Rose Garden Betrayal…Odious Symbolism…
Since commenting on an article published in ‘The Blue Paper’ by Dennis Reeves Cooper entitled: “The Prisoner Exchange: He Did What?!” on June 8, 2014; I’ve closely monitored events surrounding the issues I addressed. I was determined to modify or correct my statements if necessary. As the Bowe Bergdahl saga unfolds, it appears the accuracy of my remarks have remained ‘spot on’.
Some have critiqued my interpretation of events as being lackluster and juvenile. They suggest that I’m unable to appreciate the grander scheme of our involvement in conflicts around the world. Although I challenge that notion, I respect their divergent perspectives and remain open to new ideas.
I am familiar with the killing, digging and bleeding associated with members in Bergdahl’s combat unit. The chronic suffering and sacrifice of soldiers such as these, will either draw them together or tear them apart. Without being able to trust one another with their lives, the effectiveness of the unit will rapidly decline, often causing casualties and death.
It’s troubling that a ‘White House’ aide referred to all of the soldiers from Bergdahl’s platoon, who challenged the veracity of National Security Advisor Susan Rice’s assertion, that Bergdahl had served the Army with “honor and distinction”; as psychopaths. It’s disturbing that the New York Times had a front page story identifying these soldiers as “raggedy” and undisciplined. Particularly, when the evidence they presented to justifying their denigration of these men was baseless.
It’s alarming that our State Department publicly denounced the integrity and credibility of these former soldiers because they spoke out, questioning the authenticity of the president’s celebratory narrative describing the return of Bergdahl .
Does smear campaign, whitewash and cover-up have a familiar ring to it?
Primary sources to the event in question, allege that Mr. Bergdahl deserted his post. The Platoon Leader, Squad Leader and Medic, along with 6 fellow soldiers, unanimously and publicly identified this man as a deserter. They all said that he walked away from his assigned post, abandoning his combat position while they slept. If this is correct, it is a serious offense. When it’s done in a combat zone, it’s punishable by death.
If I were to abandon my military post in a hostile territory, without regard to the well-being of those dependent upon me for their survival, to seek comfort and support from the enemy, the resultant consequences would be my responsibility.
To a man, each one of the referenced soldiers said they considered Bergdahl a Brother. They further stated that they would have unhesitatingly sacrificed their lives to save his.
I witnessed several interviews given by the mothers and fathers of two soldiers who were killed during subsequent combat operations following Mr. Bergdahl’s disappearance. They all believed their sons were killed while looking for Bergdahl. Thus far, their sentiments have been corroborated by members of Bergdahl’s Platoon.
Particularly disturbing to me, was the unanimous understanding that these veterans shared regarding the increased effectiveness, precision and accuracy of the attacks launched against them, after Bergdahl’s departure.
Mr. Bergdahl is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. However, as American citizens we are entitled to research, investigate and secure evidence; which may be used in formulating an opinion concerning any matter that is before us.
I’ve attempted to be impartial and objective with the information that I’ve shared. I recognize that I’ve had experiences which could distort my processing of this event. However, my life’s work has demonstrated a capacity to get at the truth. My yearning to authentically realize events as they really are, supersedes my personal biases. The propaganda, or lies that I’ve been fed, haven’t taken hold.
Two of the five prisoners set free in exchange for Bergdahl are wanted by the United Nations for “War Crimes Against Humanity”. They are charged with killing thousands of innocent Shiite Muslim men, women and children.
Another, is the Deputy Minister of Intelligence for the Taliban and Al Qaeda. He is accused by “Human Rights Watch” of murdering and torturing Afghan civilians.
Included in this exchange is a senior Taliban Commander considered to be a military mastermind in developing violent tactics utilized in assassinating political dissenters. He is a Taliban Governor for the Balkh and Lagman provinces, who has been implicated in the murder of thousands of Shiites in northern Afghanistan. When asked about the killings, he did not express any regret and stated: “They did what they needed to do in their struggle to establish their ‘ideal state.'”
The last prisoner let go is a former Chief of Staff and Deputy Finance Director of the Taliban Army. He served as Governor of the Herat Province in Afghanistan and has been identified as a powerful opium trafficker. He specializes in smuggling missiles and amassing weapons for the purpose of murdering Afghan civilians who disagree with him.
Far from being dethroned from their positions of power and influence, the aforementioned terrorists are now revered as distinguished and preeminent celebrities. They are energizing and recruiting those who find the lives of women worthless, as they kill anyone or thing that questions their authority.
Documents reveal, that even after their capture they wielded considerable influence throughout Afghanistan. An in-depth assessment determined that: “If released, detainees would likely rejoin the Taliban and establish ties with other terrorist groups”.
Formulating an opinion based on studying documents, investigating events and analyzing interviews; is not akin to parroting information proffered by any type of news program.
War is the ultimate insanity. It highlights the weaknesses inherent in all human beings. Intolerance, anger and aggression are fueled by ideologues, partisan politics and ignorance. Incompetent and ineffective leadership, has always found expression within the military industrial complex.
We are all called upon to serve our God and Country in a multitudinous of ways. I’ve not walked in another’s shoes. Therefore, rather than judging anyone, I attempt to bring my ‘A’ game to all that I do.
A proper developed sense of discernment and perspicacity has served me well. Most importantly, I’ve had the opportunity of testing my instincts, intuition, ideas and resolve in combat. On the battlefield, incorrect assessments result in death or disfigurement. There’s not any time for clouded judgments, theoretical discourse or crusading rhetoric.
With the guidance and direction of my God, along with the support received from family and friends, I’ve been able to utilize those ‘war time assets’ as a means to construct an effective design of living. Cognizant of where I came from and what I’m capable of, I’ve abandoned my old ideas. Birthed from my restlessness, irritability, discontent and desperation, I’ve awakened spiritually. With support from my God and the love of others, I’ve been allowed to create and sustain an existence founded upon the principles of Peace and Love.
I find it difficult to harbor any anger towards Bowe Bergdahl. I’ve witnessed hardened men break under the pressure of prolonged combat.
I’m disappointed that our Commander-in- Chief , overseeing all of the Armed Forces, elevated this questionable prisoner exchange to a Rose Garden celebration at the White House. Honoring an alleged deserter, with such pomp and distinction, impugns the painful sacrifices and savage deaths that have been endured by our men and women in uniform.
I’ve never witnessed this president bring combat wounded veterans or ‘gold star’ mothers to the White House Rose Garden, for the sole purpose of conveying his gratitude, as he recognized their sacrifices and loss.
Better yet, how wonderful it would be for all veterans and their families, if they knew that our president had their backs, when it came to receiving competent medical treatment at each one of our Veterans Administration Hospitals.
