Thank you veterans, and happy birthday Marine Corps
**This can be found at All American Blog, where I am a contributing author.**
For those that are unaware, November 10th was the 232nd birthday of the Marine Corps.
As they have since the inception of the Marines, today Marines are protecting the lives of citizens and the ideals of America across the world. The Marine Corp birthday was not a day off, or even time off for many of our brave sons, daughters, fathers, and mothers. 24 hours a day, every day, they protect us and give their lives for the privileges we enjoy without thought.
Like all Veterans of all the Armed Forces, I salute what they have done, and continue to do.
Perhaps people in places like San Francisco forget this. Perhaps organizations like MoveOn.org choose not to recognize this. I for one will never forget nor fail to recognize.
America is the greatest nation on the face of the earth, with all of our flaws included. That is directly tied to those who stand up and defend those freedoms, rights and choices. Never forget
“The cost of Freedom is never free.”
Semper Fidelis
Labels: Marine Corps, moveon.org, San Francisco, Semper Fi
posted by M. Vass @ Tuesday, November 13, 2007
6 Comments
6 Comments:
What freedom are you talking about!!!?/ "Thanks Marine for protecting our freedom?"
Do you realize what are you talking about?
Do u have freedom?
Don't you realize that the only freedom that you had in "free country" some years before, have been taken away? Now you dont have you own free space... home? not there...
You can be charge like a terrorist.. and thats it for you!
I like a lot the freedom you talk about.. nOT!
America is a continent! not a country,
There are so many things I can say about this comment, but I have to start with your name. America is not a continent, it is a country. Specifically the U.S.A. is referred to and known as America, and North America is the continent. If only the term America is used it is always meant to denote the United States. Since there is a North and South America you cannot refer to either continent without designating position relative to the equator.
Now I said this brief history and geography bit to highlight a thought. That being that I find your logic shallow and faulty.
America is free, the most free nation in the world. If you doubt this I suggest you visit some other nations in the world. Perhaps China which regularly restricts access to the internet and blocks large sections especially dealing with international news coverage (see my post about the upcoming Olympic Games). Perhaps you would like to visit the former USSR which is rife with civil conflicts regarding ethnicity and power struggles. Maybe you would prefer countries in the Middle East that refuse to allow women to have ANY rights, or Africa where genocides like the one occurring in Darfur has raged for 5 years.
That is a small sample of the world. And in a side by side comparison the United States, America, ranks staggeringly ahead of every other nation. And if you have lived overseas as I have (not visited for a week or 2, or even vacationed for a month but LIVED there for a year or more) you would know this.
In fact there is a huge swath of the world that would not allow you to have made this comment. Much of the world would not allow blogs, and many would in fact track down me as an author and you as a commentator and kill us because we are making comments and generating interest. To not have that happen is freedom.
To be able to choose a new President without need of a revolution and mass killings is freedom. To be able to travel within the nation without prior permission from the government is freedom; to gain an education (or to have the option to ignore that education) is freedom. To not be limited to a caste system is freedom. And I can go on.
The fact that America is not perfect is human nature. There is no perfection except in children’s dreams and ultra-liberal goals. But even with the failures, mistakes, and problems that exist we are more free and better off than ANY nation on the planet. If you don’t realize this just look around. There are tens of millions that have left their home countries to be part of America, and more are coming every year as has happened since before I was born 40 years ago.
So I will ask you the same question asked of me, do you know what you are talking about?
I do, and I have volunteered to defend this nation with my life – as did my father, my sister, and many in my family and friends – because I am grateful. Even with every bit of racism, prejudice, and hateful or stupid people (like the kids that have fights for youtube, or those that would kill or rape in the name of a religion or without a reason at all). Because I have lived in other countries, I have seen what the difference is.
But if you do feel you are so restricted and ‘enslaved’ (an overused term and completely without merit in such discussions) here in America, you have the freedom to leave and give up your citizenship.
Or there is the freedom to stop having irrational rants, get involved and change the laws you disagree with without civil unrest or war – but by just getting a majority to vote for it.
