Always a favorite read, The Laughing Wolf brings up an excellent point regarding our upcoming elections. Not to scare anyone, but given the recent noise from Al Qaeda, or even Al Qaeda wannabees, we should all remember that there is a very large group of folks out there who have sworn an oath to Allah promising to kill Americans, ALL Americans.
“The magnitude and ferocity of what is coming your way will make you forget all about September 11th. … After decades of American tyranny and oppression, now it’s your turn to die. Allah willing, the streets of America will run red with blood, matching drop for drop the blood of America’s victims,” the man, calling himself “Azzam the American,” says on the tape.
Whether this tape pans out to be authentic or not, let it serve as a reminder to us all that we’re on a hit list for nothing more than the fact that we have a right to vote, to voice our opinions, to choose our leaders so let’s not disappoint our enemies, let’s all get out there in a show of force and vote our convictions as Americans. The enemy’s weapon of choice is fear, our strongest weapon is courage, what’s it gonna be?
After witnessing the Afghan elections, I can honestly say that I’d walk through falling mortars, bomb craters, burning wreckage, and gunfire to cast my vote. It is a very powerful weapon. This We’ll Defend. Sgt Hook out.
John Kerry claimed Monday that if he’s elected president he’ll prevent all future terrorist attacks both inside the U.S. and around the world.
“I do know that America will be safe [from terrorist attack] under my leadership,” Kerry boasted to NBC “Today Show” host Katie Couric.
A skeptical Couric interrupted, “But can you really, Senator, make that guarantee in all honesty that America will be safe under all circumstances?”
Kerry responded: “We won World War II. We won the Cold War. We know what we can do when we put our minds to it. We haven’t done a third of the things that we need to do to win the war on terror.”
In the next breath Kerry broadened his pledge, saying, “I think you can make the world safe if we begin to deal with the problems - not just using military muscle in certain parts of the world, but also use our economic power, our ideals.”
On Septembet 11, 2001 thousands of Americans were murdered by a group of evil bastards extremists who still do not rest, and won’t, until their job is finished. Since then, over a thousand men and women in uniform have paid the ultimate sacrifice to make sure another attack on America, and our way of life, will never happen again. Oh, and thousands more stand ready to serve and protect, no matter the cost.
Don’t want to vote? Shame on you. From my inbox…
Dear Sgt Hook,
Joe’s father, Mark Jeffries, had a letter published last Saturday in our state’s newspaper, The Oregonian. He was responding to the father of a soldier who was encouraging people - especially loved ones of active duty soldiers - to ‘vote for Bush or stay home.)
While Mark doesn’t endorse any candidate publicly, he does encourage everyone to vote.
The letter from Rick Olsson of Salem, “Father of soldier: Vote Bush” (Oct. 17) deeply offended me. I also am the father of an American soldier. My son, Spc. Joseph A. Jeffries, paid the ultimate price for his love of country last May in Afghanistan.
My son was proud of his job, he was proud of the Army, and he was proud of his country. He also felt that George W. Bush needed to be defeated in November.
That freedom was his right — and if I am not mistaken, the right our soldiers are trying to bring to other parts of the world.
So how dare Olsson tell me and others who plan to exercise our right to vote either to vote for Bush or stay home.
Practicing this right is a simple way to honor all service men and women, past and present. Vote. Vote for who you feel is the better choice.
This father of an American soldier says please don’t let his death be in vain. Vote.
MARK JEFFRIES Beaverton
SPC Jeffries gave his life in Afghanistan last May defending something he dearly believed in, something greater than himself. Though I might not agree with his politics, I wholeheartedly share embrace his passion in providing Americans the freedom to choose their president, their leader.
Bottom line people- just VOTE! And YES, that IS an order soldier. Sgt Hook out.
I’ve several passions in life, politics is not one of them. In fact, if you really want to know, I am a registered Independent and always vote for the best qualified candidate in my eyes, and not along party lines. Yes, I lean conservative fiscally and view the role of the federal government as more of a protector rather than a provider, but tend to be more liberal when it comes to social issues.
I am passionate about my boys, my lovely and talented and downright sexy Mrs. Hook, my country and her Constitution, and of course, soldiering. Cooking, reading, writing, and traveling are a few more passions of mine, but if you read Sgt Hook, you probably already know that.
So, politics and the political process though very important, don’t really get me riled up. I am amused sometimes, but rarely riled. Why? Well, because I feverently believe in the Constitution of the United States of America, hell I’ve sworn an oath to defend said document with my life, and I have no doubts that our elected President will execute his/her duties in the best interests of America. If he/she should fail to do so, I believe in the measures that have been set in place to deal with such a travesty.
