MBVD: America The Beautiful: Our Common Hallowed Ground

Saturday, September 13, 2008

America The Beautiful: Our Common Hallowed Ground

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

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A note from Radarsite: This is an article which, up until a few days ago, I would have thought it impossible to write. But, even at my age, life is - or should be -- a continuing learning experience. That is what these last few days have been for me.
This election cycle has been one of the most contentious in my long memory. Never have the two sides, the Republicans and the Democrats, the conservatives and the liberals, been separated by such an unbridgeable gulf. Exasperated by the controversial and divisive war in Iraq, our conflicting visions for the future of this country of ours have grown seemingly irreconcilable. That is, almost irreconcilable.
Two unhappy events occurred over these last several days which, by exhibiting a blatant disregard for the inherent patriotism of the American people, or an utter contempt for human decency, seemed to have had a major impact on a lot of Americans, Democratic Americans and Republican Americans, conservative Americans and liberal Americans. This is not going to be a rehashing of those inglorious events, but rather a commentary on the lessons learned from observing the reactions of those affected by them.

The first concerns the disgraceful treatment of those 12,000 American flags at the Democratic National Convention in Denver "After the Hoopla, Contempt of Country". The immediate reactions to this huge political blunder from the folks at the Hillary Clinton Forum, and from the Obama people at the Democratic underground, marked the beginning of my reassessment of my unqualified Us versus Them mentality. I followed up that original article with two more just to treat these disparities. Here is an excerpt from one of them:

Democratic Trash: The Story That Just Won't Go Away >
Till now, I must confess, I hadn't really appreciated the differences between these two Democratic factions. But I certainly do now. As much as I disagree with their candidate's vision of America and where they would want to bring this country, the Hillary Dems seem to have exhibited a strong sense of sincerity and humanity. They have stepped up to the plate and accepted responsibility for what has turned out to be a major strategic blunder -- even though it was more the responsibility of the Obama Camp to control the images that came out of that Obama Celebration.
And how do the Obama people react to their own revealing anti-patriotic blunders? They react with viciousness and anger. They call on their attack dogs to do their work. Cynical, manipulative, their only concern is in discrediting the source. No responsibility. No embarrassment. No concern for how their obvious disregard for patriotism may look to the average American.
To me, this whole episode has been an education. This is what an Obama Presidency would offer. A Democratic redux of the Nixon years, with all of that petty hatred and viciousness, and with a whole new Enemies' List. This, my friends, is a clear and unadulterated view of the Obama Camp, and it is both enlightening and disgusting.

The second, and much greater outrage came from the 9/11 cartoon printed in the Daily Kos. In response to this article, once again the comments came pouring into Radarsite. Democrats writing in to condemn this outrage and the traitorous website that published it. One after another clearly and unequivocally distanced themselves from The Daily Kos and all that this despicable entity represents. Not surprisingly, many of these angry Democrats came to us from HCF.
Here are a few of their comments:

Please, do not think that this sickeningly offensive site or the deplorable content truly represent the Democratic party, because they do not; at least not the Democratic party to which I have been a life-long member. Every group, every party contains extremists who do not represent the views of the majority of that group, and such is the Daily Kos. They speak only for themselves and not for all Democrats. Most of us deplore this as much as those on the right. Perhaps if we could manage to get rid of the extremists in both parties, we could finally find common ground in our love of this country. Because whether you believe it or not, we love America as much as you do..

And:

I am a member of HCF and I am grateful for your article exposing the "obama supporters" and seeing that not all of us are like that.There are many of us democrats who do not support obama and are disgusted with the vile things some obama supporters say. I place country over party. This *new democratic party*, nor their "selected candidate" represent me, and I am fully in support of Senator McCain and Gov. Palin. McCain/Palin brought integrity back and many of us democrats do support them.
Country first

And on and on --
And from the Obama camp? From the Democrat Underground? Not a word.

