For Memorial Day

I recently had a discussion with someone that started out on the topic of torture. Over the course of this discussion this woman was specifically attacking the American soldiers who engaged in the torture of detainees at Gitmo. The debate on whether or not "waterboarding" can be defined as torture aside, I tried to explain to this woman that if she felt that strongly about the issue that she should not make our soldiers the only targets of her distain. Some of the things I've seen and read on torture in other parts of the world make Gitmo and it's treatment of prisoners seem like a day at the Four Seasons.
*It should also be noted that this same woman has written that she would love to be a cagefighter(but she doesn't want to hurt anyone or mess up her face). To this I say that hypocrisy, like violence ad vanity, are human conditions that we have yet to evolve beyond.

War is ugly, but necessary, business. In being naive to how the world really operates this woman is spreading ignorant hate for our soldiers who make the ultimate sacrifice for all of us. I also asked this woman if she would condone using torture to obtain information that would directly result in the safety of her family. Her response what that she wouldn't condone the torture of any human under any circumstances. I don't believe this for a millisecond. I hardly doubt that this woman, a mother, would allow something horrible to happen to her child because of her convictions. That is completely asinine.

My feeling on the subject is that while we can all get on a soapbox and say violence is bad and never solves anything, the reality is that it DOES. This is a harsh reality but it is what it is. Dominance over evil is the only was to survive and you don't dominate by sitting down and having a chat.

I'm not advocating violence. There are many forms of violence out there that should be condemned and harshly at that. But I do think it's perfectly acceptable to defend freedoms and a way of life.

The following is an excerpt from a novel by Terry Goodkind and I want to share it because it's fantastic...

We do not fight for land. We are loyal to an ideal-an ideal of liberty wherever man lives. We do not guard territory, bleed for a piece of dirt. We don't fight because we love violence. We fight for our freedom as individuals to live our own lives, to pursue our own survival, our own happiness.

Your unconditional rejection of violence makes you smugly think of yourselves as noble, as enlightened, but in reality it is nothing less than abject moral capitulation to evil. Unconditional rejection of self defense, because you think it's a supposed surrender to violence, leaves you no resort but begging for mercy or offering appeasement.

Evil grants no mercy, and to attempt to appease it is nothing more than a piecemeal surrender to it. Surrender to evil is slavery at best, death at worst. thus your unconditional rejection of violence is really nothing more than embracing death as preferable to life.

You will achieve what you embrace.

The right, the absolute necessity, of vengeance against anyone who initiates force against you is fundamental to survival. The morality of a people's self-defense is in it's defense of each individual's right to life. It's an intolerance to violence made real by an unwavering willingness to crush any who would launch violence against you. The unconditional determination to destroy any who would initiate force against you is an exaltation of the value of life. Refusing to surrender your life to any thug or tyrant who lays claim to it is in fact embracing life itself.

If you are unwilling to defend your right to your own lives, then you are merely like mice trying to argue with owls. You think their ways are wrong. They think you are dinner.

If, hoping to appease it, you willingly compromise with unrepentant evil, you only allow such evil to sink it's fangs into you; from that day on its venom will course through your veins until it finally kills you.

Compromising with murderers grants them moral equivalence where none can rightly exist. moral equivalence says that you are no better than they; therefore their belief-that they should be able to torture, rape, or murder you-is just as morally valid as your view-that you have the right to live free of their violence. Moral compromise rejects the concept of right and wrong. It says that everyone is equal, all desires are equally valid, all action is equally valid, so everyone should compromise to get along.

Where could you compromise with those who torture, rape and murder people? In the number of days a week you will be tortured? In the number of men to be allowed to rape your loved ones? In how many of your family are to be murdered?

No moral equivalence exists in that situation, nor can it exist, so there can be no compromise, only suicide.

To even suggest compromise can exist with such men is to sanction murder.

Many teach that saying someone is evil is prejudiced thinking. it's a way of belittling someone already in pain for some reason. Such people must be embraced and taught to shed their fears of their fellow man and then they will not strike out in violent ways.

They are dangerous to everyone because they embrace evil with their teachings. In so doing, in trying to be kind, to be unselfish, in trying to be nonjudgmental, you allow evil to become far more powerful than it otherwise would. you refuse to see evil, and so you welcome it among you. You allow it to exist. you give it power over you. You are a people who have welcomed death and refused to denounce it.

You are an empire naked to the shadow of evil.

These people think of themselves as enlightened, as above violence. They are not enlightened; they are merely slaves awaiting a master, victims awaiting killers.


To all those past, present and future who serve, fight, kill out of necessity, witness horrible atrocities and put themselves in harm's way in the name of Freedom, words just aren't enough. Thank You.

The Land of Palm Trees and Freaky Little Lizards

Hey Hey!!! Guess what? I made it to 30. Today is my birthday. Seems like a good reason for a new blog, right?

I've been in Florida for three weeks today and I have some observations to share:

1. The weather is fabulous. Well, that's by my newbie standard anyway. Ask a local and they will immediately shoot you the stink eye and bust out with a rain dance. Ok, so the rain dance part doesn't really happen....

2. Old people can be totally infuriating when they are [making an attempt at] operating motor vehicles. Then they wander into the grocery store without a shirt on and you can't be mad anymore because you don't really know if he meant to do that and is just daring someone to say something to a spunky old man or if he just forgot because he's older. I'm going to go with the first option because the second one makes me want to take him home with me.

3. PJ pants and your BF's/hookup's green and orange basketball jersey are not the proper attire for fetching lunch.  It screams "walk of shame" which was preceded by "Bitch, go get me some lunch NOW". Not a good look for anyone....especially at noon.

4. Florida is inhabited by these little tiny lizards. AND THEY FREAK ME OUT. 

5. These Floridans are determined drinkers. And I love 'em for it. Picture this: Busy two lane highway, it's hotter than Hades...dude(in a Gators hat) riding down the side of the road on his rusty bike with nothing but the case of Natty Light he has purchased on a Tuesday. He's got no car but he's got his Natty. Awesome. 

Then there are the BOGO drink specials at every restaurant in town until 7pm. Who doesn't love that?

6. Dolphins in the Gulf. Amazing. The wildlife around here is amazing in general. 

As you can see Floridians are keeping me just as entertained as my fellow students at UA did.