices, not the exploitation of the weak. That wealth is something to aspire to, not envy. That profits belong to those who earn them and shouldn’t be redistributed to those who didn’t. You pandered to the ignorant and lazy by promoting a “Robin Hood” mentality.
Millions of us understand that a militarily strong America is the gate way to peace in the world. You disgraced us in the face of our enemies.
And Millions of us understand that a smaller more efficient government, not a larger more intrusive one, is the key to a secure nation, a robust economy and for promoting innovation. You appealed to those who want the government to take care of them instead of being responsible for themselves.
We were not impressed by your rock star schtick, or the endorsements of celebrities who make their living, imitating the real world rather than living in it.
Those of us who understand will not stand by and watch our Divinely Inspired Constitutional Rights being stripped away. You will be held accountable for Benghazi. You will have to accept responsibility , for the continuing high unemployment, for the high fuel and grocery prices, and for the economic misery that your policies will bring. We will expect you to keep your promise of bi-partisanship. That you understand that you will have to compromise your agenda if you want us to compromise our values. We will be energised and engaged, we will hold our Congressional Representatives responsible for holding your feet to the fire. We will not lie down and lick our wounds in defeat, we will flood Congress with letters, phone calls and emails, to be sure our voices continue to be heard. We understand your agenda and we will not let it stand.
I hope this post finds its way to you, so you will feel the eyes of nearly half the nation burning on the back of your neck, a constant reminder that not everyone adores you. We will continue to vet our candidates, and educate ourselves on the issues, we vote, and we are watching.
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Dear Mr. Romney,
Mitt Romney in Council Bluffs (Photo credit: IowaPolitics.com)
The past few weeks you have been getting a lot of criticism for a weak campaign. In fact I have been one of the critics. It seems strangely contradictory, because I like and admire your focus on the real issues instead of personal attacks. Your generosity, and your humility, your personal practice of leading by example rather than florid speeches, prove you to be a man of sound moral character. You are just the kind of man this country needs at this critical moment in our history. Even so, though I admire your integrity, at the same time I really, really wish you’d pop Obama right in the chops (verbally of course).
Week after week I have watched the Obama campaign build half-truths and statements taken out of context into outright character assassinations. I’ve listened to Obama resort to blatant falsehoods about your record and his. Fabricating an agenda for you, while covering up his own. Week after week I have watched you take a pacifist stance, absorbing the blows and soldiering on. Never once calling him out or exposing his bald-faced lies.
I’ve watched your interviews, and listened to stories about how you have helped people. And after listening to the main stream media tell me how out of touch you were with the American people, I was surprised. No, amazed. I saw a man who is not afraid to roll up his sleeves and get dirty. A man who prizes his family more than his wealth, who taught his kids personal responsibility leading by example. A man who looks like he would be as much at home pushing a lawn mower as he would be at a board meeting. Your wife even buys your shirts at Costco. You and your family seem so down to earth. Like the kind of people who would enjoy a backyard barbecue in my humble home, even though you could afford expensive steaks at an upscale restaurant. In your world view and lifestyle I feel like I have far more in common with you than I do with the people down at the welfare office, though I’m much closer to them financially. And yet you let the media paint you as cold, aloof and elitist.
I can’t even begin to understand how hard it must be to have your most embarrassing moments and most intimate details laid bare for the world to see, by an unscrupulous opponent who knows how to manipulate the truth and the media to concoct his own version of reality. Your campaign may lack the taxpayer provided transportation of Air Force One, and the free endorsements provided nightly by the evening news anchors as they gush and fawn over the sitting President, but you do have truth on your side. A truth that you should be welding like a hammer to victory.
Every day as I hear the poll numbers and the reports showing an ever-increasing lead for Obama, I become even more frustrated. I know you have the personal integrity, and the business sense to turn this country around, but I’m not the one you have to convince. I am astounded that so many Americans cannot see that sitting in the Oval Office is a man who is anathema to everything that our Founding Fathers intended for this country. A man whose not so hidden agenda is to bring this country to its knees and diminish its standing in the world. Obama’s plan of bailouts, handouts, and wealth redistribution will kill our economy and place us firmly on the path to austerity. Meanwhile, I lie awake at night fearful of the nation we will become if he gets a chance at four more years. The nation my children will inherit.
