AP – President Barack Obama is wishing a Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all Americans in his weekly radio and Internet address, with a special message of thanks to the troops.
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Holiday tribute to troops from Obama, first lady
(AP)
This man is really brimming with hatred. At Fox News, ” Massachusetts Law Professor Calls Care Packages for U.S. Troops ‘Shameful’ .” And at FrontPage Magazine , ” A Professor’s Hatred for Our ‘Killer’ Troops “: The disclaimer “we support our troops” has practically become obligatory for proclamations of opposition to U.S. wars. But a Boston law professor felt compelled to declare to students and colleagues that he supports neither the wars nor the troops fighting them. Michael Avery, a professor of law at Suffolk University Law School, responded to an online solicitation for support for care packages for overseas servicemen by labeling them killers undeserving of sympathy. “I think it is shameful that it is perceived as legitimate to solicit in an academic institution for support for men and women who have gone overseas to kill other human beings,” Avery professed in an email sent on the eve of the Marine Corps’ birthday and two days before Veterans Day. “I understand that there is a residual sympathy for service members, perhaps engendered by support for troops in World War II, or perhaps from when there was a draft and people with few resources to resist were involuntarily sent to battle. That sympathy is not particularly rational in today’s world, however.” In the five-paragraph mass email, Avery also counseled students, faculty, and administrators “to be more mindful of what message we are sending as a school” and questioned the presence of an enormous American flag in a campus atrium. “Why do we continue to have this oversized flag in our lobby?” “Perhaps some of my colleagues will consider this to be an inappropriate political statement,” the law professor continued. “But of course the solicitation email was a political statement, although cast as support for student activities. The politics of that solicitation are that war is legitimate, perhaps inevitable, and that patriotic Americans should get behind our troops.” Avery, a recipient of the since-discontinued bachelor of laws degree at Yale University whose education included a late-’60s stint at the University of Moscow, has been active in left-wing causes for more than four decades. He is a past president of the National Lawyers Guild, and his resume boasts of work at the ACLU Foundation and Yale University’s Political Justice Workshop. Wow, what a surprise!
Link:
Professor Michael Avery Sends Email Criticizing Care Packages for U.S. Troops
Bruce McQuain is working with a number of individuals and organizations to sponsor the event: ” Cooking With the Troops .” Please give generously : It really is simple: Donate so we can help the wounded, their families, and the U.S. and Allied troops on the line. There is no such thing as too small a donation, because they all can and do add up into something grand. So, please don’t hesitate as all are appreciated and needed! Check the link for the donations page .
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Cooking With the Troops
The war in Iraq is over. President Obama’s announcement today effectively declared an end to Operation Iraqi Freedom and will have immediate ramifications across the Middle East. America battled an evil regime and will now leave a foreign people to determine their destiny. The extremist’s false narrative of an imperial America bent on Middle-East domination has been dealt a major blow. There will be people who focus on the politics of the war. The intelligence that led to the invasion was flawed. Bush made grave mistakes during the post-Saddam phase. Whatever the criticism, it is not a reflection on the accomplishments of our troops, or their success in this mission. With grit and tremendous bravery, the U.S. military deposed a vicious tyrant and held together a fractured, blood-soaked post-Saddam Iraq. From 2006 until after the Surge, it looked as if Iraq might fall into the abyss of anarchy, civil war, and ethnic cleansing. The Coalition stopped the downward spiral and prevented catastrophe. Still, the situation is not going to be easy once our troops leave. Violence will undoubtedly occur, and dark days are ahead. The Shia-Sunni divide remains a major vulnerability. Tensions between the Kurds and ethnic Arabs could flare up. Al Qaeda has not given up its nihilistic, blood-soaked vision of a fractured, failed Iraq. There are still many bad actors and many serious hurdles. But a functioning, representative government has been placed in Baghdad. The Iraqi Armed Forces have had years of tutelage from the best military on the planet. They will sink or swim on their own. That’s the best America could ever offer. President Obama has bowed to that simple reality, and should be applauded for it. We can’t stay in Iraq forever, and we shouldn’t view perfection as the end goal. It’s going to be messy. Iraqis cannot change their history, but they can play a determining role in the future of a democratic, peaceful Iraq. Most importantly, our men and women in uniform will finally come home after over eight years of continuous warfare and counterinsurgency. They deserve and will receive a hero’s welcome. We should all agree it’s high time for that.
