Montford Point Marines: Semper Fi

“A man has no control of where he is born, or to whom he is born, or the color of his skin.

He may have no control in how or where he dies.

But he has complete control of the life lived during that time in the middle:  between when he, or she is born and when he, or she dies.

This is the time we are given to discover what matters most, and to live one’s life accordingly.”

The opening remarks of Dr. Ozell Sutton, spoken slowly in  distinctive deep baritone, set the tone for a stirring, heartfelt, and remarkable acceptance speech given as the 2103 recipient of the Hiram R. Revels Achievement Award, at the celebration of Founders Day 2013, Alcorn State University.

The Revels Award is the highest award granted by the University to an individual whose life exhibits tenacity, fortitude, and excellence.  One of the original Montford Point Marines, and recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, Dr. Sutton discovered at an early age what mattered most, evidenced by the decisions he has made and actions he has taken throughout his life as a journalist, a civil rights pioneer, and a distinguished career at the US Department of Justice.

Ms, Carla Williams, Ms. Dwantra Anderson and I had the opportunity to meet and speak with Dr. Sutton after the ceremony. I asked him about Monford Point.  His eyes became misty as he recalled friends and places;  Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, Bougainville; distant in time, but forever a part of his legacy.  I think it may have been his experience as a US Marine that prevailed upon his very soul the absolute value and importance of equality and justice, as well as the importance of pursuing those ideals with passion.

… tenacity … fortitude … excellence …  Dr. Ozell Sutton.  Semper Fidelis

By the way, I will be adding this book to my reading list.  “From Yonder to Here”: A Memoir of Dr. Ozell Sutton.

It’s a Bird, it’s a Plane, it’s …

Impotent Rage  —  The Liberal Superhero !!!

In yer face liberal satire.  Funny stuff.

. h/t rayra

Sooner puts Baltimore Sun to shame

from The Truth About Guns

Sky Woodward, an OU grad, takes the Baltimore Sun to task for their anti-2nd Amendment screed, published last week as an editorial.  Here is Ms Woodward’s letter; savor every word, for it is good!

After reading “Badly targeted gun gripes,” the editorial published in the Sept. 10 edition of The Baltimore Sun, any reasonably objective person would be left asking the following question: Is this an editorial from the editorial board of The Sun? It appears to be. It purports to be. But is it, really? If it is, then The Sun ought to reconsider the distinction between “editorial” and “polemic” (to say nothing of the distinction between “editorial” and “rant”). You should be embarrassed for publishing something this unprofessional. Glib, smug, sanctimonious and unsupported commentary like this is probably the single biggest factor in the decline of the prestige and relevance of the print press in general and The Sun in particular. As with any issue, there are always points to be made on both sides. The Sun simultaneously fails to make these points while reinforcing its reputation as a shrill mouthpiece for Maryland state government propaganda . . .

A point-by-point refutation of your editorial would be an exercise in futility, given the absurdity and manifest condescension of many of your statements. You demonstrate a total absence of professionalism throughout the editorial, beginning with your very first sentence, characterizing the debate over Maryland’s undisputed delays in processing background checks for prospective purchasers as “crying.” You go from there to label Marylanders who want to exercise their constitutional right to purchase and possess firearms as paranoid in an obvious attempt to relegate gun owners and would-be purchasers to the fringe of society, even though the number of applications alone is clear evidence that such a characterization is as intellectually dishonest as it is transparently dismissive.

Finally, you say that average gun owners “probably aren’t all that worked up by the backlog….” “Probably?” If the average gun owner or would-be gun owner is relying upon The Sun for information about the security breach inherent in the state’s decision to allow employees outside of the Maryland State Police to help process background checks, he or she would remain woefully uninformed and thus unlikely to have feelings, strong or otherwise. I read The Sun as a daily subscriber — print and electronic — yet the only news coverage of this issue was buried deep in an article Saturday evening covering “a small group” rallying in Baltimore to call on Congress to reduce gun violence.

Had The Sun actually investigated the story, it might have learned that the personal information of handgun applicants scattered around to various government agencies for input included their home addresses, drivers license numbers and Social Security numbers. Instead, the editorial board of The Sun feels so strongly about this issue that it pushes its opinion that gun owners would be paranoid to care about state functionaries tossing such deeply personal identifiers around like Frisbees rather than fairly cover that news event and let the public decide for themselves. Shameful.

If The Sun ever is willing to publish an editorial bereft of this unprofessional sarcasm that dealt with the actual issues at stake with respect to the backlog of unprocessed background checks, the Maryland State Police’s ineffectual efforts over the past few years to deal with that backlog, and what that portends for the looming October 1 implementation date of the Firearms Safety Act of 2013, perhaps then a dialogue might be fostered and your readers may be rewarded.

Instead, you have published a churlish screed totally devoid of journalistic integrity. The Sun should be held to a higher standard, and Maryland and its citizens deserve a better newspaper, or at least a better effort from the paper they have. You have the audacity to write about hidden agendas. To which one can only reply, really?

