Memorial Day 2008

West Chester Rally 05/24/08

A sun-filled blue sky greeted our merry band of patriots this morning in West Chester. The day started on a high note with the discovery of a Wall Street Journal article that focused on Rich Davis and The Sheepdogs of West Chester. Denine was kind enough to bring a copy of the WSJ to the rally so we all could take a look at this article. Group Photo by the amazing NeoCon!

It was good to see some new faces today and some returning friends as well. Each week brings a new face, and we are happy to welcome them into our group. I look forward to seeing all of our newcomers at future rallies.

As we were wrapping up the rally, a gentleman from the Navy happened to walk past our group. Several of our members were quick to shake his hand and thank him for his service. I took this opportunity to introduce him to Frank, our WW2 veteran and faithful attendee of our rally. For my efforts, I was able to capture a photograph of two generations of heroes in West Chester.

Have you thanked a soldier today?

Outside The Wire: Memorial Day

Tissue Alert:

Laughter Alert:

Sheepdogs in the WSJ

Protesting the Antiwar Protestors

Memorial Day isn't until Monday. But for Rich Davis, a 20-year veteran of the Navy, it seems to come every Saturday. That's when he pulls out a handmade sign and heads for a street corner near the Chester County Court House in this suburban Philadelphia community.

Mr. Davis, 54, is a pro-military protester who makes a public stand each week in support of the troops and their mission.

In 2001, Mr. Davis retired from the Navy and ended up settling in West Chester, where he spent 2006 and 2007 watching antiwar protesters rally each Saturday from 11 a.m. until noon outside the courthouse near his apartment. The Chester County Peace Movement, Mr. Davis would later learn, had been demonstrating at the site since March 2003, when the U.S. invaded Iraq. At first he hoped someone would challenge the protesters, speak up for the troops, and defend their mission. On Sept. 8, 2007 he decided that someone had to be him.

Mr. Davis had been building to such a decision for a long time. He was just a kid during the Vietnam War, but he is still bothered by the disrespect heaped on returning Vietnam vets in the 1960s and '70s. In part that is because, in 1967, Mr. Davis attended the funeral of a man he idolized – his sister's boyfriend, Marine Lance Cpl. Alan R. Schultz from Levittown, Pa. Schultz was killed by mortar fire in Vietnam.

"Al was a great guy," Mr. Davis remembers. "When we got the word that he had been killed, I felt the bottom fall out. I cried the rest of that summer."

Even today, Mr. Davis can't look at an antiwar protest without thinking that Schultz, his comrades and their modern-day counterparts are being disrespected. So after seeing the war protesters each week, Mr. Davis said to himself, "Not this war. Not this time."

"We're not silent anymore," Mr. Davis told me. "We refuse to let antiwar protesters have the stage to themselves."

Not that he wants to stifle dissent. He just doesn't want to go unanswered the signs and protests that he believes encourage the enemy and demoralize U.S. troops. So, sign in hand in September, he walked to the corner praying he would have the strength to stand there, to be seen and heard.

Seen he was. Though there was plenty of room on the corner, he says he was bumped, shoved and challenged. One person asked, "Do you live in fear?" Another demanded, "Why don't you go and serve?"

"They had that corner for five years, every Saturday, unopposed," Mr. Davis told me. "They couldn't stand the thought of one person having a sign they couldn't tolerate."

More people than the antiwar protesters took notice. A few weeks after he started his own weekly protests, Mr. Davis had about 40 sign-holding, flag-waving supporters at his side, thanks to support from the Gathering of Eagles, a national organization supporting the troops.

The number of antiwar protesters began to swell in response, which led to an increase in taunts hurled between the two groups. Mr. Davis admits the childish behavior cut both ways. "At times we have been confrontational and done things that were inappropriate, especially in the early days." But now, he says, "I have zero tolerance for yelling and buffoonery."

In March, an angry antiwar protester hit a woman who covers the weekly demonstrations on her pro-troop blog. That led the local police to lay down a few ground rules. Now each group is to keep to its own side of the street, and the two groups swap sides of the street each week.

There are a few other changes. Mr. Davis's once informal group is getting organized. They have a name, Chester County Victory Movement, and a Web site (www.americansheepdogs.com) that they use to share information about welcoming troops home, sending care packages, and joining discussions at West Chester University.

Mr. Davis also sends weekly emails to thank people for their support, and to pass on encouragement. A few members of Mr. Davis's group meet regularly to discuss problems. At these meetings, some people raise ideas aimed at embarrassing those on the antiwar side of the street. But Mr. Davis constantly refers back to the reason that brought him to the corner in the first place: letting the public and the troops know that there is a reservoir of support for the sailors, soldiers, airmen and Marines who risk their lives to fight the war on terror.

