Received via email...

There is an effort to get a bill passed that would provide free postage for letters and packages being sent to our troops in combat zones.

About This Legislation:
This bill will give the immediate family members of military troops engaged in combat, free mailing while that military member is in the combat zone. This privilege would be limited to wives, children, mother, father and siblings.

As well as benefiting individual families it would greatly help 501(c) 3 organizations (like Soldiers' Angels) that send care packages as these benefits can be extended to charitable organizations.

If you want to help, just click on the site below and send a note of support to your Congressional Representative.

http://capwiz.com/naus/issues/alert/?alertid=7207041&type=CO


It only takes a couple of minutes to do this; there are preset form letters, or you can compose your own. If you don't know who your Rep. is, that's not a problem. You just enter your zip code, and the site will pick the appropriate people for you. NAUS also has some other very important issues that you can send a message about. For the NAUS home page, with all of their action alerts, go to:

http://capwiz.com/naus/home/

In a rather tense discussion in the car last week (OK, bad choice – he was driving), I broke the news to my husband that Jane Fonda was slated to issue an apology during the 60 Minutes interview that Sunday. Although I was decidedly skeptical, the snippets I’d heard had just the bud of a hope that she had finally seen the light. She started out well, but alas, it was not to be. Leopards don’t change their spots, and Hanoi Jane just doesn’t get it.

You see, you don’t mention that name around this house unless you’re looking for trouble. My husband will relate with glee the time we were in a restaurant and he found a urinal target with her face on it in the Mens’ Room. As the son of a multi-tour Vietnam Vet, my husband has a deep and abiding dislike (to put it mildly) for Ms. Fonda. My father-in-law, obviously, isn’t too fond of her, either.

And as I’ve said before, anti-troop isn’t something I can abide, so she’s definitely not on my list of favorite people. And we have a long memory around here.

It’s not just that she protested. That, I can handle. It’s that she went way, WAY beyond that. Good ol’ Hanoi Jane gave material support to, and acted as the mouthpiece for, the enemy. That isn’t freedom of speech. It’s helping to harm and kill our troops. It’s Treason. Period. Certain areas of this camp still firmly believe she should still be put on trial.

One of my big problems with the anti-war folks, as I've also said, is that anti-war quickly descends into anti-troop, with a level of depersonalization that really angers me. The terms they fling around, like the infamous “baby-killer” of the Vietnam era, indicate a complete failure to recognize that the “killers” they so love to hate are OUR people. They’re OUR sons (and now daughters in unprecedented numbers), OUR fathers/mothers, OUR brothers/sisters, OUR friends. The troops aren’t THEM – they’re US.

Somewhere along the way, some of us have forgotten all about placing our loyalty in the right basket. I found a website a little while ago, dedicated to the Iraqi Resistance (read: Terrorists), which catalogues the “heroic” efforts of the people killing our troops. I was sickened, not necessarily because it existed – fanatical idiots apparently can use the computer, too – but because it was in English. Some of its readership is probably American. And that is repulsive.

But I digress….
So Hanoi Jane does her interview. As I said, it started off well, with an apology and an acknowledgement that seeing her posed with an enemy anti-aircraft gun was a betrayal. (Gee, ya think?) However, unfortunately, and predictably, she showed that at her core, she just doesn’t get it when the interview turned to the topic of her exploitation of the POWs. A lot of people were visiting POWs, she said. It was not uncommon, so she wasn’t going to apologize for it. (OK, but the Red Cross wasn’t going on Viet Cong radio to talk about how wrong the war was, and how the people representing the US side were murderous and detestable. Just wanted to point out that slight difference).

She called what she did a “lapse of judgment.” No, actually, I think it was a calculated act by an anti-troop, pro-Communist (or, by her own admissions, Socialist) woman with enough time and money on her hands to do more than sit in a park and sing. She knew full well what she was doing. Let’s not buy into the “I was young and foolish” story. You don’t go halfway around the world and meet with enemy leaders, make speeches denouncing the U.S., and have your picture taken with American POW’s, without knowing exactly what you’re doing.

She tried to justify her actions by saying that it was “a desperate time.” That a lot of people were against the war. That DOES NOT make it ok, in my book. Right or wrong, the troops do not choose where they go. They are doing their jobs. And it is NEVER ok to give aid to an enemy. Never. It is NEVER ok to help an enemy kill American troops. Never. And she has called the heated reactions to her past actions “ill-placed anger.” Oddly enough, I would more likely refer to them as “Spot-on Outrage.” She’s also referred to the Hanoi Jane image as being contrived to promote a narrow-minded, right-wing world view. Hmmm….sounds like a real old song.

