The great experiment has failed.

Last WWI vet in the US:

Last known WWI veteran honored for Memorial Day
Published: Yesterday, 11:39 PM
Source: Boston Globe
Author: Brian Charlton, The Associated Press
Frank Woodruff Buckles, the last known living American-born veteran of World War I, was honored Sunday at the Liberty Memorial during Memorial Day weekend celebrations.

link

This is who we are, who we’ve become, a nation that has lost much honor and the world’s respect. We are led by a lawless regime, unchecked by Congress, hated by many, and justly so. It may take decades to recover what we’ve lost. It’s not just the lives; it’s also a sense of our national decency.

the fact that all of this has happened under one president is particularly disturbing

a man such a moron he can hardly speak the language, yet he has taken control of our government, sent our constitution into coma, abused our military for his own personal gain, destroyed our national integrity and pillaged the assets of the middle east ant taken all our parents and grandparents invested through all their lives for the future of their kids, their grand kids and the country

one man

one administration

and we stood by and watched it happen

and more is yet to come, the worst has not been seen, nor will be seen till this president leaves office…if that really happens at all

Good morning Scarecrow. As always, well said. I sincerely hope we have not yet reached the tipping point from beyond which there is only a phoenix-like return.

I am not willing to give up just yet, I’ve been knocked down before but I get up again (I even sing that song)

our constitution might yete rise, like the pheonix…we are young enough to see it happen

but we will have to work as hard as we can to do it

Nero and Caligula combined.

Thank you, Scarecrow.

I’ll remember.

I do think we are working very hard at it. I have some reservations as to how hard the one body that can do something about it is working. Congress has the power and for whatever reason has chosen not to use it. I HATE to think that Nancy and Harry made a conscious decision to let the petulant putz in the WH run the country into the ground so that they might have the opportunity to pick up more seats in the election. That would make them as guilty of calculated malfeasance as the exec. branch.

not unless we concede defeat.

we’ve been an empire since at least the spanish american war. we been teaching torture to our proxies in this hemisphere via the school of the americas. we been kidnapping people to take to other countries to be tortured and/or killed since at least the clinton administration. we’ve been a sponsor of state terror since before i was born.

bush is the worst president i could have imagined (pre 2001), but our honor was lost long before he became president – if indeed it was ever more than a myth.

I HATE to think that Nancy and Harry made a conscious decision to let the petulant putz in the WH run the country into the ground so that they might have the opportunity to pick up more seats in the election. That would make them as guilty of calculated malfeasance as the exec. branch.

me too. but i think the evidence we have suggests this is the most likely explanation.

so long as we have this one tool left, “the tubes” we can prevail

more, better democrats, not just democrats

I do not believe nancy did this to pick up more seats, we would have won more seats if she proceeded to trial, the crimes made evident would have not only burried the republcian party, it would have put a stake through their heart and they would have to join a differant party

I personally believe there is something being held over nancy’s head, something frightening, something she cannot risk

am I talking about something personal?

no, I am not, I believe she would give up her seat in power rather then let this man go on

so what could be held over her head?

what?

well, a threat to this country could be held over her head, my imagination runs too wild but I cannot see too many scenarios that keep her from prosecuting this criminal

not too many at all

as far as I am concerned they are guilty, they are accomplices to the crime, they took an oath and the renegged on that oath, they are charged with protecting our constitution, they know the laws that have been broken, they know they have proof to prevail, they know they must make public that which has been done to our country

yet they sit, watch and do nothing

they are accomplices to this crime and I want them out of office

I have the same frustrations, but have wondered if the real issue is the current Supreme Court. Having watched all of the Watergate hearings, and events, I have wondered if the current Supreme Court would rule, or lower court rulings would be allowed to stand, the way they were during Watergate. Even on the issues like the authority of the House to enforce subpoenas (subpoenae?) I’m not sure that, if pushed to the Supreme Court, the group we’ve got now wouldn’t rule in favor of the executive branch. Such rulings, supporting the unitary executive crap, would be disasterous. I may be totally wrong, but it causes me to hesitate about pushing issues for a final judicial ruling.