"Every time we go out, I remind the guys that we represent more than ourselves," he told me. "The troops and their families look at us. So I hope we present ourselves with the same type of dignity, courage and honor that our own sons and daughters are showing in Iraq and Afghanistan."

What Mr. Davis wants those troops to see is the solid wall of red, white and blue of his group's flags and "Support Our Troops" signs. He averages about 30 supporters a week, but hopes for a larger turnout for Flag Day, June 14.

Mr. Davis notes that he has been accused of being part of a vast right-wing conspiracy that trains and pays pro-troop advocates. Asked about that, he offers an answer that may inspire others to join his efforts.

"In a way they're right," he told me. "I was trained by a family that taught me to love our country, not blame it. And I am paid by troops and their families who say thanks for doing this, thanks for being here."

Mr. Ferris is an assistant editor and columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Last Friday with Ferris

A week late, but still a great read on the future of the US Military beyond Iraq. My concern regarding the direction of our future geopolitical policy is that the debate will be framed not around the adults that met in Colorado Springs; but by the unfounded statements of disgruntled military types. I'm all for a reasoned, evidence-based debate on this issue, and I hope as we move closer to November to see such discourse in the public arena.


Back Channels: Shaping a post-Iraq military

COLORADO SPRINGS - The three White House contenders didn't attend this week's conference on the U.S. military after Iraq, but their presence was felt. That's because the next president won't just be deciding the fate of the Iraq war, but charting the U.S. military's course on personnel, weapons systems and equipment for the next generation.

"This is the most important election for national security in 40 years," said Dan Goure, vice president of the Lexington Institute, a Virginia think tank.

So it would help voters if some of the issues raised at the Heritage Foundation gathering - the U.S. role in the world, soft power vs. hard power, and improving the quality of life for military families - became part of the debate between now and November.

The rest of the story can be found HERE

Daily Local LTE

I was also present a week later at the Chester County Courthouse, as the all peace protesters intermixed with us, and heard the statements Tony refers to in this remarkable letter to the editor:

Victim displays class over incident :

I read your account of the court’s decision in the attack by one of Karen Porter’s “peace” supporters with great interest. The day after the incident I viewed a video on the victim’s Web site. What one attorney who wrote a letter to the Daily Local observed and what the court has clearly stated from the facts of the incident are clearly at odds with Karen Porter’s rendition and the actual video I observed.

The week following the incident I heard Karen Porter addressing her “troops” on the courthouse steps. From her comments you would have thought the young woman had attacked the perpetrator. It’s hard for me to imagine that Karen Porter is an attorney ... her comments about this incident have no basis in the facts of the case. But then again a lot of what Ms. Porter says about many issues, has no basis in fact.

It’s nice to see that justice was served in this case. It’s also worthy to note that the young woman from the Victory Movement, could have sought more aggressive recompense. But as is typical of the folks on that side of the street, she settled for a formal apology ... classy lady.

Anthony J. Oleck
Kennett Square

Marcus Luttrell Speaks

I can relate to his 'Media-Induced PTSD'. I warn you, there are some graphic descriptions in his speech to the assembled crowd. Viewer discretion is advised.

Pali's for Obama

H/T: American Sheepdogs

Pali's join Karen Porter in support of Obama for Prez.

TownHall.Com:

In recent days, Obama's position on the Isreali-Palestinian conflict has been scrutinized. One of his Middle East advisers, Robert Malley, resigned over the weekend after reporters found Malley had met with Hamas.

Video of Hamas For Obama phone banks to follow...

The Audacity of (Economic) Change

Let's all get serious: The U.S. may be the richest country on earth, but the economy is tanking - That is the opinion of many, so it must be right...RIGHT??


Recession? Not So Fast, Say Some

A funny thing happened to the economy on its way to recession: It's taken a detour.

That, at least, is the view of a growing number of economists --including some who not long ago were saying a recession was all but inevitable. They note that stock and credit markets have steadily improved since the Federal Reserve intervened to keep Bear Stearns Cos. from bankruptcy in early March, while a series of economic reports have been stronger than expected.

CHANGING BAROMETER

• The News: Retail sales, excluding autos and parts, were surprisingly firm in April.

• The Upshot: Consumer spending and the U.S. economy continue to grow, suggesting recession is not a foregone conclusion.

