Thoughts on Afghanistan

The two hottest topics on the political horizon right now are health care reform and the war in Afghanistan. While I have definite ideas and opinions on both, the health care debate is not my primary focus right now, so instead I will ponder the war in Afghanistan. I am not really an unbiased party here. I work with the Marine Corps, the Regiment in which I work deployed there earlier this year, and my husband has been deployed there.

One of the popular questions is, “Why are we there?” I don’t know what anyone else’s answer to that one is, but awhile back I met a man who cleared up any doubt I had that we should be. Back in March of 2007 I had the pleasure of meeting three Generals, a Colonel, and a Sergeant Major from the Afghan National Army (ANA). I spoke, or more listened at length, to the Sergeant Major. At the time he was a relatively young man…in his early 30’s I suspect. He had been in the ANA for 5 years and achieved his lofty rank. For those 5 years, he had not been able to live with his wife who was two hours away from his base. His English, while not perfect, was quite clear. He called my husband “Superman” probably because of his size. All the time I sat with the group, he spoke eloquently, passionately and intelligently of the struggles he and his countrymen faced every day. He had never in his life known a time of peace. His father fought with the mujahidin back when the Soviets invaded in the 80’s. When that war was done, his father put down his arms and went back to a “normal” life, starting his own business. Shortly after, another group calling themselves the mujahidin came and began to preach their hatred and evil and take over the country. Women and girls were subjugated and not allowed to show their faces or go to school. His father moved his family to Pakistan where he was educated.

As a Sergeant Major in the ANA then, he earned the equivalent of about $200 a month American. He could make much more as an interpreter, but he chose to fight. I was told he was considered a high value target for the Taliban, because he was a leader and a passionate one. He said that all his people want is to give their children a better life. They want to go to work and to school and shop without worrying about whether they will be killed on the way to and from. They struggle daily against bands of terrorists who make his religion look like a religion of evil and death. He pleaded with us to understand that the Taliban wear turbans and preach death to the infidels while a true Muslim would never condone or encourage killing anyone. He described the struggle the army has keeping soldiers who make around $100 a month and are kept from their families for years. For most, as soon as their enlistments are up, they leave and go back home. He wanted to be sure that we all learned something from his visit since he had also learned a lot being around us.

Upon meeting me, each of the men, the generals included, made sure to tell me that my husband would be safe, and that they were honored to have the team of Marines come to help them. I learned that these men each came from a different tribe, and at one time were fighting each other. They came together and bonded to save their country from terrorists crossing their borders and creating havoc wherever they go. They told us not to believe the news we see here, that they are making progress, and they will win.

Curious about why the Afghans accept our help and presence in their country when they fought so hard against the Soviets, my husband asked what the difference was. The Sergeant Major replied, “You were invited.”

That was two and a half years ago. The Sergeant Major from the ANA whom I met then died last year. We have more troops there, and the Taliban is continuing their reign of terror against the citizens of Afghanistan. Why are we there? We are there in the hopes of helping those citizens gain control of their own lives and help them make the country safe for their children.

Afghanistan is just one more issue where people here are divided along ideological lines. President Obama campaigned that this is where our efforts to combat terrorism should be focused. He sent 8000 Marines there earlier this year, and in early July they initiated an operation to assist in making sure Afghans could vote safely. I spoke to my Commander soon after operations began, and he is convinced they are making a difference. Presently, General McChrystal’s preliminary reports are being reviewed. He is asking for more troops on the ground in Afghanistan. Lately, I have seen and heard politicians who agreed with President Obama during the campaign now starting to backpedal on the idea that this is the war we must fight and, instead, are claiming it is a war we can’t win. I don’t know what all the answers are, but I do know that I have friends there, people whom I treasure. I hate to think that the President, some of our Congressional leaders, and our populace have become weak willed in the face of difficulty. We can succeed there. We must succeed there. We just need leaders who are willing to do so.

(Photo courtesy of SgtMaj Stacy Lehfeldt a dear friend who retires Friday after 25 years of honest and faithful service in the USMC)

Second Chances

Where would each of us be without second chances? We have each had times in our lives where we made poor judgments, bad decisions, and even hurt family or friends in the process. Afterwards, without the grace of God and friends and family, we were able to regain trust, repair relationships and move on. Whether we deserved the grace or not, we took advantage of it and were able to put things behind us.

