The Deafening Silence (first posted in 2018)

 (Memorial Day - 2018)

I’ve arrived this day… this Memorial Day… to the stunning beauty… and proof of the stunning sacrifice.

The Gardens of Stone, the placards of metal attesting to the service of them all.

Flag upon flag… row upon row… the colors… green of the grass… white of the stones… bronze of the placards… red… white… and blue of the thousands upon thousands of small flags that can’t even begin to scratch the surface of repayment for that unpayable debt that we owe so many..

The wind blows, the clouds have moved away.  The smells of newly cut grass, the sounds of a fountain… sprinklers share their water needed by the lawns covering those who gave their all.

The sun beats down on the faces of those who come to remember… to grieve… to think back… to recollect.

Children’s adventures, skinned knees… first day in school… that touchdown, that cheer, that first love, that graduation… their wives, their husbands, their children and loved ones of all description think back on what might have been… and could have been had they made it through…

And those lives… oh those many lives… snuffed out far, far too soon… in service of and to their country.

They’re missed, at least by some.  I miss them all, but in the sense that each one of us who died in defense of this nation did so with an unbearable light of being that terrifies the darkness… the bright, shining essence of the blood shed by the young and the old who answered our Nation’s Call.

The sacrifice cannot be measured.  But when I come here, I make the effort to try.

I ponder this as I speak to my brother who joined those here years ago.  I look around… sometimes, a tear forms and falls unhindered to the hallowed ground where they rest. 

The answers do not come.  And again, the only certainly…

Is the deafening silence.

In Flander's Field

   In Flanders fields the poppies blow

    Between the crosses, row on row,

   That mark our place; and in the sky

   The larks, still bravely singing, fly

    Scarce heard amid the guns below.

 

We are the Dead.

Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

   Loved and were loved, and now we lie

    In Flanders fields.

 

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

   The torch; be yours to hold it high.

   If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

    In Flanders fields.

LTC John McCrae, MD and Artillery  in the Canadian Expeditionary Force

Wow. The truth will out. Ashley Biden confirms the contents of her diary, including the showers with Joe entries, are legitimate. WIll it matter to the left?

 Interesting. Not sure how I missed this:

Ashley Biden has confirmed the diary... which she alleges was stolen... is, in fact, legitimate.

Which would tend to legitimize her written acknowledgement that Joe Biden felt compelled to take showers with her.

Leftists all are in lockstep that the diary is not hers... and she "never wrote any such thing." Google it. Leftists were in lockstep and they were SO SURE it was made up, common sense and excerpts from the actual diary in question notwithstanding.

Odd, isn't it, that she actually HAS confirmed that the diary IS hers, IN WRITING, to Judge Laura Taylor Swain, the Chief United States District Judge of the Southern District of New York, published by The New York Times.

Will this fact make any difference to the dogged supporters of #PedoJoe?

Of course not.

Leftists will continue to support Biden. But then, they'd support Himmler if he had a "D" after his name.

Even noted leftist apologists Snopes has changed the story from "Previous versions of this fact check noted 'strong evidence' that the diary existed but argued that no source had authenticated the contents of the pages published online, writing that 'the authenticity of photographs purported to be from a diary is a separate question from the factual existence of a diary." To: "Ashley Biden's letter to the court, in Snopes' view, provides that authentication," moving the authenticity needle from "unproven" to "true."

So now, the hypocrites of the left are faced with a decision: Do they support a man whose own daughter contends is a sexual deviant?

Or will they go into double-overtime in their efforts to defend him and explain away his now proven abhorrent behavior?

We all know the defense the left has been babbling for years about this serial abuser, which tends to be confirmed by his behavior around young children and women (Tara Reede, anyone?) supports the written proposition by Ashley that she would delay taking showers until late at night for fear that Joe would join her, as he had in a "probably not appropriate" activity. Denial upon denial upon denial and attacks against anyone who dares speak the now confirmed truth, even to the satisfaction of leftist publications such as this one (Newsweek) and the New York Times.

Well, leftists? How about it? Does any of this matter to you?

Popcorn, anyone?

Today's quiz question: Why is it that it's suddenly become fashionable to force veterans to pay for improvements/expansions of VA care?

