Our American Heroes In Lithuania

One of the best kept un-secrets of the spring is that American paratroopers, in very limited numbers, have deployed to Lithuania, as result of threats to this small but defiant little nation, from Russia's President Putin.  The leadership of Lithuania, personified by Lithuania's president, Dalia Grybauskaite (Lithuania's first female president, by the way), dared to openly criticize the Russian invasion and occupation of the Crimea.  President Grybauskaite, in welcoming US troops, stated "...as threats emerge, we see who our real friends are."  The Lithuanian President would most likely be one of the first persons arrested (or worse) if Mr. Putin chooses to put his threats into action.  President Grybauskaite knows this full well, and this is why she is so happy to see the United States honor its NATO obligation to Lithuania, one of its newest members.

I admire President Grybauskaite's determination to keep her nation free, and I am pleased too that she believes the United States will help her nation, as demonstrated by the arrival of US forces there.  And, in one those rare moments that I don't like, but will not shirk from, I commend President Obama for sending our forces on a just and honorable mission.  Yes, I truly do not like to find myself in agreement with President Obama, but in this case I must, and I do.  I further call on him to send more troops to the aid of President Grybauskite and the people of Lithuania should the situation there warrant it.  Lithuanians have demonstrated their desire for freedom since at least the period of the Russian Revolution.  They endured Soviet occupation, Nazi invasion, then Soviet occupation again, but through it all remained true to their nation and their desire for independence.

I pray for the safety of our troops while they are in Lithuania, and I wish them Godspeed as they carryout their mission. I am, however, very concerned for our troops' safety in light of the Administration's demonstrated tendency to abandon American soldiers and American citizens when it is "politically expedient" to do so, such as in the Benghazi tragedy.  The very fact that our troops are on the ground in Lithuania is not politically expedient, but I believe it was the right thing for our President to do.  Now, I call on our President, and I call on all of us as well, to have the stomach to protect our troops in Lithuania, and the people of Lithuania as well, by sending more troops if the threat to Lithuania (and by extension, NATO) should be elevated by President Putin.  Sending one hundred fifty troops is a great gesture, and was sincerely welcomed by the Lithuanians, but will President Obama be willing to send more soldiers if the worst case scenario arises?  Will the American people stand together and demand that our heroes in Lithuania not be abandoned if the Russian threat should materialize into reality?  I hope President Obama does, and I hope we are.  Ultimately, I hope that whatever else may happen, the Lithuanian people will never have cause to doubt our friendship, and I hope our troops there never have reason to believe that President Obama, or the one who follows him, will abandon them in the face of invasion, even if it is "politically expedient" to do so.

Support Our Troops
God Bless American
God Bless Lithuania

Have Any Of You Received YOUR Questionnaire About Edward Snowden?

A headline that grabbed my attention this morning stated "Poll shows more American disagree with Snowden than support him."  The article then goes on to point out that the above statement is true when only about 60% of those responding to the poll are considered, since 40% said they "had no opinion."  The article then tells us that this poll, by NBC, roughly mirrors a poll from February, 2014 which was conducted by NBC/Wall Street Journal.  http://news.yahoo.com/snowden-poll-oppose-leak-174819082.html?.tsrc=lgw

Before I get to my most burning question, I would like to point out that NBC is behind both of these polls, and, in my opinion, has a vested interest in making sure that you and I BELIEVE that very few people support Snowden's whistle blower-action that confirmed to us the extreme degree to which the "Government" is now spying on you and me.  The NBC and many other media have a vested interest in cooperating with the Government in both covering up the 1984-type spying that is going on against us, and in making out those who openly oppose such spying to be UNPATRIOTIC!  After all, what do "good citizens" have to hide, anyway?  If the media can't make a domestic-spying opponent into a kook or idiot, it can criminalize them.  And the "Government" quickly joins in the criminalization.

I consider myself a good citizen, in that I am not a felon, terrorist, foreign agent, or any of those things.  I am sure most of you also fall into the "good citizen" category as well.  Well, my fellow good citizens, have you received your poll yet?  I mean the one about whether or not you support Snowden's actions.  So far no national pollster has been in touch with me.  I am waiting, NBC!!  If any of you received this poll, AND responded it to it, would you favor me, please, by letting me know?  Thanks.

