Remembering--Honoring our Heroes

As Memorial Day approaches, I want to recall for you all a sad, but necessary tradition performed by servicemembers when a comrade has fallen. I witnessed--and participated in this in 2008 and 2009. The ceremony known as Fallen Comrade Ceremonial Parade.

As fate would have it, I was twice at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan when the following occurred.

In the dark of night (the first at 0200, the second night at 0400), while many of us were asleep, the base intercom shattered the already unquiet night (no matter what time, day or night, the whine of jet engines screaming and other activities fill the air at Bagram).

The voice called us out to join together to honor a fallen comrade.
As we pulled ourselves from the warmth of our sleeping bags (it was in winter months of November and February) and in the dark we fumbled to get into our uniforms, put on our cover, coat and gloves and we left our tents to walk up to the main street of the base. As we stumbled out to the street, we joined together in a fellowship only we servicemembers can truly appreciate.

We lined up standing side-by-side on the street. Men. Women. Americans. British—all coalition members. Both sides of the street we stood.

I leaned inward and looked to my left and right. What I saw was sobering. For the entire length of the street… at least a mile, I saw an unbroken line of servicemembers, hundreds of us, from all branches of service. We stood in silence. Alone in our thoughts, some in silent prayer. And we solemnly waited.

Eventually a vehicle would turn on to the street, from a starting point I do not know. It slowly approached us. As it neared, we all snapped to! Standing at attention. Being pulled behind the vehicle was a cart carrying a flag-draped coffin.

As the vehicle neared each of us we rendered a hand salute. As it passed we slowly de-saluted and returned to Attention!

We stood for a few minutes before breaking ranks and we returned to our tents, to the gym, to the Pat Tillman USO Center, the dining facilities, to our own thoughts and our own devices.

These two men's coffins were loaded aboard an awaiting plane to return their bodies home. Home to their loved ones.

For us, life went on.

Except for these two brave men (the first was American, the second a few months later, was a Polish soldier). You see, we didn’t care of what nationality. We didn’t care if we personally knew them or not.
We cared that they were honored… and especially that they were remembered. Someone’s son, brother, grandson, someone’s husband. Someone’s friend.

As I walked away from the second ceremony early that morning I remember thinking of the poor family back home that was probably just learning of their loved one’s death. I cried.

I was not in Afghanistan 11 months ago, but I know my former student Ben Rast was afforded this time honored ceremony after his death. I hope the Fallen Comrade Ceremonial Parade offers some comfort to those personally affected. I know I was. I’ll never forget it.

I wish I could present you a photograph of this ceremony. I almost took my camera (both times) with me that night and then thought better of it. I didn’t want to be “on duty” for this. I wanted to honor these two men in full. Somehow taking a picture for my own edification felt wrong. I don’t regret it, and you know, none of this was for me, it was for our honored dead.

I hope that ceremonies such as this are soon a thing of the past. Please think of this as you enjoy the Memorial Day weekend. The true meaning of the holiday is not for any of us, but for those who fought, and especially for those who died defending the ideals of what we hold dear.

U.S. Navy Hospitalman Ben Rast

Dec. 24, 1987 - April 6, 2011

Divisiveness. Us vs. Them! is pure ugliness!

This objectionable photo is making the rounds again.

I first saw this when then-Senator Obama was running for President while I was stationed in Afghanistan in 2008. It angered me then; this weekend I saw it once again on Facebook and it pisses me off just as much now as it did four years ago. It was originally used to attempt to dissuade voters for voting for "one of them."

If this photo had been taken of President Bush, he'd have been holding a coloring book (j/k). Okay, okay, cheap shot.

Seriously, I see great things in this photo.

1) The photo shows Senator (when this photo was taken) Obama reading. Think of the message this sends out to young kids! The President is a man of books, scholarly books no less!

2) He is reading a book about other cultures! I only wish earlier Presidents had done more of this, maybe then they'd have had a better understanding of the people in the Middle East--nay, the world!

Our country has a long history of supporting the "wrong people" in that region... witness this, in the 1950s through the late 70s we supported the Shah of Iran, Saddam Hussein in Iran and yes, the U.S. even supported Osama Bin Laden's attempts to combat Russia in Afghanistan in the late 70s, long before he turned on us. Our support for each of these men has come back to haunt our nation in countless ways in which we are still reaping the ill-effects.

