GOP NASHINUL SUH-CURRY-TEE DEBATES … my rant!

After watching the GOP National Security debates…I am disgusted, appalled, and even downright offended as a world traveler and retired Soldier.

26 November 2011

These IDIOTS, save Jun Huntsman, clearly DO NOT understand or care about the cultural, psychological, economic, educational, social, civil, or even diplomatic nuances and characte ristics of foreign countries/governments/people enough to propose actions that would not destroy the broader ties among nations, and would not cause the extraordinary loss of life of both US military personnel and foreign nationals.  Huntsman is the ONLY candidate who truly understands the rules of the international diplomacy game…but he is ignored…UN-FREEKIN’-BELIEVEABLE!!!!!!!!!!

It is so VERY shallow and irresponsible of these so-called political leaders to throw around sound bite talking points in order to be perceived as taking a ‘hard’ position against assumed threats that sound really scary to sheeples . And worse than that, the audiences tend to clap for whomever advocates continued combat operations and makes unsubstantiated comparisons of contrast to Pres. Obama…I guarantee that those whooping and hollering and applauding have no real intimate understanding of the countries in question, nor the 2nd/3rd/4th order effects of the BULLSHIT spewing from the mouths of ALL these candidates…except, of course, Jon Huntsman, who makes perfect sense to those of us who independently seek out the truth of global affairs.

They are treating this very serious subject as a muthafukin’ game…a proverbial joke!

Herman Kochaine still cannot answer whether or not he thinks "torture" is an acceptable form of interrogation…not mention the whole ‘Beki-Beki-Beki-Stan-Stan’ thingy. Now all of these fools are advocating the return of waterboarding … WTF???!!!  And the audiences clap like fools for both sides of the torture argument.  Can you say CLUELESS???

Also, they say dumb stuff about keeping the US military deployed in lands other than America, and then repeatedly refer back to so-called “commanders on the ground” to justify such ludicrous statements — WHAT FUCKING COMMANDERS ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT…???!!! I KNOW the commanders on the ground, at the upper echelons especially, and NONE of them want to continue subjecting military men and women to revolving deployments and physical/emotional/psychological stress and injury.

They are literally trying to redefine "WAR"…woooooow…

Everything that these candidates are suggesting (save Huntsman) is for the sake of holding up the ‘AMERICA STRONG’ banner…which means that they are pretty much saying that they would, as Commanders-In-Chief, pull out the go-to-war card at the drop of a feather to prove a point.

They obviously do not realize or care about what we go through in order to fulfill "combat" obligations of the President and Congress. They clearly do not understand or give a fuck about the physical/emotional/psychological/etc damage that we each individually sustain in these international games of chess with real live Americans being shuffled across the global board as pawns.

I’m an Independent…been registered as one since 1984. I don’t do the whole Dem-GOP thing. I err on the side of common sense and informed opinion. If I was just a staunch Liberal or an Ultra Conservative, I would be missing just how strong a candidate Huntsman really is. He makes the rest of the bunch look comical. I would love to see Huntsman and Pres. Obama go head-to-head in a series of debates about both domestic AND international issues. The American people, if willing to really listen, would learn a LOT about synching domestic fiscal issues with international diplomacy.

I talk a lot of shit about what I really see as a slate of IDIOT candidates, but only because I do my homework and listen to EVERYTHING they publicly put on the table. They are ASSCLOWNS! But I want to jump for joy when Huntsman says bring the troops home and let’s fix this fucked up economy that everyone claims to be so concerned with. Y’all would be amazed if I broke down in layman’s terms just how our tax dollars are being wasted in the name of corporate greed in EVERY country in which we currently operate.  And whether we stay in some of these countries for 2 more days or 2000 more days, the same thing will happen once we leave. And just what is that??? Depends on the country…but it ain’t dependent on US presence necessarily.

EVERYTHING discussed in these recent Republican debates – unlike previous ones – has the potential to directly affect the MORTALITY of American men and women…

As President of the United States of America, you simply cannot separate foreign and domestic policy and expect shit to just go your way. Pres. Obama is finally coming around to understanding that. And those who know me well KNOW that I don’t pull punches when it comes to criticizing this current administration either. There are tons of things that this administration could have done much better to counter and deal with the obstructionism and games being played by House GOP’ers. However, foreign policy issues have been dealt with rather effectively in the past year…my unchanging opinion.

