Our Iraqi War Vet Nephew, who is like a son to me, returned from Iraq in September. He was awaiting the safe return of his close Friend who was due to return home this week. October 10th, she was killed by the Mortar attack on Camp Victory.
She was there for our boy during his Hour of Need, a Constant and Dependable Friend, and helped him endure his time in Iraq.
Army Staff Sgt. Lillian Clamens leaves behind a husband and 3 children.
Remember War Mothers Today. If you know of someone whose son or daughter is serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, give them a call today. Or perhaps take them to lunch or dinner or jot off an email or send a note.
These War mothers are living with anxiety and fear and the Gold Star mothers are living with grief and broken hearts.
My Nephew is moving into one of the more dangerous regions of Iraq. My nephew and I are very close. I often call him " My older baby" as I have a younger son. He tells me, " I am your oldest son". And in many ways, he is, we are as close as mother and son. He sought me out when everyone in his world had abandoned and neglected him after his father died and when his mother was too ill to be there for him.
He stays upbeat for his wife and all of us. He says things like...
Don't worry about me. They are too busy shooting at each other. I will just stay out of the line of fire.
But then he will say...
Well Auntie, You know the real story, you follow the news, you know what is going on and the real danger. Soft pedal it for my mother but I know you can handle the truth..you are tough.
There are days I do not feel so tough and strong. And I have my crying spells, sleepless nights, and my anxiety levels often are at the high level. I am still grieving the loss of my mother only 16 months ago so it does not take much to start some tears flowing.
I had the fabulous honor of being in the presence of Greatness and Courage today when Sen. Max Cleland was rallying the Democrats to GOTV for Chris Carney for the US House and for Bob Casey for US Senate. He was " on fire" and the crowd went wild with cheers!
Georgia may have rejected him but we will take him here in PA anytime. He was welcomed with a great ovation and many thanks for his service to this country.
My heart is breaking at the thought of the slaughter of young children at the Amish School in Rural Lancaster County. But this affected me in a most profound way.
My profound admiration and respect for the Amish community and their values and beliefs makes this crime all the more horrifying. Their belief in Peace, Nonviolence, and their complete Faith and Trust in each other is beyond parallel.
How they care for each other and share each other's pain and trials is beyond comparison.
They have taught me, through example, how to let go of Anger, that Anger can too easily turn to Hate, and that Peace is more than just a word, it is Way of Life. Peace and Nonviolence are not just belief systems but deeply ingrained and unquestionable. They are role models of all that is good, all that is noble, and mostly what American Communities should be.
What in the world has happened to all of the rational, articulate , intlligent people who used to call into CSPAN?
I think I found Bush's 32 percent who approve of him, they are ALL calling into CSPAN. I think I have found all the Conspiracy theorists on the Left, they too are ALL calling into CSPAN.
Next time a person of the Religious Right says Christianity is under Attack in this Country, I may just shock them and agree. But I will say...
" Yes True Christianity is Under Attack and those Attacks are coming from the Far Right Religious Extremists who call themselves Conservative Conservatives. They are not Christians in their words and deeds. Their intolerance and discrimination tells me differently".
Yeah Christianity is under attack as they have taken Christ out of Christianity.
There are, as always, a few incidents on Black Friday. CNN was just talking about a fight breaking out in a Walmart in Florida ( these incidents seem to be reported or occur most often in Florida...have no idea why). In addition to all the problems we have in this society, the disrespect in this society and materialism is growing. It is so utterly ridiculous and materialistic. To get into a brawl over a sale item or to knock people over in a stampede to get to a sale is so totally greedy, selfish, and shows an obvious lack of priorities. And the brawling shoppers of today will most probably have children who are the brawling shoppers of the future.
Plus, I detest crowds and I would almost prefer a root canal to shopping on Black Friday.
More on flip side.
