Dann Todd's 'Dain Bramage'^**

Have You Forgotten.....

While running down a hoax over at Snopes.com, I ran across this speech by Brian Shul, USAF Ret. Brian gave this speech in the weeks following the attacks on American of September 11, 2001.

Like you, I was horrified at the events of September 11th. But I was not totally surprised that such a thing could happen, or that there were people in the world who would perpetrate such deeds, willingly, against us. Having sat through many classified briefings while in the Air Force, I was all too l aware of the threat, and I can assure you, it has always been there in one form or another. And those of you who have served in the defense of this nation, know all too well the response that is needed. In every fighter squadron I was in, there was a saying that we knew to be true, that said, when there was a true enemy, you negotiate with that enemy with your knee in his chest and your knife at his throat.

Many people are unfamiliar with this way of thinking, and shrink from its ramifications. War is such a messy business, and there are many who want no part of it, but rush to bask in the security blanket of its victory.

I spent an entire military career fighting Communism, and was very proud to do so. We won that war, we beat one of the worst scourges to humankind the world has known. But it took a great effort, over many years of sustained vigilance and much sacrifice by so many whose names you will never know. And perhaps our nation, so weary from so long a cold war, relaxed too much and felt the world was a safer place with the demise of the Soviet Union. We indulged ourselves in our own lives, and gave little thought to the threats to our national security.

You know, normally my talks are laced with numerous jokes as I share my stories, but I have very few jokes to tell this afternoon. These murdering fanatics came into our land, lived amongst our people, flew on our planes, crashed them into our buildings, and killed thousands of our citizens. And nowhere along their gruesome path were they questioned or stopped. The joke is on us. We allowed this country to become soft.

We shouldn't really be too surprised that this could happen. Did we really think that we could keep electing officials who put self above nation and this would make us stronger? Did we really think that a strong economy adequately replaced a strong intelligence community? Did we imagine that a President who practically gave away the store on his watch, was insuring national security? While our country was mired in the wasted excess of a White House sex scandal, the drums of war beat loudly in foreign lands, and we were deaf. Our response was to give the man two terms in office, and even then barely half the American public exercised their right to vote. We have only ourselves to blame. Our elected officials are merely a reflection of our own values and what we deem important.

There is more to the speech. For my visitors with leftish politics and for my visitors in the journalism business, Mr. Shul has a few stern criticisms of "liberals" and "journalists". Nothing untoward, but for those that would prefer to avoid the experience, you are forewarned.

I found the rest of his speech to be worth my time. Including a portion where he talks about some young man that had declared that war "just wasn't in his plans". I hope you will enjoy it as well.

by Dann 

|

New Comic

I recently discovered a new comic by the name of "Maintaining". So many people are focused on pigeonholing comic strips that I hesitate to describe it to you. Perhaps it would be best if you sampled a few strips for yourself.

I've been reading it for over a week and find that it is a decent strip.

by Dann 

|

Seating Arrangments

Sherwood had an outstanding post recently. Sort of a reflection on relationships and how we fill one another's lives....until that day comes when we don't any longer and are made more conspicuous by our absence.

My Dad had a large number of "chestnuts" that he would trot out whenever appropriate. This is one of them: "What really makes you feel old isn't gray hair or wrinkles or infirmities -- it's the empty chairs."

I'm certain that you will enjoy the rest of it.

by Dann 

|