But if you want to write to me, and on a post where I am thanking my fellow Marines and the Armed Forces for their sacrifices that allow most of those ultra-liberals that would complain over the Government not doing exactly what THEY want to sit in comfortable homes without ever having to know the feeling of hunger or the fear of death because the Government exists, you have come to the wrong blog.
If you want to make a point, to prove me wrong or misguided, bring me facts. Bring me verifiable proof and links. Show us all where some form of chain have caused Americans to not be able to get educations, access the internet, read about history, form political groups, protest politicians and laws and the Government itself. Until then I will leave you the thoughts that were made famous, and are essentially correct, from A Few Good Men:
Col. Nathan R. Jessep:
You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties you want me on that wall; you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use them as the backbone of a life trying to defend something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you," and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest that you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to.
Mr. M. Vass,
I just want to chat with you and compare points of view. I don’t want to harm anybody, just talk.
I found in what you said lots of true, and it seem that you know what you are talking.
Yes, I can’t say that the States is not a free country, when you can buy a burger at Mc Donalds with no problem, walk through JC Penny drinking your Caramel Frappuccino and vote for your favorite candidate.
Yeah, is very un-free in China to block some websites, block so much information to insiders to look out, and outsiders to look in, like a bubble, but China is another story.
All over the world, and in every single country there is an unfair event going on, and that we can’t change unfortunately, is a very sick world we live in.
Do you ever ask yourself why things happened?, do you ever ask questions or you are a good soldier (retired) who never raise his voice to ask questions because everything is “Yes sir!” and you take it as it comes? Well I think thats the problem with all “Americans” or the whole World, you see, I haven’t gone in vacations to other countries, I have lived there like you said. I have lived with the normal mortal people, and got so much from every culture, and I haven’t seen so much poorness like I saw in U.S.A.
The States is so ahead of every other nation, they have their plasma T.V. in the living room, with the same channels, living in a country that it’s eating it self in debt and is here where its starts. You are so ahead of every single person in Earth, that that’s normal, nobody else count for you. Africa - genocides going on like you said, who is really doing something? nobody! Because, nobody cares! Have you done something? There is no interest in them (the only ok countries are the ones with wealth under their feet). “Just shake the bees and run, let them die”.... of course, and USA comes to the rescue because they have been always “attack”. So, did every “attack” was justified to go to war and make more killings than anybody else? Of course, buddy, somebody from a little hole in a mountain eating chapati created the most elaborated and impossible operation that I have ever seen and they killed your people, the only ones who counts, nobody else share your same customs and freedom as you do! The other ones are just little birds in a shooting range.
So you ask your self: “Why don’t they leaves us alone in our living room watching CNN in peace, watching the last almost happened scary attempt against our freedom freedom?”. Yeahp!, no body discus that, because you know what, you are right, you deserved it, you have paid your taxes, you go to work every day and took care of your lawn, those are your rights and every body in this Earth have to respect them.
Let’s see what’s in the media right now like movies, talk shows, news, newspapers, magazines, every single freaking one of them is talking the same thing: Terror, possibles scary events, how the rest of the poor people of this earth is asking for freedom and peace, and how things are getting “better”, how MUSLIMS are bad, bad bad bad and you are the only solution.
You live in a bubble man, your government or better, the few guys in charge of the interest of your country that you defended, want you in that bubble, want you to believe and life in terror, believe in what they say. They want you to feel scared and not think so they can do whatever they want to do and you don’t get on their way. So the rich gets richer and the richer gets even more richer, there is no other result in this equation. So they show you what they want and you to think, “blocking large sections especially dealing with international news coverage (that was China I think), so you can say: “Ohh.. 0.K., thats fine”. But nothing is not 0.K., the number of death done in the voice of the freedom, is 1000s of K. not, zero.K. and counting.
So if you say, it was laden, ohh sorry, weapons of mass destruction, ohh shit again sorry, husein, but we did actually worked with laden and others.. so lets go for peoples freedom so they can buy a burger in Mc Donalds, drink the same Caramel Frappuccino walking through Walmart and “vote” for their candidate.