My family lived overseas loooong before I entered the Army. I majored in languages in college. I was Christian for part of my life, and I was also Muslim for 18 years until 2010. I can go anywhere in the world as a civilian and just be comfortable without disrespecting other cultures … and still maintaining my honor and pride as an American. So I am NOT considering these issues from a purely military perspective. I really encourage you, just for a little while, to try and take a step back from the very hard line partisan politics currently destroying this country and really consider the pros and cons of what these candidates present to us from a common sense perspective – WITHOUT the Liberal-Conservative labels. You might be surprised just how differently things seem to you…I’m jus’ sayin’…

D. Guidry

LIBYA…that is the question?

Since the recent death of Libyan leader/dictator Mohmar Ghadafi,  I have been commenting in different forums about Libya and its citizens in a post-revolution era. What perplexes me though, is that I seem to always be at odds with everyone else on this subject, upsetting some folks with my views on the post-death treatment of Ghadafi.  I just want to say up front, that is NOT my intention. I have a very unique perspective on global issues, and I have a very aggressive nature when it comes to truly understanding perspectives different from my own. I say this because I cannot let this issue go. I want to know why the Libyan people are almost completely ignored, while Ghadafi is now being hailed as some kind of martyr for African countries other than his own…I don’t get it.

When Ghadafi was killed there were several opinions about the actions taken by the United States. Personally, I applauded the President’s efforts and the way the administration handled the entire situation…and that is from both military and human rights perspectives. I had very little issue with the way Ghadafi was tracked and eventually killed, because he had committed horrendous acts of terror and torture against the people of Libya for 40+ years…one of the most despicable dictators ever in my opinion.

However, there are MANY Americans who are beyond angry with the U.S. and President Obama, laying out all the super-secret Illuminati theories about what happened and saying that America is continuing to kill people for oil. The kicker is that they are condemning the death of Ghadafi because, they say, he was one of the most generous world leaders who did so much to help struggling African countries. Funny thing — that is true to a certain extent. He is still praised by many Black Africans for his generosity, and even has schools and palaces and government buildings dedicated to him in East African countries such as Ethiopia.

BUT…what did he do for and to the people of his own country??? He suppressed them. He tortured them. He hunted them down (even  when they were in exile in other countries), and he killed them. Once he even ordered the killing of an entire confinement facility of Libyan prisoners. He rounded them up in a common area of the prison, and then ordered the guards to shoot until every last one of them was dead — WHAT THE FUCK KIND OF MONSTER WOULD DO THAT TO OTHER HUMAN BEINGS???!!!

Now I don’t advocate assassinating folks all willy-nilly, but I’m glad he’s dead. And when you really think about what happened, in the end it was Libyan citizens who dragged his ass out of a hole and did the deed…not the drone missile. For ALL his years of crime against humanity, I CANNOT shed tears just because he gave some backhanded $$$ to other African countries…

But really, how does all this good that he supposedly did for people OUTSIDE of Libya negate the lives of all the Libyan citizens he ordered killed — in his OWN country — over a 42-year period. I  don’t get it. I have seen children with bulletholes in their foreheads because of the wishes of people in positions…like Ghaddafi. And I am all for uplifting African peoples.  But how do you justify accepting monetary support from a so-called leader with nothing but blood on his soul? How does a leader of another African country accept support from someone who ordered him to be assassinated??? YES…this is true!

I know I’m not wrong when I say that this situation is a straight up Mafia scenario. I equate what these African nations have done over the years with accepting the support of a mass murderer or a true Mafioso godfather.

And as far as the killing of Ghadafi, as far as I’m concerned he was a Dead Man Walking anyway – he was going to die at the hands of the Libyan people anyway. The “revolution” wanted him terminated. And even that disturbs me, because it seems as though the Libyan people would have been treated with disdain and demonized if they had found and killed Ghadafi even without the help of NATO.

I have seen tons of statistics that folks share and data discovered through my own research that are biased towards justifying the praise of Ghadafi.  I am not looking at this from the perspective of partisan politics….this is a HUMAN RIGHTS issue.  All I can figure is that the conspiracy theories about US intervention in foreign affairs trumps the reality of taking human life without justification. This really hurts me to the core of my soul because I will NEVER be able to grasp how statistics cancel out the unscrupulous “canceling out” of human lives…men, women, AND children.