3) His wedding band is clearly visible. Need I say more about that? Okay, maybe I should. I am referring to the fact that the President loves his family. He loves his wife and his two daughters! i.e., He IS a family man.

As to when I mentioned that earlier Presidents should expose themselves to other cultures either through book or more personal means, I think too many of all our politicians rely far too much on intelligence reports alone and not enough on just going out and testing the waters themselves (within the bounds of safety, of course). If we all truly were to experience the people here and abroad, I'd think we'd see that our perceived enemies are not so different than ourselves.

My comments below are aimed at no one in particular but just some thoughts and observations I have made while in Kuwait and in Afghanistan. I'm sure some of "my brothers and sisters" with whom I served have their own observations as well.

All peoples, all of them, worry about surviving one day to the next; we worry about feeding our children; worry about their future; hoping for a better day, etc.

For many cultures abroad, those people worry about from where their next meal will come.

Yes, many Americans worry about that as well, which only serves to make my point...

Many abroad worry about what disease might come along to wipe out all that they cherish; or if their own government will enslave them, or steal their children to fight their wars; and countless other things that we Americans would never ever consider or even question.

I have seen our people, leaders and civilians alike, spouting stupidity, saying other cultures place little or no value on human life. I dare anyone to go overseas, Africa or Afghanistan, or southeast Asia, for example, and talk to a parent who has watched a child die.

I posit they feel every bit the same loss we do when we lose a child.

While covering a story in Afghanistan, I personally witnessed the anguish of a father who had come to an Afghan medical clinic to see his son (a member of the Afghan National Police) who had been shot in the head by the Taliban. When told his son would never leave the clinic alive, I saw the pain as the father turned, head bowed as he walked silently away. Having a son myself, I can empathize how I would have felt. I wanted to cry for this man, so please do not tell me "they" do not value life the way we do.

Sure, it's easy to say things like that when we see someone walk into a crowd wearing a suicide vest. Sure, it's easy to point fingers and say, "see, this what the Muslim faith condones." I say hogwash! The Christian Crusades of earlier times was no less brutal and no less hateful.

I hesitate even doing the "my pain is worse than yours;" I am constantly reminded of the "people are people so why should it be that we get along so awfully (as the song says)?"

We've certainly had our own share of loonies here who have killed indiscriminately. Look at Timothy McVeigh, for example. His bomb targeted the innocent and left many a family in despair, wondering “why us? What did we do to deserve this?”

So many of us have not seen the abject poverty abroad (except perhaps those who have volunteered their time doing missionary work... or those of us servicemembers who have been stationed overseas).

I venture a guess that if our own people suffered from the same level of sadness, those who have witnessed civil war on a daily basis, the governments who have enslaved or starved their people, or those who have lived in a war zone day in and day out for year after year... witnessing pure futility. If we witnessed those kinds of horrors every day, do you really think we would act any better?

For our leaders who find it so easy to send our children into harm's way, I say that maybe they might be more hesitant to do so if they had to send their own children. In fact, I almost think it should be a prerequisite for sending others to war.

Sure, those of us who serve understand the magnitude and danger AND possible consequences of our actions. BUT tell that to a young child. Do they understand what it really means when Mommy or Daddy or their big brother or sister may not come home again? That they may never see them again. I firmly believe our leaders, Democrat and Republican alike, find it too easy to send troops overseas.

So why this lengthy commentary? If you read the original comment attached to the photo...

[THIS WILL CURDLE YOUR BLOOD AND CURL YOUR HAIR: The name of the book Obama is reading is called: The Post-American World and it was written by a fellow Muslim. "Post" America means the World After America! Please forward this picture to everyone you know, conservative or liberal, Democrat or Republican. Folks we need to be aware of what our President is thinking--or planning. We must expose Obama's radical ideas and his intent to bring down our beloved America!]

One can easily see the author was attempting to divide us by trying to paint the President as "one of them." It's outrageous, it's divisive, it's racist, it's anti-religious and it is pure bigotry. And I am sick of it.

And if you aren't, why not???

Indiana legislators as teachers? Don't make me laugh... please

Here we go again. Our backward thinking, God-fearing (and I do not mean that in a good way) Indiana state legislators are at it again. This current session has been one of the most contentious, hateful (to individual freedoms) in recent memory. A bill has been introduced to instruct our public schools to begin teaching creationism to our children in science classes alongside the teaching of evolution.

