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June 22, 2006 One definition of the United States military is that it is an organization that is designed to kill people and break things. In the several decades since WWII when the American Army certainly did a lot of that (culminating in atom bombs over Japan) we have watched the American military transformed into a kinder and gentler force of individuals who the world looks to as sort of an armed “meals on wheels” charitable organization, responsible for hurricane, tsunami and earthquake relief over the breadth of the entire globe. Much of this “meals-on-wheels” duty put many of America’s sons and daughters in the path of car and truck bombs, attacks on naval vessels in supposedly safe ports and inconsiderate and deadly actions of Somali warlords. The American military did not forget how to fight its battles but they were hamstrung by incessant intervention and meddling by politicians who believed in diplomacy. The “diplomacy” involved leaving Americans in defensive posture and accepting attacks from enemy forces without any major retaliation for fear of getting our enemies more upset at America than they were already. Much of the diplomacy was “Lose/Lose” for American interests. In very recent months leading to the present, the United States military has come under ridicule; being excoriated in the halls of Congress as “Nazis” and “Communist members of the former Soviet KGB” among other things. Military members have been labeled “murderers” without investigations or trials. The sole testimonies against the accused soldiers are from “witnesses” with decided bias against America. These stories are picked up by the American press and believed by those who want to believe the military is nothing more than a gang of thugs and killers. Congresspersons who should know better play their faces over the Sunday talk venues expressing concern or chagrin over the actions of a few, while besmirching the traditions and the valorous actions of the many. Now I read where these people who call our forces names want them patrolling the streets of American cities. This is not to prevent terrorists from bombing important “soft” targets. It is to free up an extended police force that has lost control of the streets of New Orleans to criminal elements that have harbored there and set up business. We have seen the forces of the American National Guard respond superbly to assist recent hurricane needs, wildfire control and border control. They were able to do all that despite continual deployments into the Iraq Theater of operations and duties associated with Homeland Security. In fact, the country has been depending on the American military more and more every year. This is a band of volunteers that should be praised for their actions and yet only finds distain in the eyes of those they help. The military has been defined by the actions of a few in Abu Gharib prison, Iraq, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Haditha, Iraq. The Army has gained scorn from deserters who have selfishly run from their responsibilities as soldiers and camped out in Canada in protest against the nation that gave oath to protect. The voices of Clinton, Kerry, Murtha, Sheehan and Durbin ring with many other who call for retreat and disgrace in the face of success. They prefer to see another nation fall to the tyranny of radical Islamism than to become a successful democracy. They judge political success by how low they can drive the President’s poll numbers and they do not care the type of light they might shed on the Armed Forces if it can score points at a liberal candidate’s ballot box. The Governor of Louisiana has acquiesced to the Mayor of New Orleans and dispatched sixty state police and one-hundred National Guard soldiers with “law enforcement experience” to try to help keep the city from further murders. The AP report entitled: “National Guard sent to patrol New Orleans” (19 June) tells us that 53 people have been killed this year in the city with the recent killing of 5 young people finally sending up enough alarm to call for soldiers patrolling the streets. The Governor is quoted: [Governor] “Blanco offered two warnings: “First, to parents, keep your teenagers off the streets and out of trouble. Second, to judges, I am urging you to keep hardened criminals where they belong — in jail and off the streets. We must protect our citizens.” These are warnings that should be staples in all major American cities but now especially for New Orleans. I am now in a quandary. Liberal Governors and Mayors are now calling for American soldiers to help keep a lid on criminal activity. You might think that the liberal lawmakers in Washington would be suggesting that “murderers” should not be guarding streets against “murderers”. This is truly a crazy nation we live in. I remember a long time ago that 4 Kent State College students were “gunned down” by those self-same National Guard “baby-killers”. It must be true we are doomed to repeat our mistakes. The state of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans is paying for its years of neglect at the hands of liberalism and Democratic politics. They are also setting a precedent for military operations that is inappropriate. What will be the “rules of engagement” for the soldiers on the streets who may encounter gang members with guns? Will they be allowed to defend themselves or will they have to call the police to take control of any situation involving criminal weapon assault? Will other states see this action by the Governor of Louisiana as their “Carte Blanc-o” to pull in military troops every time the body count goes above six? I found this fact interesting: “The police force has been operating with depleted ranks. It has about 1,375 officers, compared with about 1,750 before Katrina. The city’s pre-Katrina population of 465,000 has rebounded to about half its size.” So the city is down 425 officers but it is also down more than 200,000 citizens and the suggestion is “depletion” when there is an actual net increase of officers per capita. Let’s grant that crime was terrible before Katrina and that Katrina forced only the better elements to seek new homes elsewhere. We might grant also that all the criminals of the city returned to their “roots” because they couldn’t make inroads into any other city’s criminal populations. (Criminals and syndicates are very possessive and territorial.) So we look at a little more than half of the half that returned to New Orleans as the criminal element and we can see the police overwhelmed by the circumstances. Throw in the crooked politicians that have returned and yes; we can see why the National Guard is needed. The Mayor of New Orleans has been asking for more of this and more of that ever since his reelection. He needs more federal funds, more State Police and now more soldiers. He asks for more people to return to the city when the city still can’t control the few that do live there. Where is the incentive? I would never return to a city I know is not safe and cannot be made safe by the administration in power. Has Mayor Nagin promised things he cannot deliver? Well, it wouldn’t be the first time a politician did that. The point is New Orleans has been given a chance to start over and it looks like they’ve already squandered that chance to the criminals. The Military should not be stressed or stretched even further to cover for an inept city government. ------------ About the Author: Michael John McCrae has contributed over 500 articles to Useless-Knowledge.com. Email: macswordV@hotmail.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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