If there is something that I am really not seeing, please enlighten me…until then, my heart continues to weep…

Another epiphany…in all my years of working international diplomacy issues, what still frightens and perplexes me is the selective collective nature of American leaders and citizen s when addressing or confronting various kinds of human threats across the globe. What we rarely, if ever, do is try to put ourselves in empathetic perspectives and think about how we would feel if some of these same things were happening to us here in this country. How would WE feel if armed masked individuals knocked down our front doors and snatched our son, daughter, grandparent, mother, father…with no explanation – and either murdered them on the spot, or took them away, never allowing us to know their fates.

What’s really getting me, now that I think about it, is that I have yet to come across ANYONE else who sees that bigger picture…the way I do.

Last (and again), what is always brought up about Ghaddafi/Qadafi (or whatever his true name was) is stuff about countries OTHER THAN HIS OWN…and I keep saying that I don’t get it because I really don’t. It’s as if the Libyan people are not worthy of existence. They are like illegal Mexicans, and we are Jan Brewer or some extremist Arizona zealots channeling Herman Kochaine and his magical electric fence. Why does NO ONE ever have any consideration for the LIBYAN people?

One more thing…I just want to make it clear that I am NOT presenting arguments for whether or not NATO and the US should have used drones to attack Ghadafi. I don’t, and never have, advocated indiscriminate killing – even as a Soldier. I have my personal opinions about it, but I would never try and debate that anyway. I am simply focused on why there is so much praise for a person who committed the atrocities that he did against his own country and peoples. And you can throw around the so-called propaganda and slander theme, but I can counter that with direct knowledge of classified information that STILL makes me sick to my fucking stomach…

I – DO – NOT – GET – IT!

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF BRAINWASHING (The Cain Dilemma)

 

Today I had a very interesting exchange with someone about the above image of Herman Cain and the words “Uncle Tom” —

*** WARNING: This is a very emotional response to an intellectual challenge. I use very explicit language to express my opinions…and frustration.  Additionally, many of you will likely not agree with some of my statements, even to the point of being offended.  Read with an open mind and do not take anything personally.  My intent is only to express my thoughts and point of view.  I’m just sayin’ ***

Okay, here is what was said in response to the posting of the Cain “Uncle Tom” portrayal:

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“The Uncle Tom shows the pure ignorance and stupidity of your post…Derrill Guidry, have you read Uncle Toms cabin? I think not! Because if you had, you would know Uncle Tom helped to liberate blacks and not hold them captive to their plantation owners. Now I myself I agree with Herman. Blacks have been brainwashed and we happily stay on the Democrat plantation. And these same plantation owners come in our churches and community centers every two years, tell us our problems are someone else’s fault, make promises they never deliver, get us emotionally worked up, ask for our votes, then disappear for another two damn years.  And when a few of us break away from the Democrat Plantation, they send their field bosses like Jackson, Sharpton, and others to run us down like dogs because they fear the rest of the Negros on the Democrat Plantation may WAKE UP and run away!!!”

 

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Those are very sharp words, and at first I was upset. I resent someone who does not know me personally telling me what I have or have not done. But I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and THOUGHT…this is how I responded:

Thanks for the comment…and yes, I have read ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’. I also am very active politically, but I am not (nor have I ever been) associated with or a member of the Democratic, Republican, or Tea parties. I am also not Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or any of the other ‘religions’…by choice. I won’t go further into my background/experiences, because this is not about Derrill.

The following are personal comments, not a rebuttal. So please don’t take them personally…cool? [I did not want to create direct confrontation with this person]

I actually agree with you about the psychology of some Black people…however, I include Cain in that very same number.  As far as the Uncle Tom reference, my intent was not to disgrace a timeless work.  Sometimes I use language and words and phrases to reach the minds of those who might not otherwise understand the deeper meanings of what I share.  Believe it or not, I expect even more folks to be disgusted by this, and other things that I have and will post…can’t please everyone.  But I THINK about everything on my monitor before I click “Post”…this is not a mistake. I am more awake than most are able to perceive, but that is by design as well.

But if you want to know how I feel, here’s the deal — I am very irritated and disgusted right now with the state of politics, civil discourse, and social responsibility in this country. My biggest beef is with Pres. Obama…he’s weak, naive, and set in his dam ways. I’m sick and fucking tired of his standard excuse that he has no other choice but to “compromise” against what is best for the American constituency. I am sick and fucking tired of Black folk walking around with heads bowed and hands folded in submissive positions attempting to chastise me for exercising my right to criticize a very misguided President.  I want to fucking throw up every time a Black person expresses blind and unconditional faith and allegiance to President Obama simply because he is a Black man….WTF???!!! That mirrors exactly how folks on the right are loyal to all kinds of unethical, immoral, greedy, selfish shit…no difference!