Impeachment is not a Supreme Court remedy. Yes, the Chief Justice would preside, but the hearings would be run by the congress and out in the open. I am less concerned with the verdict than I am with exposing the criminals for their wrongdoings.

G’morning, everyone. Remembering day. Every Memorial Day, I remember a horrifying photo I saw in a long-ago magazine. I was just a kid. U.S. soldiers in Korea had been burnt beyond recognition, fused together into a kind of macabre charred statue by enemy flame-thrower. That image has stayed with me all these years (a LOT of years — older than dirt here, remember).

Honor them, all of them, the living and the dead. Americans and all the others, especially those who’ve died at our hand. War is the ultimate ugly. For most of us, it’s a spectator sport. And yes, we’ve stood by and watched it happen. Continue to stand by and watch it happen, in fact.

What’s that song? “This is my country, land of my birth, this is my country, grandest on earth…” I long for that. The only possible way for that to happen, IMO, is for George W. Bush and his posse to face humongous consequences for their horrifying behavior. That and bringing home our troops, alive, whole, sane.

congress can even issue a summary judgement if they were so inclined, they could with the vote simply say;

“we can’t have a trial, it would breach natioanl security, the president is impeached”

however I believe the crimes should be made public and I would rather a trial

No, I know that, but during Watergate, multiple times the Senate and House had to go to court to get the documents necessary to support Impeachment. The courts invariably ruled in favor of congress and the special prosecutors. Today, congress would have to go to court to even get a subpoena enforced for testimony.

or, they could simply impeach without that proof

they don’t even need a trial, they could impeach summarily

if the president invoked “executive priviledge” and refused to allow testimony or documents, the impeachment would be ever more swift

my guess is that a whole lot of the incrimination evidence that might have been on paper (or hard drives) has long since been shredded. I still remember the picture of the shredder truck outside of Darth’s residence a while back. The whistleblower laws need to be strengthened and made of forged steel.

I think this is correct. The Supreme Court back then ruled Nixon had to turn over the WH tapes/transcripts, and that was the “smoking gun” that forced Nixon’s resignation. Today’s Supreme Court would not do that; it is part of the problem for at least a decade. It will not uphold the Constitution.

The only remedy is/has been impeachment, and a Congress that won’t even consider that is complicit. If there are no sanctions to lawbreaking, there is no law. So Congress is violating its duty; the Justice Department is corrupt; the Executive Branch can function more or less at will on the main constitutional questions. A handful of lower court judges is all that’s left.

Digg this folks

From the only impeachment processes I’ve observed, they attempt to build a case in hearings before the House Judidicary Committee and then vote on Articles of Impeachment, which are referred for vote to the whole House. Do you think any more arbitrary process (with which I’m unfamiliar) would have any hope of success or public acceptance? I don’t.

of course most of the evidence is destroyed

but we do know the president lied us into war, we do know he refused to show congress the proof he had that saddam was no threat, we do know he condoned torture

the charges with public proof against this president are legion

that’s true, they make a case…however they have the right to impeach without that case

all power of the president eminates from congress, whatever power he has was granted by them and can easily be rovoked by them

he is there by the grace of congress

they don’t need the evidence that he won’t provide all they need is the evidence they have

and they need no evidence, they can simply impeach

The Rude Pundit summed it up nicely a few days ago. He showed a photo of Bush embracing the mother of a slain soldier. His comment was to the effect of Bush being a boa constrictor consoling the mother rabbit after eating her children. This administration does not respect the soldiers. It sends them off in platoons to be blown up without adequate protection. When they are killed, their caskets are smuggled back into the country without honor. When the survivors come back with arms and legs blown off and psyches blasted to smithereens, they are sent to filthy veterans hospitals and forgotten. The young soldiers who get out in one piece find no college scholarships or job support back home.

We can have all the parades and ceremonies we need to make ourselves feel better. But should we continue to paste our yellow ribbons on the trunks of our cars, claiming to support our troops, when in fact we do nothing of the sort?

that’s why the need for whistleblower protection. Surely there is evidence as well as eye witness testimony available. But we know what has happened to people who have spoken up. I have to believe that there are many many good civil servants who, if given the opportunity (and protection) would come forward.

Scarecrow is right, Congress is not upholding it’s oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution. It’s as simple as that.

