Jeffrey Denning

Obama Wants More Air Marshals ASAP

2010-01-06T21:41:00.001-08:00

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/air-marshal-surge-race-time/story?id=9493323

This won't help. The Federal Air Marshal Service did a disservice from the get-go. Air marshals don't have the tactical advantage. They are the last option. They must rely on folks like the TSA. While there are good people in every organization, I was perpetually worried that I had to rely on the TSA to watch my back.

More planes will get blown apart. It's just a matter of time.

9th Circuit and Oregon Judicial Appellate are CRAZY

2010-01-06T09:10:00.000-08:00

Yes, the 9th Circuit is a bit different. As far as Oregon goes, well, I received the following email today:

This makes things very interesting in the State of Oregon.

The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office (Portland Metro) recently sent
out a memo regarding a resisting case (State v. Oliphant) and the
affect on Oregon law enforcement. In essence the ruling says:

"An arrestee may defend himself against a police officer's use or
imminent use of force if the arrestee believes, as much as a reasonable
person in his position would believe, that the officer's use or
imminent use of force exceeds the force reasonably necessary to make
the arrest.

Oregon effectively is now the only state that gives a suspect charged
with Resisting Arrest (ORS 162.315) an affirmative defense that they
were defending themselves against what they reasonably believed was an
actual or imminent unlawful use of force by a Police Officer.
Accompanying charges including Assault on a Public Safety Officer will
likely be dismissed if the argument stands."

It is sometimes fun to be a cop in Oregon.or the 9th Circuit for that
matter. The full case can be viewed at the below link:

http://www.publications.ojd.state.or.us/S056404.htm

Later, after I posted this, a buddy wrote:

If you can open it has in one of the paragraphs that a person has the right to resist a unlawful arrest.

State v. Brannon - resisting arrest first requires an arrest :: South Carolina Criminal Defense Blog
http://www.southcarolinacriminaldefenseblog.com/2008/07/state_v_brannon_resisting_arre.html

Misleading Post -- Sad, but TRUE -Seriously

2010-01-05T21:56:00.000-08:00

The last post really didn't shock me much. I mean, it could have happened, right? I've seen the government doing some very crazy things...for instance, bringing 9/11 terrorists to NYC for prosecution, making everyone sit on the last hour of the flight, etc. (Like any suicide bomber would adhere to such a fanatical security measure. Pshaw!) I even hear the would-be Christmas Day suicide attacker will get a slap on the wrist compared to what I would have given him if I were an air marshal then on that flight (e.g. hot lead from my concealed pistol).

I think my buddy Matt Graham, a former air marshal himself, said it best when he called me frustrated the other day. He said, "They're trying to kill us and we're trying to put them in jail." I wish you could have hear the pitch and tone of his voice. Folks, we're in for a wild ride if we don't get serious on stopping these wicked murderers.

And, on another note--the not so great air traveling experiences, that is--knee jerk reactions only hurt the innocent, law abiding citizens.

Check out http://www.pleaseremoveyourshoesmovie.com/home/ I've seen the entire sneak preview. One word: Phenomenal.

Goverment Power

2010-01-04T03:28:00.000-08:00

When the government fears the people, you have liberty; when the people fear the government, you have tyranny.

—Thomas Jefferson

Police Officer Deaths 2009

2009-12-29T03:15:00.000-08:00

By LARRY MARGASAK, Associated Press Writer Larry Margasak, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – Law enforcement deaths this year dropped to their lowest level since 1959, while the decade of the 2000s was among the safest for officers — despite the deadliest single day for police on Sept. 11, 2001.

The drop in deaths, cited in a police group's report Monday, was tempered by an increase in firearm deaths. In one horrific November shooting, four officers were executed as they discussed their upcoming shift in a Lakewood, Wash., coffee shop.

Through Dec. 27, the report by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund found:

_124 officers were killed this year, compared to 133 in 2008. The 2009 total represents the fewest line-of-duty deaths since 108 a half-century ago.

_Traffic fatalities fell to 56, compared to 71 a year ago. The report said the decline was partly attributed to "move over" state laws, which require motorists to change lanes to give officers clearance on the side of a road.

_Firearms deaths rose to 48, nine more than in 2008. However, the 39 fatalities in 2008 represented the lowest annual figure in more than five decades.