And what about party politics??? I need say nothing about the RepubliKKKanz and Tea Baggers…their soullessness should be obvious. And the Democrats??? Weak, submissive, and AFRAID collectively to confront and counter the BULLSHIT oozing from the other side of the proverbial aisle. I understand the desire to be “better” than the ASSCLOWNS, who are literally attempting to destroy this country and suppress the rights of ‘others’, but come on son!!! The Dems all too often walk straight into the sniper’s line-of-sight EVERY fucking time…even though they know exactly where he is positioned – on the RIGHT! Oh, and then here come Black folk prayin’, marchin’, and gettin’ beat da fuck down while singing We Shall Fucking Overcome at the top of their lungs, while simultaneously yelling at folks like me to shut the fuck up and quit messin’ things up with Massa.  What kind of psychological slavery is THAT???!!! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not referring to the very courageous, compassionate, and intellectual citizens and activists who are not afraid to tactfully and honorably confront proverbial enemies…y’all know EXACTLY the kinds of folks to whom I am referring.

And don’t get me started on the media…those fuckers only report bullshit that touches ‘sensibilities and emotions’…how about calling out the bastards who tell lies and make up shit just because they know that a majority of their supporters will NEVER question what they say as long long as it sounds good — meaning, it sounds mean, ugly, racist, bigoted, elitist, separatist, and a whole host of other deplorable words. The Sheeple will NEVER try and verify that kind of political vomit because they don’t want to know the fucking truth…they desire the myth of the lily white fantastical utopia subliminally injected into their minds. See, I’m fair. Black folk ain’t the only ones brainwashed in America.

I’ll stop here because I have hypertension and my heart rate has increased a little too much (yes, I’m serious).

My rant is not directed at you in any way, shape, or form. Your challenge is what I wanted to provoke by posting this very negative, racist image. Sometimes the only way to create dialogue is to piss people the fuck off…and I do that VERY well (smile!) A lot of things I’ve said in this response will piss some folks off…oh well.  I respect the fact that you said what was on your mind in the spirit of constructive criticism and knowledge. I appreciate any man or woman who has the courage to do what should be such a simple thing – but to the majority, it is not.

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Sometimes you just have to express yourself in direct relation to your emotions. And everyone cannot or will not express himself or herself in the ways that I choose to do sometimes…but that’s the beauty of the Human Dimension – differences…

D. GUIDRY

SOLDIERS ARE HUMAN BEINGS…

This post is the first I’ve published using the WordPress iPhone app. I hope that it is readable so that I can continue using this convenient app.

So let me talk about US Army Soldiers being real live human beings…YES…we are! Today I am going to the Emergency Room of my local hospital with the hopes of receiving quality treatment that should be available to me through the military healthcare system. Now there’s a contradiction in terms – MILITARY + HEALTHCARE.

I suffered through two consecutive tours in Iraq, enduring some very stressful physical challenges that severely impacted my physical and mental health. It’s been over 3 years since I returned home, but I am in a more debilitating state of health than I have ever been throughout my entire life. What hurts and disgusts me is that the Army has NOT provided adequate healthcare to make this broken Soldier whole again.

I am not going to reveal all that I am suffering through in this post, but I am in serious pain. I have damaged disks in my back and spine that are causing excruciating pain down my leg to my ankle, and up my back to my shoulder and bicep. The pain is exacerbated by the arthritis/bursitis in my shoulder, a damaged ACL, and…AND…a torn bicep tendon that was identified over 2 years ago. Now the pain is constant. It’s extremely difficult to walk, stand, sit, lie prone, etc. Sometimes it’s so bad that I can’t help but cry…

Now the whole “human” thing is REALLY disturbing. For some ‘inexplicable’ reason, my chain-of-command seems to think that it has the necessary medical credentials to actually make the claim that absolutely nothing is wrong with me. What The F**K???!!! And to make matters worse I was subjected to non-judicial punishment because I am not able to perform any duties…even though I was given direct orders to stay at home until the physicians could figure out what exactly is wrong with me. My list of other ailments includes severe hypertension, accelerated heart rate, aortic aneurysm, tumors, thyroid issues, chronic fatigue AND insomnia, spinal nerve damage, etc, etc… All of this, and more, is well documented in my medical records, but there really is a systemic disconnect among Army leadership, Army missions/duties, and the health and well-being of Soldiers.