Caw, caw! Great Memorial Day post, Scarecrow. This administration and all its actions will certainly go down in history as taking a step away from Democracy.

But, RevDeb, I don’t know that far. In fact, I’ve been rethinking my opinion of whether Senators can/should be called upon to serve in an Obama cabinet. I’ve been thinking that as long as they are replaced by other good Democrats, they should certainly be able to serve. For instance, what happens if Chris Dodd were called upon for a cabinet post? Does the Governor get to appoint a replacement? Is the Governor required to replace him with a member of his own party? Could the Governor appoint Ned Lamont? I think that would be a good move.

Excerpts from a David Swanson piece, posted at Smirking Chimp:

We need to view a president not as the head of a party or even of the nation, but as the executor of the people’s laws as created by our representatives in what should be the most powerful branch of our government, the Congress. (snip)

We need to value congress members more highly and demand more of them, but not more in the way of expertise so much as more in the way of transparency, accountability, and effort. (snip) We also need to value citizens more highly and demand more of them, and I said citizens, not voters. Serving as a citizen of a democracy should involve effort every day of the year. (snip)

When I say citizen, I do not mean amateur pundit. As citizens we should be willing to push straightforwardly for what we want. We should compromise, but not prior to opening our mouths. We should not fear losing, which is perhaps the single biggest cause of losing.

He then goes on to speak passionately about impeachment. Excerpt:

The current president has violated laws and abused power to such an extent that to let it pass unchallenged would establish that future presidents and vice presidents need only obey laws if they choose to. (snip) We are supposed to be able to count on our representatives in the House to hold our executive accountable. That’s why our ancestors fought a revolution. (snip)

George Mason remarked that: “No point is of more importance than that the right of impeachment should be continued. Shall any man be above Justice? Above all shall that man be above it, who can commit the most extensive injustice?”

The founders considered impeachment of the utmost importance. They had risked their lives in a bloody struggle to overthrow a king. The last thing they wanted was a new one. (snip)

(snip) It is far from too late to try to prevent the damage that this president and vice president can still do in the next 8 months.
There is nothing else for Congress to do that impeachment could distract from. All good bills are vetoed and all partially good bills are signing statemented.

Impeachment in this case could be very quick because of the overwhelming evidence. It is not uncommon for impeachment efforts to begin later in an administration than where we are now (think Andrew Johnson, Herbert Hoover, Harry Truman)… (snip)

While preliminary investigations of the sort that have been done on Bush and Cheney for the past year and a half can be dragged out for months, impeachments tend not to last long;

An impeachment of Bush and/or Cheney for an indisputable offense (refusing subpoenas, refusing to enforce contempt citations, rewriting laws with signing statements, openly violating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, etc.) could take literally one day. (snip)

If there is time for endless hours of grilling steroid-popping baseball players, there is time for impeachment.

It’s an excellent piece, worth reading in its (long) entirety.

I don’t at disagree with that at all. I’m only saying Pelosi, et. al. may have decided that it’s better to bide time than risk getting Supreme Court rulings which interpret the Constitution in authoritarian ways. Like I said, I’m frustrated too and want to see justice done, but I not ready to fully condemn anyone who thinks it may be very risky and would prefer to gain strength in Congress, and the Executive Branch. Much of the crap could be overturned by Executive Order alone. Of course, I understand that it wouldn’t provide satisfying judgement of the culprits, but it also wouldn’t leave our system forever overthrown by Supreme Court ruling.

At any rate, I prefer to give the Democrats in Congress that benefit of the doubt, rather than assume that the are bought and paid for. I guess I’m just a cockeyed optimist.

The governor is a republican and I think CT would allow her to pick whomever she chooses. Dodd needs to stay where he is for now.

of course we need whistleblower protection but the very word defeats our purpose

“whistleblower” is a perjurative

we need to call it “watchdog protection”

much much better

If the those in this administration and those enablers in Congress are not held accountable, whether through prison, truth commissions, exile, whatever legal remedies there may be, it is safe to say that the “experiment” is indeed over. If the people does not demand accountability then they are not citizens but merely cowed subjects.