I believe United States Senator Bernie Sanders said it best: “If you are not prepared to take care of the men and women who put their lives on the line to defend this country, who came back wounded in body wounded in spirit. If you’re not prepared to help those people, then don’t send them to war in the first place”.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Donnelly
John Donnelly, a resident of Key Largo was born, raised and went to high school in the South Bronx. Upon graduation he was awarded several scholarships to college. He chose to enlist in the United Sates Marine Corps. While serving in Vietnam John was wounded in action. He received two meritorious promotions, one during combat. Upon discharge and return to America, John had a difficult time transitioning back into civilian life. He found himself homeless for the next 4 years. As he worked out some troublesome concerns, he began to yearn to make some sense of his experiences via education. He sought and received his GI Bill benefits. He applied and was admitted to New York University. He later transfered to the University of Miami where he graduated on the President’s Honor Roll. John secured a teaching position at a Maximum Security Prison Facility for criminally insane adolescents. While working there he earned a Master of Science degree from Florida International University. He graduated Summa Cum Laude. More…
Mr. Donnelly:
You have re-examined your position through our discussion concerning Mr. Reeves’ article, and your analysis proved your initial thought process to be correct; I’m shocked. Cognitive dissonance is a powerful pathology to overcome, but I’ll give it a try.
The word “terrorist” defines one who employs violence, like murder, kidnapping, assassination, bombing, and the like, to coerce and/or intimidate others, for political/financial motivations.
When one nation invades another, without provocation, murders its civilians, bombs what little infrastructure they have, steals their resources, overturns their government, and denies them self determination, that is terrorism. That is also what defines the United States’ relationship with Afghanistan.
You cannot decry the “suffering” and the “sacrifice” of the US military. They are committing a criminal act of aggression with every door they kick in, head they bash, child they rape, and person they shoot. They are not to be honored, revered for their service, nor accorded the moniker of “The best America has to offer.” They are far from that.
People join the military for 4 reasons. 1) They are true patriots, really believing that they are serving their country. 2) Family tradition. 3) They just need a job. 4) The cowboys/psychos who want to play with the guns and kill with impunity.
The reasons for joining are meaningless however. In today’s world, you know if you join, there is a good chance you will be asked to kill people. And for what? Mr. Donnelly, I ask you, what possible reason would you have to kill someone in Afghanistan? Iraq? Yemen? Somalia? Libya? Sudan? Syria? Iran? There is no excuse for ignorance any longer; if you join, you are a mercenary, a hired killer. Any compassion coming your way has long been drowned in the rivers of blood left in your wake.
The war on terror is a hoax; just like the Cold War, the War on Drugs, the War on Poverty, the War on Cancer, and the War on Christmas. You cannot possibly in this day and age, believe that we are at war to protect our freedoms. You cannot possibly believe that if we don’t fight them over there, we’ll have to fight them over here. You cannot possibly believe that wars are anything but power plays by the rich to stay rich.
Are there bad guys in the world? You bet; but the released “terrorists” even if their crimes are true, pale in comparison to the crimes ordered through Bush, Obama, Blair, etc. The blood spilled by the Western powers and their owners dwarfs anything you can lay at the feet of the “terrorists.”
Save your sympathies for people like the “terrorist” kids that Israel just relieved of their lives.
“It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”
― Mark Twain
Keysbum,
Excellent commentary, well-thought out and convincing.
To some degree, isn’t cognitive dissonance a fact of life? Psychological pain and discomfort are said to be ‘the touchstone of all growth’.
Leon Festinger’s theory appears to be founded upon the assumption that individuals seek consistency between their expectations and their reality.
My commitment is to truth, not consistency…
Keysbum, I will advance a more detailed response upon my arrival home. Thank you for taking the time to read the article and present a reply…
Keysbum,
I concur in principal with your definition of a ‘terrorist’. I would also include the following taken from the American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy:
terrorism definition
Acts of violence committed by groups that view themselves as victimized by some notable historical wrong. Although these groups have no formal connection with governments, they usually have the financial and moral backing of sympathetic governments. Typically, they stage unexpected attacks on civilian targets, including embassies and airliners, with the aim of sowing fear and confusion.
Many would say that there was provocation to invade Afghanistan. The objective was not to murder civilians, however, many were killed (collateral damage), along with there being a record of individuals and combat troops massacring some innocent bystanders.
Afghanistan’s resources are marginal at best. No theft there. Infrastructure, as well as a stable government, are basically non-existent. Tribal warlords rule the roost.
I’ve identified ‘war’ as the ultimate insanity. Once hostilities have been initiated by any nation or terror group, all manner of savagery, cruelty and brutality become acceptable as the new ‘Norm’.
Warriors on both sides are skilled and determined killers. In all of my comments, I’ve always announced the enormity of the pain and suffering endured by innocent citizens living within warring groups and nations.
Many would say that the United States did not commit a criminal act of aggression when they invaded Afghanistan.
Every manner of atrocity has been committed when individuals are attempting to kill one another by ‘whatever means necessary’.
However Keysbum, you must hear me on this, randomly selected, every Marine to a man under my command, never took advantage of one single civilian. In fact, they took extraordinary measures to give up their meager supplies (medicines, food and clothing) to decrease the pain and suffering of the villagers. Our Corpsmen stopped and treated every civilian in need that they came across.
These Marines and most of the members of our Armed Forces are to be honored, revered and celebrated; for their courage and compassion in the face of great personal risk and harm to their lives. They exude the finest qualities of humanity.
Many of these men did not want to be in a war. They were drafted or enlisted before they were drafted. Many of them did not have a violent bone their bodies. At 18 years of age, they faced difficult dilemmas and handled them with grace, class and poise. Many of them are by far, “The best America has to offer”.
I concur with your reasons why people join the military. Your accurate description is appreciated.
Keysbum, you reveal a poignant underpinning that determines if ‘war’ can be waged. If there are no soldiers, technicians and logisticians, who will carry out the orders of our imperial presidents, none will be fought.
‘Code Pink’ has taken a lead in the effort to decrease the availability of men and women to recruiters and ROTC programs. Thus, derailing the marketing and influence of those promoting a career in the military, to our upcoming generations.
I disagree with your characterization, that if you join the Armed Forces, you are a “mercenary, a hired killer”. The truth, beliefs and motivation of each member in our military is different.
I’ve never spoken with a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airmen or a member of the Coast Guard, that wanted compassion. Many of them willingly shed their blood, in the efforts they made to spare children from any additional suffering.
All ‘wars’ are resultant from cowardly, inept and unqualified leadership, arising from moronic foreign policies and stupidity. The citizens of our nation voted for the cretins who have occupied our white house and congress. They evil arising from the ballots they cast, is tantamount to the doors being kicked in, the children who have been raped and the collateral damaged incurred in Afghanistan and Iraqi. These wars were waged by the politician they put into office.
Camelot, Nirvana and One Human Family do not exist on this earth. Until they do, we must maintain our guard against those who have a history of hurting and killing us.
Unfortunately, if a preemptive strike against those who have and want to murder us, on their soil, will decrease the likely hood of these entities from carrying out their desires, I may be for it. However, we must have a brilliant and compassionate leader at the helm of any such missions, not the inferior and incompetent idiots that the American people continue to elect as our leaders.
