Bible Gateway : 1PET 2:16;

"Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God."
1 Peter 2:16

Bible Gateway : 1PET 2:16;

I was spending time in the word today, and this passage really caught my eye. It made me stop and took me to places that I have not been in a long time, places that remain in the recesses of my cousciousness, really nothing more than distant memories from a life that I shall never live again. "Live free". Those are some of the most powerful words that a man can be told. For a boy who is just coming of age, it is a writ, an exhortation, an mandate. For a man like it, they are words that conjure up feelings of adventure, boldness, courage and faith.

As a young child, I grew up reading novels and watching movies about the heroes of the world. I remember watching John Wayne playing the cowboy taming the wild west, fighting off the bad guys and rescuing the fair maiden. I read books about the knights of old, chivalrous warriors who wore armor and stood up for what is right and were fearless in the face of danger. They lived with honor. I remember my favorite sculpture that I had ever seen was a rendition of the "End of the Trail". It was so sad that my heart hurt just staring at it for minutes into hours. I could imagine the lone warrior riding to the edge of the sunset and being able to go no further. I could imagine the cowboy who grew up taming the frontier only to find that it no longer existed, the sage overtaken by barbed wire fences, railroads and hughways.

Now modernday manhood is measured by profit and loss spreadsheets, the number of cars in a driveway, cell phones, paid time off, expense accounts, personal portfolios and the amount of production made in an eight hour day. Then that man drives home into the sun to a small world that is divided by cul-de-sacs, street lights and suburban sundivisions. And I ask myself...is this what life has come to? Is this all there is to life?

I remember the first time standing on the starboard side weatherdeck in the Pacific Ocean as we sailed southwest to points unknown. As an eighteen year old sailor on a six month WESTPAC float, I don't think I have ever seen anything more majestic than the sunset as the fiery ball of oranges and red crashed into the dark ocean, relaced by the midnight blue dusk of another night on the water with no land in sight. The only comfort is in the rhythmic rocking of the ship and the sound of the bow crashing through the water. Never in my whole life have I ever felt so small in this world. Never before have I ever fully realized the full power and majesty of the Lord, who created this world. I was overcome with awe, fear and thanksgiving. Oh, what it is to be a young sailor with nothing but the ocean before me.

In that moment I knew what Magellan felt like. I knew what Merriweather Lewis felt like exploring the vast expanse of the west. I could understand what Livingstone felt like exploring. In that moment, I had lived a thousand lives in a single passing moment of time. I was given a mandate to "Live free". I could do anything. I was a physically fit, superbly trained, though not yet experienced sailor, going to sea with other high-speed low-drag type of warriors in a tight knit family of men, a brotherhood if you will. There was nothing I could not accomplish. There was no obstacle before me that I could not overcome.

And then real life set in. The the line between right and wrong became blurred and the question was now "what is the wrong that is more right". The situation was no longer cut and dry. The world was no longer black and white, but cast in gray, where judgement, conscience and faith were our only guides on this journey through life and war that had no map. It was uncharted rocks and shoals, a myriad of choices, chances, regrets and questions as I carried on through this uncharted territory.

Now....In context: "For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king." (1 Peter 15-17 (NIV)).

My purpose in life is not a destination, nor will God show his purpose for me in a sign or a billboard or anything else. Well, he might but I am not waiting for it or counting on it. No, my purpose in life is actually quite simple. It's not an endpoint, a scorecard or even a parchment on a wall. My purpose in life is to "live free, use that freedom to serve the Lord, Love the Lord with all my heart and to use the gifts that the Lord has given me for his glory and greatness." That's it. End of story.

In Matthew, Jesus has a conversation: "'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'" (Matthew 22:36-40 (NIV)) . So long as I keep the Lord at the center of my actions and words, I have the free will within my life. Same way as Paul tells the Corinthians to not be yoked to unbelievers. Also in Corinthians Paul says that a widow may remain unmarried or marry who she chooses, so long as he belongs to the Lord. That's free will.

In Romans 12:6-8, we are told that all receive gifts and that we should use them diligently. Some have the gift of prophecy, others teaching, serving, governing, encouraging and so on. We are told to use these gifts diligently. He doesn't tell us HOW to use these gifts. He sets the parameters and lets us use our FREE WILL to carry them out. This reminds me of a military officer who issues an order to a sergeant, gives him the tools and then gets out of the noncom's way to let him to the job.

God is much the same way with us. He has given us the orders: "Love me with all your heart, soul and mind. Then love your neighbor as yourself"; "Live as free men but do not use that free will to cover up evil"; "Use your gifts from God diligently". He has given us the tools to carry out these orders through the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. What more do we need? What other road map do we desire?

I am a paramedic. Through God's grace and the gifts He has given me, I think I am a pretty good paramedic. I have started IVs in the streets on a stabbing victim and on the field of battle. I have intubated a cardiac arrest patient wedged between the toilet and the shower. I have defibrillated patients in the back of a speeding ambulance that is going a million miles a minute. But...I have also held a little girl's hand and made her smile with a stuffed animal. I have placed a hand on a beggar's shoulder and handed him a sandwich and a cup of coffee. I've prayed with a dying man as I carried him back to the hospice center.