I prefer to give the Democrats in Congress that benefit of the doubt,

in the absence of overwhelming evidence to the contrary i would agree. but, sadly, that is not the case. giving them the benefit of the doubt now requires that i ignore the evidence in front of me. :(

I agree with you, Scarecrow! Thank you for your thoughts. In my post this morning I said it would be nice to be “celebrating” the newly formed “Department of Peace” within our government every year, but unfortunately, as long as we have greedy, irrational people running our nation, this Department will never be realized. Sad.

Impeachment is not going to happen. We can all argue the merits of why it should till we’re blue in the face, but that is the reality.

Everything Barbara says at 16. Yes. Scarecrow. Raven. All the birds and pups who have served. Our fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers, our sons and daughters, we thank you.

Much being made about Respect by a certain candidate’s supporters this morning. My take: respect is earned, not given. Whether you’re a country, or a candidate. [and anyone who doesn’t think she-who-shall-not-be-named doesn’t plan to drag things out all the way to the convention, well, I’ve got a foreshadowed dictatorship for ya]

Prairie Today: R-E-S-P-E-C-T

I spent a few hours at our local Nam vets campout, LZ Friendly. There was a Phu Bai nurse there who was heavily involved with the casualties from Hamburger Hill. 15 years ago a bunch of us were in DC for Veterans Day and, after a night of hanging out we loaded in cabs to go to the Wall at about 3am. When we got there she sort of froze and said she couldn’t go down there because she didn’t know any of them, didn’t know their names because they were to busy triaging and trying to save who they could. I took her down and showed her a couple of friends, told her who they were, what they did when we were in high school together. . .stuff like that. When we went back up to the statue, there was no fence around it then, she started wiping the rain off their faces and the “fork” in their veins where the IV went. I hadn’t seen her in quite a few years so I wasn’t sure it was her. It was. . .it was good to see her and I’ll never forget that night.

Well, you may be right. It seems I even rationalized Ms. Clinton’s behavior for too long. Still, I hesitate to think we’re that close to a lasting failure of, to hark back to RevDeb’s original comment, the great experiment.

National slowdown. Drive under 60. Stick it to big oil and BushCo. They’ve recklessly raced us to the precipice for the last nearly eight years. Past time to put on the brakes.

Fine story, Raven.

I would certainly like to be proven otherwise. But I’m not seeing much movement in that direction.

Good remembrance.

I guess I should have said it was great to reconnect with her, and her two pugs!

I’ve been driving 60 on the expressway for the last week or so. It does seem that more people are doing likewise. The vast majority, however, continue to fly by at 70+.

Yep, the current governor of CT, Jodi Rell is an R. She first took office after her predecessor (John Rowland) resigned over corruption. There are no laws in CT requiring the governor to appoint a replacement from the same party (which would really be difficult when the party only has one member). Most likely, Rell would appoint someone like Chris Shays or Nancy Johnson to the seat if Dodd were to leave.

thank you raven. you remind me of what is honorable. it takes looking away from our government to see it.

i’ll go put out my flag now.

Thanks Raven.

I remember the first time I saw the wall. It was also late at night. A very different feeling than in the light of day. In the fog makes it even more somber. Hard to put into words.

Revolutionary War – c25,000
War of 1812 – c20,000
Civil War – c885,000
Spanish-American War – 2,446
World War I – 116,516
World War II – 405,399
Korean War – 36,516
Viet Nam – 58,209
Irak – 4,082 (to date)

Taps

My fallen comrades-in-arms, I salute you.

Rest in eternal peace.

How many more?

(((QuakerGirl)))

Yea, I took my brother but had to wait until the middle of the night. I can deal with it durning the day if it’s a vets event but not when it’s “Another Roadside Attraction”. I don’t harbor any resentment about how regular folks (especially kids) act there but I’d just rather not be there.

The Rude Pundit summed it up nicely a few days ago. He showed a photo of Bush embracing the mother of a slain soldier. His comment was to the effect of Bush being a boa constrictor consoling the mother rabbit after eating her children.