The money makers will always have their fingers in the pie, war or peace, they will always make their money.
One person’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter. As a superior trained rifleman, if I can kill 4 times as many individuals, as my counterpart, spilling that much more blood, are my efforts on the battlefield considered a ‘war crime’?
Keysbum, if you really wanted to understand and know what precipitated Israel’s incursion into Gaza, it can be gotten with one swoop of a finger from either hand.
To date, Hamas has launched 1600 missiles at civilian targets in Israel. There is enough blame to go around for everyone.
However, Israel is surrounded by enemies that hate and want to kill them. Their military knowing that, they have become proficient at defending themselves. They brokered two cease fires, Hamas’ answer was to launch more missiles at their populace.
I am frustrated by the fools and ineptness of the politicians selected to lead our country. I know how to get things done. In areas where I needed to be tutored, I would have myself schooled on the ‘Truths’ that I needed to know, in order to lead this nation.
I would have Keysbum, Sister and other individuals such as them on my staff, always questioning me and playing ‘devil’s advocate’.
I would not allow my nation to become so threatened and vulnerable that ‘war’ would ever be a consideration.
Through my intelligence agents, who will have infiltrated, penetrated and been absorbed behind envy lines, into every nation’s populace on earth, we would have our fingers on the pulse of all nations.
Diplomacy and cooperation, which mutually strengthened trade and security, while expanding cultural awareness; would catapult us into a ‘new age of enlightenment’. We would be so occupied with our new sense of purpose, fulfillment and exploration, we wouldn’t have the time nor inkling to kill our Brothers and Sisters…
Mr. Donnelly:
Let me correct you on some basic facts.
The official reason to go into Afghanistan was to get bin Laden; kill the terrorist responsible for 9/11. Without getting into a discussion about 9/11, all you need to know about it is that three skyscrapers CANNOT fall into their own footprint without assistance from planned demolition. That in and of itself, begins and ends the discussion on whether 9/11 was a planned event. That being the case, it also ends the discussion of whether a bunch of box cutter wielding men, led by man living in a cave, were responsible.
Now, Afghanistan far from being a barren wasteland of rocks and dirt, sits on a conservative estimate of $1 trillion worth of minerals (gold, lithium, copper, to name a few); geographic proximity between the Caspian Sea and India for which a pipeline will be built to transport oil and gas; and finally, it is the opium capital of the world, servicing the biggest pusher of illegal drugs in the world, the US government.
Now, assuming my facts are correct, and they are, which reason do you think is more credible? And which reason do you think would be pushed to the American public to get it to accept, and go fight, in such a war?
Would you kill and possibly die to enhance some billionaire’s portfolio? Would you have gone to Viet-Nam so General Dynamics could improve its balance sheet?
So I ask you Mr. Donnelly, what other terms besides imperialism, terrorism, and/or criminal aggression would you term the US invasion of Afghanistan?
I cannot speak to your personal war experience, nor that of your men. Viet-Nam was a different war, where thankfully, it was the rank and file that put a stop to it. It was also a time when people did not have access to the knowledge base they have today. It was a time when the government was still largely trusted by the population who willingly, and without question followed their leaders. That is not the case today; there is no excuse for ignorance in the internet age. None. If you sign up for the military today, you KNOW that you will be asked to kill people. And you should know WHY. Not the recruitment poster reason, the real reason. There is no excuse. If you are asked to risk your life, and possibly take life, you owe it yourself to find out why. So I am sorry I do not share your reverence for the military, but they are nothing but hired muscle if they choose to enlist and engage in anything but direct self defense.
Mr. Donnelly, what I see from your writings is classic cognitive dissonance. On the one hand you speak of imperial presidents, inept leaders, the money makers, the insanity of war, etc., which hints at a mistrust of, and an understanding of the real mechanics of the world. But then you also speak about the war on terror and need to combat those evil forces, of battling them on their soil before they get here, rationalizing the murder of 4 little boys for the greater good, describing the instruments of murder and mayhem (the ones pulling the triggers) as exuding the finest qualities of humanity. These are the storylines that are propagandized to, and believed by, an all too gullible population. A person of your intellectual acuity should be readily able to see it for what it is. You still see the country as you would like to see it; the way it was presented to you in school. Sure, you acknowledge the corruption, the lies, the greed, the ineptness. But yet deep down, you still cling to the honor and glory of a flag that represents a fantasy that does not, and never has existed. I have no doubt you love your country; I do too. But my country is NOT the government; my country is the Florida Keys, California where I was born, and every state in between. My country is the 330 million souls who share the land with me. That is where my allegiance lies, that is where I put my faith.
Remember this?…
“Mastering and conquering the delusions, disturbances and evil that lurks within oneself is the antidote to suffering.”
Being a first generation American, I have never been able to feel prideful or patriotic toward the boundaries of land that I happened to lay on once being extracted from my mother’s womb. I can only imagine the anger and betrayal one must feel after learning the truth about the actions and motives behind your beloved nation state. It would be as if to find out that your life partner of 40 years has secretly had another life partner simultaneously. The clues had been there all along but you refuse to acknowledge them. But to not acknowledge them is to live a lie.
Keysbum,
Appreciate your critique. I stand to be corrected. Afghanistan’s potential for mineral wealth appears to be substantial.
Conspiracy theories related to 9/11 are abundant. Some of them are credible. However, how long must one wring their hands, before they move on.
I viewed highly classified government tapes of the Waco Massacre. 21 innocent children and 55 innocent adults were burned alive by government troops. I watched a machine gunner and his ammo bearer deploy from beneath a tank (armored personnel carrier) and fire into the Mt. Carmel compound. They targeted the doors, preventing escape from the burring inferno torched by the government. How long must I wring my hands before I move on. I got good at moving forward, accustomed to the savagery of death that befell me. Maybe, too good.
Without evidence, I believe the jump is too big in assuming the government orchestrated the 9/11 attack, to gain access to Afghanistan’s resources.
Even at the top end, I’ve found many government employees to be incompetent. Especially unable to successfully coordinate a plan of that magnitude, and remain silent.
Immigrating to the USA my family settled in NYC. As the eldest child in an extended family that never had a son or daughter graduate from high school, everyone wanted me to break the barrier and continue on to a college or university. I showed signs that this might be a possibility. That was their dream for me.
My father landed on the Normandy beaches on D-day. All of my uncles served in WW II. Both grandfathers served in WW I. Three successive generations of my family were awarded 5 Purple Hearts.
Invariably, I was surrounded by a military presence. However, it was clear to me what they prioritized (school) and that’s what they wanted me to do.
To their dismay, I walked away from my scholarships and enlisted into the USMC. I did not have their support. I broke their hearts.
In my mind I was adhering to JFK’s admonition “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”. We had been involved in a war for too long, and I figured I could assist my country in bringing it to an end.
