The following pretty much says it all about our Military and what makes us great in the face of adversity both foreign and domestic:
The Marines just lost a ‘Viking warrior.’ His friends won’t forget him.
The Washington Post Dan Lamothe 5 hrs. ago (o/a 3:30 A.M. 12/ 24/ 2015)
As the danger escalated that summer night in 2009, the Marines made a judgment call: They were better off leaving the Afghan village they had raided than launching a massive gun battle against a team of enemy fighters that had stumbled upon them.
Under fire, the Marines made it back to their vehicles, but as they pulled away, a roadside bomb ripped through a Humvee midway through their convoy of about eight vehicles, said several Marines who witnessed the blast. With a plume of dust and a flash of heat, the explosion launched the armored vehicle at least 30 feet into the air, killing an interpreter and the driver. All four survivors in the vehicle were severely wounded — but none more than Marine Gunnery Sgt. Eden Pearl, who suffered a traumatic brain injury and burns over more than 90 percent of his body.
Pearl, who died at age 40 this week after a six-year battle with his injuries, was said to have been the most severely wounded service member to have fought in the Afghanistan conflict and survived. He persevered through months of painful skin grafts and numerous surgeries, and the loss of both legs and one arm due to infections.
I would suggest the ENTIRE City Council and Department Heads read this article. It will go a long way to explain "Duty, Honor, Country". A must read for anyone who loves their Country. He did!!
See where folks are not happy with the one year Misdemeanor conviction for Mr. Massey as a result of the Court Trial recently held. An article has noted that the Law that could have held Mr. Massey to a much higher standard in various forms has been consistently voted down since 2010. Currently Ms. Capito has been "open" to consider stiffer penalties like felonies for mine safety violations. She voted against the bill in 2010, but no other voting record since was offered. She has to "consider" the need for tougher penalties? Twenty nine (29) people died because of what was or was not happening in the mine. What has SHE been receiving in contributions from the Coal Mining Industry in the past 12 years? Can we ask but what she has been religiously repaying those contributions with the proper votes to shield the Mining Companies?
As an aside, it is almost impossible to find a Law in West Virginia where a person can be convicted of more than a Misdemeanor for a crime. Now I am talking State Law; Mr. Massey was under Federal Law which it seems was not much better. And note the numerous charges he escaped conviction on? I can only ask again, just how cheap are the lives of the people in West Virginia? A whole lot I think?
In Tuesday's posting, I am going to comment on the pre-candidacy filing comments by Mr. Conley in the paper on the 25th. I was going to say some more on it today, but feel more of you will be alert after the 5 pounds of Turkey and other assorted goodies?
US readies New Year push to expel migrants
By Laurent Barthelemy 6 hours ago (2:30 A.M. 12/ 25/2015)
Washington (AFP) - President Barack Obama's administration is planning a vast operation to round up and expel from the United States migrant families who fled drought and violence in Central America, reports said on Thursday.
Any such crackdown would be hugely controversial, with immigration one of the hottest topics in the 2016 presidential campaign, and rights groups expressed grave concern at the deportations.
The flow of families and unaccompanied children crossing into the United States from Mexico slowed this year, but the numbers surged upwards again in October and November.
Several Latin American countries are in the grip of violent lawlessness and the El Nino weather pattern has plunged a number of countries in the region into drought.
The Department of Homeland Security did not dispute anonymously sourced reports in The Washington Post and Wall Street Journal that a crackdown is imminent.
According to the reports, hundreds of families living in the United States whose asylum requests have been denied will be rounded up and sent home.
DHS Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Gillian Christensen told AFP that Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson "has consistently said our border is not open to illegal immigration.
"If individuals come here illegally, do not qualify for asylum or other relief, and have final orders of removal, they will be sent back consistent with our laws and our values."
Refugee rights activists argue the families are fleeing corruption, gang violence and drought in their homelands and should be treated as refugees.
Republican presidential hopefuls including frontrunner Donald Trump -- who took to Twitter to claim credit for the deportations -- are vying for who can promise the toughest stance on immigration.
Trump tweeted: "Wow, because of the pressure put on by me, ICE TO LAUNCH LARGE SCALE DEPORTATION RAIDS. It's about time!"
In contrast, Hillary Clinton's campaign said the Democratic frontrunner has "real concerns."
Clinton "believes it is critical that everyone has a full and fair hearing, and that our country provides refuge to those that need it," read a statement reported in US media. "We should be guided by a spirit of humanity and generosity as we approach these issues.
In the 2015 fiscal year arrests of non-documented migrants crossing the US southern border dropped by a third to the second lowest level since 1972.
The number of children crossing without their relatives -- which surged in 2014 -- was also well down over the period.
But the number of minors and families crossing began to increase again sharply toward the end of 2015, alarming the Department of Homeland Security.
In El Salvador there was a sobering wave of violence this year. Between January and November there were 6,065 homicides, according to the Forensic Medical Institute.
One of El Salvador's top officials for migration issues called the US decision "regrettable."
"We have been informed about the decision of senior US officials to begin deporting family units and non-accompanied minors," said Liduvina Magarin, deputy minister for Salvadorans abroad.
"It is a regrettable decision by the US government (that affects) our Salvadoran families."
In Honduras, there has been a police crackdown but the homicide rate is still expected to be one of the highest in the world this year at 62 per 100,000 inhabitants.
There was a similar spike in killings in Guatemala. In 70 percent of the cases there, firearms were the cause of death.
Compounding matters, many countries around the Pacific rim are facing extreme weather, including drought. Guatemala, Haiti and Honduras are among the worst victims.
One can not help but feel empathy for those living under the threat of death and mayhem as many of those in the Central American Countries do. But, we have obligations to our own that are not being met and as we absorb those who have broken our Laws to get here, they should be as appropriately as possible be returned to where they came from. And of course like everything Mr. Obama does, he gives plenty of notice so very, very few will be found.
One might wonder why the Governments in question do so little with their own Police and Military to stem the issues in their Countries. Welcome to the Latino Countries from South of San Diego and El Paso to the tip of Tierra Del Fuego. The Police and Military if not part of the gangs are bought off or killed off if they try to do their jobs. There is NOTHING we can do to bring Law and order to those places as long as they pretty much all embrace that life style.
And of course we have Climate Change which is 90% the fault of the U.S., so that obligates us to accept these 10s and 100s of thousands of lost souls.
Our World simply put is going to Hell. 'nuff said.