Now for my most burning question, which I guess is really two questions.  First, WHY DOES OUR GOVERNMENT NEED TO SPY ON US...ALL OF US??!!!  Last time I checked, the Constitution still prohibited any level of government from searching any person without probable cause to do so.  Not just any old list of "beliefs" but beliefs based on facts that would support a warrant issued by a reasonable judge (who is not in the pockets of the very agencies seeking spy authority, by the way).  The last time I checked, the contents of a phone call were covered under our "reasonable expectation of privacy" and not open to government search without the above mentioned LEGALLY OBTAINED warrant.  So, unless the Government REASONABLY BELIEVES ALL OF US ARE SPIES AND ARE DANGEROUS TO THIS NATION, said Government cannot LEGALLY spy on us.  By the way, espousing such beliefs on the Internet could expose me to the danger that my Government might SUSPECT I am a spy.  Under current law agents of various government bureaus could come and get me and I would never be seen or heard from again.  No I am not paranoid, just a reader of USA PATRIOT Act and NDAA.  If you care to bore yourself with such boring material, you will find that what I have said is true, and is going on NOW.

Second, do you personally oppose anyone who risks his life and liberty to expose our Government's illegal domestic spying programs?  I support Snowden, and further, I do not follow the logic of our Government in branding him a traitor because he fled to Russia.  Snowden was in fear of being arrested under various spying bills himself, plus obviously he was a danger to the nation as defined by USA PATRIOT.  Therefore, if he were ever apprehended by United States authorities he would probably never be seen again, at least on this continent.  Snowden is not entitled to a trial, according to USA PATRIOT.  He is not entitled to a legal defense, nor is he entitled to even a phone call, again according to USA PATRIOT.  So there is little doubt that he took the wisest course available to him at the time.   He risk all by exposing, with concrete proof to back it up, what our out-of-control Government is doing to ALL of us.  Do you oppose his actions?  And whether or not you agree with what he did, do you disagree that Edward Snowden has a right to a trial, with all the trappings, including the right to post a reasonable bond, the right to a reasonable defense, and the right to have all this afforded to him in an open way so that all of us can see what is going on? 

It grieves me that our nation has reached this point, the point in which our inalienable rights are trampled at the whim of our "leaders."  It grieves me also that, instead of stopping the domestic spying RIGHT NOW, our Government has instead condemned the person who exposed this activity.  It grieves me that our nation has reached the point where Snowden's life is endangered by the very Government obliged to protect him.  I have to wonder, if Snowden were to decide right now to simply board a jet and fly back to the United States, would his jet even make it back across the Atlantic?  Asked another way, would YOU WANT TO FLY ON THAT JET WITH HIM?  Not me, my friends, as the jet would no doubt experience some sort of mechanical trouble at the same time the transponder failed, and the flight would be lost in the millions of square miles of ocean between here and there.  Can you say Malaysia Flight 370?

The moral of this post is that news headlines are not just misleading; they are intended to LEAD us, to form our opinions, and to condition us never to question what the Government tells us, whether directly, or through a media "poll."  A national media giant tells us that "most Americans" do not support Edward Snowden and his actions in exposing a national disgrace.  But I, like you (and like "most Americans") did not receive a poll regarding our opinion on this issue.  We are simply asked to follow along in the bleating crowd as our cell phone calls, and probably our land-line calls, are monitored illegally because any one of us "might be a terrorist."  Drones are flying over us here in the United States spying on us, again, because we might be terrorists.  And we are expected to join the axe-mob against Edward Snowden, while the most powerful terrorist the world has ever seen is watching over all of us at this moment.  Don't you feel so much safer?  By the way, have you received your poll yet?
 

Last Watch: Deputy Sheriff Sergeant Paul Buckles, Potter County Sheriff's Office - May 30, 2014

Sergeant Paul Buckles, a Sheriff's Deputy with the Potter County Sheriff's Office (Amarillo) was involved in a multiple-agency training exercise dealing with active shooter situations.  During the exercise Sergeant Buckles suffered a heart attack.  He was treated at the scene by officers and paramedics then transported to a nearby hospital.  Though a tremendous effort was made to save his life, Sergeant Buckles died a short time later.

Sergeant Buckles had served with the Potter County Sheriff's Office for over twenty-five years.  He was assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division at the time of his death.  I am proud to honor this veteran officer on the pages of Desert Hot Air, and I extend my deepest sympathy, along with that of other Texans, to the family, friends, and fellow peace officers in their loss.  I also extend my gratitude to Sergeant Buckles for his service to his community and the people of Texas.

Tornadoes Over Denver, OR, But I Thought This Was Not Tornado Alley

My lovely bride returned from Denver yesterday, after surviving what must have been one of the bigger funnel outbreaks that state will see this year.  Well, maybe.  You see, I have for years believed that Denver was not actually in the fabled Tornado Alley of North America.  But my wife's experience there earlier in the week proved that just because a place is not in Tornado Alley does not mean it will never have tornadoes.  In fact my lovely bride was forced to take cover two times as funnel clouds formed directly over downtown Denver, but tornadoes did not touch down, nor was there any physical damage to speak of.  But...

