Memorial Day
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WAR SUCKS
For Memorial Day 2008, TouchArt.net's Charleen Touchette
talks about war and its immeasurable costs to the world.
Touchette, a mother of 4 adult children asks us to stop war
and work for peace and justice.
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from TouchArt.net and OneEarthblog.blogspot.com For Memorial Day 2008, TouchArt.net's Charleen Touchette talks about war and its immeasurable costs to the world. ... more -
The Gritty: NYC PHOTO DIARY- Stunning street shots
Stefano Giovannini has spent the last few years documenting daily life in New York City. Every week or so a few of his friends are fortunate to receive an email reporting his latest adventure. Stefano Giovannini has spent the last few years documenting daily life in New York City. Every week or so a few of his friends are for... more
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What we should remember on this Memorial Day
How unfortunate that we have a need for such a day, especially since “War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.” So stated Major General Smedley D. Butler, USMC, the most decorated Marine in US history.
We should remember that war is neither about honor, duty, justice or peace. War is about money, greed, power, and death and destruction. It is about sacrificing our children to propagate fear. How unfortunate that we have a need for such a day, especially since “War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, ... more -
This Year's Memorial Day Picture
Sample picture:: ^^^
I cried when I saw this picture. Truly heartbreaking....
Here's the link to the FULL picture: >>>>>>
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3012/2522544597_6a5ff3e1... Sample picture:: ^^^ I cried when I saw this picture. Truly heartbreaking.... ... more -
Leslie Marmon Silko's CEREMONY Describes American Indian Rituals to Heal Retu...
Leslie Marmon Silko got the MacArthur Genius Award in 1981. Her brilliant novel CEREMONY (1977) weaves stories of Pueblo life, uranium mining,her own Laguna Pueblo, American Indian World War II and Viet Nam War veterans and Pueblo and Navajo ceremony, into a novel that is easily one of the 5 best of all time.
More at - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Marmon_Silko
CEREMONY has vivid descriptions of American Indian rituals that reintergrate returning soldiers back into the community. Silko illuminates the central position of respect American Indian veterans and soldiers hold in tribal communities across the Americas.
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from TouchArt.net and OneEarthBlog.blogspot.com
for Memorial Day 2008 in honor of all the American Indian veterans and soldiers across Indian Country with gratitude for their bravery, service and dedication to protecting our people and land for tens of thousands of years since way before 1492. Leslie Marmon Silko got the MacArthur Genius Award in 1981. Her brilliant novel CEREMONY (1977) weaves stories of Pueblo life, uranium... more -
I'm Just Saying: Hillary has a "Huckabee" moment
Larry Fowler's weekly broadcast: I'm Just saying, explores Hillary, Sex in the Military, John McCain and Bush vs. Gore fatigue. Larry Fowler's weekly broadcast: I'm Just saying, explores Hillary, Sex in the Military, John McCain and Bush vs. Gore fati... more
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Coming home: US soldiers struggle in civilian life
In 2003, Jon was leading a unit of 20 US soldiers in Afghanistan in the "war on terror". Today he is heavily in debt, unemployed and homeless in Los Angeles.
As millions prepare to pay tribute to US veterans for Memorial Day on May 26, the case of this 44-year-old former platoon sergeant, and growing numbers of others like him, highlights the enduring problems faced by soldiers as they attempt to adjust to civilian life.
It is not a new phenomenon: tens of thousands of soldiers returning from fighting in the jungles of Vietnam during the 1960s and 70s found it equally hard to rebuild their lives. Today Vietnam veterans continue to make up the bulk of the estimated 150,000 soldiers who are homeless.
Yet there are striking differences between the returning soldiers from Vietnam and today's modern conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Anthony Belcher, a Vietnam veteran, notes that soldiers from his war returned to face widespread opprobium from a public that were disgusted by US involvement in the conflict. "Soldiers from my generation were ostracized," Belcher told AFP. By contrast, US veterans of the post-9/11 campaigns are routinely hailed as heroes, regardless of the unpopularity of the war in Iraq.
Yet the age-old problems remain. And for many, their ultimate destination upon return to the US is a familiar one: the street.
Jon, who enlisted with the National Guard in order to help pay for his education, never once had to fire his weapon in Afghanistan. Yet the stress of being responsible for the men under his command weighed heavily.
"I was stressed by the fact that something could have happened. I had to worry about the lives of the 20 people I was in charge of," he says.
After returning to his home in California, Jon says he lived in a state of euphoria for several months before slipping into a depression which eventually led to him drinking heavily.
Before long he was struggling to make repayments on his car loan, had been evicted from his lodgings and was unable to find a job.