At best, she only half-apologized. And even that, she pretty much took back. Let’s face it; she’s decidedly got an agenda. Since Vietnam, every time Jane does anything, there are groups of Vietnam Vets making sure no one forgets. She’s had to meet with them a couple of times to get the heat off when she had a project in the works. She’s got a new book out now, and you can bet they’ve been gearing up again. This was a strategic move to block what she knew was coming. And I think it fell far flat of any resemblance to a sincere apology.

Forgiving Hanoi Jane really isn’t my bailiwick, I guess. In a cosmic sense, I believe you have to account for things when you leave this place. In an earthly sense, I think it’s really up to those she harmed, our Veteran Heroes, to decide whether or not her words were sufficient.

I just know it wasn’t enough for me to let it go. It doesn’t consume my every waking moment, but I won’t forget it. And it hasn’t made my husband stop hoping to find that urinal target every time he hits a public restroom.


FYI, she’s at it again – see Jane Fonda Protesting War Again. Will we need to be renaming her Baghdad Jane? I hope not.

Labels: Moonbats, My Two Cents, opinion

U.S. Air Force Senior Airmen Heath Burns and Thomas Elsworth, both C-17 Globemaster III loadmasters deployed from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., survey the airfield here while their C-17 taxis to a stop during Operation Enduring Freedom operations at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, April 4, 2005. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol



U.S. Army soldiers, assigned to Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 29th Infantry Division, head out for a Quick Reaction Force exercise at East River Range in Bagram, Afghanistan, March 24, 2005. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Harold Fields



U.S. Army soldiers wait to be air inserted onto the landing zone during a Quick Reaction Force exercise at East River Range in Bagram, Afghanistan, March 24, 2005. The soldiers are assigned to Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 29th Infantry Division. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Harold Fields



U.S. Army soldiers sharpen their skills by participating in a simulated convoy attack during a Quick Reaction Force exercise at East River Range in Bagram, Afghanistan, March 24, 2005. The soldiers are assigned to Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 29th Infantry Division. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Harold Fields



A U.S. Army soldier, assigned to Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 29th Infantry Division, calls for air support during a Quick Reaction Force exercise at East River Range in Bagram, Afghanistan, March 24, 2005. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Harold Fields



An HH-60 Pavehawk assigned to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, prepares to lift off for an Operation Enduring Freedom mission, April 4, 2005. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Andrea Knudson



U.S. soldiers, assigned to the 13th Military Police Detachment, toss a football in front of the new Pat Tillman USO Center at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, April 4, 2005. The center, which opened April 3, was built by funds donated by the National Football League for former NFL star Pat Tillman who died in combat action while serving with the Army in a remote Afghan region in 2003. The MPs are returning home after finishing a one-year tour at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base, Uzbekistan. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol



Coalition forces move about on base during daily operations at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, April 4, 2005. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Andrea Knudson



A U.S. Army civil engineer soldier uses a saw to cut through a piece of wood while working on a project to improve the post office at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, April 4, 2005. U.S. Air Force Photo by Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol



U.S. Air Force airmen, assigned to the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing Air Terminal Operations Center, load cargo onto an aircraft loader at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, April 4, 2005. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol




U.S. Air Force airmen, assigned to the Air Terminal Operations Center, load a C-17 Globemaster III deployed from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., during air field operations at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, April 4, 2005. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol

CARRIER OPERATIONS — A plane captain signals the pilots of a C-2A Greyhound, assigned to the "Providers" of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 30, to start the starboard engine in preparation for takeoff from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson in the Persian Gulf, April 6, 2005. The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is conducting operations in support of multinational forces in Iraq and maritime security operations. U.S. Navy photo by Airman Refugio Carrillo

JuneauEmpire.com: Associated Press
Eric Rudolph to plead to Atlanta bombing


Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Protest planned 2 years after Baghdad fall (planned by Al Sadr and his followers)
Egypt blast raises concern of insurgency


The US News: Iraq News
Detained Iraqi women not held hostage: US
After decades of oppression, Iraqi Kurds celebrate their new power
Gunmen attack followers of Shiite cleric Al-Sadr
Shiite cleric's backers are targets of violence
Jamming devices reduce roadside bomb casualties
AP seeks to dismiss suit over Iraqi photos
4 children killed in Baghdad explosion
Soldier From North Florida Killed in Iraq