 Today's quiz question: Why is it that it's suddenly become fashionable to force veterans to pay for improvements/expansions of VA care?

The first example I know of is the expansion of the Agent Orange program to include Blue Water victims from the Vietnam War.

The goals of the program are worthy. ALL veterans exposed to Agent Orange are eligible for care resulting from that exposure.

Formerly, it was limited to those who had actually set foot in Vietnam or it's water ways.

The need for the expansion of this program was obvious.

Requiring other veterans to pay for it by adding fees to VA home loans, making already expensive housing that much MORE expensive for the veteran, is not.

And now, it seems that the Good Idea Fairy has landed once again on Congressional Shoulders, which a House Bipartisan series of improvements to VA care, including expanding benefits including in home care and for disabled vets and increases in pay for caregiver support.

Ideas long overdue, perhaps. But how are they going to pay for it?

"Paying for the package would be done through new fees on VA home loans, an offset that lawmakers say will prevent the legislation from breaking congressional budget rules. But even with that, passing the veterans legislation remains a difficult task."

How much is it expected to cost?

$1.7 billion.

Over the next 10 years.

If the Federal budget were to remain the exact same as it is now for that same time period, the total cost would be $62 trillion.

The article, from Army Times, refers to the excuse for shafting veterans again as a way to avoid "budget busting."

I'm reaching an age and a condition where I would likely benefit from this expansion.

But the effort to make my fellow veterans pay for it?

Is sickening.

https://www.armytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2024/05/14/vets-bill-would-expand-caregiver-support-boost-in-home-care-options/

A response to the question of "Why are Republicans opposed to the forgiveness of student loans?"

I was cruising Quora Digest the other day, when I came across the following.

Now, the basis for Quora is as something of a discussion board where people ask questions seeking information.

The difficulty is that many questions are moronic. Many are trolls. Many can be answered by using a search engine google is one, but if one is searching for information with at least a modicum of non-bias, others exist.

Even the question I am about to paste here is rather stupid, considering how it's been debated to death in other forums, newspaper/magazine pieces and blogs.

But I've got to admit the first line of the response to the question intrigued me.

And I was impressed enough to copy and paste this particular exchange for your edification

*******************************
Q: Why are Republicans opposed to the forgiveness of student loans?

A: May I answer as a Democrat? I think many good reasons are stated here regarding the morality of essentially forcing people who already paid for their college and people who didn’t go to college to pay for those who went and have yet to pay for it.

But I have another reason. If you happen to support student loans, forgiving them now will eventually kill them altogether.

Once loans devolve into the government simply paying for college, which is what the progressive wing of the party is really after, then the debate is on about whether college should be “free” or not.

Since that is the real objective of the people pushing for loan forgiveness we should just have that debate instead of trying to slip a major policy change through the back door.

I believe that Progressives don’t want to have that debate because they know they will lose it. The Federal government simply has no money for another expensive entitlement, and the things they would need to do to make it somewhat affordable for the government will not appeal to the “free college” crowd, like tracking kids from a young age via entrance exams as they do in European and Asian countries to ensure that only the “best and the brightest” get to pursue baccalaureate degrees while the rest get funneled into vocational training. [Edit: there is nothing wrong with vocational training. I think it is way underrated in our society today. The question is who gets to choose.]

“Free college” would look nothing like today’s sprawling verdant campuses with carpeted dorms and climbing walls at the gym.

Anyone who knows that and still pushes for loan forgiveness for people that have experienced these things cannot accuse those opposed to their special pleading as being “selfish.”

The objection to pandering and vote-buying is not only from Republicans.

********************************

I caught this and am blogging it because it is, to me, as succinct and accurate assessment of the issue... and response to why it's insane to engage in this practice... as any I've ever read.

I wish I could claim credit for these words but they come from a responder by the name of "Marc H," who believably claims an MBA from the Wharton School and that he "gives advice for a living."

Written a year ago: my take on the 2024 election.

As the Durham Report verifies, the allegations Trump has leveled against the Letter Agencies of the Federal Government were largely correct.

Allegations repeatedly condemned by democrats and their media arm in the most vicious abuse of the First Amendment in American history, it does call into question other allegations by Trump and other condemnations by democrats.

Politically, democrats lie.