Even though we are ‘bonded as brothers’ I do not have reverence for all Marines. I will not go into the harsh discipline I dispensed upon those whose conduct did not reflect the ideals instilled within us at Parris Island.
Yes, we are professional killers. The muscle and might of the US government. However, our oaths are to ‘protect and defend the constitution’. The ‘constitution’ is the government. Not any president, politician, CEO nor partisan ideology.
The electorate has been negligent in their selections of those they’ve chosen to lead this nation. Dumbed down schools, cultural relativism and moral decadence have fostered a weak, soft and under-educated society. They’ve project their emptiness upon the celebrities the choose to lead them. Not the content of their character, nor their hard earned accomplishments. This all plays into what we have become as a nation, and where we are going. Nothing happens in a vacuum.
I’ve counseled literally thousands of young men and women considering a career in the military. I’ve been reserved, cautious and honest in my conversations with them. I’ve never been, nor will I be a cheerleader for the military. I will discuss the matter with a clear eye to the facts.
I don’t believe myself to be gullible towards the propaganda spewed as patriotism. I know which end is up.
Now, if our military has been misused, who is responsible for that? Is it the men and women in our Armed Forces? Of course not.
You’ve even admitted that there are some bad actors out there, whom we need to defend ourselves against.
Are you and Sister responsible for the murderous manner in which our military has been utilized?
As far as this cognitive dissonance goes, be careful not to cloak yourself (and Sister) in a garment that may blind you to the biases and weaknesses of your own arguments.
I have a lot of things wrong with me. Perhaps I’ll need to dust off a spot for this latest diagnosis.
I concur with you, and I think Sister, my country is not my government. The honor and glory that my flag represents is of a bygone era, before the Constitution of the United States was hijacked and usurped by the narcissistic collective.
However, my reality is such that I will never denigrate the honor and glory that the flag once stood for. Please allow me to share with you an excerpt from an address I gave at a flag retirement ceremony.
“A charismatic African-American Marine carried a small American Flag during our combat operations. He wanted to hold it with his comrades on our last mission and have a group picture taken. Several bullets tore through him and the flag that he carried. During the battle I used his flag to apply pressure on the wounds that eventually killed him. This flag rested upon this Marines lifeless body as he was moved to the landing zone to begin his journey home. Back to the family that awaited his return”.
Sister,
As always, I thank and value your comments. I may not have mastered nor conquered the disturbances and evil that lurks within me, but they know who the boss is.
It has been my life’s work to advance confidently towards the light. I’m not all caught up in this world. It really doesn’t have much to offer.
My allegiance is to my God…Period…When I get off track, I can steer back on course whenever I want.
I’ve been blessed in too many ways to explain. Oh, there has been plenty of suffering, however, no one goes through life unscathed. We all have our crosses to bear.
With the help of yourself, I will continue to carry on.
As far as not having pride in this nation and a patriotic spirit, most of it is a bunch of baloney.
Sister, it’s your courage, depth, insight and ideas that bless this nation. Without you we don’t have a country. The idea that was once America will be birthed again, from people like yourself…Blessings…
Let me take issue with a couple of things you said.
The constitution is not the government; it starts out “we the people’, not we the government. If you took an oath to defend that constitution, why did you go to Viet-Nam? Was there a declaration of war that I missed? If there was no declaration of war, then our invasion and subsequent raping of that country was illegal, a violation of the constitution, the law of the land, the document you swore an oath to protect and obey. But yet you went.
I was of draft age in 1972. I was supposed to sign up for selective service for possible drafting into the United States military. I chose not to. Then as now, I am the only one who can, and will decide whether or not I jeopardize my life or that of others. Nobody, but nobody, will ever have the right to my life. I chose to accept whatever consequences might come my way for refusal, but greatly hoped the bureaucracy was so impotent that I would escape scrutiny. I did.
My dad served in WWII as a Lt. commanding a howitzer battery. My uncle and namesake served in the United States Navy and perished on the USS Indianapolis. I revere the memory of my dad, and through his memory, his brother, not for their military contributions, but their character and fortitude as men. So I am not without some military perspective. However….
When I was in high school I had an epiphany that has directed my life ever since. I found out the Civil War was not fought over slavery, and that Lincoln was really an SOB, and not the “Great Emancipator.” I was lied to. Ever since, I realized that the society around me was a carefully crafted ‘matrix’ by the powers that be to present a reality that benefited them. That is why in a previous comment I made, I said that if you see something on TV, read it in anything you can buy at a newsstand, or learn it in school, you are being presented a scripted story. I looked at the TV screen in the 60’s and 70’s, and watched as US soldiers burned villages, herded villagers like cattle, and looked at the latest weekly kill tally’s on a ‘Tally Board” as though it were a game show. And much like today, I thought, how in the world could these simple people, in their huts and rice fields be a threat to me? It was commies then, terrorists now. It’s the same story, just a different title.
I chose not to be a part of that. That brings me to the next issue. You said that you cannot blame the men and women in the military for their misuse, it’s not their fault. I could not disagree more. You have a choice. You may face unpleasant consequences for your choice, but you do have one. I made mine years ago and never looked back. The people of today don’t have to join, how about that? Or they can refuse to participate in illegal activity and ignore illegal orders. Your comrades did in Viet-Nam and it effectively ended the ground war. If they participate, they are complicit, and are indeed at fault.
Here’s the thing Mr. Donnelly; the country you think the flag once represented, a by gone era as you said, never existed. Never. The US was never an altruistic entity to its own people, let alone the world. We have never been a democracy, we have never been a defender of freedom, we have never had an open, free, and fair market, and capitalism is just a word that has nothing to do with us.
We are ruled by the Rothschild’s international banking syndicate, and dictated to by the massive concentrated business structure created from it. The governments you see are just order takers. Anything and everything you hear from these people comes from their masters. And those masters? They ain’t us.
And as for 9/11 being a conspiracy, and one that the government cannot keep secret, Well Mr. Donnelly, it hasn’t been secret. Hundreds of people have spoken out. You just don’t get to see them on corporate sponsored media. If you find Waco to be government sponsored murder, why is it so hard to believe that that is the MO all the time? False flags are so common as to be laughable. Misinformation is the rule of the day. Did you know that were three bombs in the Oklahoma Federal Building for example?
The truths are out there to find sir; you just have to be open to letting go of the clutter that we’ve all been fed to keep us compliant and servile.
Keysbum, I hope you know how much your eloquence and clarity are appreciated.
I recently found out when taking my son for his driver’s license, that there is a clause written on license application stating that for males under 26, by submitting the application you are consenting to register with the Selective Service System. F-ers.
Mr. Donnelly, I am routing for ya!
Thank you for the kind words Sister…
I did not know that there is now a connection between selective service and a drivers license. That is indeed F-ed up.