Now, let me talk you about terror. Terror should be when you are sleeping in your house peacefully with your daughter, son and lovely wife after you said goodnight to them and suddenly, the sky just shines it self like if it was Christmas or fourth of July again, but instead, you start digging your self out of your destroyed house picking out the pieces left of your family so you can probably bury them in a decent place and you are not the only family. But if they survive, run to one place to another and be careful, you don’t want to hit a bullet or a bomb been dropped by a guy on a terminal from Las Vegas flying the last technology in aircrafts. Thats terror my friend. And the only weapon of mass destruction I had ever seen, heard and felt was Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Who’s producing the terror?
Watching airplanes crushing in to buildings it was really terrifying, I was holding my breath when I saw that people jumping from the buildings. Man!, goosebumps and I stopped thinking. When I started thinking again was when 3 buildings went down in free fall like butter like in a controlled demolition explosion and all the “myths” that you might know by now, but you know what, lets just not think about it because everything is under-control, going better, because WE got the oil rigs been built, military bases, no country rights as a free country, destroyed people and why not... a Walmart built!!
So man, seriously, their is lots of, how did you mention it? “That being that I find your logic shallow and faulty”. So feel free to keep watching T.V. for me, and Iran is just next door, just to let you know.
Maybe we should start accepting other people as they are, respecting, loving each other and understanding that we are not 2, we are one, and the all the richness in this earth is not as valuable as a human being life.
Respectfully yours,
The not american.
I want to thank you for your continued comments. I also recommend that you look through this blog and my Black Entertainment USA site. I say this because many of the points you bring into the discussion and I will be mentioning can be found on either and/or both sites. I have roughly over 1000 posts and the majority are filled with content relating to several of these issues and more.
Please don’t take my passion on various issues as an attack or provocation. And do understand that I am a highly educated, well traveled, informed individual. As such I require proof that I am wrong or mistaken. And proof I require is as easy as posts and articles backing up your thoughts. I try as often as possible to provide links to confirm or explain my thoughts, I ask for the same.
Now you go on to ask me if I was a “good soldier”. It’s a term that is used by many that never were in the military I have found. Few civilians have any idea what a good soldier is, and often confuse the politically colored views of the media as truth. A good soldier is neither Rambo nor a mindless automaton. As millions can attest, the American soldier has consistently been an intelligent, honest, caring and dedicated individual. The media may enjoy highlighting the exceptions to the norm, and the extreme events that happen in every major conflict, portraying them as common. But the facts are far from this. Media hype aside, I am happy to say I was a good soldier and I hope to reflect the Marine Corps with honor and intelligence.
As for asking questions, look at my posts. I consitently question the media and the government as well as the American (and sometimes international) public. I have discussed subjects ranging from the economy, to racism, to the war in Iraq and the genocide in Darfur. I have promoted higher education, community service, equality in law, aid to organizations and causes of worth and more. You ask me what I have done, I have donated to Darfur and committed the donations made to my sites to that end. I have given back to my readers in contests that have no obligation to those that enter. I confront issues I think are important to discuss.
What have I done? I have been a voice in affirmation and dissent. And I have heard comments from readers that cause me to believe that I have had a positive effect on at least some readers. May I ask what you have done?
You say you have traveled and lived overseas. Bravo. Most have not. But it seems we have not seen the same things. Or at least what we recognize as poor and unempowering are very different. Because in my experience even the most poor in America live a quality of life that exceeds most other nations.
Now it is at this point that your comments become very muddled. Understand that this may be why I fail in understanding and agreeing with you comments from this point forward.
If you are stating that Americans are predominantly focused on our own nation, I agree. Just as citizens, overwhelmingly, in other nations do the same. Yet there is a huge proportion of the U.S. population that is committed to the lives and quality of life in other nations. In fact the donations made in money, medical supplies, and/or food from private citizens in America exceeds the GNP of several dozen nations. To make light of this or to ignore it is a disservice to those committed to providing help and those that receive it.
Now if you want to say that America was wrong to be angered that a fanatical religious zealot and his followers killed innocent Americans based on his warped vision of how WE should live, I disagree. If you want to question the reasons for entering the war in Iraq, I too feel that they were inadequate reasons and that potentially lies were made. But you must also realize that it has been proven, though far less publicized, that Iraq was planning to resume it’s chemical weapons program. In addition they did ship to Syria some weapons and weapon systems that were expressly forbidden by the U.N.
