I have been meaning to put something up about this for a while. I know many people who enjoy the out of doors this time of year. But this is probably something that doesn’t go through your mind when you are enjoying the great outdoors. Please give it a read, and think about it next time you are out enjoying the wide open spaces. Lack of closure can be devastating.
Sybil Ludington Rides Again
Politics, Freedom and Farm Life
Category: Uncategorized
I never served in the armed forces. My Dad did, he was in the Navy, as was Uncle Jerry. I considered joining the Navy once when I got a recruiting letter from them. Life wasn’t going great at the time. I was living on my own, doing ok financially, had a great dog, but beyond that not so much. I talked to my Dad about joining the Navy, it would have been in a medical capcity since that’s what my training was. Dad was really, really, really against it. “Dad, it’s only for four years, it could be a really good thing for me, look at this letter!” Dad: “Um, what are you going to do with Smokey?” Me: “Well, can’t you keep her for four years? ” Dad: “No, she’d probably die before that. You wanted to get her, you got her. You took on that responsibility.” Looking back I can’t believe I ever even considered abandoning my “fur child”. Which gives you a clue how bad things were. In retrospect, maybe Dad just knew how really lousy I am at taking senseless orders. Stuff that makes sense? Or things I can clarify if I don’t understand? Ok, I can work with that. Senseless BS, not so much. One of my friends said one time I had the lowest BS tolerance of anyone she had ever met. I said “thank you”. I thought she meant it as a compliment. I mean, how else could you take it?
As I think about the men and women who have served our country in uniform, I am in awe and gratitude. They put their personal lives on hold, and in danger to serve for a period of time. Some make careers of it, I respect and admire them. I am such a “rut” or “routine” person. I can’t imagine being told “you’re moving to_____________”. Or many of the other sacrifices they make. And this is before you consider the obama VA scandal. It IS a scandal that these men and women that suited up and showed up when our country asked them are handed over to waiting lists to be on waiting lists and those that did this suffer no consequences because the titular “Commander in Chief” doesn’t like the military and does pretty much everything he can to destroy their morale and the military itself. It’s almost as shameful to the “welcome” the warriors came home to from the Viet Nam war. As I understand it, we never “lost” the war on the battlefield, we lost it because of politicians. People like the vile liar John Kerry should be spat upon, not made Secretary of State. I was a young girl when Viet Nam ended. I was one of those that wore one of the POW bracelets. Mine was Captain James Elzinga I believe, though the bracelet is long gone now. I kept it for many years, praying for him each night. How those warriors were treated when they came home, I think was the result of media manipulation. How the heck did people buy into it? To treat soliders that way?
When there was a draft? People were jerked out of their lives and thrust into the hell known as war. I don’t care if the war was “justified” or not. I really don’t. The people in our military have showed up, suited up and fought. They didn’t ask, well is this ok? Will it increase the carbon footprint? What about the forest? Will Hollyweird make a movie? No, they did what they were sent to do, more effectively before barry changed the rules of engagment to favor the enemy though.
I don’t like wars, I don’t want wars. But some things ARE worth fighting for.
Nothing is free. Freedom isn’t free, and the cost to the lives of those serving in the armed forces wasn’t free either. I was told by a wise man, soldiers don’t fight because of what’s in front of them, they fight for what’s behind them. Meaning hearth & home, families and a way of life.
I know that there is much I do not understand about the military, I know that I don’t have great insight into what it was to be in the military, nor what it is to be the spouse of someone serving in the military. I can only speculate, talk to people and read to try to understand. I do those things when I get the chance. I’m sure there will be wars until Jesus returns, but I would really like to see the preventable ones, like the current brewing un-civil war in Ferguson, prevented. I think this can be doing by partly being informed, and just have some morals! Don’t vote for someone who obviously hates the country he wants to “rule” cause he’s going to give you a free phone and free “stuff”.
So, today is the 8th of November. I have some things for you.
This link was posted by one of my team mates, the incredible Nicki Kenyon on the cost of war in the lives of some of the Marines after they came home. They paid a fiercesome price for US.
Know your enemy, know how situations arise. A post from The Zelman Partisans.
http://zelmanpartisans.com/?p=303
And last, a very moving, powerful video from Big & Rich called “The 8th of November”.
Do NOT let the sacrifices made by brave men and women to buy our freedom go in vain. Protect and guard it, fiercely, the same way they fought for it.
תן חופש צלצול
Tnoo la chofesh le tzaltzel
Let Freedom Ring!
