Via Fixer*, I just read the article in the International Herald Tribune about Reservist Joseph Briseno Jr. The kid is 24 yrs old and has absolutely no fucking chance at anything resembling a normal life ever again. Doctors and others are calling him the worst wounded soldier ever. Fixer is reminded of the movie Johnny Got His Gun. Being the age that I am, I first became familiar with that movie this way:

 

I highly recommend reading the IHT’s article on this kid. I don’t care if you’re a Bush-loving, flag-waving, wingnut or a Bush-hating, far-left “moonbat”, but if this article doesn’t stir at least some emotion in you, you’ve got to be as good as dead. There is a reason that it’s been said War is Hell and Joseph Briseno Jr. is living proof. He’s also one more reason we need to lobby our Congresspersons to increase funding for the VA. Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and PTSD are the two most common injuries to our troops. Medical technology has advanced to the point where we can save their lives, but are they really living?

 End the War NOW and bring our troops home!
*Thanks Fixer!

Justice E.R. has an interesting post up that seems to solve two crises in one. You gotta read it to see, but I will give you a snippet:

Sometimes the solution to one problem can lead to a solution to another problem. The ultimate solution to the Mexican immigration problem; lies in our assistance and partnership with all our southern neighbors to build economies that can effectively provide for their populations. In lieu of the implementation of such a strategy, it would probably make sense to at least temporarily, stop the immigration of people from the south to the north.

He hits the nail on the head in this first paragraph concerning the ultimate solution to illegal immigration. So head on over to his site and read his post.

Wednesday saw another veto by our esteemed president. This time it was the veto of another highly popular peice of legislation concerning stem cell research. Once again, President Bush vetoed a bill that would allow federal funding toward new stem cell lines (read untainted lines) to continue.

At a time in our history when a majority of Americans support expanding embryonic stem cell research, the President shows that he is still out of touch with what Americans want. And it’s not so much that he’s just out of touch, but that he’s willfully out of touch. He said that he could not support the destruction of human embryos as a result of this research. Apparently his pea-sized brain doesn’t realize that the embryos allowed for further research, as stated in the bill, are ones slated for destruction already.

Note to the President: The Religious Right isn’t as behind you as they once were!You’re not stopping the destruction of embyos with your haughty dismissal of this legislation and furious waving of your veto pen.

As I’ve mentioned before, this issue is of great concern to me since I’m susceptible to many of the diseases that this research holds promise to slow down, if not cure. Diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease run in my family. On both sides. Now I’m not the most health-conscious guy, but if just one of these diseases could be cured as a result of this research, I want to see it happen.

The Democrats have not yet given up hope though. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) is putting forth an interesting amendment to an appropriations bill bound for the President’s desk. Without increasing funding, his amendment would basically push the cut-off date for federal funding to June 15, 2007, well beyond the previous law that sets the cut-off date as August 9, 2001. I think this would be a good compromise, but you just know Republicans and most radical religious conservatives will not.

The 2008 Presidential candidates have also weighed in on the matter. On the Republican side, McCain and Guiliani both support expansion, but Romney and Brownback don’t. On the Democrat side, as near as I can tell, all of the candidates support expansion. Personally, I like how Guiliani put it:

…”as long as we’re not creating life in order to destroy it, as long as we’re not having human cloning.”…

I don’t think limits like that are too much to ask. Most of the rhetoric against this bill comes from those who seem to think that just because federal funding is expanded, we’re going to see young women going down to the Stem-cell clinic to have their eggs harvested for the intentional creation of embryos for research. That just as asinine as those who believe that allowing gays to get married will lead to people marrying their pets (yes, I have heard this argument firsthand)! I think scientists have an ethical obligation to prevent that from happening.

It’s too bad that President Bush will once again wave his veto pen as long as Sen. Harkin’s amendment is in the Appropriations Bill. But we have to keep trying until we get a Congress and President that fully support the will of the people. Unfortunately, God only knows when that will happen.

Thanks to CNN for the info used in this post.

“Any man can be a father, but it takes a special man to be a dad”

 It’s Father’s Day, the day we all take time to recognize and celebrate our dads. Well this post is no different than many others out there today.