I’m disgusted, hurt, and very saddened at how so many of our Warriors are being treated after years of dedicated service. I have served the Army and this country in uniform for 21years…and this is the thanks I am offered? I am so very proud of my achievements and accomplishments, but I am doing my best to forget every moment of the last 21 years of my military life. YES…I’m serious.

But those of you who know me can rest assured that I’m not going out quietly. I don’t want any awards, accolades, trophies, farewell gifts, backslaps, or even congratulations. I simply want to challenge the system – yet again – exposing as much impropriety, unfairness, neglect, bias, and inequality as I can personally identify…and then walk away with my head held high – like a HUMAN BEING should be able to do.

My life has been violated…apparently they haven’t heard about The Spook…I’m jus’ sayin’…

Taming the Dragon

This post is different from all my previous ones. I recently purchased Dragon voice recognition software (Dragon NaturallySpeaking Home, Version 11), and this is the first time that I’m using it. I’m simply using my voice to type this post. Believe it or not, it is extremely accurate. The reason I’m using this software is because I’m having difficulty using my hands and fingers. Due to spinal injuries I sustained during my last deployment, I am experiencing pain and numbness in my fingers and hands. Dragon will help me to continue writing and typing without exacerbating my injuries.

This is really cool!

I’ll have to get used to talking instead of typing, but I think I can get used to this. I am usually a hands-on person, so I’ll have to sync my thoughts and dictation and learn to trust the software.

So with my new Dragon software, I intend to update my blog more often. I’m looking forward to the continued sharing of my gray matter with you. I thank all of you for your continued support.

This is really, REALLY cool!!!

WTF GOP???!!!

I don’t get it! I don’t freekin’ get it! I don’t understand it! I cannot comprehend it! None of it makes sense! I mean really…WTF GOP???!!!

It has been very difficult for me to write, and even think clearly at times, because of my rollercoaster health issues. At this very moment I am experiencing severe pain in my arms, wrists, hands, and fingers as I type this blog entry — but what I hope to convey to you is well worth the discomfort.

I did not prepare notes or outlines, and I don’t know exactly will be posted once I decide I’m finished with this post, but I just know that I cannot continue to keep my thoughts to myself any longer about the blatant disrespect of the American people by what seems to be a majority of so-called “legislators” associated with the Republikan party at the state AND federal levels. I am sure that this will end up being an extended series of posts so that I am able to address specific issues in detail. This first one, however, I will use to sort of set the stage and provide readers of 3EYEVISION a little gray matter stimulation.

First, let me state the obvious — regardless of what President Obama does or does not do, the Republikan party just does not want him to be in the White House and will do whatever it deems necessary to discredit him and his administration. Nuff’ said about that…as disgusting as it is.

Let’s start with the economy and deficit remedies at the state level. I don’t want to focus on numbers or bottom lines or accounting policies. I want to focus on the human dimension of the current trends in fiscal politics. What kind of immoral monsters were elected/re-elected to political offices by supporters of the Teabaggers and and Republikans?  Do constituents not deserve to be treated with the respect and dignity that should be afforded to human beings? For months on end the GOP slammed the current administration for high unemployment numbers and lower than expected levels of job creation. The same group of “good ol’ boyz” & girlz” spent an exorbitant amount of energy and empty rhetoric bashing Democrats for a desire to allow the ridiculous Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest of Americans to expire, and to continue spending on select line items to further stimulate this volatile economy that is still negatively affecting the middle and lower classes of United States of America. The party line was, and still is, that government spending must be significantly cut — by any means necessary. And guess what? If human beings have to suffer in order to save a couple of measly pennies, “so be it!”  Woooooow!

Let’s take a look at Wisconsin and Gov. Scott Walker’s proctology experiment performed on the workers’ unions and taxpayers of that state. Again…WTF GOP???!!! I have NEVER is all my years on this earth witnessed such ruthless travesties committed by elected legislators against broad sections of their own constituents. The intent as presented to the public was to put forth a state budget that would get spending under control and benefit the taxpayers of Wisconsin. However, it was very soon revealed that the true nature of this so-called budget proposal was purely political. There is a united effort across the country within the Republikan party to destroy all legislative leverage held by Democrats, as well as to privatize every aspect of government fiscal policy for the benefit of corporations, banks, Wall Street, and their own personal bank accounts. That’s just a bunch of straight up foul-smelling BULLSHIT! Come on GOP…WTF???!!!