סיביל
So, after Yad Vashem we continued our adventure by heading for the Western Wall, transliterated Hebrew it would be HaKotel HaMa’aravi, in real Hebrew it would be הַכֹּתֶל הַמַּעֲרָבִי. So, you want to know how to say that?
This sounds like it would be an easy thing, right? We have a light rail map, and we see on the light rail map to go to the Western Wall (please, do not call it the wailing wall) we should get off at the Damascus gate. Ok, that sounds easy enough. Off we go, visiting along the way, and I’m still processing thoughts and feelings from Vad Yashem. We get to the proper light rail stop and get off. Very shortly after we start walking Deb is saying disturbing things such as “This doesn’t look right” “I don’t remember it looking like this” I’m thinking it’s been here for a really long time, I don’t think it’s changed but since I’ve never been there, what do I know? I know that if Deb doesn’t think something is right, something isn’t right. We go up to a sort of half wall and look down into a courtyard. There I see a magnificent arched entry way with tons of tables set up lining the entrance to it. You walk through the tables on both sides to enter the arch and the building. At this point Deb says something along the lines of “Shucky Darn” we are in the Muslim section. I had noticed in the dusk we were some of the few that looked like “us”. At this point our “spidey senses” which had been tingling now went on full blown “change situation VERY soon”. We strolled up to a police hut stationed at the entry way to the promenade to discuss our next move. When we got up there the lone Israeli policeman went inside. Hmm. We discussed options. Option 1) take a cab out of there. Quickly discarded, we are NOT getting in a taxi from anywhere close to there. Option 2) I’m opposed to giving the light rail more money, they suggested we get off there. We consult the map, where we are vs. where we want to be. I point out Deb is a 5K runner, and I’ve got a good walking clip, we can hoof it out of there. Deb nixes that one with “we really do not walk to walk through this area on the way, plus it’s getting even later”. Good point. Option 3) reward the light rails idiotic idea to disembark at the Damascus gate by giving them more money and getting the heck out of there. That one wins. The light rail runs pretty often. We sauntered back over to the stop and waited the 1 hour and 45 minutes (ok, it seemed like it, was probably 5-10) until the next light rail showed up.
We went back to the Jewish side of things and fortified ourselves with Cafe HaFouk. Yes indeed, it can be the answer to many problems in life. While we were sitting there on our bar stools watching the traffic go by I noticed a shop across the street. “Money Changer”. Now growing up on the Bible “money changer” does not bring up feelings of confidence. I, like many probably had a harsh view of money changers. But the fact is, I have no money. Deb has had to foot the bill for everything, because all my money is American. This can not continue. So when I notice that there is a sign on the front window saying “no commission” I decide to give it a try. I walk in and politely wait for the man to finish counting and banding the money he is working on. I don’t spell well in English, I’m pretty sure I don’t transliterate well either, but I’ll give it a shot. Slea-ha? Anee rotza harbe kasif. Aval, ainle harbe kasif, yeshli ktzat kasif. What I said was “Excuse me? I would like a lot of money. But I don’t have a lot of money, I have a little money”. He smiled, “Kama?” How much? I turned over pretty much all my American money. He then counted out my new fortune be’schleem (in sheckles). He figured and gave me an exchange rate on a piece of paper, I showed Deb who said it was good.
We decided it was getting late enough we should just try for a taxi. We flagged down a cab, “HaKotel HaMa’aravi, bevakasha?” The Western Wall please? We hop in and off we go. He is a nice cabbie. The closer we get the streets become very narrow, we shoot through arches and it looks like some little shops are almost built into the sides of the arches. Traffic becomes stopped the closer we get. Deb asks the cabbie if the mount in the distance is the Mount of Olives, indeed it is. I am not surprised Deb knows this.
Mount of Olives
After traffic had been ground to a stop for a bit, the cabbie asks if we would like to get out and walk. The meter is running, and he has got us pretty close. We pay and tip him and strike off on foot. We look at the mount in the distance, we look at the gate sign in lovely ceramic tile “Jaffe Gate”.
Jaffa
We also notice there are IDF soldiers everywhere! We walk on to the Western Wall. There is a fence down the wall dividing it into two parts. A men’s section which is larger it seems, and a woman’s section. There are a lot of people there! Not just at the wall, there is a dais, with speakers, human not electronic though those are there as well. There seems to be some kind of ceremony going on. Tons of family gathered around the sides of the group of IDF in the center.