_Thirty-five states and Puerto Rico had officer fatalities in 2009, with Texas the only state in double figures. Texas had 11 fatalities, followed by Florida, 9; California, 8; and North Carolina and Pennsylvania, 7.

_Six federal officers died in 2009, including three Drug Enforcement Administration special agents killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan while conducting counter-narcotics operations.

_One female officer was killed in 2009, compared with 13 the previous year. There was no explanation for the decline.

_An average of 162 officers a year died in the 2000s, compared with 160 in the 1990s, 190 in the 1980s and 228 in the 1970s — the deadliest decade for U.S. law enforcement. Seventy-two officers died on Sept. 11.

"To reach a 50-year low in officer deaths is a real credit to the law enforcement profession and its commitment to providing the best possible training and equipment to our officers," said the Memorial Fund chairman and chief executive officer, Craig Floyd.

"But we cannot allow ourselves to be lulled into a state of complacency. There are nearly 60,000 criminal assaults against our law officers every year in this country, resulting in more than 15,000 injuries. And, over the past decade, more than 1,600 officers have been killed in the line of duty."

Fifteen deaths occurred in five incidents during the year, showing the potential danger in domestic disturbances, traffic stops and serving arrest warrants.

In March, four Oakland, Calif., officers were killed after a traffic stop and subsequent barricade incident.

Three Pittsburgh officers, responding to a domestic disturbance, were ambushed in April by a heavily armed gunman wearing a bullet-resistant vest.

That same month, two Okaloosa County, Fla., sheriff's deputies were gunned down while trying to arrest a domestic violence suspect.

In July, two Seminole County, Okla., sheriff's deputies were shot and killed while trying to serve an arrest warrant.

Domestic disturbance calls were particularly dangerous for officers in 2009, resulting in 11 deaths, while unprovoked ambushes led to the deaths of six officers.

The report was issued in conjunction with a second police group, Concerns of Police Survivors.

__

On the Net:

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund: http://www.lawmemorial.org/researchbulletin

My comments: High number of assaults where, fortunately, officer's aren't dying.
I'd like to know how many officer shootings there were this year and compare it to others.
I was speaking at length about this yesterday with a colleague. There are a lot of close range shootings. Officers need more CQB training, and cannot hesitate to kill in order to survive...or rather, use deadly force in order to stay safe. I believe officer's have many more chances than not to use deadly force, but they (some) fail to use it because of a host of reasons, most notably Monday morning quarterbacking and problems with legals issues, department issues, media and stress that follows. Our officers need more support when they make the right decision or more tragedies will follow.

Flight 253 Hero to be Prosecuted for Assault

2009-12-28T17:39:00.000-08:00

READ THE WHOLE STORY....

Here it is:

Flight 253 Hero to be Prosecuted for Assault

By Donald Sensing

Sunday, December 27, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C.--The hero of Northwest Airlines Flight 253, lauded by passengers as the man who first reached would-be bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, will be arraigned this week under federal charges, the US Justice Department announced today.

Dutch citizen Jasper Schuringa was sitting a few seats away from Abdulmutallab when he heard popping and saw smoke and a glow coming from Abdulmutallab's seat. Schuringa was the first passenger to understand that Abdulmutallab was endangering the aircraft. He leapt over intervening seats to tackle and subdue Abdulmutallab, joined very quickly by other passengers.

Abdulmutallab has already been charged with attempting to destroy the airliner.

In announcing the pending charges against Schuringa the Justice Department spokesman said that after being treated for his burns, Abdulmutallab told a federal agent that Schuringa had slugged him in the mouth. Abdulmutallab pointed to his swollen lip as evidence of the assault.

"It's now well established in anti-terrorism operations that you cannot just go around slugging murderous terrorists in the mouth," said the spokesman. "What's fair for Navy SEALs will be fair for Mr. Schuringa. The law is the law." He added that Attorney General Eric Holder had approved charging Mr. Schuringa with assault.

The spokesman's reference was to the pending court-martial of three Navy SEALs facing assault charges related to their capture of Ahmed Hashim Abed, the terrorist who planned the March 2004 ambush, killing and mutilation of four American contractors in Fallujah, Iraq. The contractors' burned bodies were then hanged from a bridge in the city.

