Support the Troops

What I'm Thinkin';

Support the troops. Absolutely.

I was reminiscing about the Vietnam War this past Veterans Day. When those troops came home the were called murderers and baby killers. Can you imagine that? Horror in war, horror at home.

How does one find themselves in a war? Some people volunteered, some were drafted, some were doing their duty because the loved their country, and others had no prospects or were going to jail if they did not join. Quite a mix. One thing for sure; most had unexpected experiences, things they never imagined when the bullets started flying and the bombs were bursting all around them. War is far more than a 2 hr t.v. show or movie.

One thing I know for sure is not one of us reading this blog, can know what it was like to participate in something like the Hill 937 (Hamburger Hill), unless you were there. Hamburger Hill was only 10 days in the Vietnam war, which lasted years.

There could be veterans reading this who have experienced war. Only those who have been in battle are in a position to talk about it, the rest of us should only show compassion for those who have been there.

Not all soldiers like war. Probably the vast majority hate it once they are under fire. They wish they were far from where they find themselves. Yet, they fight hard for their brother next to them. Those who are wounded cry out for their mother. Those who survive cry for those who did not. War is ugly.

My cousin has a son who served in Iraq. He drove the brass around. One day the media was coming to their area and the brass told my cousin's son not to talk to the media. Why? Because after what he experienced he had other opinions about what was going on in Iraq and his statements would not line up with what "they" want the American people to hear.

I do support the troops. I do not support their mission. I do not blame them for what they are ordered to do. They are soldiers they will carry out their orders as those in my generation did in Vietnam.

There are those who think that if you do not support the war you do not support the troops. That is just not true. I'm Thinkin' there is a huge difference between the two.

Sincerely,

Timothy James Maki

McCain vs Obama: Pro Life, Pro Choice, and War

What I'm Thinkin';

I do not understand how those who are against abortion can support a war.

John McCain intends to continue the "Bush" war in Iraq. In December 2005 Mr. Bush announced that approximately 30,000 Iraq civilians had been killed in the war. Currently the civilian death toll has been estimated at 655,000. Mr. Bush and his Administration have stated this number is to high, but they do not know nor do they want to know the real number of civilians killed.

Pro-life fights for what is believed to be the life of an unborn child, very noble. But then to have little to nothing to say about an estimated 655,000 people, who were definitely living human beings, being killed by our bombs and bullets in Iraq?

Pro-life condemns abortions. Yet, I never hear pro-lifes concern about civilians killed in war. What is even more bewildering to me? I meet pro-life advocates who support war!

Since the Vietnam war the US has only counted its own casulties in war. We do not number the enemy killed or civilians. Why? Because this helps to create the illusion of our own righteousness. Without hearing the "bad stuff", we imagine that only the bad guys are being killed. You know, like the "smart bomb", it is shown to us like it only kills the enemy. This is not true. War is not clean. War is very dirty. We even kill our own troops in "friendly fire". How much more the civilian who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, or we just hit the wrong target? We will hear little to nothing about it.

Abortion may be killing; some say it is, others say it is not. I think we all could agree war kills people, including civilians.

There is a difference between Obama and McCain when it comes to life. McCain supports war and Obama supports "choice" for abortion. Choice does not mean a women "must" have an abortion. It means they have a choice. In war civilians do not have "choice", they just die.

I have to say, if Christians spent as much time evangelizing as they do fighting over abortion there would be more women choosing "life", because of their faith. I would suggest instead of calling people murderers that they tell people God loves them and Jesus died for their sins. I would not even mention abortion, the Holy Spirit will take care of that.

Civilians are the greatest casualty of war. Babies, kids, women, elderly.... it does not matter. Remember Japan? The Bomb? Or how about London in WWII? In the country where the war is happening civilians die.

I hear most Americans oppose the war in Iraq. Does this stop the war? No. In this respect we are the same as other countries; when political leaders want war there will be a war, even if the citizens of that country do not want the war.

I am sad over 4,000 Americans have lost their lives in Iraq.

We are the most advanced war machine in the world: if we lost 4,000 soldiers I wonder how many innocent Iraq civilians have really died? You know, the ones we went to liberate.

Sincerely,

Timothy James Maki

Amnesia of the Masses

What I'm Thinkin';

It was not very long ago when there was a huge push to invest Social Security funds in the stock market. Remember? It was early in 1999, not even 10 years ago.

I am compelled to write about this with the current state of the Stock Market. Imagine for a moment if Social Security funds were invested in this mess.

The real tragedy is that "we the people" forget so quickly. Amnesia.

That was a narrow escape. A wake up call. When are we going to learn; wherever there is money, thieves want to steal it. They missed getting the Social Security funds so they just came another way.

700 Billion dollars. Now I hear that 700 Billion is not going to fix whatever is broken. I knew that, a gut feeling. Many people did. Those who "really" knew (the economists) could not stop it. Why? Because they could not be heard above the screams and cries, "we must act now or all will be lost!"

"Fear economics"; will happen again.

I wonder if we will have amnesia when the thieves come back for more? I hope not.

Sincerely,

Timothy James Maki

Politicians; Representatives or Servers

What I'm Thinkin';

I hear politicians say they want to "serve" the people.

I need a representative.

These are not the same.

We have been "served" a bailout.

Had we the people been "represented" we would not have a bailout.

We continue to be "served" the war in Iraq. Yet the vast majority of people do not support the war in Iraq. Where is our "representation"?

Fear driven politics are very popular in these modern times, not to mention the hurry hurry hurry tactics. Swindlers and con men use these same techniques to trick people out of there life savings.

I would like a "representative" who actually did what the majority of the average people want. I say this even if I am not in the majority.

We often hear we, the United States of America, are a democracy. We are NOT. We are a Republic.

In a Democracy everyone votes on every issue. In a Republic a "Representative" is selected to represent the people.

In my opinion we are a Republic without representation.

Sincerely,

Timothy James Maki