You see Mr. Romney, for me and those like me, this is not just another Presidential election. It is a battle for our way of life. It is a historical turning point where this country returns to the “land of opportunity” that our Founding Fathers intended. Or, it is when our country turns down the path of a Soviet style republic. A place where an ever decreasing congregation of people with integrity struggle and toil for an ever-increasing horde of people dependent on the government for their survival. Our anxiety is real. The consequences are real. It is a battle Mr. Romney, that we cannot afford for you to lose.
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Four More Years
Blindfolded Forward (Photo credit: BlueRobot)
Instead of asking ourselves if we are better off today than we were four years ago, maybe we should be asking if we will be better off four years from now? Without the need to woo skittish voters, and appease wealthy donors, President Obama would no longer have to carry on the ruse of upholding The Constitution. He would have the power, through executive order if need be, to continue his war on capitalist prosperity. Even without the blessing of Congress, he would assume the authority to appease our enemies while snubbing our allies. What would four years look like if President Obama is elected to another term? In the first of a four-part series, I’ll describe the America, Obama’s America, that is yet to come.
Day one.
Though we don’t see the exuberance of four years ago, there is much celebration in the nation today. Seniors who feared cuts to Social Security and Medicare are now looking forward to the hope of a decent retirement. People who were previously uninsurable, or had children with catastrophic illnesses, who were already enjoying the benefits of the Affordable Healthcare Act are resting comfortably. Students who only a year ago, were protesting in the streets, now feel they have a future.
There is caution in the celebrating though, an almost palpable feeling that maybe, just maybe everything isn’t as it seems. Tentative hope has now been replaced by fear and uncertainty. For many in this country this is not a day to celebrate, it is a day filled with a sense of dread. The campaign slogans of “Hope and Change”, of “Forward”, of “Believe in America”, have been replaced by a new slogan, “Oh my God what have we done”.
The fifth year:
Obama wastes no time in pushing though his campaign promise of making rich people pay “their fare share”. At first, the extension of the Bush era tax cuts for the middle class, along with the Fed’s new policy of printing and circulating large sums of money has a small positive effect on the economy. Middle class wage earners, while not gaining any true increase in wealth, are feeling better about the future so they are starting slowly and cautiously to spend more.
Employment however, has not increased as much as expected. Small business owners who were waiting on the outcome of the election, before deciding whether to expand or hire, have decided to put it off. Even with the small increase in consumer spending, they are waiting to see just how much the Affordable Healthcare Act and the new wealth taxes will cost them. A few small business owners are eager to utilize the Obama administration’s new programs to reward “insourcing” and “green” business. The program has little success however, as the program’s stipulations, along with all the government’s restrictions, make it impossible for these businesses to be profitable.
The upper tier rich begin to look for ways to divest their income to avoid paying the new wealth taxes. Many are placing most of their funds in overseas bank accounts. Wealthy businessmen, concerned about maintaining the profitability of their companies, many of whom would never have considered it before, are moving overseas. Many wealthy individuals are starting to consider the wisdom of leaving the United States entirely and taking up residence in a foreign country. A policy that was supposed to generate more revenue for the government has the unexpected result of prolonging the employment crisis.
In spite of another drop in interest rates, the housing market has also remained flat. As the year progresses, the Fed’s influx of cash has led to inflation. The increase in the cost of living, coupled with the lack of well-paying jobs has people reluctant to buy a home. What was a slow and cautious economic recovery has now become stagnant.
Obama Care has given many people who worried about the cost of healthcare, a reason to be hopeful. Adult children can now be carried on their parent’s insurance, and a person can’t be denied coverage for a pre-existing condition. The trade-off is that now individuals are forced to carry health insurance or pay a penalty tax. In spite of subsidies, many small business owners cannot afford to cover their employees. This forced those employees to turn to the state insurance pools. While low-income people are given a tax incentive to cover the cost of this insurance, many mid level earners do not qualify. This leaves them with an added expense that they did not count on. Just one more item to juggle into an already tight budget.
