Iraq

Well there goes bi-partisanship, or at least it seems. President Bush and Congress are having a hard time agreeing on a war strategy in Iraq. It seems Bush has his plan (21,000 more troops) and is asking others if they do not agree with the plan to come up with a better one. This should be interesting. Will we have a new plan from the democrats or will we just here about how bad the one in place is?

What do you think?

What do you think of this quote? It was sitting on the top of the desk in our coaches office.

"War is an ugly thing. But not the ugliest of things; The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling that thinks nothing is worth war is much worse.
A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight; nothing he cares about more than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free; unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

20,000 More??

20,000 more troops. Is it worth it? I am not sure. I am not in favor of what is taking place now. So the question becomes: How do we get out?

I am not sure. Do we just pull all our troops out and sit back and watch Iraq go into a full scale civil war? Do we not send anymore troops and try to slowly back out, while watching more soldiers that do not have the means get killed?

On the other side, do we send more troops and try to fix this mess? If that is the case we’ll need much more than just 20,000. But I do not see any democrats allowing more troops.


Here are just a few things President Bush said:

“Victory will not look like the ones our fathers and grandfathers achieved. There will be no surrender ceremony on the deck of a battleship,"

"failure in Iraq would be a disaster for the United States."

Bush acknowledged mistakes in Iraq noting that U.S. forces "have done everything we have asked them to do." He said where blame lies, it rests with him, but efforts by the U.S. were in vain for two main reasons:
"There were not enough Iraqi and American troops to secure neighborhoods that had been cleared of terrorists and insurgents. And there were too many restrictions on the troops we did have. Our military commanders reviewed the new Iraqi plan to ensure that it addressed these mistakes. They report that it does. They also report that this plan can work," ---Fox News


Some of the responses

“We're not going to baby sit a civil war," Sen. Barack Obama

"Tonight President Bush acknowledged what most Americans know — we are not winning in Iraq ... indeed the challenge is grave and deteriorating," Durbin said. "Twenty thousand American soldiers are too few to end this civil war in Iraq and too many American lives to risk on top of those we've already lost.", Dick Durbin Senate Majority Whip

Death Penalty

Do you believe in the death penalty? I am not fully sure. There are compelling cases on both sides.
The "pro" side would argue that their must be punishment that would deter criminals from committing such heinous crimes. This side would point to the Old Testiment in the bible with God ordering the deaths of several for breaking the law.
The "con" side would argue that Jesus asks us to turn the other cheek. We should not be violent to others, no matter the crime.



While I think I tend to lean to the pro side, I do have a hard time thinking of someone being hung, electricuted, or leathaly injected. I have seen the movie the Green Mile, and that is as close as I have ever come to seeing someone executed. I understand and support the rational thought behind the death penalty, but have a hard time thinking too long on the topic.

What do you think?

Should he be put to death?

I think so. Here is a story on the death of Sadame Hussain. This is being carried out by the Iraq court systems. What do you think?

60 civilians said killed in Afghanistan

Is it just me or is anyone else tired of hearing headlines like this one.

60 civilians said killed in Afghanistan

Don't get me wrong I am sad for the loss of any life, American or other. I just want to tell the Iraqi or Afahani "forces"..."QUIT BLOWING YOURSELF UP". I am tired of hearing how the U.S. is causing all the losses of the innocent civilians in suicide bombs. I don't remember hearing about us strapping a bomb to one of our soldiers chests and having him blow himself and several others up.

This probably follows the same line of logic as those who say we brought 9-11 on ourselves. I mean if we'd just allow the Muslims in Jerusalem to have the city to themselves and kick those Jews out, none of this would have been needed. We ought to be nice to these people or they'll blow a plane up in our cities.

For all the people that tell me we ought not be over there. I have yet to hear a realistic way to solve the problem in the middle east. Just like in coaching, it is much easier to critic from the sidelines, than be in the heat of it trying to do what you feel is right.

One blog that I found through Roxy has this article that is done much more elequent than I could ever do check out this blog www.1starfish.blogspot.com

Avery's New Tricks (proud of myself)/ Top Ten War Movies

New Tricks

Go Gators

Some of our friends had a dog called Riley. The dog was very good at doing all types of tricks. She could sit, speak, roll, lay and jump. Unfortunately, to get to one trick she would have to go through all 4 of the others. To get her to roll, she would sit and speak and follow it with a jump....

Avery is now learning several new words and tricks. She can point to her eyes, nose, and mouth. She can say hello, bye-bye, Avery (new this week), baby, mama, and daddy. To get her to do some of her pointing tricks though she goes through them all. She cannont simply point at her eyes, soon to follow will be the nose and mouth.

Jamey used to teach the 4 year olds at Mayfair. In class she would teach one of our favorite little girls who used to always say "I'm so proud of myself" after finishing puzzles, ect.... Avery now has a shape-sorter (probably the kind you had growing up with the star, square, circle, ect...). As she was learning to put the shapes in we would always clap for her. Now she puts the shapes in and claps for herself (without us even being in the room).

Now I have just finished watching "Saints and Soldiers" a good movie (I'd give it 4 stars). That led me to thinking of a new top ten. Sorry ladies this is a top ten war movies list. The criteria is movies that are entirely based on a war (no "Forrest Gump" that have a war in them, but are not based on war). I have to have seen the movie as well.

10. Enemy at the Gates: Very good movie. Based on to assassins with a good cast.

9. Tears of the Sun: Bruce Willis in one of his best movies. Worth going to rent.

8. Gettysburg: Great Civil War movie for anyone who doesn't study the Civil War and those of us who really enjoy studying it. It draws you in and tells of one of the most important battles in our nations history.

7. Gladiator: Russell Crowe gives a great performance. Worth watching to see the special effects, it feels as if you are in the coliseum.

6. Crimson Tide: Another with Denzel, but this time with Gene Hackman. Great drama in this fictional movie.

5. Glory: Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman give great performances. Everyone needs to see this movie at least one time. Also great with historical accuracy.

4. We were soldiers: Mel Gibson with several other great younger actors. Great movie for wives as well as half the movie is from their perspective. Based on real events in Vietnam.

3. Patriot: Mel Gibson again. Based on the Revolutionary war. Great story that is loosely based on facts. Another movie the wives will enjoy as well.

2. Braveheart: Mel Gibson's best movie. This is definitely a man's movie based in Scotland as they gained independence from England. Great war scenes.

1. Saving Private Ryan: The cast alone would make it great: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, Paul Giamatti, but the action scenes were intense and realistic. The characters pulled you in. If you want a true experience watch this with surround sound.

Honorable mention: Black Hawk Down, Behind Enemy Lines, Gods and Generals,

Movies I have not seen that I have heard are good: Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Band of Brothers series, Troy, Thin Red Line, ect...

Movies I have seen that I purposely left off: Pearl Harbor, Alexander the Great (heard he was portrayed as gay), Three Kings


Let me know what you think.