According to the National Weather Service, twenty-four tornadoes are reported in Colorado each year.  The good news is that zero deaths by tornado are reported each year.  It turns out that super cells form in and around Denver then move eastward into Tornado Alley proper.  These same storms move into other states, including Texas, where they really wreak havoc each year.  Colorado deals with twenty-four tornadoes yearly, while Texans can expect at least 135 twisters every year.  But the fact that Denver experiences five times fewer tornadoes than Texas did not comfort my lovely bride one bit, as she sat in the basement of her hotel waiting for the all clear.  Ultimately she made her way safely home, but my curiosity was set to high.

For one thing, I wondered if Denver may have been in Tornado Alley.  So I checked several models of Tornado Alley on the Internet.  Each map was slightly different, in that some renditions of Tornado Alley were slightly wider east and west or longer north and south, but none included Denver.  For another thing, I wondered how Texas compared to the other "member" states of Tornado Alley.  It turns out that Texas by far has more reported tornadoes than does any other state.  The next highest number of tornadoes per year was reported by Florida, at fifty-three.  I was somewhat surprised that Florida was such a distant second. On the other hand, the number of tornadoes reported in Florida is considerable, especially when one notes that Florida is not in Tornado Alley at all.

Here are a few interesting facts from the National Weather Service regarding tornadoes:

If you do not want to be in a tornado, move to Alaska, which reports zero tornadoes per year.
Hawaii is relatively "tornado safe" with only one reported tornado per year.
All of the Midwestern states report at least ten tornadoes per year, but none of those same states report more than thirty-six twisters per year. 
Texas, with the most tornadoes, does not have the highest death toll.  In fact, Mississippi loses the most people to tornadoes each year at ten deaths per tornado season.
While several states report zero people killed each year by tornadoes Maryland reports .07 deaths per year, Nebraska reports .7, and Delaware reports .13 deaths per year due to tornadoes.  Umm...you will have to figure out these stats yourself.  I mean, how can you have .13 of a dead person?

In the mean time, my lovely bride made it home safely from Denver in spite of the storms raging through the area.  And remember, just because you may not live in Tornado Alley does not mean you should not listen to the weather report every now and again.



  

Officer's Last Watch - Detective Charles Dinwiddie -Killeen PD - Killeen,Texas - May 11, 2014

This past weekend was a horrific weekend for Texas Peace Officers, with several officers shot across the state in various situations.  Yet with all the officers shot, we were blessed that only one policeman lost his life.  Charles Dinwiddie and three other officers were executing a search warrant this past Friday when they were fired on by one of the subjects inside the residence.  Two officers were struck and taken to a local hospital.  Detective Dinwiddie fought for his life for two more days, but died on Sunday morning.

This has been a relatively safe year for Texas police officers, with the first line of duty death occurring on March 14th.  That day Officer Mark Uland of the Trinity University Police suffered a heart attack while attempting to evacuate a building during a fire alarm.  Unfortunately other states have lost several police officers during the same time period, with California leading the way.  Seven officers have died in that state since January 1st.  In all, forty-two peace officers have died in the line of duty so far this year, including three officers in Puerto Rico, all shot to death. 

The number of officers killed in the line of duty has declined somewhat over the past decade due to better officer safety techniques and better equipment; nonetheless, the job of enforcing the law and responding to emergencies will always be a dangerous one.  I am proud, though saddened, to honor Detective Dinwiddie on my blog.  I pray for his family and friends, and for the safety of police officers everywhere.  Many more officers will pay the ultimate price protecting you and me through the remainder of the year, yet there will always be those willing to serve in spite of the dangers.  May God bless and protect them all.

A Salute To Our "Greatest Generation" On The Anniversary of V-E Day!

Today is the anniversary of V-E Day.  On this date in 1945 the Allied Forces and the Nazis officially ended World War II by signing a ceasefire in Berlin.  When news of the ceasefire and surrender were announced, thousands of German regular army soldiers raced for their lives (literally) to find American or British forces to whom to surrender.  The Nazis knew that if they were captured by Russian soldiers they could expect cruel treatment and possibly execution.  The Russians were very angry with the Germans due to the millions of civilians and soldiers the Germans had killed while fighting their way to Stalingrad, and the Germans, rightly, feared that their Russian captors would avenge the deaths of their fellow Russians. 

The generation of Americans who fought the Second World War, both in battle and on the home front, demonstrated their greatness, the stuff they were made of, by bringing the nation from the throes of the Great Depression to mightiest war machine the world has ever seen.  Most people who are around my age or older have heard their parents, relatives, or friends talk about World War II and their experiences in the fighting or in missions to support the war efforts by working at behind-the-scenes military jobs or keeping the factories up and running back in the States.