At roughly every level down to the local, leftists view words roughly the same way Muslim militants view them as means to an end. (For further info, look up the words "Taqiya" and "Kitmān.")

They lie, because of course, they get away with it.

Yesterday, when I posted the direct link to the Report, I wrote "DOJ Special Counsel John Durham's report is out and while damning, it simply won't make any difference IMHO."

(https://www.justice.gov/storage/durhamreport.pdf)

In everything from the MSM burying this story (while so many of the fake, completely contrived allegations against Trump got the front-page-above-the-fold treatment, I haven't seen much mention or discussion of it by the leftist-controlled media organs) to the lack of listing those who caused these outrageous weaponizations against political enemies for indictment, I somehow knew as bad as this report was going to be, it wasn't going to make any difference.

Leftists, of course, completely dismiss any allegations regarding the theft of the last (and perhaps other?) elections.

But then, they have frequently dismissed every allegation, later proven factual, that Trump et al, have made.

When the allegations concerning the theft of the 2020 election were made, I repeatedly stated the obvious: every effort to investigate any aspect of that election was fought by the left. They'd scream, they'd go to court. They'd vilify, they'd attack. They'd harass. And they'd do those things mainly because they didn't care if the election WAS stolen, they got the outcome they wanted and they were not about to risk that outcome due to investigations into the not-explained-to-this-day irregularities of that election.

Imagine how different things on our political landscape would be today if they had said something to the effect of, "you know what? There WERE some strange things going on in this election... so let's join with you to examine these allegations and see where the evidence takes us..." or words to that effect.

Faith in our electoral system is part of the fabric of our Nation. Without it, we're just another 3rd World dictatorship. And that fabric is frayed when it doesn't have to be. And it's not the allegations of electoral fraud that fray it. It's the failure of government to actively investigate these allegations and put them to bed, or, in the alterative, confirm them.

Many of the allegations made by Trump concerning FBI and FISA and other agencies have been shown to have been accurate. Much of the weaponization of the FBI is confirmed in the Durham Report.

But those responsible will never be held accountable any more than Hillary was held accountable for shattering federal law and setting up her bathroom server so foreign interests could check out her email before she did.

And while Durham knows full well those directly and actively involved in a rank weaponization that continues to this day in the FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Joe Biden White House, none of them will ever be prosecuted or held accountable in any way. It's a free pass like those on the Epstein flight list have received, or those 217 or so members of Congress who used taxpayer dollars to pay off their victims of sexual assault/harassment.

And why will it continue?

Because from their perspective, there's no reason it shouldn't.

I say it here first: the predicted and overwhelming Red Wave that failed to materialize in 2022 is the precursor to the 2024 presidential election: Once again, the Republicans will lose.

Ask yourself why Biden has announced his reelection bid? Because his handlers believe it's already in the bag. And they will have had 4 years to refine their shtick, to make it much less obvious and much more subtle. And the same leftist deniers that were out in full force since November of '20 will be out there with their hypocrisy: the same people who claimed Trump's presidency was illegitimate and then vociferously defended the 2020 election will be out there doing it again.

The Durham Report portrays federal agencies as extensions of the Democrat National Committee. It's a portrait of direct federal government interference and a four-year long coup attempt that violated the rights of Trump and dozens of others.

There will be no outrage by the left. There will be no media calls for justice. There will be no demonstrations.

I can't even begin to imagine what would be happening now if, in fact, Trump was president and this report came out concerning FBI efforts against Biden.

Instead... so far... we don't even get a media yawn. And we likely won't in the future.

I jusr read a post about a complaint that the Fed has wasted $66B on illegal aliens, but only has a $3B budget for homeless vets. My response:

I get that.

But generally speaking, there is no shortage of housing for veterans that I'm aware of.

The sad reality is that in my experience of working with homeless vets, they're generally homeless because they want to be. It sounds counter intuitive, to be sure, but that is the case.

Here's a blog post I wrote several years ago that illustrates the story: Major Thomas Egan: Why'd you do it? (Originally published 24 Dec 08)

I originally posted this 8 years ago today (24 Dec). And it bears repeating.

This story was in the paper... although, unfortunately, not on the Columbian web.