Fox News
Eric Rudolph to Plead Guilty
Gitmo Papers Shed Light on Detainees
Hamas Protests Jewish Extremist Demonstration
Al-Sadr's Supporters Protest
Minutemen Oust Member
Eclipse Thrills Sky-Watchers
Bush Threat Conviction Nixed
Ex-Nazi's Citizenship Revoked


Department of Defense
Fall of Baghdad Marks New Beginning — Story
Special Report: Two Years in Iraq
Iraqi National Government Moves Forward —Story
Bush Praises New Iraqi Government
Rumsfeld Supports Career, Tour Changes — Story

ON THE GROUND
U.S. Soldiers Awarded for Hostage Rescue — Story
Troops Deliver Donated School Supplies — Story
Deployed Airmen Adopt a Village, or Two — Story
'Red Devil' Troops Patrol Afghan Countryside — Story

IN IRAQ
More MPs Train on New Armored Vehicle
Marines Embark on Friendship Patrol
CROWS Arrive to Keep Gunners Out of Sight
Battalion Helps Renovate Agricultural College
Reconstruction Chief Retires After 2,000 Projects

IN AFGHANISTAN
Maryland Reservists Improve Security, Quality of Life
MPs Provide Skills, Gear to Afghan Police

WHY I SERVE
Northern Sailor Adjusting to Cuban Heat — Story

Pro Golfer Mickelson Helps Vets — Story
Ride Raises Funds for Wounded
Pendleton Concert Honors Troops
Camp Registration Begins April 15

TOP NEWS
SPECIAL REPORTS
Two Years in Iraq
'Gitmo' Detainee Camp

IN IRAQ
Blast Kills Soldier; Reporter Detained
Area Gets Rebuilt Police Stations
Success in Iraq - DoD Fact Sheet
Iraq Daily Update
Iraq Reconstruction
Maps
Weekly Progress Report (pdf)

IN AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan Daily Update
Maps

WAR ON TERRORISM
Department Goal: More Linguists
Adaptability Key to Success
Waging and Winning the War on Terror
Terrorism Timeline
Terrorism Knowledge Base

MILITARY NEWS
Most IRR Report for Duty
Services Make Distinct Contributions
Army Personnel Chief Optimistic
Navy Names Ship for Fallen Airman
New Campaign Medals Announced
National Guard, Reserve Update

CASUALTIES
Officials Identify Marine Casualty — Story


Today in History
193 - In the Balkans, distinguished soldier Septimius Severus is proclaimed emperor by the army.
641 - At the Battle of al-Fustat, Amr ibn-al-As takes Babylon from the Byzantines.
1241 - Mongol armies defeat Germans and Poles at the Battle of Liegnitz. At the battle of Wahlstatt, Henry II (Duke of Silesia) attempts to block the Mongols. None of his troops survive. 1388 - At the Battle of Naefels, 500 Swiss roll boulders on 6,000 Austrians, then attack. The battle is a rout, with the Austrians losing 80 knights and 2,000 soldiers.
1454 - Venice, Milan and Florence (city-states at the time) sign a peace agreement.
1682 - Robert La Salle claims the lower Mississippi River area for France.
1731 - After British Captain Robert Jenkins loses an ear to a band of Spanish brigands, war breaks out between Britain and Spain - The War of Jenkins' Ear.
1770 - Captain James Cook discovers Botany Bay in Australia.
1859 - Realizing that France has encouraged the Piedmontese forces to mobilize for an invasion of Italy, Austria begins to mobilize.
1865 - Gen.l Robert E. Lee surrenders to Union Gen. U.S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, Va.
1900 - The British rout the Boers at Kroonstadt, South Africa.
1916 - The German army launches its third Battle of Verdun offensive.
1917 - Canadian troops begin a massive assault on Vimy Ridge, beginning the Battle of Arras.
1921 - The Russo-Polish conflict ends with the signing of the Riga Treaty.
1940 - Germany invades Norway and Denmark. British and Italian Naval forces skirmish in the Battle of Calabria.
1942 - In the Battle of Bataan, American and Filipino forces are overwhelmed by the Japanese.
1945 - The Red Army is repulsed at the Seelow Heights on the outskirts of Berlin. Königsberg is taken by the Russians.
1963 - Winston Churchill is named the first honorary U.S. citizen.
1968 - Murdered civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., is buried.
2003 - The statue of Sadaam Hussein is pulled down in Baghdad.

Birthdays
1826 - Chatham Roberdeau Wheat, Confederate commander, U.S. Civil War.
1865 - Erich Ludendorff, WWI German General.
1905 - J. William Fulbright, U.S. Senator (Arkansas).