So what, then, are the lessons learned from all that has happened in these last few days?
All in all, I believe this is a strong transendent and most welcome message of hope, hope for our country, for our beautiful America. And hope for those of us who have been all but consumed by the powerful partisan politics of this important election. And also, perhaps this is a message for our enemies; one that they would be wise to heed. Despite the visible rancor and the name-calling, despite the major ideological differences between our two parties, we are first and foremost Americans. Quite simply, we love our country. And God help those who seek to bring this great nation down. We are, after all is said and done, like a family, a family who has been disrupted by our differences and who have said things about each other that we may have regretted. But down deep, despite all the bitterness and anger, we know that we are still a family. And if you threaten this family, this fine family of ours, if you make the mistake of assuming that our differences have weakened our resolve to defend ourselves, then you have made a fateful blunder.

In short, I want to thank all of you out there who have contributed your comments in support of our shared values. You have made me proud of all America. - rg

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SOLDIER"S ANGELS NEEDS YOUR HELP!

The Veterans Hospital in Tucson needs our help!!! They have contacted Soldiers' Angels with a list of needs for their patients. Soldiers Angels needs your help in making some of these come true.

Below you will find just a small portion of needs that are immediate. You can also find this list posted on the Soldiers Angels Forum at www.soldiersangelsforum.com you will be able to find lots of great information there for our deployed and vets.

If you are sending a monetary donation please follow the link and indicate the State you are in.

Donate here;
Ttp://soldiersangels.org/index.php?page=veterans-support

COMFORT ITEMS- $350/MO
Dry Skin Cream
Slipper Socks-No skid
Catheter bag covers
Shaving Cream
Hand Lotion
Baby Shampoo
Hand Soap
Roll on/Spray Deodorant
Denture Cleaner
Underwear (men and women (all sizes)
Toothbrushes
Denture Grip
Socks (white)
Talcum Powder
Nail Clippers
Toothpaste
Ladies hand and body lotion
Backpacks
Disposable Razors
Comb/Brushes
Shawls
Shaving Cream/small
Knitted Caps
Travel Alarm Clocks
Ball Caps
Tote Bags
Shower Shoes
Pocket Size Needle and Thread Kit
Heart pillows for cardiac patients
Lap Robes (3x5 or 5x7)

GUEST SERVICES
30 cup coffee makers
Coffee supplies (reg. & decaf)
Music CDs
Stamps
Writing Paper and Envelopes
Prepaid Phone Cards for patients’

RECREATION
Puzzle books
Crossword Puzzles
Pencils
Video tapes & DVDs (movies, educational)
DVD Player

Sports equipment (basketball, tennis rackets &
Tickets for entertainment & sporting events
Balls, badminton set, Frisbees, football)

If you can send just one item that would be great!!! If each person sends one thing we will make a difference! They are also needing those who can volunteer time at the hospital just contact the Voluntary Services Dept. For information.

Mail Items to:

Department of Veterans Affairs Southern Arizona VA Health Care System – Voluntary Services 9-135, 3601 S. Sixth Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85723

PLEASE HELP US HELP THOSE WHO FOUGHT FOR OUR FREEDOM!

My Favorite Speeches and Other Items of Interest

George Bush's March 28, 2007 Discusses Economy, War on Terror During Remarks to the National Cattlemen's Beef Association;http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/03/20070328-2.html
Mitch McConnell's March 15, 2007 Funding For Troops, Not Timelines for Retreat; http://mcconnell.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=270747&start=1
Ronald Reagan's June 12, 1987 Tear Down This Wall Speech; http://www.reaganfoundation.org/reagan/speeches/wall.asp
Vice President Cheney's March 12, 2007 Remarks at the AIPAC 2007 Policy Conference; http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/03/20070312.html

