The Blue (Helmet) Litmus Test

There has been much to catch up on since my wife and I returned from Israel almost two weeks ago, so I haven't been posting.   I have already done two out-of-town excursions since then (home in time for late dinner), and a few more are planned for me in the coming weeks, and my wife is out of town today for the day.

For reasons not yet appropriate for discussion, the litigation I am conducting has taken a subtle but interesting twist, even as I work on writing the legal memo for the Judge.

And today is my first day back to teach for the semester, with its usual attendant first-day-of-the-semester dysfunctions (which, thankfully, have been quite minor thus far).

Though I have some very strong opinions on the events now transpiring in Israel and in the world, most of those views have been more than adequately expressed by others elsewhere, and will not now be given the "me, too," other than to give a perfunctory "me, too."

And the one matter I do, at this moment, feel a strong compulsion to comment upon, does not warrant much in the way of comment because it speaks for itself:

The detention/kidnapping of 48 U.N. "peacekeeper" troops in the Golan by Muslim terrorists.

If the UN does nothing, then it (A) shows the futility of depending upon UN "peacekeepers," and if the UN uses force then that  leaves a wide opening for Israel to do likewise, in spades – if Netanyahu has the baytzim to act.

And it really cannot be said that the UN is a "neutral" in this conflict because a UN agency, UNRWA, is allowing its schools in Gaza to be used as safekeeping facilities for Hamas rockets.

So if the blue helmet does not guarantee the safety of the peacekeeper soldier, it is because the UN is not the neutral party it is touted to be.

Honoring Just One Soldier

Went to a funeral a few days ago.  The departed, a member of our congregation, was up in years and down in health.  We gave her a proper burial, for which the family is quite grateful.  As far as funerals go, this one was not particularly remarkable (this said without in any way negating or minimizing the importance of the decedent's life deeds).

But near where we buried the deceased, I noticed a gravestone for a soldier killed in action during WWII.  My camera was in my car, so, then and there, I decided to honor just one fallen soldier.  I snapped a photo of the gravestone, and then posted it on Find A Grave.

Barack Hussein Obama continues to diss America's veterans, and our fallen war heroes.  I know that I have done the right thing by honoring one of them.  And if a presidential insult to one is an insult to all, then surely a humble citizen's according of honor to one is an honor to all.

I have honored just one American soldier, and by doing so, have honored all of our soldiers and vets.

To all of the men and women now serving in uniform, remember that we are behind you all the way!

Memorial Day 2013

Today, my wife and I each ran a few small shopping errands to procure items which might conceivably prove convenient tomorrow, which happens to be Memorial Day 2013.

We each are old enough to remember an era when most retail business establishments were completely closed on Memorial Day.  But now, most retail shops are open on Memorial Day.

There is nothing wrong per se with going to the beach on Memorial Day (which will be off the table for many on account of the low temperatures which now perform the valuable service of making the "global warming" proponents seem like smacked toochases).  There is nothing per se wrong with having an outdoor barbecue on Memorial Day.  There is nothing per se wrong with sleeping in late on Memorial Day.  [Neither my wife nor I particularly plan to do any of those things tomorrow].

But it must be remembered that Memorial Day is not about us going to the beach; it is not about us having a barbecue; it is not about us sleeping in late.  Memorial Day is about the ones who did not come back, who cannot go to the beach, who cannot join us for a barbecue, and who now sleep in eternal repose.

And so, out of principle, we are trying to avoid doing any shopping on Memorial Day if we can help it.

To the soldiers and sailors and Marines and airmen who did not come back:  Rest in Peace!  There still are plenty of grateful Americans who have not forgotten you.