Yes, there is much technicality and much medicine in being a paramedic. But there is also a lot of humanity to it also. Sometimes I think that the kind words, the soft touches, the gentle hand holdings and the soft smiles have touched more lives than the IVs, the ET tubes, and the ECGs. Through loving God with all my heart, mind and soul, I am able to love others as myself, humbly. If I did not love God with all that I am, I would not be able to love and care for Leslie as much as I do.

So here I am, after twelve years of military service and standing on the edge of a vast frontier. Like the sailor heading south by southwest with nothing but the expansive ocean around him. Show a man his future and you take it away. No, I would rather have the adventure of this world before me, betting all I have on faith in the Lord, confidence in myself, and the knowledge that the past was not so bad, the future is nothing to be so fearful of, and that the present truly is a gift from God.

People ask me what I will do now that I am out of uniform. I tell them that I will serve God. It could be in the back of an ambulance in your hometown. It could be in a small Hospital in Nairobi on a medical mission. It could be standing in the pulpit sharing the word of God and teaching. I don't know. God willing, it will be all of those things.

I will love God with all my heart, mind and soul.

I will love my brother as I love myself.

I will use my free will, and not use it to cover up evil.

I will use my gifts diligently.

And God willing, I will be doing it with Leslie at my side.

The Word of God contain my orders.

The Holy Spirit is my companion.

God is my Creater and my ultimate guidance.

This, I have faith in.

MY WAR - Fear And Loathing In Iraq

The following is a link to an M240 gunner in 3rd Brigade/2nd Infantry Division (STRYKER). This is boots on the ground, no holds barred, no liberal slant commentary from the Front courtesy of a wellread, and wellwritten trigger-puller.

If you want the unvarnished truth from Iraq, see the link below.

and CB, Semper Fi, keep your head down and come home.

MY WAR - Fear And Loathing In Iraq

How to Fight a More Sensitive WOT

The following made me laugh for a moment. Then I remembered who the Liberals and John Kerry were. Then I became very worried should Kerry unseat W.

A Collection of Thoughts

Wednesday, 18 August 2004
How to Fight a More Sensitive WOT
It looks as though John Kerry needs help coming up with specific ways in which he can fight a more thoughtful and sensitive war on terror. In the spirit of cooperation, I'd like to suggest the following helpful list...

10. Stop calling it a "war." Rename it to the "Protest Against Terror." Protests always get people's attention and let them know that what you're protesting against is wrong.

9. Use softer bullets. Metal bullets hurt the terrorists, and that makes them hate us more.

8. Perhaps President Kerry can invite Osama bin Laden to the White House for a "cuddling party" with Kerry/Edwards. Nothing makes friends faster than a good cuddle.

7. Only go to war if the French and the UN say it's okay. Everyone knows how skillful the French are at dealing with other nations, and the UN has proven time and again its efficacy in dealing with terrorists.

6. Pull the troops out of Iraq within six months, but stay the course and even send more troops. If you have to ask, it's too nuanced for you.

5. Gently but firmly remind the terrorists that he was in Vietnam for four months thirty-five years ago. They won't dare pull anything then.

4. Ensure government owned and operated health care for all Americans, paid for with higher taxes. Terrorists won't bother to attack if they know all Americans have health care; it won't do any good then.

3. Stop eating pork and cover the women. Don't let them read or vote. That will show the terrorists that we understand them and appreciate their culture.

2. Don't call them "terrorists." They feel bad enough about our bullying, abusive foreign policy as it is. Call them "armed peace demonstrators." They'll feel more... peaceful.

1. Don't send soldiers; send social workers. All they really need is love and understanding.

"Armed" with these suggestions, I'm sure John Kerry will be able to convince the terrorists to stop hating us in no time, should he win November's election.

As for me... I'll probably be in the mountains building a bunker.

CQB (Close Quarters Battle) w/Tactical Light Rail

CQB (Close Quarters Battle) w/Tactical Light Rail

OK Peeps...now you see what I want for Christmas.

I've used the HK SOCOM Mark-23...to big and impractical for everyday use. One of the reasons the Navy SEALs went with the SiG P226 and why the Marine Force Recon community is staying with the single-action M1911 MEU(SOC).

In my mind there is nothing better than a single stack, single-action .45 auto firing 230grain hollowpoints.

I tend to like the new toys and have heard alot of good things about the Streamlight unit. I would tend to use it on road patrol or home defense and in a dark house, a white light is invaluable for CQB.

I'm currently taking donations for this little piece of work....:D

Any other ideas for Christmas toys?

In perspective

I read a blog a few days ago that was written by a former Navy corpsman who had served "green-side" with the Marines. His whole point of view is that as a corpsman who's job it is to serve the Marines, he wants all of "His" Marines home safely and out of the war.

