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What they’re fighting against

I don’t normally write about politics (and never partisan politics) but a couple of things I’ve run across in my web surfing absolutely demand comment.

The first is this video [1] taken by the cowardly towelhead terrorists who also fired the shot. In this video you see a couple of GIs conducting routine security operations. As the closest GI faces the camera, the raghead bastard fires a shot into the soldier’s chest from an AK (I well recognize that sound). As the title of the video says, Thank God for Ballistic Vests! Thankfully the soldier was fully protected, got up and went for cover. I can only hope that our guys subsequently made camel food out of those snipers.

The second is this item at cyclerides.com [2]. They were conducting a fund raiser to help soldiers injured in Iraq. In particular is the interview with Private Stackhouse in this video [3]. This is young America at its finest. Listen to this soldier talk. He’s educated, erudite and driven. He’s what a volunteer Army produces.

Listen to what he has to say too. Kinda different from what you’re fed by the media, eh? Pay particular attention to how much he and the other soldiers appreciate what folks back home are doing for them, sending them care packages and stuff like that.

For several years at John G’s BBQ, I conducted a little program that turned out to be very effective. I called it “Operation GI-Fone-Home“. It was very simple. I solicited donations from my customers. I matched those donations dollar for dollar. I used that money to buy pre-paid phone cards. They were sent directly to the GIs that needed them, bypassing the bloated professional charity bureaucracies. A chapter of the VFW coordinated the collection of cards, then bundled and shipped them where they needed to go. This was all-volunteer labor and 100% of the donated money bought cards for the GIs.

I had been searching around for some way to help the soldiers without enriching any of the charity industries (Yes, even USO has far too much overhead for my tastes.) Food was out because of the various export restrictions and duties. I had no idea what kind of gadgets might be useful. Then I found out that DOD does NOT provide free calls back home for overseas GIs. It dawned on me that pre-paid cards might just be the universally useful treat. I searched the net and learned that I wasn’t the first to think of that idea.

So while the videos are still fresh in your mind, consider doing something for those guys and gals over there. The phone card is still a great idea. When I was doing it, the AT&T card that Sam’s Club sells was the best deal, both on the initial price and on the relatively low surcharge charged for overseas calls. It’s been a couple of years so check out the current situation before blazing down to your local Sam’s. While I’m at it, guess what two mega-corps would NOT give any discounts on the cards for this project….

John