I would die for your child and you..

Can you say the same??

Published on August 29, 2005 By ShadowWar In Current Events

Today I had the privilege (and yes it was a privilege) to listen to Lt. Col. Dave Grossman (U.S. Army Rangers, Ret.)for the 5th or 6th time. And every time I listen to him, he makes me proud. (www.kilology.com)

Dave (I hope I have earned the right to address him as Dave, being ex-Army myself, and a friend) spoke of many good examples and reasons why we are where we are today in the current scheme of things. A few things he said really hit home and I wanted to share them with you.

One of the first things he talked about struck me as very interesting. He works and conducts research with many doctors and professors in the field of combat effects on men and women in the military. He talked of a new acronym that is being used at the hospitals seeing our injured men and women from Iraq. He called it P.T.G. “Post Traumatic Growth”. Not Post Traumatic Stress Disorder”. He said many of the men and women coming back from Iraq are showing character and determination not to let their injuries slow them down or get them down. He talked of WW2 when we had approx 400,000 killed and yet 500,000 lost due to metal casualties. But in Iraq, we are having many of the injured and wounded coming out of the situation, in what they themselves are describing as “better” than when they went in. Not near the mental casualties we had in WW2. Even those losing limbs and life changing injuries. . Why is this? Why are they re-enlisting in record numbers as never before. He says it’s due to the fact they see first hand the difference they are making in Iraq and Afghanistan. They believe in what they are doing. That’s why they are so positive in what they feel and how they recover.

He also brought up some very good points I had not thought of in a while. He asked the question “What is the single greatest act of International Terrorism to date?” The answer of course is the attack on the World Trade Centers. But it seems that we forget that. Check with the Guinness book of records.

He also talked of what the terrorist are doing and why. The terrorist are fighting us in Iraq because they find it easier than fighting us here in the US. And that is the way I like it (and many others). If we were not fighting them overseas in Iraq where would we be fighting them? Would it be here in the US? Is that what we want? I don’t.

Then he reminded us of the terrorist primary targets. The children and the, the innocents that can not defend themselves. Why do you think the terrorist use IED’s as their primary weapons? Because they can not win any kind of a stand up fight against the finest fighting force in the world, the U.S. military. Why do you think they are coming from surrounding countries, for that matter all over the world to fight in Iraq? Because in the U.S. they know we would not allow them the ability to do what they are. I would love to see some terrorist try to hide in my neighborhood. They would find themselves at the business end of an MP5 in about an hour after being turned in by the neighbor next to them. And the cops would love nothing better than to make the business end of a firearm the last thing they see.

If your against the war in Iraq would you rather have us fighting them here in the states? If we pull out of Iraq to soon, do you think they will shift their focus to the U.S.? Is that what you want? You want them here in the states? I don’t. I want them facing the finest fighting force in the world, the U.S. military in Iraq and on somebody else’s soil. Is that selfish? Sure I admit, and I don’t care!

Do you want an attack like they had in Russia at Beslan? 1200 hostages, 338 dead, 727 wounded. Do you want that in one of our schools? Why hasn’t it happened? Why have they not killed your child? Because of the military engaging them in Iraq and elsewhere. You are ignorant of the facts if you think otherwise. If someone took your son or daughters school hostage what would you want the U.S. to do about it? I for one, having a 1st grade son, would want them to kill every single terrorist involved. And if my son had to die, I would want his life to not be in vain. Just as the parents at Beslan felt.

So to all you naysayers and other that think we should not be in Iraq, when they come to your neighborhood and take your kids, or your neighbors kids or your grandkids hostage and kill them to make a point, remember, they could be fighting them in a foreign land, and fighting our well trained and well equipped soldiers, you didn’t want that.

But of course each morning you walk out of your door you could just say “Baaaaaa” and be the sheep you want everyone else to be. If you are not willing to stand up fight then get out of the way of those that are! We will protect you from the big bad terrorist, and maybe I will even stand in front of your kid when the time comes, that’s because I believe in what we stand for and what we must do.

Comments

Furry Canary

on Aug 30, 2005

'But of course each morning you walk out of your door you could just say “Baaaaaa” and be the sheep you want everyone else to be. If you are not willing to stand up fight then get out of the way of those that are!'
So ... on one hand, don't be a sheep. On the other, be prepared to get trampled by those who are of one mind if you happen to disagree with them? Hmm.

ShadowWar

on Aug 30, 2005

" So ... on one hand, don't be a sheep. On the other, be prepared to get trampled by those who are of one mind if you happen to disagree with them? Hmm."