My Dad and I had a pretty strained relationship growing up mainly because I was a bull-headed cocky sumbitch who refused to listen to reason and always thought I was right. Things like that do tend to strain father-son relationships. Hell, most relationships even. He never thought that he got through to me with his lessons, both spoken and unspoken. But he did. As a child, my dad taught me a lot of things. He taught me to love music for one thing. Growing up, I didn’t care for his style of music (there’s only two kinds of music: Country and Western!), but listening to him play music on whatever type of guitar he had at the time really taught me to appreciate music of all sorts. Later on, I even took up an instrument myself; the trumpet. That love of music has stayed with me throughout my life and has allowed me to be able to listen to just about any genre of music and find something I like. Note that this works extremely well with my wife and I. I stay out of trouble with her by being able to listen to what she likes! I have, since being in school, tried my hand at playing guitar myself, albeit not anywhere near as successfully as my dad. My biggest problem is not having enough time to really devote to the practice. But that’s not all, or even the most important thing, my dad taught me.

He taught me:

• the value of a hard day’s work
• that integrity is one of the most important qualities a man can have
• that you can still be a “man” and show your emotions too
• that anything worth doing is worth doing well
• that I can do anything if I set my mind to it
• that I’m pretty damn stubborn too! (see above)
• to be curious and try to fix things (this led me to learn how to solder electronics boards at 12 yrs old)

These aren’t all of the things he taught me, but just some of the ones that really stand out for me. He also taught me that family is important. I come from a large extended family if you only count my Dad’s & Mom’s first marriages, and very large if you count their marriages to others after they got divorced. I have not been real close with a lot of folks in my family through the years and sometimes I regret it. Most of it is due to the fact that I’m, not so much a loner, just headstrong in going for what I want which has led me to move out of my home state.

Speaking of the importance of family and the quote at the top of this page, I became a father myself just about 8 years ago. I willingly, and without question, married my wife and took on her kids as my own. A lot of stepdads don’t or won’t do that. Not me. My greatest goal in life was to get married and have a family. The day my wife and I were married I accomplished that goal and it made me the happiest man alive. I still am too. My wife and kids mean the world to me. I only hope that I’m teaching them most of the same important lessons my dad taught me.

So Happy Father’s Day Dad and thanks for showing me how to be the right kind of man. I love you. And Happy Father’s Day to those of you readers who are fathers and especially to those readers of mine who stepped up to the plate to be a Dad when they didn’t have to.

P.S.

I was going to add a video to this post, but I couldn’t find the one I wanted anywhere. So instead, I’ll just post the lyrics of the song I wanted to use:

THAT’S MY JOB
Recorded by Conway Twitty
Writer: Hap Hall?
                   Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
I woke up cryin’ late at night - when I was very young
I had dreamed my father - had passed away and gone
My world revolved around him - I couldn’t lie there anymore
So I made my way down the mirrowed hall and tapped upon his door.

And I said, “Daddy, I’m so afraid!
How would I go on, with you gone that way?
Don’t wanna cry anymore
So may I stay with you?”

And he said,
“That’s my job, that’s what I do
Everything I do is because of you
To keep you safe with me …
That’s my job, you see.”

Later we barely got along - this teenage boy and he
Most of the fights it seems - were over different dreams
We each held for me …
He wanted knowledge and learning - I wanted to fly out west
“Said I could make it out there - if I just had the fare
I got half, will you loan me the rest?”

And I said, “Daddy, I’m so afraid
Theres no guarentee in the plans I’ve made
And if I should fail, who will pay my way back home?”

And he said,
“That’s my job, that’s what I do
Ev’rything I do is because of you
To keep you safe with me …
That’s my job, you see.”

Every person carves his spot - and fills the hole with life
And I pray someday I might - light as bright as he.

Woke up early one bright fall day - read the tragic news
After all my travels, I settled down - within a mile or two
I make my livin’ with words and rhymes - and all the tragedies
Should go into my head and out instead - as bits of poetry.

But I say, “Daddy I’m so afraid
How will I go on - with you gone this way
How can I come up - with a song to say, “I love you.”

“That’s my job, that’s what I do
Ev’rything I do is because of you
To keep you safe with me …
That’s my job, you see.”

“Ev’rything I do is because of you
To keep you safe with me.”

UPDATE: I apologize if this post made it sound like my dad had passed away. He’s still alive and kicking at 69 yrs old. Here’s a picture I took a few years back of my grandfather, my dad, and me:

I’ve blogged about this issue in the past, but with the latest round of bills/amendments circulating in D.C., I feel the need to bring this issue up again.

First of all, let me say here, as I’ve said other places, that Immigration Reform is not, nor should be, the number one issue facing this country right now no matter how the politicos try to spin it. Iraq is, and every single one of the presidential candidates, both Repub and Dem, knows it. So now that we have that out of the way, let’s get to the meat of this post.