After being captured by the SEALs last month, Abed claimed that his fat lip was caused by one of the SEALs punching him in the mouth. Military officials arraigned the three SEALs earlier this month on multiple charges, including assault.

"After eight years of human-rights abuses," said the Justice Department spokesman, "including who knows how many incidents of terrorists getting punched in the mouth, we are finally showing the world that the United States will no longer mistreat people who want to kill us all.

We are making it very clear that no terrorist should fear getting a fat lip. Jasper Schuringa crossed a line by brutally hitting Mr. Abdulmutallab in the mouth, and he will have to pay the price for his inexcusable violence."

This article is satire..... but you believed it didn't you?

Christmas Day Terrorist Attack

2009-12-26T11:23:00.000-08:00

I wasn't surprised to hear about an attack on an airplane on Christmas day by an al Qaeda terrorist. It's a Christian holiday. I believe there must have been at least three other attacks that didn't occur for one reason or another. After all, al Qaeda doctrine is to attack in fours. They figure, quite rightly, that one might chicken out or another might get thwarted for one reason or another. Most people aren't aware that when Richard Reid, the infamous Shoe Bomber, tried to light his shoe bomb he did so in conjunction with another guy on another plane who got....excuse the pun...cold feet.

So, what is it that saved the plane bound for Detroit? (Note: Dearborn, Michigan outside of Detroit is home to the largest Islamic populations in the US.)

But first let's take a look at why terrorists chose an airplane on Christmas day.

Remember they're looking for the spectacular. They want something that will spread mass fear and chaos. They want to hit an economic target. I submit there is nothing better than blowing up a commercial airplane in midair.

Nevertheless, there are some other interesting soft targets that wouldn't require sneaking past security or risk that aspect of being caught.

Attacking a mall wouldn't be smart, because there aren't any large crowds on Christmas day...though watch out from here on out! The same goes for attacking airports prior to the so-called secure side -- there's simply not enough people on Christmas day. But an airplane. Now that'd leave a lasting impression whatever the day.

Folks, it's just a matter of time. I've been saying that ever since I was an air marshal. I told several people that in NYC just a few weeks before the London Bomb Plot was uncovered. Remember that? That's when terrorists wanted to blow up several planes over the Atlantic Ocean. Luckily, it didn't happen.

Ever since the Bojinka Plot and the rehearsal prior to it on the Philippines airliner that left a gaping hole in the plane and killed a Japanese student and injured or killed some others, if I recall correctly, al Qaeda has recognized blowing up planes in midair as a great thing to do.

Where are some questions to ponder -- some with answers and others rhetorical:

1) Why didn't the terrorist just go to the lav and blow himself up there? Q: He likely didn't have enough explosive so he stayed over the wing.

2) What will happen now with all the innocent, law abiding passengers, just trying to get from one destination to another hassle free? Will the TSA make life even more hectic for them? Please remove your shoes, your belts, your wallet...?

3) Surely Western intelligence and law enforcement professionals have done a good job in many instances. I believe we do not hear about many attacks because they are quietly handled, thankfully. But I pose this last question: Was it Divine providence, in conjunction with quick-acting citizens, that thwarted this horrific terrorist attack? I answer: Yes, absolutely.

TSA gives away more secrets

2009-12-24T07:06:00.000-08:00

Why doesn't the TSA just release all the names and photos of the undercover Federal Air Marshals (FAMs) too? Duh...

The TSA (and the FAMS managers) has given away more secrets and sensitive information to the public than should have ever been allowed. Aside from the TSA recently publishing information online about the security screening process -- thus giving any terrorist or kook information on how to defeat screening -- they recently also gave away more information about the secretive air marshal program. Unfortunately, it's not anything new. The FAM Service under Tom Quinn gave away so many secrets it was unreal! Glad I'm not there any longer.

The public is not safe...