To this, I say, oh hell NO!!!

If my vote means anything, I vote no. If teaching creationism must be inserted into our high school curriculum, it belongs in a religious studies unit, NOT in a science class.

If you really want—no, if you really need--your children to learn religious doctrine, please, please, please, do it yourself in the privacy of your own homes and in your churches... or send your children to a religious school. But let us not pollute our science classes with this hocus pocus, phony excuse for science!

Today, if I were still teaching (I taught English and U.S. History for eight years), and if I were told I would have to do teach religious doctrine in my classroom, I would quit my job.

Simply because I am not a pastor nor am I qualified to lead our children in religious dogma (nor do I want that responsibility), but I would bet your local minister is.

Religion and science, religion in public schools do not belong together. Not now, not ever!

One presiding problem with teaching evolution vs. creationism is this. Science teachers teach evolution is a theory, one that is evolving as we learn more and more through the fundamentals of study, research and practice.

It has been my experience that religious folk want creationism taught as a fact, no questions asked. You find me one religious person who will say that it is okay to say "there may be a God" and I'll eat my hat.

There is a big difference. Scientists don't claim to have all the answers. The fundies, however, look at God as being the be-all, end-all. I'm sorry, but a 2,000 year old book does not bring me answers, not ones that I wholeheartedly endorse. How can I? How can I believe a book that says it is okay to marry one's daughters? Or one that advocates stoning petulant wives or children?

Tonight, on a Facebook message board one person stated that one need do no more to find answers about creation than citing Genesis in the Bible. Again, I am sorry, but citing passages from Genesis is not proof of anything other than proof that you can read the Bible, and for that, I direct you to thank your elementary school English and reading teacher. is this.

Science teachers teach evolution is a theory, one that is evolving as we learn more and more through the fundamentals of study, research and practice.

Another gentleman, through the course of discussion said he refused to believe in evolution because he cannot accept that man came from apes. Funny, science has never said we came from apes. I suppose far too many people are confusing life here on Earth with "The Planet of the Apes." I had to laugh at yet another who said that the Bible even refers to the dinosaurs, calling them dragons. Sorry, but the concept of dinosaurs did not really occur until the latter part of the 19th century after fossil remains were discovered by a number or archeologists. I can almost envision some of these fundies pointing to “The Flintstones” as further evidence of man living with dinosaurs.

Whenever this argument comes up inevitably the subject of the U.S. Constitution comes up. Clearly, the First Amendment shows that our founding fathers believed we should have a separation of church and state. True fundies will, naturally, hear nothing of it.

Boldly proclaiming they know far more about what our founders had in mind. Really? How do they know this? Were they there when Thomas Jefferson and others wrote our most cherished national documents? Of course, the opposite could be said of me... was I there? No, but the following words…

"The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion..."

...is pretty damning evidence what the founders had in mind when they framed the document to guide our leaders and our citizens in the days to come. I have heard fundamentalists time after time claim that those words do not implicitly forbid law and religion from climbing into bed together.

Yet if passing a law that permitting the instruction of creationism in public schools' science classes is NOT "respecting the establishment of religion," I don't know what is!

And if you think by not teaching creationism is impeding your exercising of your freedom of thought, think again. No one is saying you cannot believe in the God of your choosing; there are no thought police waiting out there to brainwash you into atheism.\

I would ask if you want, or need a teacher telling your children that "there *may* be a God." For religious folk, that is most certainly unthinkable. I'd hate to be the school secretary and later, the principal that gets an earful from that parent who said "what the hell (pardon the pun) are you teaching my child?"

A good science teacher teaches his or her students that evolution is a theory. For the fundies, they obviously want a teacher to say there IS a God--not there MAY be.

One person posted a notes saying she didn't understand the big fuss and offered the absurd idea of "why not ask the kids whether or not they want to learn about it (it being creationism)?" Honestly, I laughed.

That's great! Do we ask children if they'd like to partake in alcohol? or have sex? Do we ask them if they want to learn our fractions today? or how about would you like to learn to conjugate a sentence (oh wait, we don't hardly do that anymore, do we?)?

No, in our schools we teach our kids the fundamentals of education--math, science and reading--in school. I'd like to think we teach critical thinking skills, but I do not even think we do that anymore... Hardly. We teach rote memory. We give multiple choice tests over short answer and essay tests. Our schools have become as assembly line as our rapidly disappearing factories.

