In the museum yesterday, 8/11/12, I encountered an Army Company Commander just back from Afgh on leave. Asking questions of him about conditions, he was first reticent, but opened up.
This is the kind of guy we want over there representing our country. He said, he just lost two soldiers because "we were not allowed to shoot at guys with cell phones that set off IEDs."
"Don't believeh what you see in Hurt Locker he said, it's all BS. If we shoot a civilian with a cell phone, we have to do it AFTER the explosion, NOT before."
I asked him what happens when you do shoot the guy with the cell phone, assuming he's the guy who blew up one of your vehicle?
The company commander said, " all hell STILL breaks loose, it's politics. the locals raise hell, they turn against us, throw rocks. One minute they love us, the next...you never know."
I have heard this and saw this before, the Captain is too young to know, it does sound like Viet Nam all over again, and I was a HAWK on VN.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
French Canadians - The Separatists
I went to Canada several times when I was a young man. A few times to Fort McHenry, a time or two I located the spot where my grandfather and his brothers and sisters immigrated from - Hamilton, Canada. But, I never paid much attention to Canada - they talked funny, it was cold up there, and Niagara Falls was wet and misty.
Big Falls, running river - got it. Every time I met people from Canada down in the US, they were always falling south into America looking for jobs and talked funny. Nice people but I never caught on to why they came here.
During Vietnam, I why the hell did they do that? I thought Canadians ALL spoke English? What's going on up there? Then I read, hear, watch OUR news and I hear about possible cessation of areas around and including Quebec into a separate French state.
They tangle with the central Canadian government, it's all settled, no soap, and that's that. But, everyone up there is still hot under the collar about this French thing.
Two weeks ago, three middle aged French Canadians walk into my B-17 Museum in Tucson, I show them around, and in the process, we talk. I know nothing and they enlighten me.
It's all about language. They tell me the French are afraid of losing their French identity -legally- and being forced to speak, read, write English and any and all signs of their French heritage wiped away by Fiat. They are not only scared to death of it, they are angry as hell about they say they see as creeping governmental interference in everyday life.
For instance: Street signs, say, "Jones Street" has to be posted that way on the top of the sign, and the French translation MUST appear below it. They see it as a secondary or lowering of their French status. All sorts of examples are creeping around them and they are annoyed as hell about it.
As they explained more incursions into their private French lifestyles, I found myself getting more heated over their discomfort. At one point, I hollered out, " THEY CAN'T DO THAT - I'D FIGHT THEM!!" One of the older men laughed at me, breaking the tension.
" How typical American, " said, " you've got the right to do it down here. Under Canadian law, we don't." I was shocked. The concussion of freedom hit me full force. My own Constitution gave me the right to raise hell whereas these three middle aged men couldn't do what I take for granted because, as they said, they ran the risk of jail for demonstrating against what was now a law.
As they left, I found myself raising my fist and speaking out to them, " go back and raise hell you guys." Every day in that Museum, I learn another story about someone else in the world living out under hardships I would never learn in a textbook, or watching our news-media.
###
Big Falls, running river - got it. Every time I met people from Canada down in the US, they were always falling south into America looking for jobs and talked funny. Nice people but I never caught on to why they came here.
During Vietnam, I why the hell did they do that? I thought Canadians ALL spoke English? What's going on up there? Then I read, hear, watch OUR news and I hear about possible cessation of areas around and including Quebec into a separate French state.
They tangle with the central Canadian government, it's all settled, no soap, and that's that. But, everyone up there is still hot under the collar about this French thing.
Two weeks ago, three middle aged French Canadians walk into my B-17 Museum in Tucson, I show them around, and in the process, we talk. I know nothing and they enlighten me.
It's all about language. They tell me the French are afraid of losing their French identity -legally- and being forced to speak, read, write English and any and all signs of their French heritage wiped away by Fiat. They are not only scared to death of it, they are angry as hell about they say they see as creeping governmental interference in everyday life.
For instance: Street signs, say, "Jones Street" has to be posted that way on the top of the sign, and the French translation MUST appear below it. They see it as a secondary or lowering of their French status. All sorts of examples are creeping around them and they are annoyed as hell about it.
As they explained more incursions into their private French lifestyles, I found myself getting more heated over their discomfort. At one point, I hollered out, " THEY CAN'T DO THAT - I'D FIGHT THEM!!" One of the older men laughed at me, breaking the tension.
" How typical American, " said, " you've got the right to do it down here. Under Canadian law, we don't." I was shocked. The concussion of freedom hit me full force. My own Constitution gave me the right to raise hell whereas these three middle aged men couldn't do what I take for granted because, as they said, they ran the risk of jail for demonstrating against what was now a law.