To see the latest blundering faux pas, click here: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/tsa-security-cops-blast-release-handgun-information/story?id=9403793

Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas

2009-12-20T17:34:00.000-08:00

Please Remove Your Shoes -- the Movie

2009-12-18T21:50:00.000-08:00

Please Remove Your Shoes is a powerful documentary film about aviation in-security. It's totally shocking. It debuts in 2010. Check out the links and trailers here:

PS I was invited to be interviewed for this film and I happily participated. The bulk of the film creates a powerful story of many patriotic individuals that will truly knock your...um...shoes off.

http://www.pleaseremoveyourshoesmovie.com/home/

Free US Navy SEALs - Warning Graphic

2009-12-15T19:19:00.000-08:00

This is a petition sponsored by Human Events ( http://www.humanevents.com/ ) to have the charges dropped against Navy SEAL operators SO2 Jonathan Keefe, SO1 Julio Huertas, and SO2 Matthew McCabe. These are the guys who captured Ahmed Hashim Abed – the terrorist who was responsible for the ambush, torture, murder, and desecration of the bodies of Scott Helvenston, Wesley Batalona, Jerry Zovko and Michael Teague all Blackwater employees in Fallujah Iraq on March 31, 2004. It seems that after his capture, Abed complained of having a bruised lip.

These SEALs are just the latest victims of a perverse U.S. Government witch hunt to persecute those who are on the front lines of defending America. Please sign the petition and pass on to your address book contacts.

http://www.paramountcommunication.com/NewsLetters/eagle/petition.aspx?mhash=%%QS_mhash%%

Here's one AP pictures I took from the Internet the day after the attack of the mutilated bodies of the BW contractors attacked and immolated, then strung up over a bridge I would eventually cross over a few years later during my military deployment. Interestingly, a buddy of mine was asked to go on that mission with another contracting company.

We must never forget that our moral code is completely different than theirs.

Star-Spangled Banner...

2009-12-14T20:17:00.000-08:00

One Nation Under God

2009-12-12T04:41:00.001-08:00

Politically Correct & Quite Brilliant - Newt Gingrich

2009-12-12T04:24:00.000-08:00

False Post

2009-12-10T19:49:00.000-08:00

http://www.usnwc.edu/Academics/Faculty/David-Kaiser.aspx

Thanks to a wise reader for letting me know that the last posting was falsely attributed to Dr. Kaiser.

Guess you can believe everything you read...

History Unfolding by Dr. David Kaiser

2009-12-09T03:47:00.000-08:00

"My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. I hope you'll join with me as we try to change it."
- Barack Obama

History Unfolding
I am a student of history. Professionally, I have written 15 books on history that have been published in six languages, and I have studied history all my life. I have come to think there is something monumentally large afoot, and I do not believe it is simply a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis. Yes these exist, but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a sharper focus.

Something of historic proportions is happening. I can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people react to it. Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something happening within our country that has been evolving for about ten to fifteen years. The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two.

We demand and then codify into law the requirement that our banks make massive loans to people we know they can never pay back? Why?

We learned just days ago that the Federal Reserve, which has little or no real oversight by anyone, has "loaned" two trillion dollars (that is $2,000,000,000,000) over the past few months, but will not tell us to whom or why or disclose the terms. That is our money. Yours and mine. And that is three times the $700 billion we all argued about so strenuously just this past September. Who has this money? Why do they have it? Why are the terms unavailable to us? Who asked for it? Who authorized it? I thought this was a government of "we the people," who loaned our powers to our elected leaders. Apparently not.

We have spent two or more decades intentionally de-industrializing our economy. Why?

We have intentionally dumbed down our schools, ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are exceptional, and why we are worth preserving. Students by and large cannot write, think critically, read, or articulate. Parents are not revolting, teachers are not picketing, school boards continue to back mediocrity. Why?

We have now established the precedent of protesting every close election (violently in California over a proposition that is so controversial that it simply wants marriage to remain defined as between one man and one woman. Did you ever think such a thing possible just a decade ago?) We have corrupted our sacred political process by allowing unelected judges to write laws that radically change our way of life, and then mainstream Marxist groups like ACORN and others to turn our voting system into a banana republic. To what purpose?

Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our banking system is on the verge of collapse, and social security is nearly bankrupt, as is medicare and our entire government. Our education system is worse than a joke (I teach college and I know precisely what I am talking about) - the list is staggering in its length, breadth, and depth. It is potentially 1929 x ten... And we are at war with an enemy we cannot even name for fear of offending people of the same religion, who, in turn, cannot wait to slit the throats of your children if they have the opportunity to do so.