Here’s what really gets to me about that whole situation — those efforts will serve to intentionally destroy the welfare and security of teachers, firefighters, police, sanitation workers, and others in professions that are vital to the forward progress and security of the future of individual citizens, students, and families in communities all over the country. And almost worse than that, all of these proposed Republikan budgets do absolutely NOTHING to cut deficits. In fact most, if not all, significantly increase state deficits, slash the numbers of available jobs, prevent future job creation, decreases current salaries of targeted union employees in the public sector, ensure the destruction of public education, increase taxes of the poorest citizens, do away with agencies and programs that provide revenue to state economies and give those monies away to private corporations (corporations that will also be exempt from paying taxes), outsource employment at higher costs to overseas locations, and so on and so on and so on…

Are you actually serious GOP??? I mean really…WTF???!!!

In the mind of the GOP, people…HUMAN BEINGS…are expendable when it comes to gaining perceived power and status within the party and in the eyes of the ruthless billionaire puppetmasters with their greedy controlling fingers stuck up the asses of the minion clique. It’s like watching XXX political porn of the nastiest kind. There are no real emotions, no morals, no compassion, no sympathy/empathy, no mutual understanding of hardships…they have no souls.

I’m so angry right now that it’s difficult to harness and organize all my thoughts and feelings about the current state of political affairs in America, so I will stop here and continue our little discussion again very soon. There are class, race, and social issues that we must address at length. I at least hope that my words will inspire folks to educate themselves and others about what is REALLY going on in their own backyards and communities, and inspire in many the courage to stand up against those issues that are just plain wrong.

Media news can be boring and extremely repetitive, but I encourage each of you to spend a few minutes each day watching or listening to your preferred news sources to keep abreast of all the BS being tossed at us…BS that can affect us and our families in very undesirable ways now and in the future. How will you be able to recognize what is actually BS? Well, when you hear something that makes you wanna holler out, “WTF GOP???!!!” — there’s your sign…

MUCH more to follow…

DADT…WHAT’S THE POINT?!

October 24th, 2010

Recently one of my good friends asked the following question about the military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy:

“…. is it fair for the person who might not want to shower or sit around in the barracks in his boxers in front of a gay person? Where are the rights for the Soldiers who may not like it. Is justice a one way street?”

As a Soldier in the U.S. Army, I’ve pondered this issue quite often in light of all the current 2010 election rhetoric. Here was my response:

Soldiers don’t care because it’s not a big deal. All this stuff is being debated in Washington and by the American people…it’s become a purely POLITICAL issue.

Why are politicians and the public so concerned about what goes on in OUR ranks. If it’s so dangerous, why not let the Department of Defense take care of these gays who are apparently making life unbearable for servicemembers like me? Even better than that, why not let the individual services deal with it. The Air Force has already publicly stated that it is NOT enforcing DADT.

And nowadays you will rarely find bases with open barracks and common showers. Soldiers, for instance, live in apartment-style quarters on nearly all Army posts. Some single room, most 2-person rooms with their own bathrooms. It’s not like prison where you MUST worry about dropping the soap — but it was NEVER a problem for Soldiers in the first place.

In my 20 years in the Army, I’ve NEVER witnessed or heard of any gay hanky-panky going on in any of the units in which I’ve served. There have been, of course, individual and very isolated cases of unwanted homosexual advances, rape, same-sex orgies, or whatever by members of the military, but those cases are a percentage of a percentage compared to the crap we have to deal with in civilian communities – THAT’S where the REAL problem lies…in my humble opinion.

And you know, if there was ever a situation where a gay person wanted to force himself/herself on someone else when not welcome, they would more often than not get beat the down and end up in the hospital with permanent injuries or end up DEAD! Literally…I’m jus’ sayin’…that’s the potential emotional reality of situations like this.

I can speak for most Soldiers when I say that homosexuals in the Army respect the uniform, with very VERY few exceptions. And there are those in uniform that are obviously gay (observable through mannerisms), but nobody gives a s**t as long as they do what the hell they’re trained and capable of doing in support of military operations and administration.

