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Saturday, September 25, 2004

Jeanne is on her way and looks like we're directly in her path. Things here are getting breezy, people are getting edgy. Streets are busy as folks evacuate from the coastal areas and locals make final preparations.

There are no generators to be had, currently there's stock on the store shelves but gas stations are beginning to run out. I had to drive a bit to locate a supply this afternoon.

I wouldn't be surprised if we lost power this time, and those who do will have to wait longer to have it restored.

The heavy winds are expected to hit tomorrow morning and the center to pass through about 2pm. One thing Frances showed us is that the foliage in this area is not well suited for tropical storm force winds. Hurricane winds will do enormous damage. I don't look forward to it.

One of our friends is bugging out to Birmingham with his wife and baby. We will stay here and watch. Most likely, one way or another I'll have things to do Monday. Until then all we can do is hang on and pray.

Be sure to visit Letters From Iraq

Friday, September 24, 2004

I learned today from an internal employee newsletter that Jack Hensley, who was beheaded by Islamic terrorists in Iraq this week, had, until February of this year, been an employee of the Austell, GA post office. He had resigned from his job as a rural carrier associate (a substitute carrier) after working there intermittently since 1997. As I thought about that I thought of the many RCA’s in our office and how it could have been any one of them. And I grieved for Jack and his family.

But before learning that, I was horrified as I watched the video of his beheading. I had debated whether or not I would watch it and in the end decided I needed to be reminded again the horrific atrocity inflicted on these victims under the guise of the Muslim religion. This is available on the internet and I would warn any one who might think they wish to see it to steel themselves for the horror.

Yes, I know. These are radical extremist committing these acts of terror, but there is apparent complicity in the Muslim community both abroad and here in the States. While Parvez Ahmed, a board member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, writes about the condemnation of the Muslims for those committing these acts, they must be doing so in silence.

We do not hear of their horror and condemnation of these acts, while news conferences are held to protest the denial of entry to Yusuf Islam, alias Cat Stevens, aka Stephen Demetre Georgiou. Of course there were no concerns expressed regarding Mr. Georgiou’s alleged connections to radical Islam.

In Mr. Ahmed’s article I found it interesting that he says condemnation of these acts by Muslims is preceded by “bone-chilling hate mail.” My question is, “why wait for the ‘hate mail’ to spew forth before issuing your condemnation?” Perhaps Americans would be more sympathetic to your cause, not to mention your religion, were it not necessary to force a response from you.

And it’s not just the killing of Americans that bothers me. These terrorists, in the name of Allah, are killing nationals from many counties. There have been 140 foreigners kidnapped to date in Iraq. Of that 26 have been murdered. In addition to that hundreds of Iraqi citizens have been kidnapped or killed by terrorist bombings. While it seems the Muslim Council of Great Britian is coming out to call for the release of Kenneth Bigley who was kidnapped along with Jack Hensley and Jack Armstrong.

So what’s wrong with Muslims in America? Are they afraid of taking a stand against terrorism? Or do they agree with them?

Be sure to visit Letters From Iraq

Thursday, September 23, 2004

I've been reading "Unfit For Command" by John O'Neill and am about half way through. It's a rather small book, but makes some enormous revelations and accusations.

Some may say this is the conservative’s "Michael Moore," a shill of the Republican party out to smear the candidate for the opposition. I would have to say there are some stark differences between the two.

Michael Moore is a filmmaker whose craft is to create believable entertainment (?) from fictional situations. Some would argue he is a documentarian. Many others would say there is no room in the same sentence for "Michael Moore" and "documentarian." I would have to fall in the latter group.

There is plenty of documentation of the liberties taken by Moore in producing F 9/11, from baseless accusations and massaged timelines to testimony edited out of context. The whole of this celluloid debacle is fiction, not fact.

O'Neill's book, on the other hand, is well documented, footnoted and referenced. His sources are not only his own, personal, experience but the documented experiences of others. That term "documented" is important, due to the nature of the accusations made there must be corroboration.

Referenced also is the investigative work of others, some going back for decades. All of this documenting Kerry's fictional accusations of war crimes and rampant disregard for honorable treatment of the peoples of Vietnam, from the military and political leadership down to the grunt in the trenches.

I suppose it is no wonder that Kerry and Moore are so closely tied, both have built careers on creating a world of fiction in which to live and operate. A world of falsehoods whereupon to build their respective power bases.

Kerry's 1971 testimony before the Fulbright committee was based on the Winter Soldier Investigation. That testimony has been shown to be mostly contrived, often given by individuals who did not serve as claimed, and some using aliases of others who did serve. Kerry's fronting for the Vietnam Veterans Against the War gave him exactly what he wanted, a pulpit to launch himself into the national spotlight and a opening onto the political scene. Sadly, in doing so he forfeited what little integrity he may have had left.

The term "Winter Soldier" comes from Thomas Paine's work, "American Crisis," written in 1776 and referred to the stalwart soldiers who faced the hardships of winter during George Washington's winter camp at Valley Forge. The supposition was that these members of the VVAW were stouthearted souls who were withstanding the rigors of adversity to save a nation from itself.

They were not, and neither was, or is, Kerry. Do yourself and your country a favor, read the book. If you don't come away angry at the arrogant, self-serving fiction Kerry has foisted throughout his life on this nation and her people, you have in you more ideology than integrity.

Be sure to visit Letters From Iraq