Well it seems that ever since The Bush Campaign had Success with their Lying Swift Boat Veterans for Truth Smear and Lie Machine; other Republicans are copying that methodology. I am hoping this loses its impact on the Electorate and that when Swift Boating no longer packs a punch or yields results, it will cease to be used so regularly and across the board. We can hope. And in the meantime, we can work towards debunking the lies and denouncing the methodology. And we have to be sure to link ALL Republicans in Office on the local, state and federal level with the Right Wing Special Interests and Groups. Link all the GOP with these Swift Boat Style groups!
Now Swift Boating from Wingnuts supporting Santorum is on the horizon....more below the fold...
An email from John Edwards, Two Americas very visible amidst this tragedy.
"During the campaign of 2004, I spoke often of the two Americas: the America of the privileged and the wealthy, and the America of those who lived from paycheck to paycheck. I spoke of the difference in the schools, the difference in the loan rates, the difference in opportunity. All of that pales today. Today - and for many days and weeks and months to follow - we see a harsher example of two Americas. We see the poor and working class of New Orleans who don't own a car and couldn't evacuate to hotels or families far from the target of Katrina. We see the suffering of families who lived from paycheck to paycheck and who followed the advice of officials and went to shelters at the Civic Center or the Superdome or stayed home to protect their possessions.
Email sent from John Edwards website at http://www.OneAmericaCommittee. com
There is more information at the website and picture of John with Tony Blair at their recent meeting. Here is the email below
"I wanted to update you on some of the things I've been up to lately. The Council on Foreign Relations, one of the country's leading foreign policy think tanks, has asked me to co-chair an independent task force to review current U.S. policy toward Russia with former Republican Congressman and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Jack Kemp.
This bipartisan task force will be made up of some of our country's chief experts on Russia and U.S. foreign policy, including former senior officials from both Democratic and Republican administrations, presidents of other major think thanks and academic specialists, as well as representatives of NGOs and business leaders.
I remember in the 60s and early to mid 70s when the Evangelicals were moderately liberal. I remember working for the Carter Campaign in 76 and worked side by side with many Evangelicals because Carter was Evangelical. It used to be a very good thing, even a liberal thing to be Evangelical. That is until the Fundies Hijacked the Evangelicals and now they are lumped together. It was a bad merger, for sure.
While I was preparing my garage for possible flooding ( it all depends when the Susquehanna River crests and it is all ready at flood stage) and it backs up my creek ( this would be the second flood in less than 6 months but that comes with living near rivers, streams and creeks) But anyhow......
I was measuring and making sure all our things in the garage were 2 feet above the floor when I noticed my Kerry Edwards yard sign sitting in the corner. I got Misty Eyed, and put it on a top shelf for safe keeping. I patted the sign and said, " I miss the campaign guys and we miss you both and America lost big".
I just won Political Duel with a Zell Miller Discipline who always chants, " National Party No More " and worships the Zell psycho.
I simply asked this Democrat turned Right Winger if he could name ONE thing Bush proposes or One Thing Bush has Done that has or will benefit the AVERAGE American. And I emphasized American! I did not want him talking about the Average Iraqi.
Every movement starts slowly and builds.
Every movement has started one person at a time.
It may take us years to get a ton of GOP voters from this last election to vote for a Democrat. But then people said that to the Republicans in 1976 and 1992 and in 1948. Newspapers were saying the Democratic party was in danger or extinction in 1948 and insisted Truman would never win.
I was watching a Biography of Dick Cheney on CNN that aired in November. It talked about how Cheney first created his plan for the invasion of Iraq in 1991 during the Gulf War and presented it to Dubya's
Daddy. Well George HW Bush apparently said to Cheney and Rummy, " NO, that is right wing lunacy.".
Bush Sr refused to invade Iraq in 1991 and only agreed to free Kuwait after Iraq invaded them.
It is fascinating because this man is an Evangelical attending the church of a family member. He is not considered a staunch Democrat but he is an Expert in Accounting and Economics. He says Bushco would be in Prison if they were CEOS and what Bush preaches is the Biggest Accounting Fraud Ever!
If the Right Wing Nuts want this country to Regress and not Progress as they seem to indicate through
their beliefs, then they have to favor truly regressing. Let us at all times point out their hypocrisy.