For example, since September 11, 2001 when a group of radical Islamist terrorists made it painfully clear that they will do whatever it takes to destroy my beloved country, I sincerely believe that subsequent occupants of the White House, regardless of party affiliation, must prosecute this war on terrorism and make the difficult decisions required to win it. Hey, failing to do so means the end of America and the end of the free world as we know it.
Heavy? You bet. I am convinced that Al Qaeda and the likes are more passionate about destroying America and our way of life than we, collectively, are about preserving it. So when David Letterman and Jay Leno make jokes about the sitting president or his adversaries, I laugh. I laugh with the knowledge that whomsoever sits in the Oval Office, he/she will do whatever it takes to protect this great country of ours. They have to.
Bottom line people- just VOTE! And YES, that IS an order soldier. Sgt Hook out.
Here is a man for whom I hold a lot of respect- General Tommy Franks (ret.) Here are his words, in which I put a lot of faith, regarding Osama Bin Laden and the figthing at Tora Bora, Afghanistan in late 2001-
On more than one occasion, Senator Kerry has referred to the fight at Tora Bora in Afghanistan during late 2001 as a missed opportunity for America. He claims that our forces had Osama bin Laden cornered and allowed him to escape. How did it happen? According to Mr. Kerry, we “outsourced” the job to Afghan warlords. As commander of the allied forces in the Middle East, I was responsible for the operation at Tora Bora, and I can tell you that the senator’s understanding of events doesn’t square with reality.
First, take Mr. Kerry’s contention that we “had an opportunity to capture or kill Osama bin Laden” and that “we had him surrounded.” We don’t know to this day whether Mr. bin Laden was at Tora Bora in December 2001. Some intelligence sources said he was; others indicated he was in Pakistan at the time; still others suggested he was in Kashmir. Tora Bora was teeming with Taliban and Qaeda operatives, many of whom were killed or captured, but Mr. bin Laden was never within our grasp.
Second, we did not “outsource” military action. We did rely heavily on Afghans because they knew Tora Bora, a mountainous, geographically difficult region on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is where Afghan mujahedeen holed up for years, keeping alive their resistance to the Soviet Union. Killing and capturing Taliban and Qaeda fighters was best done by the Afghan fighters who already knew the caves and tunnels.
Third, the Afghans weren’t left to do the job alone. Special forces from the United States and several other countries were there, providing tactical leadership and calling in air strikes. Pakistani troops also provided significant help - as many as 100,000 sealed the border and rounded up hundreds of Qaeda and Taliban fighters.
Contrary to Senator Kerry, President Bush never “took his eye off the ball” when it came to Osama bin Laden. The war on terrorism has a global focus. It cannot be divided into separate and unrelated wars, one in Afghanistan and another in Iraq. Both are part of the same effort to capture and kill terrorists before they are able to strike America again, potentially with weapons of mass destruction. Terrorist cells are operating in some 60 countries, and the United States, in coordination with dozens of allies, is waging this war on many fronts.
I tend to shy away from political commentary here as it wouldn’t be right for an active duty soldier, especially one in my position, to endorse a candidate or criticize a sitting or potential commander in chief. I did, however, read an excellent letter to the editor over at Note-It-Posts that I thought to share with you. Feel free to share it with your friends…
I think it is about time someone stood up for President Bush and thanked him for his selfless dedication to our country and his job as leader of our great nation. In the last few weeks, we have read little in this newspaper but libelous untruths about our President, a decent and honest man.
Thank you President Bush for bringing dignity and character back to the White House.
Thank you President Bush for using the intelligence information provided to you to make America safe again.
Thank you President Bush for having the courage of your convictions and not flip-flopping to gain political popularity.
Thank you President Bush for trying to make the lives of the common everyday people better and [sic] by easing our tax burden.
Thank you President Bush for easing governmental restrictions to make small business profitable again.
Thank you President Bush for having FAITH.
Thank you President Bush for keeping control of OUR destiny and not bowing to such organizations as the WTC and UN.
Most of all, thank you for being our President, our leader, our commander and chief. [sic]
John and Sandi Brabb
Colfax
In the spirit of providing equal time for the candidates, I also came across a fabulous video of the Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate via Electric Venom.
Bottom line people- just VOTE! And YES, that IS an order soldier. Sgt Hook out.
This site is a collection of my writings, thoughts, and ramblings and in no way reflects the official positions of the United States Army or the Department of Defense. OPSEC trumps everything.
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In view of a recent tendency to identify characters in fiction with real people, it seems proper to state that there are no real people in this volume: both the characters and their names are ficticious. The names or designations of any military units are ficticious. There are no living people nor existing military units presented in this book.
-Ernest Hemingway
Halfway down the road to hell,
In a shady meadow green,
Are the souls of all dead troopers camped
Near a good old-time canteen.
And this eternal resting place
Is known as Fiddler's Green.
-Author Unknown
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