In spite of continued attacks against American interests in the Middle East, President Obama expands his policy of acceptance and understanding of the Muslim culture. He meets regularly with the heads of radical Islamic groups such as Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. He maintains his stance that Prime Minister Netanyahu needs to stop the development of settlements on the West Bank. Meanwhile, Iran continues its so-called “peaceful” nuclear program. Even though this presents a clear danger to one of our most important allies, Obama is reluctant to call for stronger measures against them. He prefers to rely on the economic sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations, despite their lack of success………
As we see, during Obama’s fifth year in office, the world continues to be a dangerous and unstable place, both economically and culturally. While most Americans may not be worse off, very,very, few can say things are better. In my next post, we will see what it might look like during his sixth year.
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Mr. Eastwood, You Made My Day
“I would just like to say something, ladies and gentlemen.
Something that I think is very important. It is that, you, we
— We own this country.
We — we own it. It is not you owning it, and not
politicians owning it. Politicians are employees of ours.
And — so — they are just going to come around and beg
for votes every few years. It is the same old deal. But I just
think it is important that you realize , that you’re the best in
the world. Whether you are a Democrat or Republican or whether
you’re libertarian or whatever, you are the best. And we should
not ever forget that. And when somebody does not do the job, we
got to let them go.”
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/30/transcript-clint-eastwood-speech-at-rnc/#ixzz25YST6Llk
Quote by Clint Eastwood at the Republican National Convention, Aug 30, 2012 (Emphasis mine)
This is something that all of those who are elected to an office, from the school boards, to the city councils, to the state legislatures, to the White House need to be reminded of. You work for us, we the people. We vote you in or out of office. We pay your salary. You are beholden to us. Not the other way around. Thank you Mr. Eastwood for throwing that out on a national stage.
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Hard or Hardship Government Economics vs the Household Budget
quora.com
I sat at my desk today, doing what I do every Thursday. Juggling bills. As I pondered how much I would have left for groceries, after paying the phone bill, and gassing up the old “Silver Toilet”( my very thirsty pickup truck), a thought occurred to me. How is it that so many people have no real understanding of our national debt? We hear about it all the time, ” our grandchildren will be faced with the burden of our national debt”. But do we ever really think about what that means to us as individuals? Household economics is really pretty straightforward. If there is no money left after paying the bills, then you don’t eat. Skip out on your power bill, you sit in the dark, decide you’d rather go on vacation than pay your mortgage, bye-bye home. Real life teaches us that if you continue to spend more than you make, eventually it will all come crashing down around you.
It works the same way with the government. It doesn’t matter what kind of fancy economic theory you adhere to, the simple fact is that our country is broke. I know, you’ve heard that before, so what? Well, what that means to me is that I’ll have to depend on myself more, and government less. It means that the Pell grant my daughter depended on for college isn’t going to be there, my Tricare premiums are increasing, and Social Security isn’t even a factor in my retirement planning. It doesn’t matter what the politicians promise, we have two choices, realize that we are going to have to accept cuts to government programs now, or wait until the government defaults and then completely lose that safety net while the economy implodes on itself sucking us in with it. Either way we will have to become less dependent on to government.
Given that cuts are inevitable, what makes more sense, to have a president that aims to control more of the population by increasing their dependency on government programs? Or a president who can make the tough cuts necessary to balance the budget? We have to ask ourselves, do we want to suffer the controlled hardships of a government learning to live within its means? The way the rest of us do. Or do we want to live through the devastation of a complete economic meltdown?
Americans have a noble tradition of pulling on our boots, rolling up our sleeves, and shouldering the work. We don’t run from hardship, we face it head on, grit our teeth and gut it out. It will be interesting to see, if this new voting generation will rise to the challenge, or if they will just curl up in the fetal position, consoling themselves with You Tube and reality TV, while waiting for a savior to come and bail them out.
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Lest We Forget
Freedom Isn’t Free (Photo credit: swanksalot)
(Parts of this are reposted from an earlier post entitled “No Guts No Glory”.)
This Monday we will see billboards, bumper stickers, and car magnets all proclaiming “Support our Troops“, and “Freedom Isn’t Free”. Are these truly heart-felt words, displayed by proud patriots or are they meaningless platitudes, mindlessly quoted by pandering politicians? On this day there will be countless memorial services and tributes. But will we stop a moment and reflect on what this day really means or is it simply the beginning of summer? Just a day to have a picnic or barbecue.