In the news recently we have NFL quarterback Michael Vick. What he did to fall from grace in the public’s eye was at the very least poor judgment and at the very worst horrific, evil behavior. I lean somewhere more toward the latter in my opinion. As a participant in a dog-fighting ring, he was responsible for the maiming and deaths of many dogs. I am honestly still not sure how personally involved in the actual activities he was. I don’t know whether he provided funding and locales, wagered on results, or whether he actually was present when the dogs were trained and fought. No matter the level of his involvement, I personally hold him responsible for what happened to all those dogs that were maimed or killed during the time of his participation.

Michael Vick served time in prison for his actions. When he was released, though, there was an outcry that he should not be allowed to play in the NFL again. Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner, had a tough decision to make, and in the end, decided to allow him to play. I would not have wanted to be in his position, but I do believe he made the right decision. Don’t get me wrong. I am an animal lover. I believe what Mr. Vick participated in was horrible, cruel and inexcusable. Not only did those dogs die from wounds suffered while fighting each other, they were killed for poor performance in training. The manners in which they were killed at the hands of the humans responsible were also horrendous. I am not sure what has happened to the others involved, but I hope they have paid dearly. Many people still feel he should not be able to play. I totally understand their feelings, emotions, and the rationale behind those thoughts, too. There is the argument that what he did was so unspeakable that he doesn’t deserve to play. There is also the idea that, as a role model for young people, he lost the right to play and serve in that capacity in the NFL.

While I am comfortable with the fact that many will disagree, I have a few thoughts on these matters. Many others in similar positions have paid their debt to society and returned to a productive life. Michael Irvin is one. If my recollection serves me correctly, Mr. Irvin was arrested and charged with cocaine possession at least twice during his career as a football player and then as a sports analyst. On each occasion he paid his debt to society and to the NFL and was permitted to reclaim a career. Since then he has been inducted to the NFL Hall of Fame. Ray Lewis was also indicted for murder and aggravated assault in the connection with the death of two men following and argument after a Super Bowl party. Because trial testimony against him was deemed inconclusive, the murder charges were dropped. Mr. Lewis plead to obstruction of justice, testified against his companions during the time of the murder, served one year of probation, and paid a fine of $250,000 to the NFL. He was allowed to return to his career and has even regained his reputation and endorsements. Countless celebrities (Robert Downey Jr., Wynonna Ryder, Tim Allen to name a few) have been charged with any number of crimes from drug use, drug possession and drunk driving to tax evasion and shoplifting. All have been permitted to serve time, pay fines, and return to their careers, most rather successfully. I understand these crimes are not as heinous as dog fighting and the result of that, but all in all they are still criminal activities which people have been permitted to rise above.

It also occurs to me is to ask, what if it were a garbage collector who was guilty of the same offense as Mr. Vick? Would we mind his returning to collecting garbage? What if an accountant did it? What if it were an insurance salesman, car salesman, plumber or any other average, every day person? Should he or she be prevented from making a living at what he is skilled at after paying his fine and debt to society? The difference is Mr. Vick has a high profile, high paying career. We are keenly aware of his crime because of that. If any of those others committed such a crime, we might not know. But because he is an NFL star, his fall from grace was big news. Is it fair to prevent his making a living at what he does best? I don’t think so. Whether he can make that living is up to the viewers, fans, and Mr. Vick himself. As long as he performs well and wins games, I expect Philadelphia fans will accept him. I probably won’t watch him, but I am not an Eagles fan and wouldn’t have watched anyway. Time will tell. For their sake team management should ensure that he stays out of trouble and should probably also provide opportunities to help him repair his reputation publically. Hopefully, he learned from this experience. Hopefully, he can speak to the lessons learned and build on that to improve awareness of the plight of dogs at the hands of these fight promoters. Hopefully, he doesn’t return to his old ways. In the meantime, I trust that parents can help their children learn a lesson about what happens when someone commits a crime. I also hope they can help their children find other suitable role models. There are plenty out there even though they may not have such high profile careers.

When all is said and done, I believe in second chances. I have had a few in my lifetime. I am willing to accept that Mr. Vick gets this one. I hope he doesn’t waste it.

FYI

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Trace

Pet peeves

We all have them. Those little things people do that just get under our skin. For some hearing one or seeing one of them can just ruin their days. Me, I get a little irritated then move on.

1. Inconsiderate drivers…you know the type. When you are trying to change lanes or merge, these bozos speed up to prevent you from making the move. How about those who pass you on the highway or interstate then cut you off only to exit as soon as they do? There ought to be a law! Tailgaters…. no explanation necessary. People who drive too slow in the left lane. Then there are those who keep turning left across traffic even though the green turn signal has already gone from yellow to red. My husband figures all these folks must brain surgeons rushing to get to their next emergency surgery. Just so you know, Virginia Beach has a BUNCH of brain surgeons.