Winston Churchill Quotes

A prisoner of war is a man who tries to kill you and fails, and then asks you not to kill him.
Although personally I am quite content with existing explosives, I feel we must not stand in the path of improvement.
Although prepared for martyrdom, I preferred that it be postponed.
Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.
Battles are won by slaughter and maneuver. The greater the general, the more he contributes in maneuver, the less he demands in slaughter.
Danger - if you meet it promptly and without flinching - you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything. Never!
I always seem to get inspiration and renewed vitality by contact with this great novel land of yours which sticks up out of the Atlantic.
I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else.
I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.
I like a man who grins when he fights.
I was only the servant of my country and had I, at any moment, failed to express her unflinching resolve to fight and conquer, I should at once have been rightly cast aside.
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time-a tremendous whack.
In war as in life, it is often necessary when some cherished scheme has failed, to take up the best alternative open, and if so, it is folly not to work for it with all your might.
It is no use saying, 'We are doing our best.' You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.
Moral of the Work. In war: resolution. In defeat: defiance. In victory: magnanimity. In peace: goodwill.
Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.
Never, never, never give up.
No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism.
One ought never to turn one's back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. Never run away from anything. Never!
Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
The first quality that is needed is audacity.
The nose of the bulldog has been slanted backwards so that he can breathe without letting go.
The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is.
There is no such thing as public opinion. There is only published opinion.
These are not dark days: these are great days - the greatest days our country has ever lived.
They are decided only to be undecided, resolved to be irresolute, adamant for drift, solid for fluidity, all-powerful to be impotent.
True genius resides in the capacity for evaluation of uncertain, hazardous, and conflicting information.
Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.
War is a game that is played with a smile. If you can't smile, grin. If you can't grin, keep out of the way till you can.
War is mainly a catalogue of blunders.
We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.
We shall draw from the heart of suffering itself the means of inspiration and survival.
When the eagles are silent the parrots begin to jabber.
When you are winning a war almost everything that happens can be claimed to be right and wise.
You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.

Ronald Reagan Quotes

"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant: It's just that they know so much that isn't so."
Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have.
All the waste in a year from a nuclear power plant can be stored under a desk.
Approximately 80% of our air pollution stems from hydrocarbons released by vegetation, so let's not go overboard in setting and enforcing tough emission standards from man-made sources
Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!
Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty.
Double, no triple, our troubles and we'd still be better off than any other people on earth. It is time that we recognized that ours was, in truth, a noble cause.
Facts are stupid things.
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.
Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.
Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.
Governments tend not to solve problems, only to rearrange them.
History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap.
How can a president not be an actor?
How do you tell a communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin.
I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress.
I will stand on, and continue to use, the figures I have used, because I believe they are correct. Now, I'm not going to deny that you don't now and then slip up on something; no one bats a thousand.
In Israel, free men and women are every day demonstrating the power of courage and faith. Back in 1948 when Israel was founded, pundits claimed the new country could never survive. Today, no one questions that. Israel is a land of stability and democracy in a region of tryanny and unrest.
Let us ask ourselves; "What kind of people do we think we are?".
Man is not free unless government is limited.
My philosophy of life is that if we make up our mind what we are going to make of our lives, then work hard toward that goal, we never lose - somehow we win out.
No mother would ever willingly sacrifice her sons for territorial gain, for economic advantage, for ideology.
Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.
Our forbearance should never be misunderstood. Our reluctance for conflict should not be misjudged as a failure of will. When action is required to preserve our national security, we will act.
Protecting the rights of even the least individual among us is basically the only excuse the government has for even existing.
Some people wonder all their lives if they've made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem.
The ultimate determinant in the struggle now going on for the world will not be bombs and rockets but a test of wills and ideas - a trial of spiritual resolve: the values we hold, the beliefs we cherish and the ideals to which we are dedicated.
The United Sates has much to offer the third world war.
There are no easy answers' but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.
To paraphrase Winston Churchill, I did not take the oath I have just taken with the intention of presiding over the dissolution of the world's strongest economy.
Today we did what we had to do. They counted on America to be passive. They counted wrong.
We are never defeated unless we give up on God.
We have the duty to protect the life of an unborn child.
We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.
We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we will always be free.
Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.
You know, if I listened to Michael Dukakis long enough, I would be convinced we're in an economic downturn and people are homeless and going without food and medical attention and that we've got to do something about the unemployed.