If it were the case back in my day, I would have had to give up my 1970 Chevelle SS 396. That would have been a shame…
Keysbum, while,, based on what I’ve read online and seen on TV, it looks to me President Obama made a seriously stupid trade, and while it looks, from what all I’ve see, the fellow was awol, or worse, as you keep saying, that’s a result, a symptom, of a far more fundamental problem, which America invaded Iraq, then Afghanistan, which was terminally stupid, as well as terminally greed-driven. Vietnam was was just as terminally stupid and terminally greed-driven, and what the US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrated is Americans, in the main, learned nothing from Vietnam. They are still as brainwashed, still as religiously (one nation under my God can do no wrong) screwed up in their thinking as during Vietnam. Except, Vietnam sparked a counter insurgency inside America, a political counter insurgency, which caused so much political commotion, that an American presidential hopeful ran on the platform for getting America out of Vietnam, that would be Richard Nixon, and he got elected.
On the Trade Towers, I had an interesting talk about three years ago with an M.I.T. grad, with a Masters and a PhD from M.I.T. also. He also taught there, and worked at Oak Ridge a while, before going into the private sector. His field was chemical engineering. He said he was not an expert in mechanical engineering, but he knew a little about it. He said of the Trade Towers, that he thought they had an different kind of design: there were no internal load bearing walls, all the load bearing was in the external walls. He said the beams, or whatever they are called, in the load-bearing walls were sealed together by rivets. He said a lot of heat could have caused the rivets to pop loose, a lot of heat like a lot of burning aircraft fuel. If the rivets popped loose on one floor, it would collapse into the floor beneath it, which, with all the stories and weight above the collapsing floor, would smash into the next floor down and it would collapse into the next floor down, creating a chain reaction all the way down to the ground. He said he did not know how the other building that collapsed was constructed. There is no dispute that two very large aircraft flew into the Trade Towers and wreaked havoc at points of impact and fire broke out on those floors.
There is no dispute that Osama bin Laden publicly took credit for it and said the result had exceeded his expectations. Hard to imagine he was not involved; not hard to imagine the CIA put him up to it, planted charges in the buildings to make sure the desired result was gotten. The angels told me bin Laden was behind it. I wonder if they will say more in my dreams tonight.
The angels also me a few days after 9/11 that USA should get out of the Middle East altogether and stop aiding Israel altogether and let Israel work it out or fight it out with Islam. The war predicted in Genesis when God told Abraham that Ishmael’s seed would cause Isaac’s seed trouble. Mohammed was from Ishmael’s seed, David was from Isaac’s seed.
I agree with you about the Rothschild (I.G. Farbin in its most recent form) tendrils (talons) running a lot of important stuff behind the scenes, some might bring in Illuminati. However, the religious tendrils (talons) cannot be ignored in any thing where Judaism, Islam and Christendom engage. Doesn’t look to me there is any fix. Not one human beings will arrive at.
My less cheerful diagnosis or USA At War, Inc. is mass demonic possession. Same diagnosis for just about every other war I have read or heard about. Did you ever read The Spear of Destiny, by Trevor Ravenscroft. A chilling report of how the nobody Adolph Hitler rose to such dreadful heights. That book is for real.
The most instructive book I found on I.G. Farbin was World Without Cancer. It wends its way into what came out about I.G. Farbin and it’=s control of major US Corporations during WW II, and thereafter. A great stink in US Congress erupted after it was publicized. Then, it was all hushed up.
For blue paper readers who were not on this planet back then, I.G. Farbin was the German Rothschilds’ company. The people who financed Hitler.
I dunno, Sister. It’s been my personal experience with myself, and with lots of people I knew, that waking up to the delusions, disturbances and evil that lurks within ourselves often causes a great deal of suffering to the sleeping person waking up and to the people around that no longer sleeping person who starts talking and behaving differently – as in, talking and behaving crazy, by those other people’s definitions. But then, an example, an addict going sober and waking up to his/her delusions might being some measure of peace to those around the addict. Bu t then, maybe what was causing the addiction, or helping it along, was the marriage, for example, the addict was in, and once sober, the addict decides the marriage needs to end and then how does that go, and the divorce, and the property division, and the child support and alimony, and all that sort of stuff, which can be really awful emotionally, which I learned by having that experience a number of times and by handing more of those kinds of cases than I cared to handle when I was a lawyer.
This mortgage foreclosure case, Mr. Moore, in Bahama Village, in another blue paper article this week, is loaded with trauma. I can’t say I feel it’s all been brought out into the light of day. Some of it simply makes no sense to me. Which returns me to not thinking it’s all been brought out into the light of day. I learned the hard way practicing law, to listen to my client, then talk with all the witnesses my client provided, then talk with the other lawyer, and with his/her witnesses, then try to find other witnesses, and even then I often didn’t get to the bottom it it until I was in front of a judge or jury and it was too late.
Like Iraq and Afghanistan are too late for America – the damage is lethal, more damage is still lethal. Vietnam was lethal. Do you see Americans waking up? I don’t. A few, yes. But look at the percentage who favored invading Iraq and Afghanistan. And look at the US Congress members who favored those wars. Not to mention the two US presidents, Bush and Obama.
The Devil was indeed pleased, still is. Even as gobs of Americans still waive their stars and stripes and holler support the troops and chant one nation under God . Mass delusion.
Sloan, could you ask your MIT friend how WTC 7 might have met its demise being that it was not hit by a plane and no where near buildings 1 and 2….and how that BBC reporter knew it was going to collapse and broadcast the fact before it actually went down…thanks. Oh you know what… nevermind, I’ll check what the Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth have to say about it.
These 5 minutes might be worth your time…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgrunnLcG9Q
Didn’t hear anything about 9/11 in my sleep last night, which I take to mean the angels still are looking at Osama bin Laden as 9/11’s author.
Keysbum,
Our Constitution is the Law of the Land. Nothing precedes it. All of our government, its agencies, bureaucracies and political leadership derive their power, direction and authority to govern from this document.
Our rights and liberties as a ‘people’ do not come from government. These unalienable rights are endowed to us by our Creator. The Bill of Rights affirms these protections from all governments within the US.
The government is our servant, we are its Master. It is a government of, by and for the people. It is about time that we stand up and proclaim this fact.
We, the people, have allowed our Constitution to be usurped by politicians, forever yearning to increase their sovereignty over the very people they’ve taken an oath to serve. We elected Bush and Obama twice. 16 years of over-reaching administrations, doing what they want, whenever they want to do it.
As you have suggested, there were plenty of voices identifying these abuses, however, they were ignored by the electorate. Who is to blame here? People are getting the governments that they deserve.
“Congress shall declare war”, this is in our Constitution, however, court rulings have weakened this admonition to the point where it simply is not adhered to by anyone. It has repeatedly been brought to the people’s attention, they continue to elect the same violators back to the positions they abused.
Keysbum, in the first paragraph of your last response to me, you just smoothed over this issue.
I applaud the manner in which you processed your ‘draft’ issues. Some of my boyhood friends, whom I admired a great deal, struggled with this problem as well. I respect your independent and courageous spirit.