And finally, we have elected a man that no one really knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla, Alaska. All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh, of course. The media would never play that for you over and over and then demand he answer it. Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe is more important.)

Mr. Obama's winning platform can be boiled down to one word: Change. Why?

I have never been so afraid for my country and for my children as I am now.

This man campaigned on bringing people together, something he has never, ever done in his professional life. In my assessment, Obama will divide us along philosophical lines, push us apart, and then try to realign the pieces into a new and different power structure. Change is indeed coming. And when it comes, you will never see the same nation again.

And that is only the beginning.

As a serious student of history, I thought I would never come to experience what the ordinary, moral German must have felt in the mid-1930s. In those times, the "savior" was a former smooth-talking rabble-rouser from the streets, about whom the average German knew next to nothing. What they should have known was that he was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and pushed around people with whom they disagreed; he edged his way onto the political stage through great oratory. Conservative "losers" read it right now.

And there were the promises. Economic times were tough, people were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. And he smiled and frowned and waved a lot. And people, even newspapers, were afraid to speak out for fear that his "brown shirts" would bully and beat them into submission. Which they did - regularly. And then, he was duly elected to office, while a full-throttled economic crisis bloomed at hand - the Great Depression. Slowly, but surely he seized the controls of government power, person by person, department by department, bureaucracy by bureaucracy. The children of German citizens were at first, encouraged to join a Youth Movement in his name where they were taught exactly what to think. Later, they were required to do so. No Jews of course.

How did he get people on his side? He did it by promising jobs to the jobless, money to the money-less, and rewards for the military-industrial complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children, advocating gun control, health care for all, better wages, better jobs, and promising to re-instill pride once again in the country, across Europe, and across the world. He did it with a compliant media - did you know that? And he did this all in the name of justice and.... change. And the people surely got what they voted for.

If you think I am exaggerating, look it up. It's all there in the history books.

So read your history books. Many people of conscience objected in 1933 and were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and ridiculed. When Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious in the late 1930s while seated in the House of Lords in England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker. He was right, though. And the world came to regret that he was not listened to.

Do not forget that Germany was the most educated, the most cultured country in Europe. It was full of music, art, museums, hospitals, laboratories, and universities. And yet, in less than six years (a shorter time span than just two terms of the U. S. presidency) it was rounding up its own citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws, turning children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors. All with the best of intentions, of course. The road to Hell is paved with them.

As a practical thinker, one not overly prone to emotional decisions, I have a choice: I can either believe what the objective pieces of evidence tell me (even if they make me cringe with disgust); I can believe what history is shouting to me from across the chasm of seven decades; or I can hope I am wrong by closing my eyes, having another latte, and ignoring what is transpiring around me..

I choose to believe the evidence. No doubt some people will scoff at me, others laugh, or think I am foolish, naive, or both. To some degree, perhaps I am. But I have never been afraid to look people in the eye and tell them exactly what I believe-and why I believe it.

I pray I am wrong. I do not think I am. Perhaps the only hope is our vote in the next elections.

Dr. Kaiser is a professor in the Strategy and Policy Department of the United States Naval War College and has previously taught at Carnegie Mellon, Williams College and Harvard University. Kaiser's latest book, The Road to Dallas, about the Kennedy assassination, was just published by Harvard University Press.
David Kaiser is a respected historian whose published works have covered a broad range of topics, from European Warfare to American League Baseball. Born in 1947, the son of a diplomat, Kaiser spent his childhood in three capital cities: Washington D.C,; Albany, New York, and Dakar , Senegal. He attended Harvard University, graduating there in 1969 with a B.A. in history. He then spent several years more at Harvard, gaining a PhD in history, which he obtained in 1976. He served in the Army Reserve from 1970 to 1976.

LET THEM FIGHT

2009-12-07T20:10:00.000-08:00

I'm outraged. How in the world can we win the war against terror when our US Navy SEALs are brought before a military tribunal for accusations of punching bonafide terror suspects? These same terrorists are lethally dangerous. They've killed US soldiers. Terrorists won't hesitate to sever off your head or ram planes into crowded buildings. Why in the world are operators subjected to this kind of treatment?