It is the story of a retired Army Major, one Thomas Egan; a veteran of 2 years on the Korean DMZ, a Master's graduate of the University of Oregon; a retired Oregon Army National Guard officer. He was found dead, apparently frozen to death, next to a bottle of booze, in Eugene, Oregon within the past few days.

Unfortunately, the story speaks for itself. Sometimes, the desire to destroy one's self can overwhelm all other instincts.

I never knew you, Major, but we served in the Army together at the same time. I have no idea what happened to you, but I wish I did... and I wish it could have been fixed.

Tomorrow is Christmas. If you know someone who needs help, take the time and the effort to try and get that help to them. Major Egan had help available, but made bad choices when it came to using it.

As I look outside at the foot of snow, I ask myself: "how many Major Egans are there? Is there more that could have been done?"

Probably not.

But I wish there had been.

Good bye, Major. From all accounts, you served us honorably and well. I never met you, but I won't forget you.

I could have been you.

************************************
Soldier’s death resonates
Homeless veteran froze to death though services were available
By JACK MO (Eugene) Register-Guard

EUGENE, Ore — Thomas Egan was a scholar and a decorated soldier. He was also a homeless alcoholic whose life ended last week when he froze to death in Eugene during an unusually long and harsh cold snap. His body was found covered in snow near the corner of West First Avenue and Blair Boulevard, a bottle of liquor by his side.

News of the demise of the longtime Eugene resident troubled many local veterans — especially those who knew that with some effort and some help, the man they called Major Egan could have had a roof over his head.

Memorial for Maj. Thomas L. Egan ret.

“The whole National Guard community is taking this very hard,” said Bud Dickey, a vocational rehabilitation coordinator with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ community reintegration service center in Eugene.

“It’s very disturbing for all of us, because Major Egan was retired and could have been drawing his (veterans’) benefits,” Dickey said. “He had options that he did not access.”

Egan collected monthly Social Security checks, but the amount was a pittance compared with the payments he was entitled to as a retired military veteran. When he turned 60 in July, Egan became eligible to receive $909 each month in National Guard retirement income, Dickey said.

Then Lieutenant Egan

Egan also could have applied for a separate pension check based on unemployability. “That would have gotten him an apartment if he wanted one,” said Jay Rea, a Springfield resident who served under Egan in the National Guard in the late 1980s. “I shed a tear when I heard he died,” Rea said. “It breaks my heart because he was the friendliest guy, and so smart.”

A New York native, Egan joined the Army in 1971 after graduating from Quinnipiac College in Hamden, Conn., with a bachelor’s degree in history. He was stationed at the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea for two years, and was reassigned to the Oregon Army National Guard in 1977.

Earned master’s degree

Egan earned his master’s degree from the University of Oregon in 1983, and ultimately attained the rank of major with the National Guard.

He retired honorably in 1991, following a 20-year military career during which he was awarded several service medals and ribbons.

Dickey said Egan’s desire to drink made him ineligible for VA housing programs that require sober living.

Egan had declined to enroll in substance abuse treatment programs offered through the veterans agency, Dickey said.

According to those who knew him, Egan worked sporadically. He did some landscaping, and most years helped deliver telephone books.

Sometimes, he found an apartment to stay in for a while. At other times, he lived on the streets. In August, Egan spent two weeks at the Eugene Mission — which is less than one block from the spot where a passer-by discovered his body last week.

Mission officials said Egan never caused any trouble there, and could have stayed any time. Dickey said Egan has no relatives in Oregon, and tracking down members of his extended family on the East Coast has been challenging.

Dickey, who served five years with Egan in the National Guard, is helping to direct an effort to have Egan interred at the Roseburg National Cemetery.

“He will be buried as a veteran in a veterans’ cemetery,” Dickey said. “He was a good soldier, and we’re going to get him the burial he’s due.”

************************************

"Dickey said Egan’s desire to drink made him ineligible for VA housing programs that require sober living."

That's it in a nutshell for most homeless veterans. Rules. Rules that even educated former field grade officers refuse to live by on occasion.

We cannot force homeless veterans to get help. We can't ram it down their throats. At some point, self-accountability has to rear its ugly head.

Of course, the Fed shouldn't be spending a dime on illegals save for the cost of their instant and automatic deportation.

But the issue does not appear to be a shortage of funds for homeless vets. It appears to be a shortage of homeless vets to use those funds.