As I explained to you before, I came at this matter from a different direction. I did not have to go to Vietnam. I had a 4 year scholarship to several universities, which would have exempted me from the draft.
JFK”s inspirational speech suggesting service to our country caught my attention. I forwent attending school and enlisted into the USMC.
I liked, trusted and campaign as a teenager for JFK. Why shouldn’t I want to help him. Young, gullible and naive, perhaps. I still acted on my conscience, as you did, and signed the enlisted papers to go off to war.
I disagree with your characterization of Lincoln. Maybe you were lied to by those who said he was a SOB. There are many interpretations of his performance as president. I’ve come to find out that Lincoln hated slavery and viewed it as an ‘abomination’. His position on this issue caused him to be assassinated. He felt obligated to preserve the Union, for without a country, where would anyone begin anew.
How quaint and comfortable to judge a man caught in a civil war, whose been dead for 150 years.
Keysbum, as such a young and inexperienced student, how did you know beforehand how Vietnam was going to turn out? Logic would indicate that the US was going to be on the right side of history in Vietnam.
Hitler, Emperor Hirohito and Tojo, along with their genocides and torture chambers had been defeated by the US. We responded to our victories over these nations with benevolence and magnanimity. We paid for an instituted a Marshall Plan to feed and care for the displaced people of Europe, as we rebuilt their nations.
After the defeat of Japan, we developed a Constitution for the Japanese, which granted them autonomy and sovereignty.
Certainly, if our country was battling a ‘cold war’ threat and its subsequent ‘domino effect’, which threatened the security of our nation, as suggested by JFK, one would legitimately consider entering the military service. There weren’t any burning villages or body counts countermanding that assessment at the time.
When the citizens of this nation and the members of our Armed Forces are lied to, over and over again, by the Presidents of the United States, members of congress, the media, their teachers, their religious leaders and their parents; who and what are they to believe?
When the Commander-in-Chief places his troops in untenable combat situations for 16 years, as in Vietnam, bad things are going to happen.
When you send members of our Armed Forces into combat for 5 consecutive tours of duty in Iraqi and Afghanistan, bad things are going to happen.
I got you, perhaps they don’t belong there in the first place, but they are there, and have been there for a long time.
When the civilian leadership of this nation misuses and abuses its military, the consequences are some of the scenes described in your narrative.
Referring to a bygone era, when our flag was celebrated, was an authentic time in our history.
After WW II, we were a proud and productive nation. Civil Rights had not really been addressed. Jim Crow and segregation are a dark stain on this nation. However, through blood, sacrifice and vigilance we are evolving.
From my writings, I’m certain you understand why my experiences have lent themselves to the views and perspectives that I hold. I know that you’re very much aware that I am not compliant or servile to anything, which I don’t want to comply with.
Please remember, that for every harrowing experience you described occurring in war, there were commensurate actions that were selflessly performed by your average riflemen on a regular basis. This is as an irrefutable fact.
I don’t deny that the money people have an undo advantage as ‘shot callers’. But what am I to do? It has been that way, and will be that way forever. As I’ve previously stated, I wear the material world as a loose garment.
I like the economic principles that allow me the freedom to maneuver in life. I like capitalism. I’ve had all the money (power) one could have, thrown at me (legally and illegally).
I’ve chosen not to roll that way. I have other priorities. Rothschild is not my boss. I’ve played the game well. I guess Rothschild has allowed me to do what I want in life, and fund the causes that I believe in.
I agree, the art of misinformation is a growing trend. It’s not a secret, they made a movie about it (Wag The Dog).
I’m a blessed and active individual, “to whom much has been given, much is expected”. I will march in cadence with my Drummer, attempting to reflect the Truth, as I’ve been allowed to understand it.
Keysbum, Sister and Sloan; you’re all extraordinarily valuable to me. I’ve learned a lot, and although it may not appear so, each one of you have impacted and influenced my life. Thank you.
Blessings & Respect…
So, are you saying that Osama bin Laden ran the CIA?
I have a theory that cognitive dissonance is a leading cause of dementia. Please be careful.
Mr. Donnelly,
This will be my last correspondence with you. As I understand it, you invest in evil, you fight for evil and you promote evil all for the benefit of yourself. As I see it, your belief system is the cause for all that is wrong with the world and I fear for my children’s future because of it.
First of all Mr. Donnelly, thank you for your service. I also as a Combat Vet of Vietnam can appreciate your biography and your accomplishments. Your evolvement of compassion for your fellow man is something I have never obtained. Good luck in your future endeavors. Now to Mr. Keysbum. Congratulations in dodging he draft. Possibly this was done as a coward. I don’t know. Only you Know. Your eloquent presentation from the mind of a dissenter goes with out saying. Anyway, while you were wearing those peace beads and smoking whatever you were smoking a lot of us wore those dog tags. Here is something else that will turn your stomach. After being honorably discharged, I was a Baltimore City Police Officer. This was during the days that you along with The Black Panther Party, Students for a Democratic Society and the Weathermen all believed in the violent overthrow of my beloved country and would have liked to see me dead. Maybe John has evolved, but I have not. Your one Human Family is a mindset that your can hang on your rear view mirror with your old love beads. John has to be diplomatic but I don’t. You are definitely entitled to your beliefs, but that doesn’t mean that I have to like you as well as you probably feel the same about me by now. One thing for you to remember about me Keysbum. Even though we now have this dislike for each other, when the poop hits the fan, and it is inevitable, you are still an American and I will have your back…………..The Captain
Oh No. Sister, are you leaving? I can’t wait to hear more of your socialist/progressive views. What are we to do?
Captain Larry,
Thank you for taking the time to make a comment. Your kind words and insight are very much appreciated.
Many of my friends that made it home joined the NYC police department. They brought a special depth and dedication to the department. Their courage and attention to detail could always be counted on.
When compassion and a soft touch were necessary to get the job done, they delivered.
Our city and communities benefited from the harsh circumstances they had endured.
Welcome Home My Brother……
CaptainLarry…..
Thank you of being aware of SDS. Yes, I was a member as a freshman at UCLA but sadly could not continue my affiliation after transferring to MSU.
Pejoratives and invective are not requisite to intelligent discourse. However, I suppose when ones intellect is overtaxed generating so much in the way of literary genius through monosyllabic pabulum, it is an inescapable result.
I have not expressed any views on a ‘one human family’ mindset that I am aware of. The topic of discussion has been about cognitive dissonance. The thought that simple discussion provokes such aggression (liking and disliking over this?) is a pathology that perhaps invites some introspection into your character and ability to handle stress. In other words, chill out man, you live in the Florida Keys! Enjoy a sunset, sip a mojito, catch a fish!
As I am sure you are aware CaptainLarry, human beings are herd animals, much like say, Lemmings… They will follow their leader over a cliff, without a thought, without hesitation, even at the cost of their own life. Occasionally, rarely, all too rarely, one or two will have an independent thought, a mind opening experience, a sudden burst of courage, and separate themselves from the pack, and stop themselves just short of that cliff, and live. The other mindless drones will perish, free from the burdens of individuality and accountability.