Powerful statement.

~~~In remembering wars, the women’s part always seems to get neglected–how many of them were heroes in their own right?

Impeachment is not going to happen. We can all argue the merits of why it should till we’re blue in the face, but that is the reality.

if you are right then the great experiment is indeed over

impeachment must happpen, if not while in office then when out, it must happen if this republic stands, if impeachment does not happen then this republic has fallen

one or the other

The launching of the Red Nader is now official.

You know, it just occurred to me that part of George W. Bush’s problem is that he’s always surrounded by a gaggle of security, press, butt-kissers of one stripe or another. He never has to live with himself. Never has considered, no doubt, walking the wall by himself. Difficult to be real, compassionate, any of the things that constitute being a genuine human being, with zero inner life. Yes, I’m judging him. The Supreme Court was wrong, wrong, wrong in their Bush pick.

it is going to be up to barak, he can and needs to make public those documents that show the depravity of the men who left office

it’s going to be up to barak, that is, if there is an election at all

I am really and truly afraid that you’re right, perris. Impeachment is the bottom line in the sand. They. Must. Do. It.

Has anyone heard of her status? Can we assume at this point she has passed on? Very sad to think about.

(((((QUAKERGIRL)))))

The one and only time I’ve ever stood in front of the Vietnam Memorial in DC was March 2007. I was down there to protest the Pentagon. It was a very emotional experience for me. Seeing all the names in the order they died was overwhelming. Of course, there was one guy who I figured was one of the many Gathering of Eagles down there who stood near me as I looked at the names. He never said a word, but I could feel his negative energy coming from him. Why is it some vets like this guy feel they’re the only ones who can honor those who died in Vietnam?

I don’t think the subject has ever come up in any press gaggle with any of the candidates.

What would they do to restore the rule of law? Most of them tend to deny that it is lost. They just can’t go there and no one is asking them to.

My problem is, they’ve been doing some of that, at least. So far they’ve gotten rid of Gonzo and Lurita Doan. The problem I see is that ultimately, after much muss and fuss, the WH sacrifices the offender before any serious effort to impeach that person, but then proceeds to nominate someone nearly as bad as a replacement, and the Senate goes on the confirm that nominee. Ultimately, what is accomplished? I’m not at all sure that Gonzo or Lurita even end up losing their retirement benefits or anything out of it all.

At least Karl Rove has been subpoenaed. It will take years for the Bush Regime to be tried for their crimes against humanity and the American people. My fingers are crossed that there are many attorneys/state Attorney Generals out there on the sidelines waiting for the next presidency to happen so they can go after these war criminals!

The Bush Regime is currently rearing up like a spider (hence, Bush losing his mind during some of his pressers) which tells me they’re feeling the heat. The ONLY problem with impeachment is Dick Cheney would become the president or if he and Georgie were both thrown out, then Nancy Pelosi and/or Condi Rice would then become president. Though…..I WANT IMPEACHMENT OF THESE WAR CRIMINALS, BADLY!

On Saturday, President Bush called upon Americans to pause today for a moment of remembrance, to reflect on all those who have sacrificed in defense of their nation.

I choose to remember all those who have been sacrificed – the millions and millions of people who have been killed by warmongers.

The course of conduct that has set aside and even disdained national and international law, conventions to which the USA is a signatory, ethics, morals, and careful stewardship of the national treasury, has placed at increased risk United States Armed Services members, diplomatic corps members, allies and their personnel and citizens, NGO and charity personnel, students, and tourists. Yet holding those who are responsible accountable to the fullest constitutional extent is considered too costly and inconvenient, if desirable at all, by most Members of Congress.

Cheney and Bush are co-criminals and need to be tried as such.

I agree. ;-)

Thank you for this thought-provoking post, Scarecrow. You speak for many of us.

One good thing is the president of Paraguay is thinking about signing extradition treaties, so if Bush & Cheney run to there to hide from the angry mobs across the planet, they might be out of luck. Ha ha. I hope they spend the rest of their lives fearing the angry mobs and hope they never get the chance to put their feet up on the veranda of their mansions. ;-)

works for me.

For those who haven’t seen it, the campaign for future US Senator of Maine, Tom Allen, did a wonderful video about our troops.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wnxT90DqMc

We honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice, but we can’t forget those who are still alive and need the help. Unfortunately, John McCrazy has.