I remember as a child hearing the stories of my mother, who, as a toddler underwent surgery on her foot. For years afterward she required special orthotic shoes that had to be replaced every time her foot grew. This was during WWII and rationing was in full force. Everyone was allowed only one pair of shoes a year. Including my mother. The government didn’t make a special exception because she was a child with a medical condition. Her parents didn’t demand that she was entitled to more ration coupons because of a unique hardship. Instead they gave up their ration coupons to get her the shoes she needed and when those ran out other family members, friends and neighbors donated theirs. Why was this necessary? Because the materials that were used to make shoes over here were needed to make shoes for the troops over there. Could you imagine giving up coffee, sugar, shoes and tires and sending them to the troops in Vietnam, Afghanistan, or Iraq? Could we ever again unite as a whole country behind an effort to rid our world of an unspeakable evil? Do we even know what evil is anymore?
The invention of photography as allowed us to see the horrors of war up close and personal. The flag draped coffins of our loved ones, the bloody, mangled bodies of our enemies, the atrocities. Faced with the horrifying reality that the price of freedom is blood, many of us have decided that the price is too high. We believe that the act of war, rather than the megalomaniacal ideals of ruthless men is the true evil and that nothing save our own personal survival is worth fighting and dying for.
The men who marched at Lexington and Concord, whose bodies covered the ground at Gettysburg, who raised the flag at Mount Suribachi, all understood the power of the words of our Declaration of Independence, and our Constitution. That such a radical ideal as individual freedom, that men should control their own destinies, requires a collective sacrifice.
By looking to the government for our prosperity rather that demanding that our elected officials recognize the freedom to build that prosperity ourselves, by allowing the government the rights to our personal property, and by allowing the government to usurp and mismanaged our wages though an unnecessarily complicated tax code, we dishonor those who have fought and died to maintain those freedoms.
By allowing our schools to indoctrinate our children with the mantra that it is the government’s job to take care of us, to protect us from our own ignorance and folly, and that “from each according to his ability and to each according to his need” is the highest morality, we dishonor those who fought and died for our right to think for ourselves.
Our Forefathers wrote the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, not to give us certain rights, but to preserve them. The government does not grant us our freedoms, rather we “the people” grant the government its right to exist. It’s time for us to “take back” our government and hold our elected officials accountable, for what they do with the money, property, time and power we “the people” give them.
In every election we have the opportunity to show that we truly understand the cost of our freedom and that it is precious. By taking the time and making the effort to research and vote for people truly worthy to serve us, and by reminding them regularly that they do, is how we prove that those who made the “ultimate sacrifice” did not do so in vain.
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The Real Life of Julia
Reflections of a Rational Republican has introduced me to “Julia” the cartoon solder of the fictitious Republican “War on Women”. Both the Obama Campaign and the Heritage Foundation have differing versions about the “Life of Julia“. While the Obama Campaign’s version touts the benefits of living in a cradle to grave socialist utopia, the Heritage Foundation’s version extolls the virtues of freedom of choice. Neither version truly depicts the reality of Julia right here, right now. This is my version of the “Real Life of Julia” without the cutesy graphics. It depicts what her life would be like at each age, if she were that age today.
Age 3
Both of Julia’s parents work. Their combined incomes put them in an income bracket too high to qualify for head start or other programs designed for underprivileged children. After “doing the math” her parents decide that the high cost of quality day care makes it impractical for both of them to work. Julia’s mom’s income is less than her father’s so Julia’s mom decides to stay home with her.
Age 17
It was important to Julia’s parents to bring her up in as safe a neighborhood as possible. They purchased a modest home in a decent suburb. Because she lives in a working class family her parents cannot afford private school. Therefore Julia has spent her youth in the public school system. Her state uses standardized tests to measure the performance of the teachers, schools, and students. Because the teacher’s unions have made it difficult to weed out ineffective teachers, and because school administrators fear the loss of state and federal funding due to government programs such as race to the top, classroom time is consumed with teaching children how to pass the standardized tests instead of proficiency in basic skills. Sports, music classes, and pay raises for competent teachers are cut due to a lack of funds, but administration costs remain high. PE and recess are cut and replaced with programs to teach environmental awareness, anti-bullying, drug avoidance, and sexual abuse defence techniques that are of little value in real world situations. Julia’s parents stressed the importance of doing her best and made sure she did her homework. They communicated regularly with her teachers. Because of this, Julia worked hard and made good grades.