Good luck on your landing sir.
President Lincoln has been all but deified in America, with a god-like giant statue at a Parthenon-like memorial in Washington. Generations of school children have been indoctrinated with the story that “Honest Abe” Lincoln is a national hero who saved the Union and fought a noble war to end slavery, and that the “evil” Southern states seceded from the Union to protect slavery. This is the Yankee myth of history, written and promulgated by Northerners, and it is a complete falsity. It was produced and entrenched in the culture in large part to gloss over the terrible war crimes committed by Union soldiers in the War Between the States, as well as Lincoln’s violations of the law, his shredding of the Constitution, and other reprehensible acts. It has been very effective in keeping the average American ignorant of the real causes of the war, and the real nature, character and record of Lincoln. Let us look at some unpleasant facts.
In his first inaugural address, Lincoln stated clearly that (1) he had no legal authority to interfere with slavery where it existed, (2) that he had no inclination or intention to do so even if he had the legal authority, (3) that he would enforce the Fugitive Slave Act, returning runaway slaves escaping to the North to their masters in the South, and (4) that he fully supported the Thirteenth Amendment then being debated in Congress which would protect slavery in perpetuity and was irrevocable. He later famously stated, “Do not paint me with the Abolitionist brush.”
Although there was some opposition to slavery in the country, the government was willing to concede everything the South wanted regarding slavery to keep it in the Union. Given all these facts, the idea that the South seceded to protect slavery is as absurd as the idea that Lincoln fought the war to end slavery. Lincoln himself said in a famous letter after the war began that his sole purpose was to save the Union, and not to either save or end slavery; that if he could save the Union without freeing a single slave, he would. Nothing could be clearer.
For decades before the war, the South, through harsh tariffs, had been supplying about 85% of the country’s revenue, nearly all of which was being spent in the North to boost its economy, build manufacturing, infrastructure, railroads, canals, etc. With the passage of the 47% Morrill Tariff the final nail was in the coffin. The South did not secede to protect slavery, although certainly they wished to protect it; they seceded over a dispute about unfair taxation, an oppressive Federal government, and the right to separate from that oppression and be governed “by consent”, exactly the same issues over which the Founding Fathers fought the Revolutionary War. When a member of Lincoln’s cabinet suggested he let the South go in peace, Lincoln famously replied, “Let the South go? Where, then, would we get our revenue!” He then launched a brutal, empirical war to keep the free and sovereign states, by force of arms, in the Union they had created and voluntarily joined, and then voluntarily left. This began his reign of terror.
Lincoln was the greatest tyrant and despot in American history. In the first four months of his presidency, he created a complete military dictatorship, destroyed the Constitution, ended forever the constitutional republic which the Founding Fathers instituted, committed horrendous crimes against civilian citizens, and formed the tyrannical, overbearing and oppressive Federal government which the American people suffer under to this day. In his first four months, he
1.Failed to call Congress into session after the South fired upon Fort Sumter, in direct violation of the Constitution.
2.Called up an army of 75,000 men, bypassing the Congressional authority in direct violation of the Constitution.
3.Unilaterally suspended the writ of habeas corpus, a function of Congress, violating the Constitution. This gave him the power, as he saw it, to arrest civilians without charge and imprison them indefinitely without trial—which he did.
4.Ignored a Supreme Court order to restore the right of habeas corpus, thus violating the Constitution again and ignoring the Separation of Powers which the Founders put in place exactly for the purpose of preventing one man’s using tyrannical powers in the executive.
5.When the Chief Justice forwarded a copy of the Supreme Court’s decision to Lincoln, he wrote out an order for the arrest of the Chief Justice and gave it to a U.S. Marshall for expedition, in violation of the Constitution.
6.Unilaterally ordered a naval blockade of southern ports, an act of war, and a responsibility of Congress, in violation of the Constitution.
7.Commandeered and closed over 300 newspapers in the North, because of editorials against his war policy and his illegal military invasion of the South. This clearly violated the First Amendment freedom of speech and press clauses.
8.Sent in Army forces to destroy the printing presses and other machinery at those newspapers, in violation of the Constitution.
9.Arrested the publishers, editors and owners of those newspapers, and imprisoned them without charge and without trial for the remainder of the war, all in direct violation of both the Constitution and the Supreme Court order aforementioned.
10.Arrested and imprisoned, without charge or trial, another 15,000-20,000 U.S. citizens who dared to speak out against the war, his policies, or were suspected of anti-war feelings. (Relative to the population at the time, this would be equivalent to President G.W. Bush arresting and imprisoning roughly 150,000-200,000 Americans without trial for “disagreeing” with the Iraq war; can you imagine?)
11.Sent the Army to arrest the entire legislature of Maryland to keep them from meeting legally, because they were debating a bill of secession; they were all imprisoned without charge or trial, in direct violation of the Constitution.
12.Unilaterally created the state of West Virginia in direct violation of the Constitution.
13.Sent 350,000 Northern men to their deaths to kill 350,000 Southern men in order to force the free and sovereign states of the South to remain in the Union they, the people, legally voted to peacefully withdraw from, all in order to continue the South’s revenue flow into the North.
These are just a few of the most egregious things Lincoln did during his despotic presidency. He set himself up as a tyrannical dictator with powers never before utilized or even imagined by any previous administration. During this four years of terrible war he was one of the greatest despots the world has ever known, his tyranny focused against his own countrymen, both North and South. He was called a despot and tyrant by many newspapers and citizens both North and South, until he had imprisoned nearly all those who dared to simply speak out against his unconstitutional usurpations of power. Those who disagreed with him were branded as “traitors”, just as were the brave and honorable men in the states which had legally seceded from the Union over just such issues as these criminal abuses of power by the Federal government.
Four months after Fort Sumter, when Lincoln finally called Congress back into session, no one dared oppose anything he wanted or speak out against him for fear of imprisonment, so completely had he entrenched his unilateral power and silenced his other many critics. The Union army, under Generals Grant, Sherman, Sheridan and President Lincoln, committed active genocide against Southern civilians—this is difficult for some to believe, but it is explicit in their writings and dispatches at the time and indisputable in their actions. Tens of thousands of Southern men, women and children—civilians—white and black, slave and free alike—were shot, hanged, raped, imprisoned without trial, their homes, lands and possessions stolen, pillaged and burned, in one of the most horrific and brutal genocides ever inflicted upon a people anywhere; but the Yankee myth of history is silent in these well-documented matters. For an excellent expose of these war crimes and their terrible extent, see War Crimes Against Southern Civilians by Walter Brian Cisco (Pelican Publishing Co. 2007, ISBN 9871589804661).