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Finally, we’ll bring our troops home from Iraq
Scroll for updates… Earlier today, a lone gunman — described as Mexican-born with a “valid U.S. passport” — barreled into a shopping mall parking lot, stormed an IHOP, and marched to the back where a table full of uniformed Nevada National Guardsmen were dining. The Guard’s headquarters are about four miles from the restaurant. Eduardo Sencio shot nine people, killed three people total including 2 Guardsmen, and then turned his AK-47 to his and committed suicide. On the back of the minivan he borrowed from his brother? A yellow “Support Our Troops” sticker. The gunman’s family members say he was mentally disturbed: Five Nevada National Guard troops sitting together at the back of the restaurant were shot _ two of them fatally. Another woman was also killed, and the gunman, 32-year-old Eduardo Sencion of Carson City, shot himself in the head and died at a hospital. Witnesses and authorities described a frantic scene, in which the shooter pulled into the large complex of retail stores and shops just before 9 a.m. in a blue minivan with a yellow “Support Our Troops” sticker on the back. …In the bankruptcy filing, Sencion listed more than $42,000 in outstanding debts for a car, several credit cards and some medical expenses. At the time, Sencion reported having $200 spread over three bank accounts and $923 in disability income, mostly from Social Security. At a Reno hospital, service members gathered, waiting for word on those killed and hurt. A hospital spokesman said four shooting victims were being treated there, but wouldn’t discuss their conditions or provide any other information. Two of the three wounded guard members were women. Authorities provided few details about the five other injured people, except to say one was a woman who was found near a motorcycle. Three of those wounded have minor wounds; the others were shot in critical areas of the body, Furlong said. “You go a whole tour in Afghanistan and no one is shot. And you go to IHOP and several are shot,” said 31-year-old Sgt. First Class Cameron Anderson of Reno, a Nevada Army National Guard member. “It’s a shock. I came to work today and had no idea I’d be driving the chaplain here (to the hospital.)” Another Guard member, 33-year-old Spc. Lee Amato, said he didn’t know the victims’ names but expected they were people he knew. “It’s hard to believe something like this would happen to really good people,” Amato said. “It’s like a hole, something taken away. It’s mind-boggling and hard to comprehend.” It certainly looks and smells like an intentional hit on our military. I’ll update as info comes in. Meanwhile, don’t hold your breath for all the civility police to ask whether incessant anti-military rhetoric — hello, Soulja Boy — has created a climate of hate endangering our troops. Remember: Only conservative speech — Blame Righty! – can be held responsible for inciting violence. *** Update 12:25am : A third National Guard member has died at the hospital. R.I.P.
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Carson City massacre: Were National Guardsmen deliberately targeted?; Update: A third Guardsman has died
So, the foul-mouthed rapper “Soulja Boy” told American soldiers to go “f**k” off in a new rap video and insulted them for not being real men. Now, he says he didn’t really mean it — and, in fact, the reason he said “f**k” our “Army troops” is that he cares about them so much and respects them and just wants them home. Really. More on the supposedly heartfelt apology in a moment. The story came to light over the weekend on TMZ: A proud military veteran is demanding an apology from Soulja Boy — after the rapper posted a video saying, “f**k the army troops.” Soulja ignited a wave of controversy this week over his new song, “Let’s Be Real” — which includes the lyrics: “F**k the FBI and the army troops … fighting for what? Be your own man … … I’ll be flying through the clouds with green like I’m Peter Pan.” Here’s the video. Warning: It’s profanity-laced and headache-inducing: Rap mogul Russell Simmons is “ proud ” of Soulja Boy for this “emotional” apology: As an artist, I let my words get the best of me. Sometimes there are things that we feel, things that we want to express, and when we put them on paper and speak them out loud, they can come out wrong. When I expressed my frustration with the US Army, not only did my words come out wrong, I was wrong to even speak them. So, I write this to give my sincerest apology to all members of the United States military services, as well as their families that were offended by my most recent lyrics. …In no way would I ever want to offend those who are protecting our freedoms … a lot of homeboys who I grew up with, a lot of people who come from the neighborhoods we live in … In no way do I want to hurt any of our honorable soldiers who put their lives at risk, regardless of how they feel about the two wars we fight in. I am just frustrated that we haven’t been able to bring you all home quick enough and my frustration got the best of me. I am deeply sorry. A truly sincere apology would have acknowledged that “Soulja Boy” (what a name for a coward who disses the troops, eh?) was pandering to military-hating fans, not “expressing his frustration” over long, military engagements. Note that no apology was made to those who serve in the FBI. Just wondering: Has “Soulja Boy” ever penned lyrics telling jihadists to “f***” off? Be your own man for once, “Soulja.” Try it. The next most offensive words in his apology: “As an artist…” Oy. *** The Military Times notes that our troops have enjoyed and supported “Soulja Boy’s” work in the past. Maybe they’ll think twice now: I think it’s safe to say Marines won’t be dancing to “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” at the Marine Corps Birthday Ball again this year. *** LOVE this. An Army sergeant responds Leo Dunson (website here ) to “Soulja Boy” with his own rap — “Change Your Name” (NSFW – language warning): *** Update: More troop responses on Youtube — language warning — via This Ain’t Hell: Army soldier Stephen Hobbs in Afghanistan has his own rap for Soulja Boy:
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“Soulja Boy:” A self-serving apology to the troops; Update: Troops respond on Youtube
AP – A military fighting three wars is staring down budget cuts of up to $850 billion over a decade, some of the deepest reductions since the end of the Cold War. Yet under the compromise struck by President Barack Obama and congressional leaders to avert the nation’s first-ever financial default, the near-term impact on the troops, aircraft, ships and weapons may be far less onerous than Republicans and Democrats fear.
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Defense facing cuts up to $850 billion over decade
(AP)