But most important is the point that such an argument, no matter how correct is moot. America is in a war, no matter how it started. As such we cannot simply walk away without dire consequence to our lives in the future. That is the nature of war and the world today. To assume less or to avoid this truth is counter-productive and stupid.
Your comments about the nature of the Government, and my understanding of that, seems paranoid. You discount my multiple posts and comments. You ignore the thoughts of other readers from across the country and world. You are dismissive in an elitist manner that presumes you are correct and others are wrong for no reasoning better than it’s what you think. I find that to be ultra-liberal self-aggrandizment of the worst sort.
Of course America is not perfect. No government is, nor is any since the dawn of time without some degree of corruption. Yet given that fact, when the question of quality of life and degrees of freedom is posed no other nation on earth (at least at this time) exceeds America. That too is not only a given fact it is proven by the actions of people across the globe. As I have said before, people across the globe flock to become part of America for more decades than I have been alive and even the most staunch American detractors can only number those that have given up their birthright in the single digits since 1900.
But the argument that the rich get richer on the backs of the poor has always existed since the birth of the industrial age. While nothing blocks any American from having a better life beyond their own education and effort, there is no reason why their efforts should be limited by an outside force. That is the means to create a caste system and divide the nation. Still if you can provide a reason why I as a business owner should be restricted in my success though my risk and effort is not hedged in any manner, please do provide it.
You mention something about the number of deaths due in the name of freedom. And truly there are a great many, in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and elsewhere. This is an old issue and a current one. There are many fighting for their version of freedom since as long as there have been nations. Of course the number of people that have died in the name of any and all God and religion outstrips every other cause. To claim that either reason for deaths is the sole or primary reaction to America is ignorant of history, oblivious to current events, and morale grandstanding.
“Terror should be when you are sleeping in your house peacefully with your daughter, son and lovely wife after you said goodnight to them and suddenly, the sky just shines it self like if it was Christmas or fourth of July again, but instead, you start digging your self out of your destroyed house picking out the pieces left of your family so you can probably bury them in a decent place and you are not the only family.”
What does that mean?
“And the only weapon of mass destruction I had ever seen, heard and felt was Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”
Well you need to read more then. Chemical weapons exist and have been used in many places, notably in Iraq against the Kurds. Thousands died because of this in the 1980’s while President Clinton did nothing to stop it. Or did you think ‘Chemmical’ Ali was just a catchy nickname. Suffice to say, weapons of mass destruction are real and not limited to nuclear arms. If you chose to ignore them and their affect solely to be able to blame America then you weaken your argument and fail to make the point you wish to.
And as for your comments about watching the attack on 9/11, I accept it may have been hard to watch on television. But I will say that being in New York City, and specifically Manhattan, on that day and knowing many that worked in those buildings and area it was worse live. There wasn’t a person that day that was going around feeling like they were being duped. And I have never heard a word from any person I know of or any fireman and/or policeman that was there that believes in the silly conspiracy theory. While Rosie O’Donnell may have a problem understanding that steel melts in fire, the numerous engineers, news media, and independent reports I have heard of prove that it does. That garbage is merely the propaganda of either those too in need of a way to fault their own government or the ultra-paranoid. It’s been proven false multiple times by as many people, so enough on that.
Again I say your logic is faulty and shallow. You again provide no proof for your accusations. You give arguments that have been disputed credibly. You ignore facts of history and the current world. You try to discredit actions that have been done by millions in good faith, and failed to check on my own posts for what I have done personally.
You again accuse me of being unaware of facts around me, but provide no specifics. You claim I misunderstand the nature of my own government without regard for my multiple posts discussing it. You think me addicted to television and foolish. Yet my blogs prove such thoughts false, I believe.
It is no surprise you signed this post “the not American”. There is little of America reflected in your comment. You seem to neither understand nor value what America provides. It leads me to believe you are not an American and probably lived here briefly.
Perhaps it is the writing. Your thoughts come out disjointed and confused. Perhaps English is not your first language, or you are just uneducated. No matter the reasons you still just don’t get it.