“I swear”
We watch for a few minutes and head on to the Wall. Deb stops to retrieve a prayer book off the bookshelf located near by. I just head on to the wall. I have to wait my turn, for someone who is at the wall to finish and leave. I’ve already written my list of names. Names of people I am asking G_d to bless, some I have an idea what to ask for, some, I just figure he knows. It’s finally my turn at the wall. I walk up and put my hands on the wall. I can’t believe the stone under my fingers, my palms, my forehead is a remnant of the ancient wall that surrounded the Temple courtyard. I just stood there, for a long time. I prayed for the people on my list, I prayed for groups of people, I prayed for Israel and America. I ask G_d to show me why I’m there. Why did he make it possible for me to come? I am well aware by all rights, there is no way I should have been able to come, so many things fell into place that allowed me to be here. I also don’t think G_d makes mistakes. I think I was there at that time for a reason, and I very much want to know what his will for me is that he has me there at that time. After I pray, I slip my piece of paper into the wall in a crack.
Prayers
This is not as easy as it sounds. But I manage. I feel a plethora of emotions running through me as I stand there and look around. There is a doorway, up high off to my left. No stairs lead to it, at least not from the outside.
Will the open doors mean something?
There are birds perched on stones sticking out of the wall above us, it’s as though they have decided to rest a while in the comfort of his presence.
Abiding
Like those of us down below them. When I have finished my prayer time I go back to find Deb. We take pictures of each other with the wall in the background. While we are walking out I finally ask a young soldier what the ceremony is. He tells me it is a swearing of allegiance to the country and the IDF. They soldiers have finished their basic training, are swearing allegiance and will go on to serve in their units now. AHH, that explains all the family and camera flashes and speeches. Good deal, very cool to get to see this! We walk on to the street where we will find a bus to take us back to Beer Sheva. Finally one shows up that is going to Beer Sheva and home. We hop on and eventually set off. In a continuation of “adventure” the bus breaks down in Beer Sheva. Mind you, we are at least in the town, and not that far from the apartment. After about a 30 minute walk we reach home. We eat at home that night, and I take my evening coffee out to my palm tree (Etz Tamar). I called a friend back in the states to get more information on this swearing in business and to relay the days adventures. He explains that different branches are sworn in at different places. Paratroops are sworn in at the Kotel, Infantry is sworn in on the Golan Heights, the Armored Units are sworn in on Masada. I was sworn in on Masada (מצדה) I’m sure that he thought that whistling noise he heard was the wind as I sucked in air through my teeth. I squeaked out “You were sworn in on Metzada? What my mind was saying was “And you never thought to mention this?” We will cover more of this when we get to the Masada (מצדה) story. But yes indeed there are soldiers sworn in there.
Thoughts on the Western Wall. Jerusalem is a city that had been divided for years. When it was under Jordanian control until the Six day war in 1967 it was exclusionary to most faiths. That’s according to a former Jordanian Ambassador to the UN. In 1967, when Israel was attacked and fought back Jerusalem was united and for the first time in about 2000 years Jews (and Christians, and Muslims and ______) can go to the Western Wall and pray. I like this quote by Lt. Gen. Mordechai (Motta) Gur-
“For some two thousand years the Temple Mount was forbidden to the Jews. Until you came — you, the paratroopers — and returned it to the bosom of the nation. The Western Wall, for which every heart beats, is ours once again. Many Jews have taken their lives into their hands throughout our long history, in order to reach Jerusalem and live here. Endless words of longing have expressed the deep yearning for Jerusalem that beats within the Jewish heart..You have been given the great privilege of completing the circle, of returning to the nation its capital and its holy center…Jerusalem is yours forever.”
I pray for peace in Israel.
HaKotel HaMa’aravi
הַכֹּתֶל הַמַּעֲרָבִ
We all should.
I didn’t get to see all the outside exhibits. I did get to see the ones that really called to me, and one that didn’t, but it stopped me cold when I got to it.
The first one we came to on the path we took was the cattle car. Beside the cattle car engraved into a wall behind it was testimony given at the Nuremberg trials. It’s the story of a man who was a prisoner in one of the cattle cars. He told what gems he traded a German towns person at a train stop for a cup of water. He traded some outrageous sum, a diamond maybe? But I think it was all the wealth he had left for that cup of water. There was a woman in the car with him who was determined he was going to give part of it to her little son. Not herself, her little son. And she kept after him, and kept after him until finally he did give her a little of the last for her son. He said when he left the cattle car the little boy was laying on the floor unresponsive and not moving. Yes, you can be unresponsive and the body still move.