2. . Incorrect grammar…either spoken or written. Unfortunately, these days, I must turn a deaf ear and blind eye to this one, or I would be going crazy. There is nothing worse than reading an application, letter, report or resume with misspelled words, misplaced or missing punctuation, improper verb tense or pronoun agreement. Some days I wonder if schools even teach grammar any more. I sure hope my spell and grammar check works!

3. Youngsters who don’t say yes ma’am, no ma’am, yes sir and no sir. I have heard that this is a Southern practice, and that our neighbors to the North consider these phrases to be somewhat derogatory and use them sarcastically. All I can say to that is thank goodness I was raised as a proper Southern Belle. There is something to be said for that good old Southern charm and gentility.

4. Northerners who come south to benefit from the lower cost of living and then complain about the slow pace of life or constantly speak of how much better things are where they came from. If you’re not happy go home. We like it the way it is.

5. People who won’t give way when walking toward you on a narrow passage or sidewalk. I can’t tell you how many times I have been nearly knocked over or at least had to veer off a path, because someone walking toward me wouldn’t turn a little or slow down as I did so we both can get by.

6. People who don’t say please and thank you…a forgotten courtesy.

7. Anyone, anywhere who won’t give up a seat, or at least offer to, for an elderly person or someone who definitely needs a seat more than they do.

8. Anyone who breaks in line.

9. Politicians whose only goal is to get re-elected every term. They change their ideals, stances, and even party affiliation as often as I change my sheets.

Anyone ever heard of Arlen Spector? Jim Jeffords? Michael Bloomberg?

10. Any mention of Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Brittany Spears, or Madonna on a newscast.

11. Al Franken.

Most of these are pretty easy to live with, but one of my biggest pet peeves is what I consider the misuse of the words courage and bravery. Someone who stands in front of a crowd to tell jokes or takes on a controversial role in a movie isn’t brave or courageous. These are skills that are honed and perfected over time. A black man giving a speech about dreams of racial equality in front of a crowd of people who would just as soon see him dead because of the color of his skin is courageous. Jumping off a bridge attached to a bungee chord isn’t brave or courageous. It is thrill seeking. Jumping out of an airplane attached to a parachute in the dead of night into a desert full of terrorists with RPG’s, IED’s, and whose sole purpose in life is to kill you; that’s courage. Admitting an addiction isn’t brave or courageous. It is certainly scary, but not courageous. Frankly, in our society it is probably more of a status symbol to have a stint in rehab under your belt…especially for Hollywood types. Standing up to an overbearing boss might be nerve wracking and difficult but not brave or courageous. Standing down a tank to protest the lack of freedom in your society is brave and courageous. Riding a roller coaster, watching a scary movie…not brave or courageous. Seeing a fellow Marine, soldier or other service member killed in action and then recovering his lifeless body while under enemy fire is truly the epitome of courage and bravery. Driving a racecar 200 miles an hour around an oval racetrack… risky behavior certainly, and obviously, it takes nerves of steel, but I do not consider it courageous especially when the pay off for winning is so financially rewarding. Sitting on top of a rocket whose engines are full of highly combustible fuel ready to be launched into space for the first time in history, knowing you could fry on the launch pad or burn up on reentry; definitely courageous.

I could go on, but you get the point. I am sure a dictionary definition would contradict some of my examples. In my mind, though, courage or bravery should be used to describe an act performed that risks one’s life and limb to save another or to advance a cause that betters humanity without expectation of recognition or financial reward. I don’t much care what the dictionary says. This is Tracieland, and what I say goes!

Queen of “As Seen on TV”

We’ve all seen them…infomercials, those half hour commercials selling anything and everything under the sun to make your life better, your wrinkles go away, your housework easier, your wallet fuller. You flip through the channels late at night while your spouse is snoring away beside you keeping you from getting back to sleep. You stop on one to see Vince exclaiming that Sham Wows are “made in Germany. You know the Germans. They always make good stuff!” Or extolling the virtues of the Slap Chop saying “you’re going to love my nuts!” And then you are hooked.

You know in your head that all the claims just can’t be true, but for $19.95 you can make breakfast to go by slap chopping a boiled egg, a mushroom and some ham!! Yum, yum! Or repair your torn flag and watch it hold together in STORM FORCE WINDS! Who could resist?!