Wrong is never Right. America has been wrong way to long and the corruption is more insidious, more generalized in corporate culture and business practices. In our schools cheating is a way of doing business. In our public contracting it is crony capitalism. A change is urgently needed. If the founding fathers were witness what would they advise do you think?
Your case is so weak as to be wishful. These criminals put law abiding citizens in jail. There is no where but down for this administration and they will continue to stain USA honor. They continue to increase our national debt…the national treaury is bankrupt. The banks if called are insolvent. If you can tolerate the demise of this nation one more day in this downward spiral…you do not understand what is at stake. They have boots on the ground against us law abiding citizens. They encourage law breaking by their corporate minions in congress, in government and in the markets. IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS ASAP

The great experiment is not over.

Malevolent scoundrels have run this country before. Eventually the people run them out at the ballot box. This will happen in November with the election of Obama. The experiment will go on.

Most associated with Bushco will suffer the verdict of history. The sentence will be an eternity of scorn.

Thanks for the lecture. I have masters in history, spent 4 years in the military, 36 years working for the FAA. I’ve raised 3 kids, have 4 grandchildren. I tried to watch my tone of voice in commenting.

Morning All.

Great post Scarecrow. Sure appreciate all your energy, that of RevDeb and all the rest.

I fear I’m falling down on the job today. Feel like going back to bed and just pulling the covers back over my head.

Mebbe more coffee….

It’s a sad sad day. This is emphatically NOT what we have become, this horrific administration. But what do we DO about it. The odds just are not in our favor. Nevertheless, one foot in front of the other has worked before… so… onward. Just point me and give a firm shove, some kind soul.

(((Quakergirl)))

Wasteland of the Free

I can live with that. Though the Truth Commission and prosecution and stripping of their bennies would be finer. However, may they be hounded into hell in ignominy.

And totally O/T: Rumpelstiltskin, Medusa, or the Cool Guy…I pick the Cool Guy.

I’ll hold you to that promise. Please make room in line, thanks. I’m here. Honest.

Good Morning everyone…… Talked to my parents who are both WWII Vets said they road the Veteran float in the Rodie Festival and received a big reception…

Maybe! The House is getting pretty pissed, and now would be the perfect time, since they are all up for re-election. In one panel I watched from the Center for American Progress, well, I’ll let them speak for themselves:

Members of Congress seem to think that there is some rule somewhere which binds them to accept the president saying, this information can only go to these eight people. There is no such thing. The Constitution may provide a very limited right of the president to withhold advice that he gets from subordinate officials from the Congress, the so called executive privilege. There is no privilege to withhold information from the Congress on grounds of national security.
There is nothing in the Constitution that provides that, there is nothing in the statutes that provides that, and there is nothing in the procedures of the Congress that provides that.
Indeed, the procedures establishing the Senate and House Intelligence Committees made it clear that the information provided to those two committees would be available to other members of the Congress based on procedures that the Congress would set up for that purpose. It also made it clear that information to which other committees had previously been entitled, that is for example, the Judiciary Committee on Foreign Intelligence Surveillance or intelligence collection by the FBI, that that information needed to be continued to be made available to those committees, that the existence of the Intelligence Committee except for information in the CIA did not change the jurisdiction of any other committee, that those committees of substance continue to have authority and the government oversight committees in both the House and the Senate are entitled to that information.

And Congress also has the power asserted by the Congress in the legislation establishing the two Intelligence Committees to make its own decisions about what information should be made public. There is nothing in the Constitution, there is nothing in the statutes, there is nothing in congressional procedures that stands in the way of those congressional actions. It simply requires the Congress to assert the authorities it has and to act on those authorities, and if the president gives them information, they have the right to make it public and should do so when they think it should not be kept secret.

(Mark Halperin; FISA: Safeguarding both Security and Freedom; aired Wed. Aug. 29, 2007 on C-Span)

REP. EDWARDS: Yeah, let me just underscore that. The Congress does not need the permission of the executive branch to do anything. Period. (Laughter and applause.) (From the same panel.)

;->

Powerful! Thanks for posting it. ;-)