• The Risks: It could be that the data will worsen in coming months, raising the risk of a shallow but lengthy recession. Economists also cite swift policy responses, including a sharp reduction in interest rates by the Fed-- to 2% from 5.25% last September -- and the distribution of fiscal-stimulus checks to millions of Americans, as factors possibly easing the downturn.

"A couple months ago it seemed like we were on the abyss," said JayBryson, global economist with Wachovia Corp., referring to the seizing up of credit markets and the collapse of Bear Stearns. "Things have changed....The numbers we've seen recently haven't been as bad as we were led to believe just a few months ago."

In these times of economic tanking, it is good to see that local, good positions are plentiful.

Aerogarden Update

For those who have asked for information regarding my Aerogarden, you can find the answers to your questions and an easy way to order one of your own at their website:

The Official Aerogarden Website

YouTube Le Divorce Update

It's Trisha....again...and she is in London.

I have to watch this train wreck.

What Appeasement Wrought...

Going...

Via Brussels Journal and SnappedShot

Belgian police is protecting a 17th century pulpit in the Flemish town of Dendermonde. The pulpit in the Catholic church of Our Lady dates from 1685, two years after the battle of Vienna when the Christian armies of the Polish King John III Sobieski defeated the Turks MUSLIMS poised to overrun Europe. The sculpted wooden pulpit, made by Mattheus van Beveren, depicts a man subdued by angels and represents the triumph of Christianity over Islam. The man is generally thought to be Mohammed. He is holding a book which is generally assumed to be the Koran.

Going...

Via New York Times:

Five men were arrested in Bologna in northern Italy this week after their behavior inside a basilica aroused police officers' suspicions that they were plotting a terrorist attack, Italian law enforcement officials said today. The men, who were arrested on Monday morning, included four Moroccans Muslims, according to the officials. The police at the San Petronio Basilica, which is one of Italy's Gothic treasures, had been on alert because it contains a 15th-century fresco with a depiction of the prophet Muhammad among demons in hell that has drawn complaints from Muslims. Officials said they transcribed and translated what the four Moroccans were saying while the video camera was on. According to that transcript, one of them said, ''What Bin Laden does is what needs doing here.''

GONE....

Via CNN and The Sniper

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Afghanistan's Taleban has destroyed two giant Buddhas carved into a cliff centuries ago, pictures obtained by CNN show. United Nations officials confirmed the claims made by the Taleban, which announced last month it would destroy images deemed "offensive to Islam."

What will we allow to be destroyed next?

West Chester Rally 05/17/2008

The downpouring of rain on Friday yielded to a glorious sunshine day! The Sheepdogs were well represented and we welcomed several new members. I have relinquished the task of the group photo due to not having a wide angle lens to capture the entire group. The photo above was taken by the sublimely talented Sean Carpenter.

A Sheepdog thanks a Marine who was passing by and noticed both groups.

The view from the other side:

If they believe Iraq is a 'fool's mission' - what do they consider the troops in Iraq?

Note - only the troops serving in Iraq must 'come home now' - not those troops fighting the SAME enemy in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, or in the 'Stans. Also, why bring them home, why not redeploy those troops to these other regions where apparently it is legal and moral to fight the same enemy?

A New Sun Rises

Today, a new sun rises - despite the rain in West Chester.

As has been reported at MidnightBlue and other blogs, John Meicht faced several charges - Simple Assault, Resisting Arrest, REAP, Disorderly Conduct, and Harassment stemming from the incident that occurred on March 22, 2008.

These are serious charges, coupled with my video evidence and eye witness accounts of the assault myself and the police officer would have had a detrimental effect on future of John Meicht. It would have been easy to dig my heels in and press for a trial as the evidence would support a conviction of John Meicht. With the strong recommendation of his attorney and to avoid a harsher sentence, John Meicht entered into to a summary agreement. The specifics of this agreement include community service, maximum fines, stay away order (from Me), and a written apology to me by John Meicht.

I believe that justice was served in this case. This case was a civic lesson of how one group can resolve a difficult situation without creating more animosity. Today, I set the example of forgiveness, peace and freedom of speech between our two groups and I hope they were paying attention. On a serious note, I want to send the message that physical violence of any degree will never be tolerated at any rally. We can have opposing viewpoints, we can even get angry at another person's viewpoint - this is NEVER a valid excuse to lash out violently.

I want to thank those who came out to support me today in West Chester: Sean, Kevin, Janet, Rich, Sharon, and Creighton.

I hope the good faith agreement of separation will continue for the best interest of both sides, and more importantly the interest of the public.