As they left, I found myself raising my fist and speaking out to them, " go back and raise hell you guys." Every day in that Museum, I learn another story about someone else in the world living out under hardships I would never learn in a textbook, or watching our news-media.
###
Saturday, September 15, 2012
A Chicago Cop Talks to Me
It was mid morning two days ago when a Chicago cop walked into my Museum with wife and kids, down vacationing in Tucson. Three days in, he's relaxed now, unwinding, letting a lot of stress out. I work with two ex-cops who immediately glued themselves to him comparing notes.
" Chicago is too damned dangerous " he says. He's been on the force 17 years loves his job, middle management street cop. " I carry a pistol every time I leave the house, on duty, off, even going to the store. Something ALWAYS happens, " he says.
He tells us Chicago has 12 to 14 MURDERS every weekend, ' without fail.'
" Don't believe anything your read in the papers or on TV. Its far worse. We've got coded radio signals we use when we talk to each other, " he tells us. Some of the bad guys are so vicious, so deadly, that when they receive warnings from radio dispatch sometimes they will say, " S.O.S."
" What that really means is SHOOT ON SIGHT."
He and some of his family have been on the Obama family security details when the first family arrived back at Chicago for a stay. Obama security team insists that Chicago PD block off the entire city block, and patrol does so on foot, outside, in the rain. He's said the family has never invited the patrolmen inside the house to get out of the elements.
"I don't know one city cop who likes them. Not one. Now, understand, I'm sure there are some out there, but I haven't met them yet, " the Chicago cop told us. He carries his pistol, CPD ID and other tangent ID while travelling around the country.
We asked him how the immigrant situation is in Illinois, his response was that Illegal immigrants, when identified by CPD, contacted Immigration Customs Enforcement (the Feds), are instructed that the DOJ said to " kick them loose," they don't want them. Our cop friend told us he personally knows where he can pick up a dozen illegals in the Chicago area, but because ICE said forget it, he does too.
And so do the local cops.
And guns? He tells us there are so many guns in Chicago, they couldn't even begin to count them, let alone control them. They leak across the border from Canada, and up from the south.
IF Chicago Cops stop someone suspected of being in the country ILLEGALLY while in the of a crime, must fill out so much paper work justifying the stop based on "profiling" that sometimes, they arrest the suspects on larceny, or robbery.
The new legislation on "profiling?" Signed into law by Senator Barack Obama and enforced by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, he said to us.He, his wife and son went on for a pleasant hour visit in our Museum here in Tucson.
###
" Chicago is too damned dangerous " he says. He's been on the force 17 years loves his job, middle management street cop. " I carry a pistol every time I leave the house, on duty, off, even going to the store. Something ALWAYS happens, " he says.
He tells us Chicago has 12 to 14 MURDERS every weekend, ' without fail.'
" Don't believe anything your read in the papers or on TV. Its far worse. We've got coded radio signals we use when we talk to each other, " he tells us. Some of the bad guys are so vicious, so deadly, that when they receive warnings from radio dispatch sometimes they will say, " S.O.S."
" What that really means is SHOOT ON SIGHT."
He and some of his family have been on the Obama family security details when the first family arrived back at Chicago for a stay. Obama security team insists that Chicago PD block off the entire city block, and patrol does so on foot, outside, in the rain. He's said the family has never invited the patrolmen inside the house to get out of the elements.
"I don't know one city cop who likes them. Not one. Now, understand, I'm sure there are some out there, but I haven't met them yet, " the Chicago cop told us. He carries his pistol, CPD ID and other tangent ID while travelling around the country.
We asked him how the immigrant situation is in Illinois, his response was that Illegal immigrants, when identified by CPD, contacted Immigration Customs Enforcement (the Feds), are instructed that the DOJ said to " kick them loose," they don't want them. Our cop friend told us he personally knows where he can pick up a dozen illegals in the Chicago area, but because ICE said forget it, he does too.
And so do the local cops.
And guns? He tells us there are so many guns in Chicago, they couldn't even begin to count them, let alone control them. They leak across the border from Canada, and up from the south.
IF Chicago Cops stop someone suspected of being in the country ILLEGALLY while in the of a crime, must fill out so much paper work justifying the stop based on "profiling" that sometimes, they arrest the suspects on larceny, or robbery.
The new legislation on "profiling?" Signed into law by Senator Barack Obama and enforced by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, he said to us.He, his wife and son went on for a pleasant hour visit in our Museum here in Tucson.
###
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