Only after the Union had suffered two years of crushing defeats in battle did Lincoln resolve to “emancipate” the slaves, and only as a war measure, a military tactic, not for moral or humanitarian purposes. He admitted this, remarking, “We must change tactics or lose the game.” He was hoping, as his original draft of the document shows, that a slave uprising would occur, making it harder for Southerners to continue the war. His only interest in freeing the slaves was in forcing the South to remain in the Union. His Emancipation Proclamation was denounced by Northerners, Southerners and Europeans alike for its absurdity and hypocrisy; for, it only “freed” the slaves in the seceded states—where he could not reach them—and kept slavery intact in the North and the border states—where he could have freed them at once.
The Gettysburg Address, the most famous speech in American history, is an absurd piece of war rhetoric and a poetry of lies. We were not “engaged in a great Civil War, to see whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, can long endure.” The South was engaged in a War of Independence from a tyrannical North, and after having legally seceded, wished only “to be let alone.” The North was engaged in a war of empire, to keep the South involuntarily under its yoke. Government “of the people, by the people and for the people” would not have “perished from the earth” had the North lost the war; on the contrary, it perished in the United States when the North won the war; for, freely representative government, by consent of the governed, is exactly what the South was fighting for and exactly what Lincoln’s military victory destroyed.
The checks and balances of powers, the separation of powers, the constitutional constraints so carefully and deliberately put into place by the Founding Fathers, had all been destroyed in Lincoln’s first months. The Republic which the Founders gave us had been completely destroyed and a new nation-state was set up; one in which the free and sovereign States would afterward be only vassals and tributaries, slaves to an all-powerful, oppressive Federal government. This new nation-state is completely different in both nature and consequence to the original American Republic. One only has to look around today to see the end results and legacy of Lincoln’s war, his destruction of freedom, and his institution of despotic, centralized governmental power and tyranny.
In retrospect, it is a tragedy that John Wilkes Booth did not act four years earlier. Slavery would have ended naturally, as it has everywhere else (except in African and Arab states); the American Republic, liberty, and 700,000 lives would have been saved, and untold thousands of those young men would have lived to contribute their ingenuity, inventions, creativity and talents to the political, economic, literary, scientific and social legacy of our people. And the greatest despotic tyrant in American history would never have gained the foothold of power or been able to establish the oppressive and omnipotent Federal government we all suffer under today.
Just out of curiosity Mr. Donnelly….. would that special depth and dedication, courage and detail, compassion and soft touch to get the job done, apply to those six NYPD angles of mercy who choked and killed a man for supposedly selling untaxed cigarettes??
Just asking.
Keysbum,
The involvement of NYC police officers in an event that led to the death of a subject in-custody, does not make a police force. As you know, cherry-picking tragedies to cast a disparaging view over all police officers is childish, inaccurate and malevolent.
Given the nature of the alleged offense, the video appears to display a vicious assault against an unarmed and innocent man.
The victim was very big, aggressive and uncooperative. However, the brutality and death rendering hold applied to him was savage and unnecessary, particularly given the insignificance of his alleged crime.
Do you really want to play a game of gotcha?
In prior articles I addressed the overabundance of heroism, sacrifice and compassion displayed by NYC police officers, which I witnessed as a young boy growing up in the South Bronx. Something to the effect of Admiral Nimitz’s statement concerning the conduct of US Marines engaged in combat operations on Iwo Jima: “Uncommon valor, was a common virtue”.
The police officers in the video will be punished and made to suffer because of their misconduct.
The good deeds and valiant service rendered by the many, will go unnoticed.
Keysbum,
I believe I’ve located your Achilles heel; Abraham Lincoln. To defeat you, I will prove that your understandings, beliefs and distortions of Lincoln are inaccurate, implausible and constructed upon sand.
In dismantling your massive web of deceptions, I shall tread lightly. I will apply as much intellectual force as necessary, drawing your attention to the errant perspectives, which have caused you to go rogue.
More than ten years ago a book entitled Rating the Presidents by William J. Ridings, Jr. and Stuart B. McIver (Secaucus, New Jersey, Citadel Press, 1997) was published. Seven hundred nineteen professors (719), elected officials, historians, attorneys, authors, etc. participated in a poll and rated the presidents. Abraham Lincoln finished first, Franklin Roosevelt was second, and George Washington finished third. The categories in which the various presidents were rated included leadership qualities, accomplishments and crisis management, political skill, appointments, and character and integrity. Lincoln was ranked no lower than first, second, or third in any of the categories, and his overall ranking was first among all American presidents.
Another poll was released in February 2009. This poll was sponsored by C-SPAN and consisted of a survey of 65 historians. The participants were asked to rank the presidents in ten categories ranging from public persuasion and economic management to international relations and moral authority. Abraham Lincoln finished first, George Washington was second, and Franklin Roosevelt was third.
Keysbum, are you more intelligent and better versed in the ‘Lincoln Presidency’, than the 774 scholars and experts that have dedicated their lives to study and rate the efficacy of our presidents?
Keysbum, thank you for you kind words of wisdom. I thought that it was very perceptive of me to place you in one of our countries early terrorist organizations. It’s two bad that most of your education was on the west coast or possibly we could have met during the college riots at the University of Maryland. Those were fun days my friend. The visual picture of me in uniform, gas mask and riot helmet and you in your love beads, peace medallions with right arm raised, yelling power to the people. We could have enjoyed the day together in the park. Oh well, that is now past history and water under the bridge so to say. Yes we are herd animals. The problem is that contrary to your belief, you are still part of your herd. A herd of socialist progressive thinkers who have undeniable dislike for what this country has stood for from its inception. I on the other hand am also part of the other herd. The herd who believes in patriotism and the American way, not one world order. On your comment to John on the NYPD incident you could at least wait until the facts are in on the cause of death. I don’t know if you are employed at this stage of your life, but if you are looking you might want to send your extensive resume to professor Bill Ayers or Valarie Jarrett. I’m sure that they would grab you in a heartbeat.
I posted an article of historical fact (did you see it above?), and your retort is a poll? Really now….
you are entitled to your opinion, but not to your own facts. Don’t remember who said that, but truer words were never spoken.
sorry captain, not gonna take the bait…
I only engage with people who can keep up. when all you can bring is a slingshot to a tank fight, it’s just not worth the effort.
yeah, and most of the professors polled at Liberty University believe man walked the earth with dinosaurs; what’s your point??
No need for you to engage, Keysbum. If you and sister can’t take the heat get out of the kitchen. Like I said previously, I don’t like socialist or progressives or communists. Go crawl in you corner on the beach and read Marx and Lenin and Stalin and the rest of your crew. Don’t deny it Keyabum, I just know that they are your favorites. Like I said I love the discourse. And what the hell do yo know about a tank fight??? It’s taking a gun to a knife fight. Get it right. Not hearing form you again will be a distinct pleasure. My sixth sense says you will reply. Please do!!!
Hey all you lie believers… You might end up in the minority after all. Let’s hope so and let’s pray for Gaza.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/israel-international-anger-mounts/5392802
Sister, In the present minority maybe. The Jews turning that cesspool into green glass, very possibly!!