Now following that theory, it would in the short term "save" Marines' lives by bringing them home. Marines would no longer be killed in Fallujah, Najaf or the al-Anbar Province of Iraq. We would pull out I MEF, the Command Element V Corps, III Corps, 81st Armored Brigade (WA ARNG), 3rd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, 10th Mountain Division, 25th Infantry Division (Light), 1st Cavalry Division (Heavy), 1st Armored Division, 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized), 30th Heavy Separate Brigade (NC ARNG), 39th Infantry Brigade (Light) (AR ARNG), and the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and close to 140,000 troops would be "home for Christmas". Lives would be saved.

Except now, instead of being engaged by our armed forces in Iraq, there would literally be thousands of terrorists and Islamo-Fascist False Jihadists sitting around with no wars to fight. The political and social landscape of Iraq would turn into a vacuum. The Fundamentalists would see this (aided and abetted by the Iranians and the Syrians, of course) as an ideal time to install a Fundamental Shi'a theocracy, with the muscle to back it up. I mean, they would alreadyhave the thousands of "freedom fighters" and the new "republican guard" just waiting to be put into uniform.

So then what is the next step? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. They would pick up where al-Qaida (remember from previous post, good readers, al-Qaida translates as "the base") has left off and would export their brand of Arab liberation (that is translated as: "convert to Islam or die". Please see earlier posts on the 1st and 2nd Jihads) around the world. Their diplomacy would be flying missles filled with innocent passengers. Their embassies would be small sleeper cells of trained and dedicated terrorists in the heart of foriegn cities. Their ambassadors would be trained in the deadly arts of "martyrdom", and their charter would be a fatwah issued by te Great Caliphate.

And then what happens...those few lives that we saved on the fields of Iraq would mutliply expotentially into lives lost on the new battlefield. The new battlefield will be that of American cities, in the skies, and the cities of allies around the world (remember, the Islamo-fascist False Jihadists already cased out major targets in Australia and Great Britain). The new weapons would be "dirt bombs" high-yield explosives, chemicals and biologics. These would be provided by the new sponsor of the 3rd Jihad. That Syria and Iran have already assisted, aided and abetted al-Qaida shows that this new Jihad is already crossing sectarian boundaries between Shi'a and Wahhabi Sunni Islam.

And where would the lives saved be then? With Syria and Iran being the new "Base", we would be stuck fighting a forced-entry expeditinary war. To disarm Iran and Syria, thousand more lives would be lost. We would have no base to operate from. Our footing in Iraq would be lost. The mounting up and driving our tanks to the border to kick some ass would be shifted to amphibious and airborne assaults. Anyone who jumped in Northern Iraq with the 173rd Airbrne Brigade, or Panama with the 82nd Airbrne Division, would think those ops would be a cakewalk. We would end up storming the shores of Syria and Iran with Marines facing well armed, disciplined and dedicated professional soldiers.

Then where would the "lives saved" be.

The slow attritional loss of life is horrific. No soldier or sailor likes to see brothers in arms dying in an increasingly unpopular war. All warriors mourn the loss os shipmates and brothers in arms. But their sacrifice is not meaningless...if we don't throw it away. If we don't abandon the gains that they made. If we look at the strategic landscape for future conflicts rather than put the blinders on and see only the tactical losses of life. We are saving lives by maintaining and enlargening our foothold in the Middle East now. A friendly, or at worst ambivelent, Iraq will save lives in the future. By abandoning our efforts now, will only see us lose any face or respectability in the Middle East. In the end, it will kill more lives than it saves.

I don't hate John Kerry. I think his actions in Vietnam were shady. I think his politcs are shady. I think he has a bit of psycological disorder (Borderline Personalities Disorder) comes to mind. He goes with the flow and make the popular opinion his opinion. He has no stance of his own. He has no backbone, in my opinion. But n,o, I don't hate him.

He would, in fact, be an okay peacetime president. I would dare say, he wishes that we were not a nation at war. I would daresay, he wish we were at peace...But that is not the reality. We are a nation at war, that is fighting for our very survival. This was not a war of our choosing, but now that war has been brought to our doorstep (literally), then we are obliged to bring our full power and might to bear on the enemy, however non-linear and unconventional it may be. To deny we are at war, would be to deny the many acts of war over the past decade: (1) attack of Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia in 1995; (2) bombing of US Embassies in East Africa in 1998; and (3) the bombing of USS Cole in 2000. We are at war...that is the stark reality.

We are at war and must act as such. With no exit strategy, that will take a long view of the strategic environment, with no plan to either improve (or at worst maintain) a level of national security, and no specific plans to improve and hearten our economic defense and national infrastructure, I cannot in good conscience vote for him. In retrospect, the only plan that Mr. Kerry has is for any of this is to increase reliance on the UN. As anyone can see over the past two decades, the UN has become inept and incapable of providing any level of security. I would rather fight the god fight alone, than become a part of the den of thieves.

I do not alwas agree with George W. Bush. He has some policies that make me uncomfortable. But as the President I don't need to agree with every single policy or commitment that he makes. He's the President, not me. But I am confident that he has the national security, and the welfare of the United States at heart. He speaks his mind (sometimes no eloquently) and I know where he stands. I know where he is going and where he is taking us. He is dependable. He is consistent.