What part of "get out of the way" don't you get? That means move, step aside, jump, crawl, whatever you want it to mean, but just "get out of the way". Oh and just a note, after reading all my post, which I hope you did, thats the part you comment on?

'big sigh'

ShadowWar

on Aug 30, 2005

After having overnight to calm myself a bit, I wanted to say my post may look a little emotional. It was, I had just sat through 4 hours of a lecture by Col. Grossman, with 600+ other high speed cops (firearms and Defensive Tactics instructors from all over Florida) on the moral and ethical obligations of making sure we are prepared for whatever may come. Both mentally and physically and in equipment and training. And why we need to make sure we fight this war on terror in some place like Iraq.

I read the Beslan, Russia after-action report. The one that was given out to Law Enofrcement trainers so that we could learn from it. It was horrific and made me want to hug my kid. What those people went through and what those terrorist did to the kids is unfathomable. You have to read the report and see the pictures to get the full impact. Here is one you can read. WARNING it will scare the crud out of you, because you will realize it could happen here:

Report on Beslan - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beslan_school_massacre

But one thing that stands out is this:

In Israel, they had a school massacre, 21 children died. The Israel Army was the one that responded. What do they have in Israel schools now? Armed guards. They require armed guards on all school trips, 1 armed guard for every 7 kids! Wow. Why becuase they will not allow the terrorist to kill their kids again. In Beslan, Russia they had hundreds killed and many more wounded. Who responded and took 3 days to finally go in? The Russian Army. Now they have armed parents in every school, along with the Army.

If that happned here in the US who would be the ones to respond? The local police! And we have been training since Columbine for just such events. We are training for the shooting in progress. We are training to go in, engage and end the shooting, quickly. We don't have cops in all the schools, we don't require cops on field trips. What a perfect target. What would cripple the US more than them taking over a school and killing hundreds of our children? Parents would stop sending their kids to schools, parents would have to miss work or quit, the economy would suffer, we would have to put armed police in every school, that would require more than 1 million new cops. The cost would be huge. Could this happen here? I think it could and have to train for it, and train others.

We have to train for having those terrorist come here, and thats an eye opening idea. And we do. We work out plans all the time.

What we have heard through the intel networks, both offically and unoffically is that the recovered data in Iraq and Afghanistan shows the terrorist are planning and attacking us in Iraq because its an easy target. The U.S. may seem likes its one but its not. If a terrorist tried to stand on a street corner with an RPG on his shoulder, 911 would be swamped with calls. If a group of young, middle eastern men moved into a house in your neighborhood, and after a few weeks, began to carry crates and equipment into the house, they would be reported to the FBI or local cops so fast its crazy. Why? Becasue we here in the US don't put up with that stuff. We are fiercly protective of our way of life. We don't want a Beslan here, or car bombs, or suicide bombers. Americans would be taking up the fight if it came here, and thats why the terrorist are still over there, because there is little worse than a pissed off America and pissed off Americans. Notice I did not say left or right, Dem or Repub. There was a reason for that.

Dr Guy

on Aug 30, 2005

There are sheep and there are sheppards. Sheep Bleat, and sheppards try to keep the wolves at bay.

ParaTed2k

on Aug 30, 2005

Great Words from a Great American!! Thanks for bringing them to our attention!

~~~~~

Sheep? The last sheep I heard from were bleating out...

Anyone Baa-ut Bush!

Furry Canary

on Aug 30, 2005

'sheppards'?!
What are they? And SW, your response makes my point better than I could.

Dr Guy

on Aug 30, 2005

'sheppards'?!
What are they?

An alternate spelling of Shepherds.

Furry Canary

on Aug 30, 2005

'An alternate spelling of Shepherds.'
'Alternate' for 'incorrect'? Sounds like you've got a bad case of PC-itis, Dr. Guy!

Dr Guy

on Aug 30, 2005

'An alternate spelling of Shepherds.'
'Alternate' for 'incorrect'? Sounds like you've got a bad case of PC-itis, Dr. Guy!

I did warn you! Sue me for being a bad speller.

ParaTed2k

on Sep 11, 2005

Only someone as heartessly into living only for itself would take this tribute down to an anal spelling rant. I know you have no idea what it means to care about others enough to die for them, you refuse to lift a finger for anyone but your waste of human flesh self.... if you even live at all. No wonder you don't run your own blog, there is nothing in your whole pathetic, diseased mind worth writing about.

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