When I was commander of an Airborne unit years ago, I was responsible for about 220 U.S. Army Paratroopers. There were a couple of guys who were unmistakably gay, but they never disrespected anyone else in the unit…EVER. And if they had, and they got that ‘beat down’ I mentioned, oh well… But whatever they did off duty, off post, away from the flagpole, I couldn’t care less – UNLESS they were out in gay bars or openly announcing their sexual preference in public or something like that. BEFORE DADT, that would be considered a violation of good order and discipline, and was/is punishable under the Uniformed Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). So why the hell did we need DADT in the first place?  Pure POLITICS…!

You know what we REALLY need to worry about??? Bloods, Crips, Gangsta Disciples, Latin Kings, Folk Nation, KKK, Skinheads, Aryan Brotherhood, MS13, Mexican Mafia, Surenos, Nortenos, Nuestra Familia, Hells Angels, and so on and so on…TRUST ME! I don’t have time to worry about a gay Soldier who wants his/her PRIVATE life respected because I need to keep from being murdered by ‘gangsta’ soldier who wants to kill me because I would not let him go on leave, or because I ordered him to work past normal duty hours. Why don’t the politicians and American people get outraged about that??? Because they are scared of it – and rightfully so.

I remember in 1994 at Fort Hood, there were little kids doing drive-bys on BICYCLES in the family housing areas with semi-automatic weapons…yes, I’m serious. The gang problem was atrocious back then, but it’s even scarier now because of technology and mafia-style tactics and operations…WITHIN THE RANKS.

Congress, help me with THAT!

In my informed opinion, DADT is a matter for the military, not Congress or the American people.

Here are a few very recent articles about gang activity here at Fort Hood:

http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/09/09/2456950/gangs-in-the-military-pose-problem.html

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/justicelawlegislation/a/gangs.htm

http://militarytimes.com/static/projects/pages/ngic_gangs.pdf

http://www.csindy.com/colorado/military-gangways/Content?oid=1138231

Here are a couple more…

http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/crime/4070-gangs-still-active-in-us-military

http://www.stripes.com/news/gangs-in-the-military-how-much-do-we-know-1.60141

Here’s a video from the History Channel series ‘Gangland’ – “Gangs in the Military” – WATCH THIS:

The military must do a better job of educating and informing Americans of what we deal with day in and day out. Too many folks are more concerned with process, procedure, policy, and PowerPoint slides than they are with real live human beings.

All I ask is that you do not buy into the political and media hype surrounding the DADT policy…and I thank all of you for your support of our many Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guard personnel currently serving around the world.

The Future of Me…Revealed

In my last post I presented a teaser about ‘the future of me’ – as promised, here’s the answer…

After much contemplation and soul-searching, I have decided that I can no longer serve as an employee of the government of the United States. I hope to retire from the military within the next year, and I am now absolutely sure that I want to be a ‘real’ civilian for the rest of my life.

This is a tough decision for me, because I actually enjoy the challenges and opportunities that I get to experience when I am in uniform. I feel proud when I am saluted as a commissioned officer by those Soldiers with whom I serve. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that I would get to do all the cool stuff I’ve done over the last 20 years in the Army. It was tough getting here – I worked HARD at being all that I could be and sacrificed a hell of a lot in order to honor my service commitment, but the personal satisfaction that I earned made it all worthwhile…for the most part.

But you know, in just the last few years the culture of the military has changed dramatically…and not necessarily for the better. I cannot expound much on this, but I’m sure most of you can grasp what I am saying just by watching the daily news cycle. I am suffering severely – physically, mentally, emotionally, personally – as a result of the unadulterated stress I endured in the realm of classified operations. I believe, however, that everything we experience in life happens for a reason. I have faith that in time I will understand all of this a little better.

So in the future, I won’t focus exclusively on military issues, I will move forward pushing the limits of critical thinking beyond anything imaginable…because that’s how I roll (smile!)

MTF…(more to follow)

3EYEVISION Revival: The Future of Me…

It’s been quite some time since I’ve posted anything on 3EYEVISION.  It’s often too overwhelming to try and give equal time to all the digital media with which I’m associated…Facebook, Google, Email, Cable and Internet News, and the list goes on.  I even have my own culinary page on Facebook that I manage and update regularly.  But ironically, the very reason that I conceived this blog is the same reason that I have a difficult time keeping its entries updated – my health is still in decline, and I continue to challenge the military health system to figure out how to “fix” me and make me healed and whole again.