As back to the "bringing home the Marines alive" theory...I know quite a few Marines who have a tattoo on their arms that reads "Death Before Dishonor". To bring Marines home before they finish the good fight, would be to cause dishonor. Only one time in the history of the Marine Corps have they ever surrendered, and that was the 4th Marines on Corregidor under orders from General Wainwright. Make no mistake, almost to a man, all Marines believe they are doing the right thing, lack of WMD evidence or not. Marines, and the sailors who support them, hold themselves to a higher standard than popular opinion, political correctness or modern convenience. They value honor, integrity and conscience higher than their own lives.

To bring them home before the fight is done, and they accomplish their mission, would be bringing them home in dishonor.

We must stay the course...we must fight the fight...we must fight abroad, rather than defend at home...we must...

...Stay the Course...

Priceless....Just Priceless

Not much to say...except...priceless.

AMENDMENT I OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

I wish to make several points regarding the 1st Amendment which many of the liberals will overlook. First of all, I wish to make the premise that the 1st Amendment does not give us the right or freedom to say whatever we wish, whenever we wish simply because we live in a free democracy that is protected by the 1st Amendment. Nor does it say that prayer or religion has no right or place in public education.

The whole idea behind the 1st Amendment was that as Colonists those who lived in America prior to the Declaration of Independence and the War of Independence, were being taxed without representation, and they were being charged with sedition and branded as enemies against the state for voicing greivances. They were also situations where to be residents of specific cities and towns meant that the individual was forced to participate and assimilate to a common religion. Non-agreeing newsapers and other writings were disallowed because of subversion and sedition.

The basic right and freedom behind the freedom of speech is the right and ability to voice opposition to the government. This would give all freed men an equal voice. It does not mean you can sa whatever you wish. No, the basic unwritten premise behind the Constitution was that Americans were patriotic men of honor who would be guided by their conscience. The 1st Amendment was not a "get out of jail free" card or a card giving Americans the right to harm others with words.

I say this because of what the Liberals are doing on the left while cloaking themselves in the 1st Amendment. We are in a time of war, and these "Liberals" who call themselves "Patriots" are aiding and abetting the very terrorists who are killing our sons and daughters. Michael Moore, Senators Kerry and Kennedy and others are killing American soldiers just as much as the Iraqis and insurgents are. They are just as culpable for the breakdown of morale among the troops.

The state will make no law against the establishment of religion. No if my son wishes to pray in school or speak of God, why can he not? He is not forcing others to pray. In fact, his very right as protected by the 1st Amendment is being infringed by the public schools who bar prayer. If his religion calls for prayer, why can he not pray? By the very nature of removing prayer and God from school, it is making law regarding religion. You can pray to Jesus, Yahwey or Allah. I don't care. But to say my child can't pray because of the 1st Amendment twists the spirit and the letter of the Consitution. The 1st Amendment was designed to forbid the government from dictating religion. By removing religion there is a defacto law prohibiting freedom of religion.

The right for people to freely assemble means Americans can protest in peace without fear of armed troops firing live rounds into them, or police officers clobbering through them with billy clubs. It does not mean you can throw red paint in soldiers. Its does NOT mean you can burn the American flag. It does NOT mean you can block entry or stop traffic in protest. It does NOT mean you can hold up signs that would be seditious in a time of war. It does NOT mean that you can do whatever you will cloaked in the veil of freedom that you yourself have not even defended.

Now, you CAN pray to whatever God you want to. You CAN peacefully protest the activities of the government within the law. You CAN go to whatever church you wish. You CAN write whatever you wish in the newspaper without fear or governmental sanction. You CAN make your voice heard by voting.

The government was not meant to be ruled by the masses. That was the whole basis behind the Electoral College. The American people do NOT have the right to vote on every little law. You cast your ballot for your candidate and then if you do not agree with him, you change your vote next time.

In a time of war, I wonder why people are not being charged and tried for treason. They are aiding and abetting the very enemy that are killing our soldiers, the same soldiers they state they want to save by pulling them out. They are guilty of treason. They are guilty of crimes more contemptible than treason. For they veil their lies and their hate and their socialist liberal ideas in the idea of "freedom of speech" and "patriotism" when they manipulate those words to their own end without lifting a finger in defense of those words.

The soldier knows that war is ugly, for he has been there. The soldier knows about freedom of speech because he has been defended it. The soldiers knows freedom of religion because he has been places where it is not a reality. The soldier knows the value of life, for he has taken it...

We do not need any liberals condescendingly talking down to us of the very values that they do not comprehend...

So, I am using my 1st Amendment Right here to make my voice heard.