Sky Woodward, Towson

Thank you, ma’am.  I couldn’t have done it better, myself.

Truly!

Nuke

.h/t Havoc

Monday thoughts

Romans 1: 19-20

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

 
Luke 6:35

…do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again;

 

The video which follows was produced in Thailand, “The Land of the Free.”

 
If I ever needed evidence of  “that which may be known of God is manifest in them,”   it is presented here.

Certainly, the Spirit of the Gospel is alive and well in southeast Asia.

The video is poignant, thought-provoking, and extremely well-made.  Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

NCAA Football Week Three~Bumbling-Fumbling-Stumbling

Most expected to win the first two weeks have won, while others expected to win have not. Some of the latter have lost in spectacular fashion.

But, first things first, the game every one keeps talking about…endlessly…without pause…Bama at TAMU. I expect Bama to win, but knowing first hand what a huge advantage TAMU has at Kyle Field(the fans never sit down, they never shut up and the Corps of Cadets sits directly behind the visiting team), I wouldn’t be surprised if Bama lost.

My dilemma with this game? I despise Johnny Manziel, the Miley Cyrus of college football(just like her, you know he is going to show his ass again if you just keep watching). On the other hand, I don’t want Bama to be the first school to win three MNC in a row, their fans are already to difficult to live with in the same solar system. So in my ideal scenario, Miley gets knocked out of the game on the first play(hopefully a career ending injury so we never have to hear or see his bullshit ever again) and TAMU goes on to win the game.

In other bumbling and stumblings of football, Okie State is being exposed by Sports Illustrated which has caused an NCAA investigator to be assigned to them. It appears that the improprieties being revealed all started under Les “let’er rip” Miles and that at least one of his practices, having “hostesses” shower recruits with attention, has continued at his current job at LSU.

Then there is the situation in Austin. UT has the largest athletic budget of all NCAA member schools, last year they took in $162 million and spent $142 million. All of their major athletic programs(baseball, basketball and football) have been mired in mediocrity for years, while their coaches have been drawing huge salaries. As you might imagine, the money means nothing to them, but not having the prestige of being a championship contending program means everything.

As a UT grad and lifelong OU Sooner fan, I have known what the problem at UT is for years and it begins with their institutional arrogance that most of their alumns wear on their foreheads. The current situation they are in with their sports programs is the best medicine for what ails them, but they are in denial, they think their self-adulation is a universal belief. But sadly, they are coming to the conclusion that I reached, in respect to their football team, years ago. The real problem with their football team is Mack Brown.

Teams typically take on the attitude and persona of their coach and UT’s football team is a perfect example, they are soft and weak. Having had top five recruiting classes for years and years, UT has become known for what Notre Dame was a few years ago…a place for five star recruits to go and never be heard from again. This recent 2013 recruiting class for UT was the lowest it has been since I began paying attention to it years ago and fully expect it to be even lower this year.

Mack Brown doesn’t evaluate talent or develop it, he looks at the recruiting services and then offers the highest rated, with the UT attitude being “we don’t recruit…we select.” Finally, the rank and file fans have had enough and aren’t buying UT merchandise, not attending games and filling forums and message boards with their calls to fire Mack. Now it seems the cigar chomping alumns who write the big checks are getting the message, but there is a problem. The UT AD Deloss Dodds and Mack are conjoined and Dodds won’t fire Mack or insist he retire, so the fans are calling for Dodds to be fired. Sadly(for this Sooner fan), that appears to be what is coming and I fully expect to see a new UT AD at the start of 2014, and at least a new football coach, if not a new baseball and basketball coach, as well.

Does this mean UT will go out and hire a coach which will return them to a contending team? Possible, but doubtful. The head coach at UT doesn’t just need a good resume and be a rough, tough, hard nosed ball coach, he has to be a competent schmoozer in ever so PC UT and Austin social settings. That is the only reason Mack has lasted this long, he can schmooze and BS anyone.

So while UT football may be getting a face lift in the near future, I doubt the next football coach will make great strides, even though many UT fans actually think they are the premier program in the country and could get Saban from Bama, if they decide that is who they want.

OU has beaten UT nine of the last fourteen games. I’m gonna’ miss Ol’Mack when he is gone and not able to narrate the RRR game on the despised LHN.

Credibility Gap

This is a president who knows nothing at all about:

• Bhenghazi scandal
• Fast and Furious scandal
• NSA wiretap of American citizens
• DOJ intimidation of reporters
• IRS targeting of conservatives
• Seal Team 6 deaths

But who knows everything about Assad’s use of chemical weapons, even before the release of the UN investigative report.

 

Pure Genius.

But, this time it’s different?

“If the President takes us to war without Congressional approval, I will call for his impeachment. The Constitution is clear. And so am I.”

-Joe Biden, 2007

“The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.”

-Barack Obama, 2007

Three weeks ago we closed embassies all across the Middle East from fear of an al Qaeda attack; now we want to help them in Syria?