Perhaps this explains the fact that I own just about everything advertised “As Seen on TV.” I get sucked in. I don’t know how it happens, but I watch these things a few times telling myself it can’t work as advertised, and then suddenly it’s on my doorstep. Lets take an inventory…

Sham Wow…got it.

The steam mop…got it

The hand held steam cleaner… got it

Mighty Mend It…got it

Those miracle hangers…got it

The Iron Gym…got it

Exercise Bands…got it

The Titan Peeler…got it

Oxy Clean and KABOOM(before they were mainstream)…got it.

QRB-Quickly Restores Beauty…got it

Ab Lounger…got it

Ab Roller…got it

Space bags, furniture moving disks, Pedi Paws, Cindy Crawford’s Meaningful Beauty, P90X…got it, got it, got it, got it, and GOT IT!!!!

Maybe it would be easier if I listed what I haven’t bought…Houston, we have a problem. No. Wait. I have not bought a Topsy Turvy or a Magic Bullet. I also did not buy a Slap Chop but that was probably because I already had the Pampered Chef version.

Before you diagnose me as a compulsive shopper or maybe just a gullible idiot, let me tell you that I use all these things, and they each worked for me as advertised except maybe the hand held steam cleaner , QRB, and Pedi Paws. The first two actually work, but just not as spectacularly as on TV. Pedi Paws is my only really bad purchase. The dogs wouldn’t let me near them with it.

Sham Wows are the best kitchen cloths ever. I even bought sets for Christmas gifts. The steam mop is a dream come true…clean floors no chemicals. Mighty Mend It is perfect for those hem jobs I hate. Love the hangers. Space bags work. We still use the furniture moving disks. Meaningful Beauty actually made a difference…if you didn’t know how old I was how old would you think I am??? The Ab Lounger and Ab Roller got me back exercising again. The Iron Gym is helping me master a pull up (uh, yes, I did say a pull up….as in 1). I use the exercise bands while I do my P90X workout, which has worked miracles on my body…really!! The Titan Peeler is absolutely the best of them all. I have actually peeled a pineapple with it. I even gave my daughter one for Christmas!

Seriously, I have been lucky. And even for the ones that didn’t work out, I only spent $19.95 plus shipping and handling. My Aunt Betty says I inherited this tendency from my grandmother. I don’t remember that about her. Shoot I didn’t even know she had a TV. My Dad did have a glasscutter and rock polisher. I seem to remember a whole set of glasses cut from those green bottles of Tom Collins mix he always had dozens of. He was the only one who would drink from them, though. The rest of us were afraid of drinking glass slivers. And then there were all those shiny rocks just lying around the utility room. I’d look at them and think, “How pretty.” Even so my brothers don’t buy this stuff, and I don't think any of the cousins do either. Therefore I am not convinced it is an inherited trait.

Oops, wait a minute…my daughter bought a Snuggie…uh oh!

Class and No Class

Have you ever seen someone do something and think “Wow! No class, that one!” In the last few days I have read or heard about a few incidents which made me think that about a couple of famous folks largely revered by young people and by one of our very own U.S. Congressman.

The first incident came about during the President’s speech to a joint session of Congress last week. Republican Congressman Joe Wilson, in response to President Obama’s comments about whether or not illegal aliens would be served in his Health Care proposal, shouted out “You Lie!” No class. I don’t know Congressman Wilson, but from what I can gather this was out of character for him. He claims to have been swept up in emotion and frustration over a statement, which he claimed was false according to his reading of the bill in question. I don’t much care what his reason was; he exhibited rude, inappropriate behavior with that outburst. Nothing could justify it. No class.

The next incident involved tennis icon Serena Williams. Miss Williams is and has been a force of nature in women’s tennis since she was a teenager. Saturday she verbally attacked a lineswoman over a called foot fault at a crucial time in her semi final match at the U.S. Open. I didn’t see the episode live but have watched every video I could find. While I could not make out every word she said, I did hear and see her say, “… I would stuff this expletive ball down your expletive throat!” No Class. Once again frustration and emotion was blamed for the outburst. Yes, I know the call might have been wrong. Many commentators claim the call was inappropriate at that point in a match. None of these things matter. It was inappropriate, classless behavior.

