How Far Are You Willing To Go?

03/02/10 New Portland Police Kill Unarmed Suspect

It has happened again, Portland Police have killed an unarmed man, shooting him in the back. This is not a first for the police in Portland and I don’t think it will be the last; at least until training is changed. No, I am not going to second guess the Police, but I will say that they are too fast in shooting people during confrontations, too fast to make a judgment call that could end the life of an individual who may not be thinking clearly.

This man could have, and probably was placing his hand on a painful area (he had been shot with a bean bag gun 6 times), a natural reaction. I firmly believe that it would have been prudent for the officer(s) to wait just a few more seconds to see if he had a firearm.

Tags: Police shooting in Portland

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Posted under Crime

02/01/10 Starting Fresh

It is the second day of 2010 with 363 more to go.

I can’t say that I am going to miss 2009, no, not miss it at all. The past year brought many problems from 2008 and I managed to make them worse. Yes, mea culpa. Now I will see if I can turn around and the fix damage have done and build a new relationship with family members. This will be no short or simple task because I am not the cuddly, kind, loving person I want to be, Oh well, we will see.

“Write without pay until somebody offers pay. If nobody offers within three years, the candidate may look upon this circumstance with the most implicit confidence as the sign that sawing wood is what he was intended for.”
–Mark Twain: [A General Reply]

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Posted under The New Year

29/12/09 New Year, What New Year?

New year or the continuation into another year?

Every January 1st I ask myself why is this a new year, I see no new in anything. What is NEW? My bills will be the same, the car does not look or driver any better, the cat isn’t any less lazy, the kids haven’t changed, and I don’t feel any better than I did December 31st of the prior year; I will read in the morning paper on January 1, 2010 that the wars are still being fought, man still is killing for passion and hate, and our government is our biggest enemy, nothing new.

If we are going to have a new year then it must be new and not just a continuation of the same old BS from last year.

A New Years day wish: That hate is removed from the vocabulary of all nations.

Tags: Copy of prior year-not a new year

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Posted under A start, Future generations, The New Year

11/12/09 Casualties of War: My Perspective

What makes a casualty of war, is it dying or being wounded, or the killing to stay alive? I don’t believe that it is just one thing, but is a combination. No young person goes into combat and believes he or she cannot get hurt or die, the wars have been with us for too long for anyone to believe that.

I grew up during the 1960s, when war was part of everyday life. The TV brought the American viewer a snapshot of the death and dying that was taking place in the jungles of Vietnam, a body count was given on the nightly news, both American and Vietnamese. When I retired from the military after 24 + years in 1992, I thought I could get past thinking of all the numbers, but I was wrong and have come to believe that we, this country, is once again in another “Vietnam” like war, one that cannot be won and one that will cost America many more thousands of our young people.

I can only hope that the President and other leaders, of this great country, realize we need not and cannot afford to repeat in this generation what happened in mine.

I talk to many veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan and see the emotional damage in their eyes. I talk to the many family members who are trying to understand what has changed their military spouses, what has changed the moms and dads, and sisters and brothers who have returned from multiple tours of duty. War for these veterans, as with those from all wars, cannot just be turned off when the soldier comes home.

When I returned from previous conflicts I did not want to talk about it, I did not want therapy, I did not want to have someone tell me they understood, I just wanted to be left alone and try to forget the bad times and speak to other GIs about the good.

When you meet a person in uniform or a person you know is a veteran, just say thank you.

Tags: Homecoming, listening, Long sleepless nights, One more casualty, Point-of-view, Remorse, The right to win and come home safely..., Words of advice

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Posted under Future generations, Healthcare, Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Lost Companions, Military Life, Those who serve

26/11/09 Tis the season to…

When I was a boy (ancient history) holidays came in the order that they appeared on the calendar and you waited, in turn, for the advertising to start. This year I have been deluged with Christmas jingles, Santa pictures, and gift suggestions (TV, Newspapers, & Radio) since the first week of October. Two weeks ago the local malls had Santa booths set up with cute elves, digital photography, and Santa to take request from the kids. This is getting out-of-hand!

Yes, I know that this trend has gone on for years, but never this early… next year I won’t be surprised to see Santa’s chubby little face gracing papers and store window advertisements shortly after the fourth of July.

Well my wife and I had a wonderful, quiet Thanksgiving and were thankful for the time. oh and the food. Tomorrow we will spend another quiet day because we will not be joining the stampede of humanity at the stores.

