A Time for Heroes

Thanks to Lone Star Times editor David Benzion for pointing out this excellent special publication of Stars and Stripes honoring U.S. military heroes and their extreme valor in the war on terror:

For more than four years now, American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have been fighting the war on terror. While politicians and pundits argue the merits and demerits of strategy and prosecution, the military man or woman has been slugging it out, every day, with a foe who is often unseen. [snip]

In this special section, Stars and Stripes ... looks at the deeds that have earned medals of valor for the servicemembers profiled in these stories. Those included stand as surrogates for the thousands of others so recognized.

There are more than twenty servicemen and women featured, and each story is an intriguing look in to the hearts and minds of those heroes who are daily giving their all to shield us from harm. Please take the time to read — and make sure you have time to spend, because once you start reading it is very hard to stop.

That Warm Fuzzy Feeling...

There have been some interesting posts across the blogosphere concerning the news of last week's death of al-Zarqawi. But I have to say, one of the best MSM stories I have yet seen comes from The Boston Herald's Jules Crittenden, who sums it up quite nicely in his op-ed title: That warm, fuzzy feeling when a murderous thug is blown to hell.

A murderous bastard is dead. Who better than the Iraqis to celebrate this.

Sometimes, you just have to stop and smell the roses. We’re in the middle of a very long war. Savor the moment: In this case, it’s that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you learn that a cold-hearted, murderous thug has been blown to hell.

Hat-tip: Those Wacky Iraqis, who was linked to in the Boston Herald piece.

Prison: Merciful or Inhumane?

Earlier in the year, many from the left and members of the American and international media seemed to be somewhat united in their outspokenness about the fate of convicted terrorist collaborator Zacarias Moussaoui. Their opinion? The death penalty is bad — life in prison with no chance for parole is the perfect solution. Reporters anguished in great detail over Moussaoui's chaotic upbringing "in a violent and unstable household." Trial updates for weeks included the defense arguments that rather than execution he should receive "the long, slow death of a common criminal" with life in prison. Columnist Molly Ivins stated what so many of the liberal media seemed satisfied to argue: "Why let this guy have martyrdom and world fame when we could just put him away?"

Only two short months later, they seem to have changed their tune. Over the weekend, it was reported that three of the suspected terrorists being held at Guantanamo Bay committed suicide. The liberal media — who so recently praised life in prison as a reasonable penalty — was quick to bemoan the deaths as new American military atrocities and to denounce the imprisonments as cruel and inhumane.

Dispirited and desperate prisoners at Guantanamo Bay look to suicide as a way out of a hopeless situation, and not because they seek martyrdom...

"There is no hope in Guantanamo. The only thing that goes through your mind day after day is how to get justice or how to kill yourself..."

In seemingly unrelated news, charity organizations across Texas have reported record increases in donations of rope.

This Round's on Me

I got an email yesterday from an old buddy of mine. Several of us from the old gang still get together for steak and a beer a couple of times a year, and we have plans for this weekend. It turns out his son is home on R&R, and he was wondering if anyone minded if he brought the kid along. I wrote back that we would be honored to have him, "as long as that flyboy doesn't mind hanging around with a bunch of old grunts." (Pete is currently stationed in Europe, but according to his dad has seen Afghanistan from the air more than once over the past couple of years and is somewhat familiar with the aerial view of northern Iraq, as well.)

I woke up to the outstanding news from Baghdad this morning, and immediately fired off another email. Not only is he welcome, but I'll be buying that young man's dinner at Taste of Texas on Saturday. And I can guarantee he won't have to pay for a single drink this weekend.

Another Step Backwards

According to Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the Senate took another step backwards today in the fight against terrorism.

Senator Chuck Grassley today said the Senate failed to pass an amendment that would help break down the barriers of information sharing between federal agencies. The amendment, sponsored by Senator John Cornyn of Texas, would have allowed the Department of Homeland Security to share information about illegal aliens who receive amnesty if they were connected to national security or criminal investigations. The underlying bill says that if an illegal immigrant applies for amnesty, the federal government cannot use information provided in the application for anything but adjudicating the petition. This provision was one of Grassley's "Top 10 Flaws" that he outlined in a press release Tuesday.

Here is Grassley's statement on the failed vote.

"This provision in the bill is a serious flaw. National security is at risk because some believe that illegal aliens deserve unlimited privacy. But, it ends up handicapping the federal government while it tries to protect the American people. Since September 11, we have made information sharing one of our top priorities. The failure of the Senate to pass the amendment takes us backwards in our fight against terrorism."

Remember that the individuals targeted by this immigration reform bill include all illegal aliens, not just those who have poured over the southern border. This also includes those who have overstayed expired student or work visas.