Many who read this post will acknowledge my almost constant presence on Facebook – it’s not by choice actually. I have been on doctor-ordered convalescence for a while now.  My current health issues (some not yet determined or diagnosed) and daily medication regimen prevent me from functioning normally in my daily life.  I won’t go into one of my usual tirades discussing my health; I will just say that I look forward to the day the burdens of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion are not the rulers of my days and nights.  So I find it easier to deal with quick status updates that at least keep me connected with the outside world.

Something else that kept me away from 3EYEVISION was trying to find the energy and patience to navigate the WordPress HTML formatting requirements, while simultaneously trying to think critically about what I want to say in my posts.  “Thinking” has become a stressful ordeal for me, but since I am tethered to my abode I have plenty of time to research and learn about things that I otherwise would  probably know little about.  Part of that research led me to Windows Live Writer.  With Windows Live Writer you can publish to almost any blog service, including Windows Live, WordPress, Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad, SharePoint, Community Server, and many more.  WLW lets me preview everything I add to my blog, so I can see how the fonts, spacing, colors, and images will look, before publishing – without all the tedious manual HTML encoding that I usually have to do. This is my first time using WLW, so I hope what you are reading is comfortable on the eyes.

Now with all that said you’re probably still wondering – what IS the future of me — hmmm…?

MAN vs. MACHINE vs. POLITICS…Pt. I

I am VERY frustrated right now after listening for most of the day to opportunists making – ONCE AGAIN – completely spontaneous, emotionally-driven, reactionary, uninformed, biased, fear-inducing, politically-charged, speculative, and downright DUMB statements about things associated with the recent failed terrorist attack on Christmas Day.   IGNORANCE has become inexplicably fashionable these days!  I will discuss this topic in more than one post because I am having a difficult time trying to process the plethora of theories and assumptions and hearsay information spewing from the mouths of the news media bobbleheads.

I titled this post “MAN vs. MACHINE vs. POLITICS” to – YET AGAIN – emphasize America’s fear of the human dimension…PEOPLE, THOUGHTS, DESIRES, EMOTIONS, COMMON SENSE, and other such esoteric “anomalies.”   When Americans are afraid of something, it’s much easier to just throw some technology at the Boogie Man and hope that he never comes out from under the bed.  But what we must realize is that the purveyors of any given fear are HUMAN BEINGS.  We are afraid of being attacked by weapons and machines and planes, so we contract corporations for billions of $$$ to develop other machines that will DEFEAT those machines that we fear so much.   There is also much rhetoric about terrorists and Muslims and people with funny-sounding names, but does the average American actually fear the person, or does he/she mostly fear the technology employed and utilized by these so-called monsters?  Don’t stress yourself trying to answer that question…it’s an exercise in futility.  Why?  Because even many who have these fears cannot answer that question…it’s called GROUPTHINK, Jumping on the Bandwagon, Talking Loud and Saying Nothing, Speaking Without Thinking, Putting the Cart Before the Horse, Putting Your Foot in Your Mouth, Herd Mentality, Going With the Flow (even when it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever), etc, etc, etc…

Some might say that I am speaking nonsense, but the mindsets I describe above have consequences, that potentially lead to other actions, that have consequences, that potentially lead to other actions – you get the idea.  I call this phenomenon “Chasing Little Shiny Things.”  There are senators in Washington already telling the American people that we MUST be preemptive in our efforts to DEFEAT al-Qaeda in YEMEN…what happened to the purported AQ leadership strongholds in Iraq? Afghanistan?  Pakistan?  Timbuktu?  I’ve confronted these issues directly on the frontline of the so-called War on Terror, but apparently we didn’t all get the same memos about this supervillian with magical powers called al-Qaeda.  Politicians and armchair experts are creating a persona of power for something that has dwindled into a mere concept.  Any individual with a pen, a computer, a technical skill, a hook-up, and/or a brain, can become “al-Qaeda” with the right motivation.  So every time some IDIOT decides he wants to amuse himself by blowing something up and shouting “Death to America,” I guess we’re supposed to just shuttle a bunch of Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen to set up shop in the middle of a whole country for one little dude with an attitude.   And then we move those Servicemen and Servicewomen around a proverbial checker board based on assumed intelligence generated primarily through computer binary code…NOT plain ol’ common sense and human behavior.

There was a time when warfare was a THINKING man’s profession…that time is no more…

More to follow…