Hope you hear from the grandkids today.

Two spent the night last night. Thanks.

Not to throw this OT but just for the chuckle …. Obama’s donor list is too large for the FEC to handle….. Hahahahaha

Christy has a new post ready.

Yeah, THAT Christy. Welcome back, Redd.

Thanks, SD. I have an ancestor who fought in the Civil War–Union Side. Father served in WWII. Thankfully, my brothers were too young to be drafted for Vietnam.

How many more? Until we wise up…

Couldn’t find a clip for “There Is A Wall In Washington” but here are the lyrics (Iris Dement)

There’s a wall in Washington
and it’s made of cold black granite
They say 60,000 names are etched there in it
in that wall in Washington

A father, he traveled from far away
to walk the path ’til he finds that name
He reaches his hand up and traces each letter
The tears they fall as his memories gather
for the boy who filled his heart with pride
is now but a name that’s been etched
in the side of this wall in Washington

A mother she traveled from far away
to walk the path ’til she finds that name
She reaches her hand up and traces each letter
The tears they fall as her memories gather
She feels the baby at her breast
but her heart it breaks because all that is left
is this wall in Washington

A boy, he traveled from far away
to walk the path ’til he finds that name
He reaches his hand up and traces each letter
He stares at the name of his unknown father
His heart is young and it’s filled with pain
in anger he cries out

“Who is to blame for this wall in Washington
that’s made of cold black granite?
Why is my father’s name etched here in it
in this wall in Washington?”

I got an email from a good friend of mine for Memorial Day. It had a story about how Denzel Washington opened up his checkbook to help out our soldiers in need. He wrote the check for the full amount they needed. I was enjoying the email until I got to the end of it when the originator of this email asked why Madonna, Sean Penn, and other “America-Haters” weren’t helping the soldiers and why they just continue hating America.

Oh please!

I hit “reply all” (don’t know all the names on the list but they got an earful from me LOL) and said this:

“I’ll tell you why, Kathie. Our government treats our soldiers like crap after all the sacrifices they make for us. Sean Penn was in the Katrina ravaged area when our government was not. Some of us have been standing up against our government, because they lied our nation into an illegal occupation of a nation that did not attack us nor could possibly attack us (just today, the Prime Minister of Iraq said he would no longer feed the OCCUPIERS. He was talking about us.).

Anyways, here’s how our soldiers are currently being treated. It’s narrated by the father of a soldier who was bullshit:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=46vYZFU1Dew

Just thought I’d point this out. Our news media never shows this stuff. In fact, they glorify war like it’s as much fun as playing a basketball game. They refuse to ask the tough questions of the Bush White House and Americans are tired of it. It’s not UNPATRIOTIC to question your government. Our Forefathers escaped England to get away from the government who would kill ya if you spoke out against it, didn’t participate in the religion the King wanted you to. See?

Also, Walter Reed medical hospital where our soldiers go is just as bad…well…it was until bloggers like myself and others went ballistic when the photos appeared online!

Did you know one of our soldiers hanged himself at Walter Reed and it took 2 days for anyone to find him? His family was calling from the Midwest to get to their son who they say was mentally not right (was acting suicidal on the phone). Their request was ignored and their son hung for 2 days by his neck. Others were sleeping in their own urine.

This is why I’m bullshit with George Bush and his fake war. He’s using our soldiers to secure the oil..you know…the oil that was supposed to pay for the war. Another lie! The wives/husbands of our soldiers back home are paying $4/gallon. Most are on welfare. Is this right? No!

Happy Memorial Day! LOL”

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I’m tired of being called an “American hater” because myself and others stand up against our government and condemn their actions & inactions!

My family has been here since the 1750’s and has fought in every conflict. My great great grandfather was a Captain in the South Carolina Cavalry. Lost an eye and arm in the Civil War.

1,853 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…

Citizen Scarecrow and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:

Thanx for the post Brother Scarecrow, this is a day to remember to remeber…I mean that those of us who have experienced the last terrible American adventure in empire in Vietnam must ,at least today, try to remember those things that we have spent so much time and emotional energy tryin’ to forget. We need to remember for those who didn’t make it back and for those hundreds of thousands whose bodies came back but whose lives were destroyed and left as some brutal penance for the carnage we imposed on the people of that small country. We must remember and at least for this day try and make some sense of our experience, to create a meaning out of the history of which we were players, to give our children and the Vietnamese children who live now in the shadow of that terrible moment some meaning that does not allow them to fall victim to the hubris of failing memory, that failing of memory that allows them to think that there is ever victory in any war.

