Manns Medium

To say that I was disappointed to hear that any Marine Corp retired general and Navy Admiral signed onto a letter opposing and even supporting the Iran Nuclear Deal would be an understatement.  I am disappointed because I thought expected more.  I expected more because an enlisted man is supposed to be able to trust that they would set the example and have all of their ducks in a row before voicing any opinion whether in public or private. I am dismayed because it appears that none of them has ever really sat down and read the agreement.  I am dismayed because it appears that many of those with whom we are supposed to see as experts in their field, has decided to base their support or opposition purely on what they heard or was led to believe was in it.  These are the same group of parties that many families trusted with the health and welfare of their children and if this is an example of how they reached decisions about anything having to do with our military, no ...

Parents always say that the reason they are working 2 jobs and struggling so very hard and even are willing to chase that all mighty dollar more diligently is to give their children a much better life than they had.  You hear that, it sounds good and so you embrace and own that phrase to excuse the truth behind why you work so hard.  You know, s well as all who know you, that this has nothing to do with your kids, it’s all about you being in a position to have all that you desire without having to be responsible for doing the only job you were created to do.  You may have accomplished major things and landed that prestigious job that make you feel like a giant but none of that compares to the job you choose to take on of raising children.  To allow anything or anyone else to do this vital job means that the most important thing in your life was shifted off on someone else so that you could feel less guilty of concentrating on yourself.  History has taught and c...

I understand that there are some politicians who fee that they must oppose anything that this administration does and even if they feel that advancing the mission is the most critical part of accomplishing it, they cannot show the spine or backbone and support anything this administration supports.  They do not fear the results and the consequences to their very souls but fear more not getting re-elected to office or being seen by other mortals as weak.  These same spineless people are those some of us call leaders but I ask how can one be closely considered a leader when all you do is pick up another’s personal flag and run with the pack? I asked this question based on a letter I received in my inbox from Congressman Seth Moulton of the U. S. House of Representatives concerning this same subject.  In it he states “ I was in the first company of Marines to enter Baghdad in 2003.  As a combat veteran, I know the cost of war. It is something I still carry with me ...

One of the greatest mysteries of living in the flesh and the most ignored of truths is we think that everything we do will not see the light of day so all we need to do is be more careful of the wrongs we commit.  This is drummed into our heads by those who thrive on doing things under the cloak and cover of darkness and only after we are exposed does the truth of this matter ever get a second glance.  It is not enough that the Holy Bible clearly tells us that all that we do is seen and shall be revealed, we still refuse to accept this truth and is therefore surprised when what we thought was very well hidden is suddenly exposed. Classic example of this is an article written by Rob Price for the Business Insider titled “ Compromising details on thousands of military personnel have reportedly been leaked in the huge Ashley Madison hack ” in which he details a story about how a website designed to aid in the sin of adultery has had its well protected information exposed to ...

When directed to this article, I had no clear thought of why someone wanted me to read it but after doing so, a thought of why it was written appeared in my mind.  Now I am not a mind reader nor do I pretend to be but I think that there may be some truth to an article being written not to inform but to force conformity.  In other words, an article not written to educate the public but provide those who refuse to do their jobs an excuse. The article is titled “ It took 2 years for charges in  Greer's  death. That could be the easy part ” and appears to have been written by Justin Jouvenal.  In it he reports “ It took two years, the involvement of county and federal prosecutors and a special grand jury before a former Fairfax County police officer was indicted Monday on a charge of second-degree murder in the shooting of an unarmed Springfield, Va., man in 2013.  But for prosecutors, the hard work may just be beginning.  Legal experts and former pro...

If you listen to those on the right, this country is fine in the hands of a Democrat but the Republican-controlled House and Senate is to blame for government ineffectiveness.  If you listen to the left the Republican-controlled House and Senate is valiantly fighting that tyrant in the White House who is a Democrat and he is the reason this country is so messed up.  Both seem to strongly believe their rhetoric and some will even defend it to the death but the real reason this country is where it is lies with the voters who keep sending rich people to office to stand up for the poor people and lawyers to office when history proves that this group haven’t even come close to fixing our justice system.  The problem is not the government as it pertains to one person or one group.  The problem is the voters who truly are the government but keep failing to find or hold accountable those they hire to task.  Blame government all you wish but if you are the one pointing ...

Was watching one of my favorite westerns “Gunsmoke” and heard James Arness quote a passage.  He said that “there’s never a horse that can’t be rode and a man that couldn’t be thrown.”  Thinking about that gave me the inspiration to pen this article and attempt to educate as well as warn others about what this passage means today and how appropriate it is. Some take this “survival of the fittest” thing way too far which means that the above quote is even more pertinent now.  Because there has never been a horse that can’t be rode or a man that could not be thrown, we need to understand that no one is bigger or better than the other, that every person has a match and can be defeated at any time by anyone.  Look closely at all of your professional sports team.  None of them is unbeatable which makes the times when we see a team go undefeated like the Miami Dolphins did, we should take time to marvel at it.  This proves that every horse can be rode and eve...

For many, like me, when I first heard about this group calling itself the Oath Keepers prowling around Ferguson, Missouri my first thought was a group of troublemakers looking for a reason to feel relevant but then later, it occurred to me why they were really there and what it meant to all of us as Americans.  Though their ideas, beliefs and concepts may appear foreign to many of us as I am sure ours appear to them, there is one huge fact that we often overlook. According to the article titled “ Oath Keepers Turn Up at Michael Brown Protests in Ferguson, Missouri ” written by Cassandra Vinograd.  She reports “ The Oath Keepers organization says its members — all former military, police and first responders — pledge to "defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic."  However, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar described their presence as "both unnecessary and inflammatory."  Protesters and police confirmed that a handful of Oath Keepe...

Often we dream about what others will say about us when we are gone and what, if any, affect have we had on the world while we were here.  Many attempt to get their names in lights or on the tongues of many others who remain while there are some whose idea of making a difference is meddling in the affairs of others.  But what seems to be missed by so many who claim to be paying attention is the greatest lesson you can teach and the only real legacy you will leave is the education you have passed on to your children. An example of this is an article titled “ Beloit Police arrest two 12 year olds in Family Video robbery ” posted by Mark Mayhew for our local station WREX.  In it he reports that “ Beloit Police arrested two 12-year-old boys in a Sunday night robbery at the Family Video store on Henry Avenue.  The original report stated two black males displayed a handgun and left with cash.  Beloit Police were able to identify the boys and arrested the first on...

Not much outside of media concentrating on WWDD (What would Donald do) occurred in the Republicans Debates except one of the most spectacular answers to a question anyone could have ever given.  A peak into what the majority of us would love to see more of and what we envision this nation’s political positions to always be.  I find myself agreeing strongly with some of the statements made in an article called “ 2 under-the-radar Republicans won big at the debate ” by Brett Logiurato for Business Insider dot com. Mr. Logiurato writes “ The GOP debate's hometown candidate just gave a touching answer on gay marriage. This GOP candidate barely made the debate stage —but he might be the one to watch tonight.  Four years ago, at a Republican presidential debate moderated by Fox News host Megyn Kelly, a gay soldier asked GOP candidates a question.  "Do you intend to circumvent the progress that's been made for gay and lesbian soldiers in the military?" the soldier aske...