100% USDA-Certified MAN...spelled M-A-N

I am a man...
I like the smell of cordite
I like the feel of a pistol in my hand
I like the company of other men
I feel alive after a challenge
Looking over the world knowing I did it
I like the smell of the woods in the morning
I like the chill after waking in the mountains
I am somewhat stubborn
I am not touchy feely with society
I am compassionate with society
I am sometimes gruff and soft spoken
I like climbing a mountan and then looking over the vista
with my hands on my hips daring the world to knock me off
I like the scrapes and bruises of the arena
I wear my scars with confidence knowing I have survived
I like working with my hands
I like eating meat that I have hunted
I like eating the fruits that I have grown
I like the sound of a wolf howling through the valley
I will standing tall against criticism for an unpopular point of view
I like knowing that I am depended on
I like knowing that my strength is valued
I like knowing I am still loved even when being stubborn
My honor will not be compromised
My conscience is not for sale
My masculinity will not be taken away from me
I am not politically correct
My spirituality is not watered down
I am a man...
Love me or leave me...

Duty

In the myriad of life, we often hear talk about the God-given rights and freedoms that man enjoys, living in a democracy. We have a freedom of the press. We have a right to bear arms. We have a freedom from racial discrimination. We have a right to our own religion. We have a freedom from double jeopardy. The firm basis of these rights and freedoms come from God.

Yet what many people overlook is that with these rights and freedoms comes a duty along with them. Freedom is a double-edged sword. One cannot have freedom worth having without carrying out the responsibilities of those freedoms. As John Stuart Mill once said: "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

The freedom worth defending is the only freedom worth having. When selfishness and personal safety become more important than the blanket which allows us to flourish and multiply, that is the beginning of the end for that very freedom. Only those who have carried the rifle, answered the call to musketry and have smelled the smoke possess the God-given and unalienable right to question the very government that has sent them into battle. Oh, those who chose not to go to war and yet remain the loudest anti-war voices after making excuses for refusing their nation's call have the freedom to question their government and the war, but they do not have the right.

That freedom has been bought and paid for in the blood of patriots on the hallowed grounds of Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, Belleau Wood, Omaha Beach, St. Mere Eglise, The Chosin, the Ia Drang Valley, Lebanon, Panama, Kuwait City, Qandahar, and yes an-Nasiriyah and Baghdad. The blood of patriots that continues to spill in defense of these unalienable rights is what pays the price of freedom. If these rights and freedoms are unalienable to us, why should be deny these rights to others? Why should we not fight for others who are oppresses and dying under tyrannical rule? Has our nation fallen to such selfishness and self-centerdness.

The Constitution was written for individuals who would be guided by conscience and a higher morality to do the right thing. The whole basis of a free and democratic people is that the individual will be responsible to make honorable and righteous decisions according to his own conscience and sense of morality. To deny that God and religion is interwoven into the fabric of our great nation is to deny that our rights are unalienable under God, our Creator. To water down that belief in a Creator who has given us these rights and freedom for the political correctness and "diversity" of a melting pot of a nation, only removed the very reason behind what makes America so great.

As Americans, we have a solemn burden, not only to our fellow countrymen, but also to those around the world, who are oppressed and tyrannized. If we have the rights and freedoms under God, so does every other man woman and child. And as men of conscience and honor, we have the responsibility, the duty to not rest until these rights and freedoms are accorded to all men, regardless of race, creed, birthright, continent or social status. This responsibility is the other side of the coin of our freedom. What glass house do we live in if we live in a box of our freedom while neighbors and other people live in totalitarian regimes that refuse to give even the most basic of human rights and freedoms?

Operation Enduring Freedom began as a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks which killed over three thousand of our countrymen, including over five hundred public servants, police officers, firefighters and paramedics who have a livelihood out of saving lives. Yet, response to these attacks is not where it has started nor is it where it will end. Of that, I am certain.

This war against terrorism has been brewing on the outskirts of our consciousness for nearly three decades. It is a war that had largely been ignored by the American people for well over thirty years. We paid scant attention to the Palestinian murder of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Our collective memory is too short term to remember the 241 Marines and Sailors who were killed by a suicide truck bomber in Beirut, Lebanon in 1983. The bombings of the US Embassies in East Africa in 1998 were acts of war and yet we reacted as if they were criminal cases. In 2000, we closed our eyes to the threat after the USS Cole was attacked and seventeen sailors had been killed.

The opening blows to this Global War on Terrorism had been first struck so many years before, yet we as a people and as a nation have refused to acknowledge it so. It was not until the enemy brought the war to our doorstep, in our own nation, that we finally saw whom the enemy and the very nature of that which we are fighting against.

It is not Islam that we are fighting; no this is not a war of religion. This is a war of ideology, between those who stand for freedom and unalienable rights, and those who stand for oppression and the conquering of the world by the sword through coercion, death and terror. There are only two sides in this war. There can be no neutrals. The sides are clearly drawn. If you deny this, then please put your head back in the sand and ignore the sound of musketry and the smell of smoke.

Even after the murder of SW2 (DV) Robert Stethem, at the hands of Palestinian terrorists in 1985, the death of the American male at the hands of terrorists aboard the Achille Lauro, and even after the downing of Pam Am Flight 103Prior to September 11, 2001 most American citizens were content to keep the war on terror relegated to the periphery of their minds. Up until September 11, 2001, terrorism was thought of and seen as criminal acts rather than acts of war.