Age 18
Because she has made good grades Julia has qualified for a modest state sponsored scholarship. She barely qualifies for a Pell grant because her parent’s income is almost to high even though they do not make enough to pay any of her college expenses. She chooses a community college because it is the most cost-effective option, allowing her to live at home and commute to class. Her scholarship and grant still are not enough to completely cover her school and expenses so she works part-time to fill the gap. Her public school education has left her unprepared for college level work, she takes advantage of the resources the college offers, but in spite of her efforts to study hard, she fails her math and english courses. Because the state sponsored scholarship pays some of the costs of trade school, Julia decides to drop out of college and attend cosmetology school.
Age 22
Julia has to undergo emergency surgery for an appendicitis. The recent passage of Obama care mandates that she is covered under her parents care until age 26, however, before the passage of Obama care, she still would have been covered under her parents’ policy until her 23rd birthday because she is a student.
Age 23-25
Julia finishes cosmetology school and begins her career as a hair stylist. At first she lives with her parents, but through hard work and dedication to her career she lands a job at a prestigious salon and moves into her own apartment. Among the benefits provided are health insurance and the opportunity to participate in a 401K program. This particular salon offered such benefits even before Obama care was passed. Her insurance pays for mammograms, pap smears, yearly exams, and maternity care. Her copay for prescription birth control is fifty percent of the cost, but because she is focusing on establishing herself in this business and building a clientele, she has little time for a relationship or casual sex.
Age 29-31
Julia meets Ethan a local electrician. They begin a relationship. Julia explains to Ethan that since he would assume half the responsibility for raising a child, he should share half the responsibility for the cost of birth control. Ethan agrees. (He’s a keeper). Since her insurance pays for half of the fifty dollar cost of birth control pills* and Ethan pays half of her half, her cost for the pill is a manageable $12.50 a month. Julia and Ethan marry and decide to have a child. Her maternity and child-birth costs are covered minus the $25.00 office copays and a $500.00 deductable. Because she and Ethan planned ahead for this child, money was saved and these expenses prove to be little problem for them. Even though money is tight, they still make too much for Zachary to qualify for head start or other daycare options for underprivileged children. Because neither of them can afford to quit their jobs, Julia’s mother agrees to watch little Zachary.
Age 37
Zachary starts preschool. His parents make too much money for Zachary to qualify for school vouchers designed to give underprivileged children a chance at a better education, but they do not make enough to place him in private school. His parents depend on both incomes to get by, so having Julia quit her job to home school Zachary is out of the question. Julia has no other option but to place Zachary into the inferior public school system.
Age 42
Julia is a well-known stylist around town and has built up a loyal clientele. She decides to open her own salon. She qualifies for a small business administration loan and purchases equipment. She rents chair space to beginning hair stylists and teaches them the latest techniques. In spite of a loyal and growing customer base, she is barely breaking even. The regulatory costs of the required insurances and licenses are high and the time required to keep up with the paperwork keeps her from her customers. When the ADA fines her $25,000.00 for failure to install a wheelchair accessible styling chair even though she has no disabled customers or employees, she realizes she can no longer keep up. Julia sadly informs her stylists and customers she must close. She sells her salon equipment to pay off the fine and the remainder of her SBA loan. She then takes a job as an instructor at the local beauty college.
Age 65
Julia enrolls in medicare. She has difficulty finding a competent doctor that accepts the plan. She must pay out-of-pocket for a medicare supplement insurance plan to cover the gaps. Ethan dies suddenly of a heart attack leaving her without his income. Fortunately he had the foresight to purchase life insurance even though paying the premiums was sometimes a struggle. This allows Julia to pay off the mortgage and Ethan’s funeral expenses.