And shouldn't we teach the fundamentals of the Bible in church?

One brave soul offered the notion after research that the first textbooks in our public schools were the Bible and other religious documents.

We used to drive Model T Fords too, but no one is advocating that we do that today. We also no longer use science textbooks from the 1950s either... and for good reason. We have evolved. We have learned more (although the very implication that our leaders want us to teach creationism might invalidate that statement).

I would ask why is it sad that we do not used textbooks from the 1690s? Why should we? And I would ask someone to prove why. Seriously, just because "we always used to do it this way" is not a good enough excuse--unless you want to find a way to travel back in time and be educated in that era, that is.

Perhaps the most usual argument is "what are you people (those against teaching creationism) so afraid of? Aren't we "big" enough a people to be open to all ideas? Sure, we are. But I think those people using that argument are missing the point.

If our state legislators want to permit teaching Biblical studies, let them do it in a context as an elective, as a Biblical course (even still, I do not advise this). Our Hoosier leaders are poised to pass this legislature yet I ask them this, who is going fund it? ]

Already in recent years our legislators have cut funding on everything else to do with education, so who's going pay for it now? And who is going to teach it? Who is going to train the teachers? And whose God are they going to gear the curriculum towards?

I say it again, teaching creationism in a science class is not the correct forum.

A writer asked "has science ever created life?" I would not know where to begin with such a ludicrous argument, other than saying it bears no meaning to this conversation. Unless that person is trying to confuse the issue with mumbo jumbo mysticism, not fact nor theory (And who is to say that science won't do that someday... after all, 100 years ago, a test tube baby would have been viewed as either magic or well, um, a gift of God).

Personally, I think God gave us minds--our intellect--to use for the betterment of man.

This actually brings me to a point often overlooked. Why cannot these two camps, these two seemingly different sides work together? I will leave that for you, gentle reader, to ponder for yourselves.

Hopefully, this will be my last word on the subject (but who knows?... and I doubt it).

I do not mean to be so confrontational or combative on this subject... at least not in the way some of readers might assume. As a former teacher, I can honestly say there is not enough time in the day to teach as is. There are also not enough funds available to give the job the devotion it truly deserves , yet here we go again with our legislators who think they know what is best for our schools and for our children. Please do not saddle teachers with yet one more responsibility, one that should fall under the parents' purview.

Our legislators obviously know what it is like to step in front of a classroom full of (hopefully) open minds asking us to do more with less (I say that with the sarcasm it deserves).

Is it not funny that 99% of these people, our leaders--that is--have absolutely no training in school classroom management and curriculum yet they know what is best (as I yet again roll my eyes)? There is that old adages, "those who can, teach. Those who cannot, legislate."

The writer advocating looking to Genesis did say one thing I think most people would agree with, a place for us to find a common ground...and that would be: "It would actually nice if legislators got out of the education business altogether."

I ask this: How about we let our teachers teach? How about we let our teachers do their jobs?

Here's the best way of looking at this subject. I don't come into your homes telling you what to believe, how to raise your children nor do I come into your workplace and tell you how to do your jobs. Please permit me the same respect in my dominion.

I've said this before and cannot re-iterate enough. Religion is a truly personal thing. Again, for you parents, if you want your kids brought up with your beliefs, why would you want someone else to do your job for you? So I firmly believe (with no disrespect intended) that if you want your kids raised in a religious indoctrination, please do it in your homes or in your church. That is where it truly belongs.

Jobs not Cuts!

My friends Shane, Matt, Beth and I had the fortune to participate in two peaceful protests downtown today. Move On.org's "Jobs not Cuts" and Occupy South Bend, two organizations with similar wants and goals (ending corporate greed; getting Americans back to work with good wages; returning government to the principles of 'by the people and for the people--not for corporations) both organized to protest downtown, joining forces to make their (ours) voices heard.

Today's turnout seemed rather small, however, Occupy South Bend also had organized downtown on Saturday with reported crowds of approximately 100 citizens.

I went with the thought of representing returning veterans of war. Recent figures estimate 9.1% percent of Americans are unemployed. Those same conservative estimates state that 14 million Americans are unemployed (or underemployed). I doubt any of us have doubts that that figure is much much higher.