On that fateful Tuesday, nobody can deny that the complete consciousness of our great nation changed. For the first time in our collective history, our civilian population was threatened on a national basis. This was no incursion across the Rio Grande by bandits or a border dispute. This is no naval base at a US possession being bombed to attempt and slow down an American response to Japanese Imperialism. For the first time in our collective history, from Boston to Los Angeles, from Seattle to Miami, and from Laredo to Minneapolis, Each American faces the same threat as the other. There is no telling where the next attack will be, and make no mistake. There will be another attack. The only question is where and when, and how many will perish. There can be no denial that terrorism is at the upsurge, that major combat operations against Islamists in Iraq, or Fundamentalists in Afghanistan, have done nothing to reduce the threat of terrorism.

We are fighting against an ideology based on hate and world conquest. Just as the First Jihad brought Islam to Europe until it was stopped on the Iberian Peninsula. This Jihad was stopped in 1492 at the Battle of Granada by Charles Martel of France. Even though Islam teaches peace and acceptance of Jews and Christians as other people of the book, and that Christ and others are prophets of Mohammed, the First Jihad sought to spread their ideology by force of arms and through war.

The Second Jihad was fought by the Ottomans who sought the destruction of Constantinople as the center of Orthodox religion, as well as the downfall of all things Roman. This was the largest and most widespread conquest of lands for the purpose of converting them to Islam through force. The Ottoman Empire remained until it was defeated in World War One. This also saw a resurgence of fundamental Wahhabi Sunni Islamic belief.

The Third Jihad has its origins in the 1970s with the overthrow of the Pro-Western Shah of Iran and insertion of the Fundamentalist Shi'a Islamic theocracy under the Ayatollah Khomeini. While the terrorist issue and the threat of fundamentalist Islamic terrorism had been festering for some time now, it was 1979 with the coming to power of the Ayatollah that served at the catalyst. This brought support to the Intifadah and Palestinian issue. It brought support to Shi’a acts of terror worldwide, to include aiding and abetting Libya, Syria, and Lebanon.

This Third Jihad has several main goals: (1) The complete annihilation of Israel as a nation-state; (2) the removal of what they deem as apostate secular government and replace them with a pan-Islamic fundamentalist theocracy; (3) removal of the United States and other western nations from the Middle East, to include the Arabian Peninsula, Assyria and Northern Africa; and (4) taking control of all oil wealth in al Muslim nations.

With the growing number of foreign fighters in crossing from Iran into Iraq now, it is obvious that Iran is the base of operations for this Third Jihad. It is also obvious that Bin Ladin had been named the Ali Pasha of this fight. That Iran sheltered and gave aid and comfort to al-Qaida terrorists prior to the September 11th attacks only shows the tip of the iceberg. If you do not see the connection, then your head is in the sand.

One thing is clear though, that the terrorists will not cease until they drive out all things western from the Middle East. The long-term goal is the conversion of the whole world to Islam. The short-term goal is to destroy Israel and to drive out westernism out of the Middle East. The September 11th attacks on the United States were much like the attacks on Pearl Harbor, where Admiral Yamomoto never intended to destroy the United States. The aim of the 9/11 attacks was not to destroy but to delay. The intention was to create fear and havoc in order to mask their true aims. That they passed through Iran and foreign fighters are streaming into Iraq from Iran and Syria and other nations only proved that this is not a one-dimensional threat. This is not only bin Ladin that we are fighting. To reduce the scope of our operations to simply bin Ladin would be tantamount to allowing the future attacks that are sure to follow.

The definition of al-Qaida is “the base” and this is ominous when one thinks in terms of the threat as well as the dynamics of the enemy that we are fighting. Al-Qaida truly is the base. It is the central point of anti-western Islamic fundamentalism that we let grow without pruning or response since the 1970s. This did not begin with bin Ladin, nor will it end with bin Ladin. It goes much deeper than that. There is a worldwide terrorist network which believes it has a God-given responsibility to destroy all things no Muslim and convert all who are non-Muslims to The One True Faith. With this mandate from God there is little that they will not do. Most westerners do not understand, nor comprehend, that type of commitment. That commitment and belief in their mandate should not be taken for granted.

The Invasion of Iraq did more than simply depose a murdering, hateful and unstable tyrannical regime which rules its nation with an iron fist of torture, murder and fear. It also gave the United States and other western nations a base of operations in the Middle East in order to combat the Third Jihad. This is a fight that we must persevere. This is a fight that we cannot ignore, else the nation that our grand children inherit will be nothing but a fallacy; it will be a world aflame. I would rather lose a thousand this year, than thirty thousand in ten years. Remember that the Ottoman Empire lasted over seven centuries, so you must take the long view when thinking about the Third Jihad.

Also, it the invasion of Iraq ensured that Saddam would not permit the terrorists to use his nation as a base of operations for future operations. It also ensured that Iraq would not distribute WMD to terrorists for future operations. No, we did not find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. I don’t mind. Now I know that they don’t have any. And with the regime change, we know that they will not have any to use against Israel, or give to terrorist networks for use within our own borders.