Now, I'm not saying any warrior should have carte blanche to go beyond what is civilly right in jus in bello, or how we should fight as a civil people, but we must remember that we cannot win an amoral enemy by adopting a pacifist mindset. We cannot win terrorists when we bring the so-called mastermind of 911 to NYC to be tried as if he has the same rights that have been afforded to US citizens! We cannot win the global war when we bring terrorists into the US and hope to treat them like they are common criminals.

If America ceases to understand the enemy, America will cease to win.

Terrorists in Our Backyard

2009-12-02T22:15:00.001-08:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/us/24terror.html?emc=eta1

My Little Brother

2009-12-02T21:52:00.000-08:00

Although he looks a lot like me (and I hope I've adapted his kindness of heart and other great qualities), this is my little brother, Greg. I'm proud of him.

Me, A Patriotic Rebel? I'd Kill to Preserve My Freedoms

2009-11-13T20:20:00.000-08:00

In recent days and months I've had private conversations with influential men, colleagues and dearly trusted friends whom I would trust with my very life about the direction our country is headed. It is almost as if I speak with them surreptitiously, quietly and with stealth, away from the listening ears of the growing tide of a government that is beginning to swell out of control. It is as if I joined the ranks of the noble characters of those once passed, who vowed to give their very lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. Yes, I would fight and rebel in order to preserve the right that is inherently ours to have as human beings.

In a bold effort to rid themselves from brutal oppression, the inspired creators of the Declaration of Independence, solemnly wrote the following words: “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

At the conclusion of the Declaration of Independence, our Founding Forefather’s wrote the following: “…And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”

Ezra Taft Benson, a one-time Secretary of Agriculture and an influential ecclesiastical leader, explained the future of these men. He said, “This Declaration was a promise that would demand terrible sacrifice on the part of its signers. Five of the signers were captured as traitors and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary War; another had two sons captured.” (“Our Divine Constitution,” Ensign, Nov. 1987, 4.) Certainly the loyalty to their “cause which was just” was unmatched.

In the Saint John’s Church in Richmond Virginia, Patrick Henry eloquently and profoundly asked, “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains or slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” (Speech before the 2nd Virginia Convention, March 23, 1775.)

I rue the direction our current leaders are taking this country. I will do all in my power to preserve and uphold the sacred and cherished documents of this country I so dearly love, even the United States of America and her heavenly banners, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.

Taps - Full Version

2009-11-13T20:01:00.000-08:00

Another dear friend of mine called today. We were on the same tight knit military tactical team together, along with Johnny. Our mutual friend, Johnny Linde, didn't make it home. Here is an amazing trumpet version of Taps...just for my red-headed buddy who died two years ago on November 5th.

Police Pursuit Overseas

2009-11-12T10:11:00.000-08:00

Media in War -- Photo of a Dead Marine

2009-11-12T06:37:00.000-08:00

John Bernard is a retired Marine First Sergeant. I was introduced to him recently by his closest friend, retired Marine Corps Sergeant Major Jim Sauer. John's son, Joshua, who joined the Marines like his father, gave the ultimate sacrifice – his life.

The young lance corporal was hit directly by an RPG. Half of his body was blown apart. An AP photographer snapped pictures of the entire bloody and gruesome scene. His cold, pale, expressionless face was plastered on every major news outlet, against the wishes of his parents, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Imagine seeing the body of your son as if you were in war yourself. A mother could hardly stand the sight.

With instant communication and immediate image transmissions made available in the 21st Century, such defiantly, heartless decision-making by the Associated Press begs the question, is our society on the cusp of loving violence? Can we not get enough gore? When will it stop? Are we so yearning for bloody entertainment and so excited to see it that we go to extremes to view it on television, play it on video games, or in the case of Joshua Bernard, watch it as if death, war or killing were fun? It's despicable. It's dishonorable. It's uncivil at heart. By doing so our own media is unconsciously feeding propaganda to our enemy and breaking the hearts of our tender mother's who should in no way be exposed to the deaths of their sons in such manner.

Joshua was a good Christian who read the Bible, said his prayers and did his best to follow Jesus Christ. He received the call-sign of "Holy man" from his teammates – not because he was some overzealous do-gooder, but because he quietly, honorably lived his faith at home and in the battle zone.