But here is the bottom line. America is free, and no other nation in the world can claim to be its equal in this. That freedom is ensured by our military. And I am grateful. It is because of those freedoms, and that military that I can write this blog and you can respond. Thus your arguments fall flat ultimately.
I am an American, and proud of it. I have defended my nation, and would do so again in a second. Any who disagree need not keep their citizenship, nor stay in this land. To those that don’t I wish you luck, because everywhere else you will need huge amounts of it.
**PS – you really should either learn English or dictate so someone else can type your comments.
What you did, is just read and answer whatever you were interested in and it seems that you weren't capable of taking the time to stop and think of what i wrote instead of looking for my grammatical errors.
Yeahp.. English is not my first language, but I try enough to not let my voice shout, and I try. If you write to me in my language, I'm sure that I will noticed right away too, but I will dismiss that little detail and I will try to understand what you say and forget about those mistakes. Is very low of you to say that I am uneducated and no principals. Yeah you just proofed me something and I am happy with it.
That example that you didn't understand, was a normal, actual example of what happen/happened in where your army is in to. I was just trying to make it graphical for you. Too bad that you didn't understand how other people, that need your paypals checks, lives in the situation you put them into, end their lives. "Ups.. we fucked U, but here you go, take this green money, I hope this will bring back your dignity, family or country back to normal, and don't mind your little kid without legs, there are some pair of legs that you can buy from Sam for four easy payments".
I don't want to waist more of my time with you, I hope some day you will understand what I am saying.
And some links for you:
http://www.voltairenet.org/article149840.html
http://www.voltairenet.org/article146495.html
http://www.voltairenet.org/article155950.html
http://www.voltairenet.org/article155945.html
http://www.voltairenet.org/article148932.html
http://www.voltairenet.org/article152780.html
and my final and favorite (watch it, is only two hours of your time):
http://zeitgeistmovie.com/
Wish you all the luck,
Good bye,
God bless you.
Well even though you will not be reading this, for the benefit of my other readers I will respond. The original point that you first commented on was that America was not free. My response through out all the comments has been to address that singular thought. In addition I have responded to several of your other thoughts. That is when I could understand what you wrote.
It is not possible for someone to understand and respond to something written in a manner that does not communicate properly. I tried but I can’t understand completely several of the paragraphs that you have written. Obviously this is because as you say English is not your first language. I did not fault you for that but I did highlight that for me to understand you completely and to respond fully you needed to take further steps. Now if I were to speak with you in your native language your correct that it would be difficult but it would be on me to make the effort to ensure that what I wrote in your language communicated clearly what I was thinking. You did not do so; don’t blame me for your failure to take the effort to ensure that you would be understood clearly.
I have no doubt that I have clearly proven that America has greater freedom than any where in the world. And I believe that I have proven that part of that freedom is gained through the efforts of our armed forces. While other nations may disagree with the policy of America, and while some Americans may do so as well, I’m glad to be an American.
Sense you are not an American as you have stated I don’t’ expect you to understand at the same time I’m a bit offended that your trying to criticize the freedoms I have that you don’t have and you don’t have them because you are not part of the most free nation in the world. Your being very presumptuous in trying to tell me about my country and my freedoms when you don’t know anything about it, sense your not an American that does not mean you don’t have an opinion but it does not mean your opinion is not very credible especially when your argument goes off your original point and is virtually unreadable.
I’m not trying to change your opinion the pose was not meant to do any thing more than thank the efforts and sacrifices some Americans have made for all Americans if you don’t like that it does not matter, your not an American.
If you disagree with the policies of America I have many posts on specific issues you or anyone can comment on. But I do not accept anyone criticizing the sacrifice for freedom that the armed forces have made possible for me and other citizens. That was the point at hand that is what I addressed and that is the issue you strayed from.
But I thank you for your comments all the same. I will look into the links and perhaps the video. But I doubt that there is anything that can cause me no t to respect, honor and publicly acknowledge the men and women of the United States armed forces, once you’ve gotten beyond your anger over my suggestion about improving your communication skills perhaps one day you will agree with me.
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