Finally, the invasion of Iraq effectively ties up the terrorist networks in Iraq fighting our troops. That’s what our troops are there for, to defend our nation either domestically or on foreign shores. That’s their job. That’s their mission. Every terrorist that is fighting and dying on the streets of Fallujah or Najaf is a terrorist that is not fighting in Europe or in the United States. Yes, there are terrorists abroad seeking to strike at us, but not as many as there could be, without the war in Iraq.

The very worst thing as a nation that we could do would be a unilateral withdrawal from Iraq at this critical time. The provisional government will need us for some time to come in order to train advise and assist their security forces. They government will need vital western advice, equipment and assistance in the area of economics, oil distribution and engineering. By cutting and running now, the United States will send a dangerous message which will surely end in disaster, not only for Iraq, but also for our people here in the United States. By removing all forces from Iraq now, it will only enflame the situation and embolden our enemy toward more lofty prospects and more lucrative targets. It will also embitter Iraqis to join the terrorist networks and widen the base of support for these terrorists.

As Americans, we have a duty to support our President and the military forces as they deploy overseas. Most would not know, but we are fighting for the very survival of our nation. We are not fighting against a race or a religion. Some neo-conservatives may try to manipulate this war for personal ends, by throwing religious overtones throughout their words, but that is nothing more than smoke and mirrors. This war is not about religion, nor is it about whose God is best. This war is between the forces of Good and the forces of evil. There are only two sides to this war.

Make no mistakes we are at war. This war has already been a long one. The first shots were quietly fired as a skirmish in Munich in 1972 that set the stage for Fundamental Islamic terrorism. The first battle was fought in Iran in 1970-1980, where the United States attempted to apologize, rather than face the enemy head on. In 1983, we virtually ignored the bombing the US Embassy and Marine Barracks in Beirut. We tied the hands of the military after the killing of Robert Stethem and while tracking down the terrorists who had hijacked the Achille Lauro. We did not treat the Iranian attacks on neutral tankers in the 1987-1990 Tanker Wars as the enemy. Nor, did we respond effectively to the attacks on the US embassies in East Africa or to the bombing of the USS Cole.

In effect, we are paying for our fathers’ sins. We have a duty to our nation, to our way of life and to freedom worldwide to face the enemy head on with courage and intrepidity until the end. We owe this debt to our children who will themselves carry the burden after we are gone. It is obvious that diplomacy does not work. It did not work for the past thirty years, and in the midst of the greatest struggle of our lifetime, it will not work now.

We have a duty to take the war to the enemy, on our terms and not his. We have a duty to refuse the enemy his victory in Iraq. We have a duty to fight this fight until the end. It is not only for us, but for the rest of the world, even when they do not recognize the threat and refuse to face the enemy on the battlefield. Abraham Lincoln once said: "Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves."

These are prolific words from a great American. To say that one supports our soldiers without supporting the war is nonsensical. How can one support a soldier yet say that he is dying in vain in an unnecessary war is insane. You cannot support one without the other. You cannot say that one is righteous if you believe he is set on an unrighteous path. You cannot have it both ways. Either be for or against.

But make no mistake that this is the war that will define our people, and our way of life, for generations to come. I will not be overly dramatic but remember what had been the catalyst for American military operations against the terrorist network. What will it take for you to take your head of the sand? Do you need to see more towers coming down in Los Angeles? Do you need to have a VX attack in Dallas? Do you need to see thousands more Americans die needlessly before you truly believe that we are in the struggle for our life? This war that we fight was not of our choosing. Yet when war was brought to our doorstep, we had little choice but to bring war to our enemies.

America is a nation of warriors. Though softened by modern convenience and political correctness at the core of our nature is to make war. It is an act of survival. The war that we were thrown into is a war of survival also. Our nation was created by courageous men who came from the backwoods and the streets of Boston. The founders of our nation risked life, liberty and all they had to bring freedom to our nation.

If these rights are unalienable to us, then they are unalienable to all others, under the Creator, whether you call him God, Allah, or Buddha. As a man of honor, as a man of freedom, as an American, we have a responsibility to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. We have a duty to fight for those who cannot defend themselves. That is the other edge of the blade of freedom. With out unalienable rights, come the inescapable responsibility that weights the hand that holds the sword.

What world do we wish to leave our grandchildren? How do you wish for us to be remembered? Only those who forgot that they are defended, lose the right to that defense. Our nation was built upon the blood of heroes who gave their todays for our tomorrows. We have a duty to live in such a way worthy of their sacrifice. We have a responsibility to follow our conscience and our hearts in all that we do.

“The only requirement for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”~Edmund Burke.

A Memory

After ten years of being a paramedic, I've seen alot of calls, either on foreign shores, in a rural area, and in the bit city. I've probably started over 5,000 IVs, probably intubated over 500, and done well over a few hundred shooting calls. But these aren't the things I remember...

It was about six years ago, I was working a job in the city on Medic 795-C (7 for my company, 95 for my car number and C-for the night shift). I don't remember who my partner was. We got a job for an imminent labor. It seemed pretty boring and I rolled my eyes. Why couldn't she call the cab? Why couldn't someone else drive her to the hospital? I wondered if she had called her primary OB. I would have a few choice words for her about wasting city resources when we got on the scene.