Joshua's father began writing to members of the government weeks before his son's death. He wrote and told them about the dangerousness of some aspects of the counterinsurgency doctrine (COIN) with the new Rules of Engagement (ROE). He wrote about the crazy rules that were allowing the Taliban to escape for reasons like they were dressed in burkas, and the ROE wouldn’t allow Marines and Soldiers to stop women – or guys in drag. Also, the troops were being denied supporting fires. These ROE went against the better judgment of sound doctrine and battle-proven tactics. It was as if they were being denied the opportunity to win.

Mission Orders: Fight and win.

Caveat: Tie one hand behind your back and blind-fold yourself. Pretend the enemies will fight fairly or with the same moral beliefs any civil society will.

Results: You lose. You cannot put your moral code on an amoral enemy. You cannot believe they are anything less than terrorists with an entirely different mindset. You cannot think that fighting with trepidation or half-heartedly will ensure success. If you do, you'll lose every time.

I understand it was an aspect of those particular caveats John foreshadowed – too much friendliness to enemies who are seeking to kill and murder and maim our troops – that eventually got his son killed. Joshua's death was a direct result of being led into an ambush by their loosely vetted Afghan interpreter.

We cannot afford to cover our eyes and pretend there are no terrorists among us (like the FBI's uncanny announcement within moments of the shooting at Fort Hood, saying terrorism wasn't a factor). We cannot afford to let rulers and leaders of this Republic sit comfortably on their thrones while Marines, sailors, soldiers and airmen die – whether on this land or on any other.

In order to do win, we must act wisely, deftly and, in times of war, viciously. We cannot afford to pacify or placate our enemy, or pretend he doesn't exist. We must root out the enemies among our elected officials who, whether by deliberate deceit or unconscious reason, tear down our beloved Constitution and guarantees of freedom. There's only two ways to ensure freedom: (1) Be good. There is great strength in a nation on its knees; and, (2) although paradoxically difficult for any moral person or civil society, we must fight and win.

Lance Cpl. Joshua Bernard was the epitome of a brave Marine fighting to ensure our freedom. Yet his legacy, vicariously implemented by the AP, shows more of his real blood and guts instead of his noble-red blood and patriotic, courageous guts – the true inspired genius of any American Patriot, to include our Founding Fathers.

May God grant that our troops come home…and not in body bags.

Finally, I believe the Lord is very aware of some of the tragic decisions those in our great country has made of late and He puts good, honorable and wise men in positions of influence to help keep our troops safe, preserve our Constitution and our way of life, which is being attacked from multiple angles. May God grant each of us peace and comfort during this time of war, crisis and contingency, and may we all strive to be instruments in His hands to bring about good and lasting purposes.

For further reading, picture viewing or watching interviews of John Bernard, click on the links below:

http://www.foxnews.com/search-results/m/26208503/over-the-line.htm

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/04/gates-assails-appalling-decision-ap-release-photo-dying-marine/

http://www.nypost.com/t/John_Bernard

http://www.tampabay.com/incoming/article1033549.ece

http://news.aol.com/article/ap-photo-of-marine-lance-cpl-joshua-m/656039

John Bernard's personal blogspot, Let Them Fight or Bring Them Home:

http://www.letthemfight.blogspot.com/

Air Marshal Misconduct - Rape Overseas

2009-11-11T21:45:00.000-08:00

EXCLUSIVE: Backlash feared from sex trial of air marshal - Washington Times

Source: www.washingtontimes.com

The director of the Federal Air Marshal Service is warning that a criminal trial in Britain could have serious implications for the agency's international mission, including the possibility of its agents being barred from some overseas flights.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/06/exclusive-backlash-from-air-marshals-sex-trial-fea/

Veteran's Day Thank-You's

2009-11-11T21:40:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for your expressions of appreciation. It really means a lot to me. Those kind words truly melted my heart, especially over the days and weeks following my return from Iraq when the memories of one of my best friend's -- who didn't make it home -- was still fresh in my mind.

Suffice it to say, my wife surely deserves a medal for the year alone with all of our little kiddos. My oldest daughter, 10, wrote me a note in crayon today, which simply said, "Thank you. Happy Veteran's Day. I love you." That brought a big smile and nearly a tear.

God bless all our troops.