Dedicated in memory
Cattle Car
There was a section called “The Garden of the Righteous Among The Nations”. There are walls arranged by country. On each countries wall are the names of those who are not Jewish that risked their lives to save the lives of Jews. On each tree is the name of a person and their country. No, it’s not a forest. There are a lot of trees, but it’s not a forest. I can only hope there were many cases of just regular people helping, that no one ever heard about.
The Garden of the Righteous Among The Nations
There is a a HUGE pillar called “Pillar of Heroism”. This is probably my favorite sculpture. It’s so tall I can’t even get the whole thing in a picture! This picture is from the Yad Vashem site. At least you can see what it looks like.
Pillar of Heroism
There is a stone plaque near it inscribed “Now and forever in memory of those who rebelled in the camps and ghettos, fought in the woods, in the underground and with the Allied forces; braved their way to Eretz Israel; and died sanctifying the name of God”.
Heroes
A few thoughts on all this. First, the movie Defiance. It starred the anti-gun twit Daniel Craig as Tuvia Bielski. Why does this anger me so much? Because part of the movie shows him going to a poor Russian farmer he had connections with and begging for a gun and ammunition. The farmer manages to procure one and gives it and the ammunition to him. The next time you see the Russian farmer he has been tortured and killed and the message left it was because he helped the Jews. One would think old Daniel might use some of his wealth to buy a clue, but that seems to happen with actors and actresses about never. He never catches on this stuff happened, and there is no reason it couldn’t again. And yet he uses the platform he gains from his movie fame to preach his anti-gun screed. No, I don’t see many movies. Most actors and actresses I refuse to enrich with either money or fame.
I think the world’s moral compass has gone nuts. While we see the outcome of allowing a group to be isolated and vilified, we now allow groups to freely play the “victim” or “racism” card to shut down open discussion on any topic they don’t want people to talk about, or when facts are about to get in the way of their agenda. And the opinions they seem to try hardest to shut down are the Judeo-Christian values that are most likely held by most of the population of this country at least. Politicians on the left and the “news” media freely join in this game labeling those that support traditional ways of life as “extremist”. They label returning military veterans as “extremist” and a threat. Then they condemn them to a socialized health care system, made worse purposefully by the VA. Politicians and the elitists on the left are creating different classes of citizens, but to what purpose I wonder. The majority in the past has rather meekly backed down when faced with such accusations of intolerance or racism or_____. I mean after all, most of us were raised to be polite, not purposefully giving offense to any. Far too many do not understand that giving offense, is the least of their problems. The left does this with a reason. It seems those preaching most loudly for “tolerance” have—none.
I remember when I first made the “hummus team” the fellow in charge at the time and I were having a discussion on guns. I know shocking. But he asked me why I was so insistent (ok, maybe he used a stronger word, I don’t remember) I turned and looked him in the eye and said “Because when I say NEVER AGAIN I MEAN IT! Not your people, not my people. Never again will any group of people be at the mercy of government that wants to exterminate them. EVER. I want to make sure there are tools there that can back it up. Words sometimes aren’t enough”. After he started breathing again, we ended up having a really good discussion about his time in the service and his M1.
The sculpture that tore at me? The one I hadn’t look for, the one that didn’t call to me? The one that was on our path out of the gardens. It was made of iron I suppose. It appeared to be just stick bodies piled up, arms and legs supporting the layer on top, horrifying in it’s simplicity. Perhaps I was meant to see and share it. There are things in this life that are not a game. They are a warning, a message. We ignore it at our own peril.
Anguish
Why do I write about such sad things? Patterns, for one. Are you seeing them? Such a tragedy in the history of man-kind? Because if I can put enough detail about some of these people out there that you remember them, and you think about them from time to time, even though you never met them? Then in a way their lives are still touching others. The nazis failed. They didn’t snuff out their lives. People are still thinking of them, they are remembered, perhaps their surviving family will merit a prayer? Perhaps our country will get a prayer? Then the nazis failed. I win. You win. They lose. Good plan.
For more information http://www.yadvashem.org/
Be part of the solution, be informed Jews For The Preservation of Firearm Ownership.