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Regardless of how you feel about war, the treatment those returning from them get in this country is shameful. 150,000 homeless veterans... sleeping in the streets of America. Disgraceful. In 2003, Jon was leading a unit of 20 US soldiers in Afghanistan in the "war on terror". Today he is heavily in debt, unempl... more -
earthfest boston
Presented by Whole Foods Market and free to the public, the 15th Annual Radio 92.9 EarthFest is a celebration for the Earth featuring great music, family-friendly activities and showcase a host of environmentally friendly products and non-profit organizations Presented by Whole Foods Market and free to the public, the 15th Annual Radio 92.9 EarthFest is a celebration for the Earth featuring... more
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indy 500 parade
Celebrating 51 years of tradition, the IPL 500 Festival Parade will return to the streets of downtown Indianapolis on Saturday, May 24, 2008. Celebrating 51 years of tradition, the IPL 500 Festival Parade will return to the streets of downtown Indianapolis on Saturday, May 24... more
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Memorial Day 2008: Soldiers
Soldiers at Camp Pendleton Kyle Fenton, Corey Crawford, Eileen Donovan, and Christopher Hagan share what Memorial Day means to them.
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Memorial Day 2008: Taps
At the VA memorial cemetery in Westwood, CA Private First Class Vidal Cantu performs taps at a funeral of a fallen soldier.
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Memorial Day 2008: Kaj
Kaj Larsen opens our memorial day special with a personal story from his Navy Seals experience. He visits the memorial in San Jose of 11 Navy Seals that died in combat in 2002, and shares his personal memories of those men. Kaj Larsen opens our memorial day special with a personal story from his Navy Seals experience. He visits the memorial in San Jose of ... more
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Memorial Day 2008: Navy Captain
Chief operations Specialist, Joseph Mitchell at a Naval Base in San Diego takes a moment to appreciate the freedom of the United States and those that lost their life to help protect it. Chief operations Specialist, Joseph Mitchell at a Naval Base in San Diego takes a moment to appreciate the freedom of the United State... more
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Memorial Day 2008: Vietnam Veteran
Vietnam Veteran Ramon Rodriguez, Special Forces, takes time at the National Guard Armory to give tribute to and remember his fellow soldiers. Vietnam Veteran Ramon Rodriguez, Special Forces, takes time at the National Guard Armory to give tribute to and remember his fellow so... more
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Memorial Day 2008: Marine
Douglas McGill of Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton shares what his fellow marines have done for our country.
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Memorial Callout For Our Loved Ones
To remember those who have served who were those we loved, and to remember those lost but never forgotten.
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Green BBQ tips just in time for Memorial Day weekend
Not only that yummy guacamole will be green. Here are some nice (grill, mostly) tips.
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Senate Passes No-Strings War Funding Bill
While the future commander of U.S. military operations throughout South Asia and the Middle East assured lawmakers Thursday that the situation in Iraq is continuing to improve, the U.S. Senate approved an additional 165 billion dollars today to fund wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan at least through next winter.
The bill, which was approved by a margin of 70 to 26, did not impose any new conditions on how the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush, who leaves office next January, can spend the money, much to the disappointment of Democrats and some Republicans who had worked hard in recent weeks to attach amendments to the appropriation.
But, pressed by both the White House and the Pentagon to approve the bill without conditions by Memorial Day — the national holiday that honours fallen war veterans — the Democratic leadership decided against a major fight with the administration over control of Iraq policy at this time.
Earlier this week, the Senate Appropriations Committee had approved a package of amendments, including one that would have required the administration to gain prior Congressional approval for any future security deals with Iraq’s government. Senators rejected the package, however, in a 63-34 vote.
“We can’t help but note the irony that, as the Senate leaves for its Memorial Day recess, they have ensured the needless deaths of hundreds of soldiers and thousands of innocent Iraqis by voting to expand the war and occupation for another full year,” said Michael McPhearson, co-chair of United for Peace and Justice, an anti-war group, after the vote.
“How many more fallen service men and women will we honour next year?” asked McPhearson, who also serves as executive director of Veterans for Peace.
Before passing the entire bill, however, the Senate approved an amendment by a veto-proof margin of 75-22 that would add nearly 50 billion dollars in education and other benefits for veterans.
The Senate version of the appropriations bill is expected to be taken up by the House of Representatives immediately after the Memorial Day recess in early June.
As currently drafted, the pending House version of the bill contains a number of constraints on the president’s freedom of action in Iraq, including a restriction on his authority to negotiate long-term security deals with Iraq that would commit Washington to defend Iraq in the face of “external and internal threats”.
But whether those constraints will survive action on the floor of the House when the bill comes up for debate remains unclear.
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Shameful. Playing politics with peoples' lives. While the future commander of U.S. military operations throughout South Asia and the Middle East assured lawmakers Thursday that the s... more -
Barack to visit veteran grandfather's grave on Memorial Day
I just wanted to remind people where Barack comes from. Working class normal good people. I love the picture of him playing with his grandfather. I just wanted to remind people where Barack comes from. Working class normal good people. I love the picture of him playing with his g... more
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What Memorial Day Means to Me
To me Memorial Day is a time to reflect and to remember the men and women in the armed forces that have gone before us and have in some cases given the ultimate sacrifice to secure our freedoms... To me Memorial Day is a time to reflect and to remember the men and women in the armed forces that have gone before us and have in som... more
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Memorial Day
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Memorial Day