Age 67
Julia applies for Social Security. The amount is nowhere near enough to cover her monthly expenses. She rolled over her 401K into an IRA but was not always able to contribute to it when her business was struggling. She realizes that her available cash flow is not enough to live on so she continues to work part-time at the beauty school as a receptionist so she doesn’t have to spend hours on her feet.
The truth is, neither scenario, whether it is Obama’s or the Heritage Foundations’s is going to help working class Julia. Making her dependent on the government for her cradle to grave care will eventually backfire like it did in Greece. Once the producers have been bled dry and robbed of any incentive to create wealth, the money will run out and untold misery will ensue. On the other hand, unbridled capitalism will not reduce the cost of healthcare and education to the point where they will be within reach of working class families. While it will create more freedom of choice, those choices mean nothing if you can’t afford them.
* Information on the cost of birth control pills was obtained from the Planned Parenthood website.
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Understanding the Occupiers Part Two
Day 3 of the protest Occupy Wall Street in Manhattan's Zuccotti Park. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A little over a month ago in a post entitled “Understanding the Occupiers”, I posed ten questions that I felt would be a reasonable measure of personal responsibility and life experience. I was hoping to reach people who had attended a protest, but didn’t really fit the media profile of an Occupier. The response was, well let’s just say it was not overwhelming. I got a couple of comments from LiberalTalkingPoints. Housewifedownunder answered the questions,and turned out to be just the kind of response I was hoping for. My two commenters were from two different ideologies, yet both expressed genuine frustration at the lack of opportunities for today’s young adults. It is my hope that the leaders of business and industry will listen to the desperation of these young people and will create jobs for those who are really willing to work. I hope the government will ease its regulatory burden so that they will be able to do so. And I hope that our universities become a place where young people are taught how to be competitive in a world economy rather that a place of political indoctrination. As for the Occupiers themselves, I hope that as they continue onto adulthood, they will realize that there are better ways than civil disobedience to be heard and taken seriously.
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This is probably the most important election in the history of America. Indeed the very existence of the United States of America and what we stand for is at stake. Will we continue to be a country led “Of the people, by the people, for the people“? Or will we become a socialist welfare state, where the looters and moochers are entitled to strip the wealth from the producers. Every American who sees the truth needs to step up. There are too many in this country who are happy to trade their personal freedoms for a life free of personal responsibility. This is NOT what it means to be an American. Do not think we can stand by and things will work out. Our current president will destroy our republican democracy and replace it with a socialist one if re-elected. DO NOT GIVE HIM A SECOND TERM.
Observations and Opinions of a Middle Aged Housewife 
Blood On Their Hands
The unofficial military mission statement of “doing more with less”, the Secretaries of Defense that pushed it and the commanders who bought into it all share the blame. The dream of a “Lean Mean Fighting Machine” would only be possible if the military were staffed with robots, but it is not. It is staffed with men and women who think, feel, love and fear. Who have families and lives back home. It is their humanity that makes them vulnerable to the horrors of war, but it is also their humanity that gives them a reason to preserve the dream of liberty anywhere in the world. It gives them the courage to willingly accept that the cost of freedom could be their very lives. This courage should not be taken for granted. Every military doctor who has proclaimed a troop “fit for combat” when he should have been sent home, every commander who has proclaimed his unit ready when deep down he knew they weren’t, shares in the guilt. Every officer who has ever put his career ahead of his troops, every military leader who lacked the courage to tell his superiors the truth, that his unit was undermanned and stretched to the breaking point, shares the guilt. Every Secretary of Defense who failed to make unpopular decisions on how to increase manning, every Commander-in-Chief who was told what he wanted to hear and bought it, shares the guilt.
After all the investigations, reports and hearings, are concluded and “band-aid” recommendations are put in place we will still be left with a military that is undermanned and weary. We ask our military men and women to carry an unimaginable burden. Our military leadership owes the Afghanis and Sgt Bales’ family, who is now left without a husband and father, more than an apology. They are owed and honest assessment of what went wrong, and real solutions to prevent it from happening again. Until the people at the Pentagon find a way to bring more men and women in and retain the well-trained troops already in place, the stress of repeated deployments will create more Sgt Bales’.
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