שלום
סֵיבֵל
In a time of universal deceit – telling the truth is a revolutionary act.~~~~ George Orwell
Possibly the last actual journalist of the dinosaur media has left the field. Sharyl Attkisson has resigned from SeeBS (CBS) news (harumph, choke, chuckle). Sharyl was an investigative journalist, meaning back in the old days, before obama, when there was a story (that was happening, an event, scandal, wrong-doing) there was something called the “media” or “The Fourth Estate”. The media would pursue the story and tell it to it’s viewers or readers, and inform them of the circumstances of the event. They would actually report the news. Back in 2008 I heard Sean Hannity had said that 2008 would become known as “The year journalism died”. If he did say it, he was correct. The media covered up anything that could have been harmful to obama and his election chances, and played up how well he was loved around the world. Someone pointed out in a poll, the majority of the world wanted to see a weaker America. Now that they have their wish, America is weaker, and the rest of the world I believe is more unstable, I wonder if they are liking it quite as much as they thought they would?
So, back to Sharyl, she went after the Bush administration tooth and nail, and everyone loved her. She had been at SeeBS for 20 years, was very well respected. She had a reputation as an honest journalist who would not back down, would not quit or let go of an issue until she reached the answers. But when it came to the obama regime, Benghazi, green energy and other scandals, well then…..THAT was “attacking” and agenda driven. SeeBS began to refuse to air some of her stories. Oh yes, we have such people now, they are called “Bloggers”. They do the job the media won’t do, because they are too busy kicking kitty litter over obama poo.
I first became aware of Sharyl when two bloggers David Codrea and Mike Vanderboegh had been talking about a little kerfluffle called “Operation Gunwalker”. Sharyl became involved and began reporting on the wrong doing of the obama administration’s Department of INJustice. And she stuck with it, her computers were hacked. Another case of the federal government going after an individual. Intimidation, it’s the Chicago way, right? She just reported the news, she told the people the truth and let them make up their own minds.
Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.~~~George Orwell
Now let’s shift to sarahcuda…Sarah Palin. Sarah got SO much right in that 2008 campaign. Death panels in obamacare? They scoffed, made fun of her, but, there they are. Anyone with half a brain that thought about it would have known there would have to be. Some fools even thought a line uttered on a show about seeing Russia from her house was said by Sarah. It wasn’t. For the record, you CAN sometimes see Russia from Alaska. The GOP base, actual people, actual conservatives, as opposed to the GOP establishment, went wild for Sarah. She told it like it was, and still does. She has a moral compass, a sense of right and wrong and openly loves America. She scare the pee out of the good old boys network at the GOP. They wanted her shut down. More than once McCain’s people threw her under the bus. But the conservative base loved her, she spoke the truth to them, as though they were citizens. Not children to be fooled, or innocents that couldn’t handle the truth, she told them how it was. Then they could make their decisions on what they wanted to do based on all the information. You know lying is lying by giving false information, I believe there is also lying by withholding information. Lies of omission, aren’t they? Sarah wanted to go after the obama/biden ticket on some different issues and she was told to leave it alone, by McCain’s people! What the heck? Her instincts were far better than his! And yet she would be blamed for the loss of the GOP. She was the only thing that had kept it viable!
Political language… is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.~~~George Orwell
So, what’s the deal here? Why is it when people, in this case two smart, strong, savvy women stand up and tell the simple truth, they have to be shut down. Why don’t liberals (of either party) support women, like they claim to? Is it because their idea of support is to keep women dependent upon liberals, rather than just giving them honest information and letting them make informed decisions? Liberal: a power worshipper without power.~~~George Orwell Since when did just telling the truth about a situation become “attacking”? Much like disagreeing with the obama regime on policy is “racist”.
If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.~~~George Orwell
The establishment, be it political, or any other, can not stand to have a light shone on the cockroaches that abide there. When people do, the establishment tries it’s best to shut them down. I like what Sarah’s father said after the campaign. “She’s not retreating, she’s reloading”. I hope Sharyl will reload too!
Ok, couple more quotes and I’ll knock it off:
One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes a revolution in order to establish a dictatorship.~~~George Orwell
If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever.~~~George Orwell Oh yeah, JPFO has a song that kind of goes along with this.
If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever.~~~George Orwell Oh yeah, JPFO has a song that kind of goes along with this.
You will get a popup to download the song, or you can go to http://jpfo.org/filegen-a-m/freedommusic.htm next to the last on the right side “Justice Day” by Rockne.
Enjoy listening to Sarah’s CPAC speech (are they still really conservatives if they invite Chris Christe? I mean, really?) The Green Eggs and Ham part is great, but really, all of it is!
What do you think about a Lt.Col. Allen West/Sarah Palin ticket?? Because you know, the establishment (of both parties) believe:
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.~~~George Orwell
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