Tags: Holiday Advertising

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Posted under Tis the season... to advertise

09/11/09 Night Move

The wet grass squeaked under our boots as we boarded the helicopters; it was darker than dark, no moon and the overcast blocked any hint of light from the stars. We received the mission orders two hours ago, simply move to a set of map coordinates and secure same. We would be moving our base of operations from Fire Base Plato to a more remote area up-country; again making everyone else in country into REMFs.

As the aircrafts lifted off I got that rush of adrenaline that always fuels me. I was no longer tired, I could feel every muscle and the beat of my heart in my fingers. I became the warrior of old riding my warhorse into battle. The country under me flashed by in dark and darker patches of life and death, rivers and lakes, and spots of light from burning fires; electricity had been disappeared, not soon to return.

It was after nearly an hour of flight that the pilots nosed their ships down from the sky and flared to drop us off; we locked and loaded without order, we all knew our profession. The area under us was dark and we jumped as soon as the birds ceased their forward movement; the ground was maybe three feet down and soft. Again I mentally thanked our pilots and switch my mind to the mission, secure the LZ until the main force arrived, secure until relieved.

Another move completed into the unknown, another trip into the darkness of our fears, another night move.

Tags: Night Move, The power of the imagination

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Posted under Short Stories, Those who serve, We shall not forget

09/11/09 Again… Bicycles

Why are bicycle riders in such a hurry to die? Why can’t they get it through their heads that running red lights, running stop signs, riding down the middle of the street between cars, and riding in the dark with no lights and dark clothing is a good way to meet their ancestors.

Let me remind them that they may be in the right in what they are doing, but there is big difference between an automobile’s weight and the weight of a bicycle with rider. Remember one can be “Right — DEAD Right!”

Tags: Bike Safety

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Posted under Words of Wisdom

24/10/09 Feeling Safe

I recently was shopping in my local sporting goods store and wandered by the firearm’s section. I noticed under the stores display of hunting bows, once occupied by racks of shotguns and rifles, now was only space. I turned and looked into the glass showcases, where at one time there had been shelves of revolvers and pistols and now there were none. I looked at the shelf displays once packed with ammunition of all kinds, now they were bare. I stood there astounded by all that was missing, then a voice behind me stated, “This is what happens when the government scares people, when government makes noises about rights. Fear, right or wrong is a great motivator.” I looked at the man behind me and shook my head as I walked away.

Fear, yes, he was correct it is a great motivator. Remember Y2K…

The American people are not going to let the government dictate to them and a strong message is being sent to Washington D.C.

Tags: 2d Amendment

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Posted under 2d Amendment, Crime, Too Much Government, Use your rights.

18/10/09 The Badge and the Gun

I recently heard the words “The Badge and the Gun” while on vacation in a state park. No, it was not during casual conversation, but spoken by a county deputy sheriff who had come to investigate a noise complaint. The deputy and I were having a debate concerning the determination of what is too much noise and who determines the level, his answer was… yes, the aforementioned; our conversation ended at that moment.

A word of advice, keep the noise to a low roar while vacationing along the West Coast.

Tags: Not open for discussion, Police attitudes, The badge and the gun, Words of advice

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Posted under Crime, Words of Wisdom

16/09/09 “Veteran”

While moving boxes today I came across the following in a box from my military service… I wish to share it with you.

VETERAN

(Author Unknown)

A protest raged on a courthouse lawn,

Round a makeshift stage, they charged on.

Fifteen hundred or more they say,

Had come to burn the flag that day.

A boy held up the folded Flag,

Cursed it and called it a dirty rag.

A man pushed through the angry crowd,

With an old gun shouldered proud.

His uniform jacket was old and tight,

He had polished each button shiny and bright.

He crossed the stage with military grace,

Until he and the boy stood face to face.

Then the old man broke the silence.

“Freedom of speech, is worth dying for,

Good men are gone, they live no more.

All so, you can stand on this courthouse lawn,

And ramble on from dusk to dawn.

But before the Flag gets burned today,

This old veteran is going to have his say.

My father died on a foreign shore,

In a war they said would end all wars.

Tommy and I weren’t even full grown,

Before we fought in a war of our own.

Tommy died on Iwo Jima’s beach,

In the shadow of a hill he couldn’t reach,

Where five good men raised this Flag so high,

That the whole world could see it fly.

I got this bum leg that I still drag,

Fighting for this same old Flag.

There’s but one shot in this old gun,

So now, it’s time to decide which one.

Which one of you will follow our lead,

To stand and die for what YOU believe?”

The boy who had called it a dirty rag,

Handed the veteran the folded flag.

The crowd got quiet as they walked away,

To talk about what they heard that day.