I am remembering my Grampa Ole and my father and their lives lived in quiet labor to forget what they knew was unforgettable. I am remembering their desperate admonitions agaist my giving myself over to what at the time seemed my generation’s destiny. My leaving for Vietnam opened the old wounds that their Purple Hearts were supposed to cauterize forever. I am remembering them. I am remembering Tommie Pleasant who was the first to show me the only victory in war was ultimately down the path to death. I am remembering the marines and the 1st Cav troopers who came bleeding and screaming into my pre-op ward, who only wanned to know if their buddies had made it. I am remembering Raven and all the other reluctant heroes of our forum here. And I am remembering you Scarecrow…let’s find a bit of meaning out of all this that we can pass on to our children. And maybe we will have to take that meaning in the next few months and use it to advance a politics of hope to get those brave kids out of the desert and back to our loving arms.

KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION, WAR ALWAYS COMES HOME WITH THE LIVING!!

Well said, Norske.

I brought it up to Dodd the last time he was here in Marshalltown. I asked him, “How can we restore the Rule of Law is we don’t punish those who have done their best to subvert it? If we don’t hold them accountable, then their actions remain as a precedent for the future.” He agreed and said that we must hold them accountable. I hope that he meant it.

Thank you Scarecrow.

I stand firm in opposing this administrations war and the Vietnam war.
Patriotism is doing the right thing. I know many Military leaders oppose this war one colonel told me last week he had it. He is a quality indidivual coming up through the ranks and served combat duty in Korea and Vietnam. He is a Patriot. What is George Bush doing sending people to die or kill innocents people is this patriotism to send your own people into harms way with targets on them. War is the failure of diplomacy. War is caused by greed and selfishness. USA has over 50% of the world GNP. Prarie and Cross Timber I cannot tolerate it.
My fam has been a part of this nation and died for it since the 1600s. That doesn’t make me any better than the newest citizen. You think you got the right religion…good for you… in this country it is all good but the bigots who have “the only religion” are telling us to go kill muslims and that sucks.
I strongly oppose those willing to lie down for this fascist administration. No apologies here I did not kill or maim anyone. Having a lot of children and grandchildren or an advanced degree does not change the criminality or the toleration of crimes and misdameanors.
Count the Vietnam and the Iraq vets on the streets and sleeping under bridges. Count the dead and mutilated on behalf of big oil and it’s unwillingness to fund alternative energy (1970). What about the children and grand children that have been killed in the name of democracy.
If you pulled the trigger its your karma not mine. Murder is an international crime. We all have the right to life…jus cogens. You were not defending America you were defending the corporate empire. Jack Boot. The booty of war…the loot free oil, free energy to drive Mordor and the Global Warming. Your off base and I am tagging you out.
To much grief in sorrow in life to make more broken hearted families by asking them to kill one another. it is time to build a bond for the whole family of life. Please help us stop them Impeach or go face the families that have been harmed by this illegal immoral war.

Amen, Brother.

Look. I don’t know whose big brother you are, but not mine. I’m lucky enough to not have killed anybody either. What age and experience in the world means is that I don’t take kindly to lectures from people whose credentials I don’t know and who imply that I’m either stupid, lazy, treasonous, or that for some other insidious reason I suggest that it’s worthwhile to consider possible explanations which differ from your certain apriori knowledge.

I’ve listened to your interpretation and remain unconvinced that you know the absolute truth. Maybe somebody would march off behind you, based on what you’ve said, but not me. The fact that we’re both on FDL suggests that we might even agree on a few things if you climbed down off your soap box and quit making dictatorial, judgemental prounouncements about your interpretation of other peoples’ comments.

In calling for the righteous cleansing of the nation and the world on one hand, and on the other hand condemning or leaving to implied-to-be-bad karma all who have taken up military arms since the wars you consider to have been just, you do not contribute to bond-building; you place yourself in no man’s land.

Do not invoke the plight and treatment of some veterans in your effort to shame all post-World War II veterans, today or any day.

Well said.