I particularly admire the men (and women as well) who spent those four long years in the fighting overseas.  These soldiers saw their friends killed and injured, suffered through terrible fighting conditions, and often went without sufficient food, ammunition, or equipment.  My great uncle did not talk much about the war during the time I spent with him, but he told me about the terrible cold in the Black Forest of Germany.  Our soldiers, as well as the enemy, had to spend day and night in freezing conditions, with all the misery that entails, while still engaging in combat and carrying out their orders.  I truly do not know how those people did it, nor do I believe I could have endured those conditions.

As the years, and now the decades, have passed many of the veteran survivors of World War II have lived out the remainder of their lives here in the land they fought so hard to save, and then passed on to that better place that is waiting for all of us.  I hope that we have not forgotten the sacrifice of these great Americans, and I hope that those of that generation who still survive know that we have not forgotten them.  I am proud to remember and honor the those Americans, the members of our Greatest Generation on this, the 69th anniversary of V-E Day!

Three-Peat Rick And His Troubles In Austin

I see that Three-Peat Rick Perry, longest reigning Governor of Texas, at least since Ma and Pa Ferguson, is now in hot water with a Travis County grand jury.  His action in vetoing funds for the Public Integrity Unit of the Travis County District Attorney's Office is the focus of the grand jury investigation.

It seems that Governor Perry was upset with Rosemary Lehmberg, who had been arrested for driving while intoxicated in Austin recently.  Ms. Lehmberg is one of the attorneys in the Public Integrity Unit.  Perry made a reasonable demand, in my opinion, that Ms. Lehmberg resign her position due to the DWI arrest and subsequent guilty plea.  Only recently Ms. Lehmberg escaped a removal hearing by the skin of her teeth.  The hearing judge decided that since Ms. Lehmberg had served her time (actually only half, check the Austin American Statesman) and that she was seeking help with her alcohol addiction, she should not be removed from office.

Three-Peat Rick was quite upset by this development and by Ms. Lehmberg's refusal to leave office.  Republicans have long contended that Ms. Lehmberg (a Democrat) had prosecuted primarily REPUBLICANS and ignored Democrats who were accused of questionable practices in their official capacity.  Governor Perry warned the Travis County DA that if Ms. Lehmberg did not voluntarily resign he would veto that office's state funding.  Here you will recall that the Travis County District Attorney's Office handles all cases related to Texas politicians who bear investigation.  In fact, Gov. Perry did veto the funding bill, resulting in the Public Integrity Unit being down-sized and operating only on Travis County money.

While Three-Peat Rick indeed exercised his legal veto power, and used his very heavy influence in this matter as well, some felt that his actions amounted to de facto official oppression, as he hindered the prosecution of serious felony cases by plugging the funding to the PIU.  Not only was the District Attorney upset, but citizen "watchdog" groups were angered as well.  The group, Texans For Public Justice, filed a complaint with a state judge.  The judge took the complaint seriously enough to convene a grand jury to look into the matter.  I do not know the who's who of all this, meaning who are the Republicans and Democrats involved in the various organizations, but it does seem that this mess could torpedo Gov. Rick's further political ambitions, and could possibly even result in some type of criminal or administrative action against him.

While all of this is in the early stages and no one can know whether this will seriously damage Gov. Perry's political career, or if he will rise from the smoke and ashes a stronger Governor, there is the chance that Rick Perry may be in the sunset of his political career.  It is interesting to note that many times when a politician holds the same office for several terms, the scandals begin to creep out in the second or subsequent terms of that office.  Best example...Richard "Tricky Dick" Nixon and his second presidential term.  Wait, that USED to be the best example.  I think now President Obama's second term trumps Nixon's, or even Clinton's, but I digress...

Will Three-Peat Rick survive this latest and most serious threat to his political ambitions?  We can only await the decision of the grand jury.  Will Three-Peat Rick try to run again for Governor of Texas?  Traditionally the Texas Governor has served only two consecutive terms.  And it is true that my pet name for Rick Perry, Three-Peat Rick, it somewhat of a misnomer.  He has actually only served TWO complete terms, having served a partial term as appointed governor after George Dubbya Bush went to Washington, D.C.   But, from what I see, it looks like Rick may try for a third ELECTED term if he does not declare for the United States presidency again.  If a third term as governor is indeed legal, the question is will Texicans actually re-elect Three-Peat Rick?  The bigger question, though, is will Three-Peat Rick be serving time for official oppression when the next election rolls around?  Three-Peat Rick definitely has his troubles in Austin.  Que sera...sera.