I had previously laid out my plan for Immigration Reform in this post. By now, everyone out there is aware that the current immigration law/s is/are broken and not working as they should. I agree. The system is broken and needs to be fixed. Kicking out them “damn mexicans” isn’t gonna fix it, building a wall from the edge of the Pacific Ocean to the edge of the Gulf of Mexico ain’t gonna fix it, and passing legislation formally recognizing English as the “Americn Language” sure as shit ain’t gonna fix it either! So what needs to be done? How can we change the system while recognizing:

• There is a problem.
• Every immigrant, legal or illegal, has basic human rights and human dignity that deserves respect.
• Any reform should focus on:
  • eliminating the backlog of applicants,
  • providing a path to citizenship for those already here without sending them back,
  • increasing spending on border enforcement/security,
  • and expediting the application process for future applicants.

This issue isn’t that damn hard, people. Before anything is done at all, the system needs to be fixed and the backlog of applicants resolved. Once that is taken care of, then we can proceed on to the other aspects of immigration reform.

I do agree with those on the right side of the aisle that border security needs to be a high priority issue with any legislation passed, but I don’t believe it needs to be the TOP PRIORITY. The thing is, people are streaming across our southern border because it’s easy! It’s easier to get here illegally than legally. And therein is the crux of the problem. If we hadn’t made emigrating to this country so damn complicated and time-consuming we probably wouldn’t be in the mess we are now. There are some people and families that have been on the waiting list for over 10+ years wanting to come to America, the Land of Opportunity.

Now we all know that government bureaucracy being what it is will make things take longer than they should. But 10+ years? Come on! Work a couple years in the fields in Mexico, hire a “coyote“, and within a couple of weeks you’re across the border and on your way some place up North to find a job. Now, to put myself in my detractors’ shoes, imagine that person is a terrorist bent on the destruction of our country and way of life. That’s a scary thought, right?

By eliminating the backlog of applicants, whether they’re already here or not, we automatically fix one of the biggest problems the system currently has. Next, offer a limited-time-only amnesty for those already here illegally. Yes, I said amnesty. I’m not afraid of that word as some are. Give them say 3-6 months to come forward and begin the paperwork to be here legally provided they pay a fine with no further repercussions assuming any background check comes back clean. Once that time period expires, send any other illegal immigrants back to their home countries to re-apply. During that 3-6 month period, we should also begin to increase the size of the Border Patrol, setup “Immigration Centers” in or around larger border towns, and begin putting into place new methods for surveillance of the border itself. This will accomplish several things. First, it creates an environment where it is easier, not to mention wiser, to go the legal route to enter this country and begin the path to citizenship. And second, it should quite clearly separate those who wish to do things right(the good guys), and those who don’t(the bad guys). Those who don’t should be dealt with swiftly and severely, for logic tells us that they are the ones who wish us harm be it from terrorism, illicit drug trade, or any other criminal activity. Finally, give companies operating here in the U.S. an amnesty period as well. Allow them the same 3-6 month period to report any illegal immigrants they may currently employ. Fine them, but keep it small in comparison to any fine levied after the amnesty period.

All of these steps will help curb illegal immigration, offer a path to citizenship for those already here illegally, provide a safe and legal alternative to illegal immigration, and strengthen our borders. That covers each of the major issues that both sides of the political aisle want covered. It’s not going to be easy to do this, primarily because we’re dealing with politicians here, but I digress. The last step in my plan to fine companies caught hiring illegals gives them a chance to come clean with minimal penalties. The fact of the matter is that both the company and the illegal immigrant it hires have broken the law. With broken laws come penalties, and the penalties must be paid. However, like my plan for inidvidual amnesty, we need to make the penalties paid during the 3-6 month amnesty period much more attractive to both illegal immigrant and the company that hires him/her.

And that’s my plan in a nutshell. I don’t have specifics on how we would even begin to implement such a plan, that’s for others closer to the issue to resolve. But it’s a start. And hopefully one that is palatable to both Republicans and Democrats.

In my almost 3 years of blogging, I have come across some wonderful, insightful, witty, and passionate blogs. Some I have linked to, others I have not. It is with great sadness that I relate to my readers that Steve Gilliard of The News Blog passed away early Saturday morning.

I never really knew Steve, nor did I get to enjoy bantering back and forth in blog comments with him either here or there. Yet he was someone that I looked up to and enjoyed reading on a semi-regular basis. At this time, there aren’t really any details as to the cause of his death, but let me just say that he’ll definitely be missed. His passion for the issues, particularly military issues, is one of the things that inspired me on a regular basis.

You will be missed, Steve. Rest In Peace, friend.

Steve Gilliard

1966-2007