So the battle for the Flag this day was won,

By a loyal veteran with a single gun.

Who for one last time , had to show to some,

That these colors will never, never run.

It is the veteran, not the preacher,

Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the veteran, not the reporter,

Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the veteran, not a poet,

Who have given us freedom of speech.

It is the veteran, not the campus organizer,

Who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the veteran, not the lawyer,

Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the veteran, not the politician,

Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the veteran, who salutes the Flag,

Who serves under the Flag,

Whose coffin is draped by the Flag.

Tags: I will not forget, Old Soldiers, Past wars... Vietnam memories., The Flag

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Posted under Desert Storm, Future generations, Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Military Life, Those who serve, Use your rights., Vietnam Wall, We shall not forget

14/09/09 Hate, Pontiffs, & the Government

Hate. This is all I hear from talk show hosts, and every self proclaimed pontiff who thinks he or she has all the answers and knows best for me.

In my 60 years on this planet I’ve heard from a number of Presidents and they all seem to think they have all the answers. They stand straight and tall to tell me that the other party does not know what they are talking about and do not have my welfare at heart… no matter what the issue. Democrates and Republicans alike want every American to hold their arms wide, praise them and accept as gospel all they are saying, as well as, to hate all those who oppose them and their beliefs. After all the unwashed masses are not intelligent enough to understand anything and should follow blindly as sheep.

I, for one, do not want government in my home, in my bedroom, in my schools, in my profession, and certainly not in my health care decisions.

The cradle to grave philosophy of governmental care is wrong.

More government means less freedom.

It is time for the current President to stop pushing his beliefs, and the beliefs of his party off on the citizenry. It is time for the current President to return to the business of being the chief executive and not a nanny. It is time for the President to return to the affairs of the nation and not those belonging to the states and each citizen.

I am not alone in these beliefs — this will become clear in future elections.

Tags: Every vote counts!, I will not forget, listening, Pontiffs and Hate, Presidental mistake

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Posted under Healthcare, Political Awakening, Too Much Government

11/09/09 9/11

September 11, 2001…

THIS WE'LL DEFEND...

Eight years later does not lessen the feeling that I had that morning. I had just sat down to breakfast as the second plane crashed into a tower; my spoon never reached my mouth… the bowl sat on the table the rest of the day.

Like every 9/11 since I have thought of those who died and of their families, and of all the young men and women who are presently fighting the war on terrorism.

Tags: An end, I will not forget, New York, The right to win and come home safely...

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Posted under Post 9/11 Fear, Those who serve

09/09/09 An Addendum to “Health Care” September 6, 2009

A point or maybe a solution to the health care problem came to me via e-mail. A physician friend told me that he could lower his office costs and pass that on to his patients if he did not have to pay malpractice insurance.

So, I propose that if the government would pick up the malpractice insurance premiums for all heath care providers; conservative estimate of $19,000 to $100,000 per provider per year, the cost of health care would drop dramatically. The top three health care providers nationally that I looked at were Physicians (301,000+), Nurse Practitioner (141,000+), and Physicians Assistant (66,000+). The cost annually (Est.) would be (low) $9.652 Billion to (high) $50.8 Billion. OR The government could insure them all and put a limit on judgements paid. The above is possible if the government protects all health care providers under the Military Malpractice Act (Gonzales Act) and processes claims through the Federal Tort Claims Act. This would also hold bad practitioners liable and remove them from practicing medicine.

In my opinion billions of dollars would be saved by heath care providers and medical care costs would drop, making care more affordable.

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Posted under A start

06/09/09 Health Care

What is it that Americans are asking for in health care? Is it an entitlement for everyone to receive health care or is it a privilege if one can pay for it? I don’t remember any place in the Constitution or in any law that states everyone is entitled to receive health care.

There are quite a few unanswered question in every proposal that is being debated in congress. There is no one proposal that covers all categories of patients and describes how each category is to pay for the care. In addition I have not seen a cost/payment analysis that delineates how much each procedure, surgery, or office visit will cost… this is the one item that concerns me more than any; after all people do not go into medicine, with its long training (years) and long hours, to make just above minimum wage.

Medicine is a profession like any other and should be treated as such. I, for one, would not want to go to a physician who is under paid for his work. Let’s not forget that physicians are people, not Gods, who provide a service and like any service provider he or she must be paid for their work, not by the government, but by the individual receiving the service.

No, I am not a physician or any type of health care provider, but I am a concerned citizen who does not want to subsidize a government health care system that will allow another avenue for fraud to squander our tax dollars.

Tags: Bad Idea!, Medical Care, Thinking