The last incident occurred at the VMA awards. Mind you I don’t make a habit of watching the VMA awards. I am not sure I even know what VMA stands for, but I have seen the video of the event. Kanye West hijacked Taylor Swift’s acceptance remarks for her video award, shouting that Beyonce had the best video in the world. The insinuation was that Beyonce was robbed. Certainly, he can have his opinion, and he may have been right, but to steal that moment from another artist was rude, highly inappropriate and… all together now…NO CLASS!!!

Now each of the three has apologized. We all have our own opinions on whether the apologies were sincere or manufactured to achieve some semblance of damage control to each of their reputations and future revenue capabilities. That discussion is for another time.

At this point, I could make all kinds of leaps of logic and speculate on what has happened to our society to make these outbursts such common and every day occurrences. There must be something in their upbringing or TV or movies making people behave in such ways. But then I saw evidence that these are individual acts perpetrated by three individuals and probably cannot be explained away with such broad strokes. I saw the look on Beyonce’s face when Mr. West made a spectacle of himself. She seemed stunned and almost embarrassed. I saw her later explaining that she remembered how it felt to be 17 and contend for a VMA award with Destiny’s Child. She recounted what a special moment that was for her. And instead of making her own acceptance speech, I saw Beyonce call Taylor Swift back out on stage so she could have her special moment. This woman, this artist comes from the same generation, probably watches the same TV and movies as those who acted so shamefully. What’s the difference? The plain and simple truth is Beyonce has class! I am now a fan.

CH-CH_CH-Chia!

If you haven’t been under a rock for the last 20 years, you’ve seen the commercials. They start around Thanksgiving for something called a Chia pet. It is a clay animal figurine, which when wetted down and spread with some kind of seed goo, grows a grass like plant that makes it look like the animal has sprouted a fur coat. Well, lately I have seen a commercial for something called Chia Obama. It is a clay bust, actually two versions, of our President Obama. If you spread the seed goo on it’s head, grass will sprout and “hair” will grow. He appears to grow an afro. Now some will see this as an innovative profit maker and a perfect example of capitalism at it’s best, someone taking an already supposedly successful idea and tweaking it to take advantage of the popularity of our new President. Some, like my husband who is not a fan of our President, think it is funny. Then there are those who love the idea of hope and change and will buy anything with the likeness of their idol. I am sure the makers of this product are hoping to appeal to each of these groups.

Then there is someone like me. I find this product curious and troubling. I find the fact that someone thought of this and then decided it was, in fact, a good idea symbolizes a lack of respect for things most people of my generation used to revere...let's say the office of the President. Now mind you, I didn’t vote for President Obama, and I do not agree with much of what he is trying to accomplish, but I do respect the fact that he is the President. He is the leader of the most powerful nation in the entire world! What does it say to the rest of the world that some of us spend our dollars to choose between a “happy” Obama and a “thoughtful” Obama on which to grow a grass afro?

I thought maybe it was a joke, but I typed in www.chiaobama into my yahoo search engine, and there it was. Try it.

I started thinking and wondering where this attitude of what I consider disrespect all started. For me you can trace this trend back to the old TV series “Laugh In” when Richard Nixon went on and popped out of a door and said “Sock it to me?” Later the downward spiral continues when the Presidential campaign gurus of former President Bill Clinton had him appear on MTV. In a student town hall type gathering, he was asked the question “Boxers or Briefs?” The fact that a young lady asked the question was shameful, but that he answered even more so. He then appeared on Arsenio Hall’s late night talk show playing the saxophone. In the 2008 campaign, Senator Obama appeared on Jay Leno’s Tonight Show as did Senator McCain. Suddenly, it became all right and even desirable for potential Presidents to hawk their candidacy like used car salesmen. Even since being elected I seem to remember President Obama appearing on the Tonight Show. Now this is a show which has Hollywood actors, bad comedians, segments on how completely ignorant average people on the street are, inane skits, and all other means of “entertainment” for the masses. Is this the forum in which we want the world to view our President? Lately, I have seen President Obama in a commercial urging comedian George Lopez to make a move to late night television. I have no idea if this was edited to look like he is there with Mr. Lopez or not, but the result is the same. Our President is in a commercial promoting a comedian…and not a very funny one at that!

My husband would tell me to “Lighten up Frances!” but things like this just irritate me. The office and the man deserve a certain amount of respect. The President is charged with commanding it. In order for that to happen, he must exhibit some sort of reverence for the office himself. Only then will this translate to gaining the respect they deserve from the rest of us. It is President Obama who can change this, and I hope that he does.

Well, well, well, how about that? Maybe there is something to this change and hope stuff after all!