What I found was a 22 year old black female, G3/P2 (3rd pregnancy, 2 living children), who'd been having contractions for about two hours now. Her water broke. I saw one look at her and said "OH SHIT! GET THE STAIR CHAIR NOW!!!!!" I sat her down and took a quick set of vitals. All those bad thoughts had been wiped out of my mind.

With me on the head we carried her down to the bus and loaded her in. I leaned up and told the driver to expedite it. I had no intention of delivering a baby on my bus. Obviously God had other thoughts on that matter. I checked for crowning and she had crowned about 5 cm. I coached her through breathing while I started a line on her, 20 g. left intern's vein, if I remember correctly.

"OH MY GOD!!!!" Those are the words, no paramedic wants to hear from a pregnant female on the back of his bus. I snapped my head around and looked. THE BABY WAS COMING!


I quickly put a sheet down between her knees and prepared to catch him like a football. Forst the head came out, the baby rotated and seconds later the whole baby was out. I suctioned the nose and mouth out with a bulb syringe and finally breathed (did I stp breathing????) when I heard the baby cry. I can't explain the sound of a newborn baby crying.

There is something refreshing for a paramedic who normally spends twelve hours a night listening to bullcrap and dealing with the lower class of a city, when he delivers a baby. There were no accusations of racism. There were no chronic alcoholics who needed a night in the drunk tank. There were no 18 year old punks spitting on you. There were no psych patients throwing you down a flight of stairs. There was no driving up to a cross fire between bad guys and cops.

There is new life...fresh life...YES, THERE IS A GOD!!!!!

The rest of the trip was uneventful. I covered the baby up and laid him (yes it was a boy) on his mothers chest. She was crying and honestly I had to wipe a tear away also. I held her hand and smiled gently.

This is not why I'm blogging about this though...

About four months later, I was in the ER, bruised and scraped after fighting it out with a violent drunk who wanted to prove how tough he was in the back of my bus (4 ft. by 10 ft.). He was put down and subdued but I was also prettyu bruised and I had a bloody nose...

And I was walking to the EMS room to do my paperwork (and turn in my resignation paperwork)...when I hear a female voice. I look up impatiently and see her face. I don't remember her, honestly. I've seen over 100 patients over the past 3 months.

She doesn't say a word. She holds up a baby and I look at her wondering what this is about.

"I named him after you. He's James Robert." She smiled. I hold the baby in my arms and smile. Now I remember. Now I remember bringing this baby into the world.

Finally after a few moments, I have to walk away to shed my tears in private...

The Ship

In the harbor there is a ship;
Her masts are tall and her
Lines are sleek; there is a
Sadness as she sits upon the water.
The harbor is safe, the
Harbor is where she remains.
But the harbor is not where
A ship is meant to be.
She misses the ocean, and
The waves crashing against her;
The gales of a Nor’easter that
Rock her from side to side.
She misses the adventure that
Only an adventure can provide;
But most of all she misses a Hero
Who will guide her across the sea.

This must get out!!!!!!

I'm glad the truth is getting out. I am not naive to believe for a moment that everyone is completely honest all the time. When it comes to affairs of the state, the government must keep some secrets. It is the nature of statecraft. It is also the nature of the beast.

But for a former officer to lie to this extent to make oneself out to be a war hero when obviously he is not, this is on the same level as the posers walking around with Tridents, jump wings or Special Forces tabs that they have not earned. That the liberal media is suppressing this at the behest of the Democrats in their Hate-Bush campaign is tantamount to commercial censorship. This is WHY we don't want a monopoly. This is WHY we have the Anti-Trust Acts. This is exactly WHY we need freedom of the press. WHY is no other major news media exposing JOHN KERRY for what he is????

My Father

My father is one of the few men (outside of the military) that I truly respect and look at as a Man of Honor. He was tough, sometimes violent, sometimes quick to discipline, had a harsh temper, gruff and was a man of few words and little emotions. He is also my hero.

My father taught me most of what I know today on how to be a man. Sometimes he taught me directly. Other times he taught me through "I'll never do THAT, the way that he did". Like most men, my father had his faults. He was far from perfect. But he is still a hero in my eyes.

He's an ex-Marine. He served in the Corps as a radioman during the early 1960s. He also spent thirty-five years as a career firefighter. He dedicated his life to helping others and to his family. He wasn't the overly affectionate type of man who held hands, gave praise freely or showed too much emotion.

But he did all he could to support his family. I can remember him working 2 jobs most of his life, sometimes 3. He always made sure that we had food on our table and we had what we needed, no matter what. He taught me dedication, service and loyalty. He would literally work until his fingers bled to support his family.

The only time since I was 16 that my father ever showed emotion toward me was when I was in the military. Before my first deployment, he simply patted my shoulder and said "keep your helmet on, your head low and dodge bullets. The only thing that a Purple Heart says is that you forgot to duck." Most would not understand that if you didn't know my father. But his eyes said alot more than his words. That was the most touching moment I can ever remember sharing with my father.

So yeah, my father is my hero. We all need heroes, else we won't have anything to look up to or aspire to.