U.S. Labor Department figures are of those collecting benefits and does not take into account the other 4.5 million people whose benefits have long been exhausted (and even that is considered a conservative number). Some believe there are nearly 25 million Americans out of work--and one can only guess what those figures are worldwide... remember, America is not the only nation suffering from high unemployment!

While millions of Americans from all segments and age groups are unemployed, one segment often neglected are our returning veterans of the Iraq and Afghan War. As recent as this summer, it was estimated that more than 200,000 veterans are unemployed. The unemployment rate for veterans is 13.3. And for Reservists and Guardsmen, the news is even worse. More than 14% of our "weekend warriors" are having difficulties securing jobs after returning home while defending our nation.

This fact is unconscionable! While we veterans would be appalled to think we are any better--or worse--than the other unfortunate souls unable to find a job, it does seem a slap in the face to come home and be unable to provide for our families.

Another related fact in these hard times is that of the 4.5 million homeless Americans, 14% of those are our veterans of war. Poverty in America has risen to numbers not seen in decades. The poverty level (U.S. Census Bureau figures: September 13, 2011), estimate that poverty rose to 15.1% in 2010, the highest rate since 1993 (and social scientists believe it has risen even more in 2011).

It does not take a rocket scientist to see these the high unemployment rate and homeless rates are tightly interwoven together.

Today at the rally, one of the speakers from Occupy South Bend called Americans to arms. "We do not have a leader (in the movement). Our voice is our leader!" Many of the speakers today spoke of their frustrations of a government that seems to have forgotten who put them in office--and who they represent.

It, to me, is a disgusting fact that our corporations today are sitting on larger monetary stockpiles than in any time in our history yet they are not hiring; they resist paying decent living wages to their employees; increasingly in recent years, jobs were shipped wholesale overseas (I did read yesterday that there are signs that this trend may be reversing--welcome news, if true); and they are contributing more dollars to politicians to represent their demands... yet the last time I heard the Constitution read "we the people," not "we the corporations."

My friend Matt sadly represents the "99." Those people wearing that moniker have long sought jobs. Matt has sent out more than a 1,000 resumes over the past three years to no avail. These people, above most others, definitely have the right to raise the question, "where are our leaders who say they "feel our pain" but do literally nothing to get America back on track-- and their constituents back to work.

I make no apologies for echoing the cries of those who wonder what the GOP are doing. The Republican Party swept the nation in 2010 with the claims they would put America back to work, yet in the 11 months since that dramatic November election, the House of Representatives have not offered one single jobs bill. Instead, they have offered bill after bill that instead wreaks havoc on those who are unemployed (no jobs bills, refusing to extend unemployment benefits, working to repeal the health care package that should, in theory, benefit ALL Americans.

Jobs programs are sorely needed; likewise with educational training programs. Yes, this costs money, but let's face it, if our government (your government) can bail out the banking industry, it can surely find the means to do the same for its citizens. I know of those who decry the bailout for the automotive industry, but it appears those programs saved countless millions of jobs. Can the same be said of the banking bailout (those same business organizations that most believe helped contribute to near catastrophe)?

Realizing that all of these issues are complex (and finding answers just as complicated), it makes little sense for our government to sit back and do nothing to alleviate these dire situations.

Members of both political parties must... MUST set aside their differences and work to put America back to work again!

With the 2012 elections looming in the not-too-distant future, it is definitely time for us voters to make our voice heard and our displeasure known! I have seen signs around town that say "vote for neither party!" I can empathize with that thought, but do not endorse it. I truly believe the Democratic Party has the best interests of our people at heart. I have to ask a familar question, "Mr. Boehner, where are the jobs????"

Make your voice known!

10 years later, let us remember the best of who we are

Let us not forget.

Let us not forget the tragedy that united us.

Let us not forget those were lost that day.

Let us not forget the bravery of the people who risked their own lives looking for survivors in the rubble of both the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.

Let us not forget those who have died in the war defending this nation since the events of 9/11.

Let us not forget that for a short period of days in the aftermath we were a nation united in shock and in fellowship.

Even then, our Congressional leaders of BOTH parties were able to set aside partisan differences AND we can do so again in these times of hardship!

Let us not forget our blessings.

And most importantly, let us not forget that we Americans are a compassionate, loving people.

Let us remember to be better than we think we can be, even when confronted by hardship and evil acts.