Yesterday was Veterans Day and I placed my American flag outside to display it in honor of those veterans who gave the Supreme Sacrifice for our country. I hope you did likewise, or at least paused to meditate and reflect on the military heroes of America.
Unfortunately, there was a news report yesterday that marred the otherwise peaceful time of contemplation and, yes, thanksgiving. Here is a brief capsule of that story:
Lewis-McChord soldier found guilty of 3 murders in war-crimes case
An Army panel Thursday found Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs, the highest-ranking soldier charged in a major war-crimes case, guilty of three counts of murdering unarmed Afghan villagers and a dozen other crimes.
I do not want to delve further into the story in this column, but I do want to comment on the despicable action of that one soldier. He is a disgrace to the uniform and dishonors all those whose lives we celebrated.
Sergeant Gibbs received a sentence of life imprisonment for his crimes, but he will be eligible for parole in ten years. I wish he had been given the ultimate penalty instead. Every war has a few like him and they tend to be given lighter punishment than what they gave their victims. Their actions reflect badly on the whole military and at times cause reactions like the demonstrations that took place over the Vietnam War. They should be made to pay dearly in my opinion.
Why do we paint the entire establishment with the same brush when a rogue among them commits a crime? We should expect that there would always be psychopaths among the many who join the military. They see the battlefield as a place to commit their heinous crimes and “get away with it” in the fog of war. That is all the more reason to sentence them to the harshest sentence possible.
When Gibbs does come up for parole, who will represent the families of his victims? The only people to speak will be those who have a vested interest in his release. That doesn’t seem fair to me.
Several others were also charged and some will face court-martial for their part in the murders. As is often the case, a charismatic leader pulls others into his crime. In this case, however, the others were permitted to testify against him and will likely receive reduced charges.
If you care enough to read the entire article from the Seattle Times here is the link to it:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016739416_gibbsverdict11m.htmlhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
I sincerely hope that this case will not turn into another one like that of Lt. Calley in the Mi Lai incident. We don’t need another scandal to incite protesters.
I know that the day is past, but if you have some time this weekend, go to one or both of these websites and read the tributes there. You’re guaranteed to have a tear in your eye when you do so.
http://www.military.com/veterans-day/
http://www.legacy.com/soldier/MovingTributes.aspx
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Killer Tips – Part 1
This week my column will be a compilation of tips that I’ve given in the past along with some I’ve gained more recently. I hope they will benefit you as much as they have helped me. Some of these are not “killers” because they actually might save your life but who ever heard of “lifer tips”?
Tip 1 – The next time you’re at a pharmacy pick up a bottle of child strength aspirin, 81 grain, and place it either on or in your bedside table. These little pills could save your life if you ever experience any kind of pain during the night. Of course they are supposed to be used for heart attack symptoms, but those symptoms can come in any number of ways. One characteristic common to all of them is pain in some part of your body. Taking one or two of those baby aspirin might prevent a full-scale heart attack.
Tip 2 – That same bottle of baby aspirin can also be used by anyone—especially those over age 40—to maintain a healthy body. Take one of these little pills before going to bed every night. The half life of aspirin is about 12 hours, so nightly dosage benefit is twofold: It prevents cardiac events which recent studies have shown to occur more frequently in early morning hours, and it relieves those little aches and pains we sometimes get that prevent good sleep.
Tip 3 – If you are one of the many people who fear a major banking disruption in these fragile times, you probably have a “stash” somewhere in your house to use in emergency situations. It could be quite substantial. The problem is, with the amount of B&E that is taking place there are few places where you can secure your cash and valuables where the thieves cannot get them.
There are some safes you can buy that mimic a wall socket, or a food container or some other common household gadget. However, you can make your own safe by using any empty food container in varying sizes to hide your valuables in plain sight. What thief would spend the time to search your whole pantry or your entire clothes closet? Most want to get in and out as quickly as possible, and the pros know about the sugar bowl, the freezer and the china cabinet as the most common hidey-holes. If they don’t find anything there, they give up and move on. The oatmeal container in the rear on the middle shelf isn’t likely to draw anyone’s attention, nor is the high top shoe sitting in a pair in the closet. (Those are just examples, not necessarily my choice in case anyone reading this wants to rob me)
Tip 4 – I guess we are all capable of committing the error of locking a vehicle with the keys inside. I know that the companies that provide onboard services in newer makes and models use the problem to promote their services. I have AAA membership and I’ve had to call for roadside service when I locked the key inside my car.
A friend who is a locksmith gave me a great hint: Pay a couple of dollars for a valet key-one that only opens the doors but won’t start the car—and then put that key behind your license plate with one of the license plate screws through it. A coin can be used to unscrew and retrieve the key. No more service calls and delays waiting for someone to open the car.
Tip 5 – Always keep a tool in your car that can be used to break the side window in the event you ever are in a situation where your vehicle is submerged in water. I know, it isn’t something you would voluntarily do, but many accidents end with the car in deep water. There are multi-use tools sold at auto parts stores and online, but if you can’t find one, put a heavy-duty screwdriver or a small hammer in your glove compartment. Since many cars are equipped with electric windows that won’t work underwater, this can be a lifesaver.
Those are the first five tips, and I’ll have more next week, or within a few weeks if some topic comes up that has more value between now and next Saturday.
Tip 1 – The next time you’re at a pharmacy pick up a bottle of child strength aspirin, 81 grain, and place it either on or in your bedside table. These little pills could save your life if you ever experience any kind of pain during the night. Of course they are supposed to be used for heart attack symptoms, but those symptoms can come in any number of ways. One characteristic common to all of them is pain in some part of your body. Taking one or two of those baby aspirin might prevent a full-scale heart attack.
Tip 2 – That same bottle of baby aspirin can also be used by anyone—especially those over age 40—to maintain a healthy body. Take one of these little pills before going to bed every night. The half life of aspirin is about 12 hours, so nightly dosage benefit is twofold: It prevents cardiac events which recent studies have shown to occur more frequently in early morning hours, and it relieves those little aches and pains we sometimes get that prevent good sleep.
Tip 3 – If you are one of the many people who fear a major banking disruption in these fragile times, you probably have a “stash” somewhere in your house to use in emergency situations. It could be quite substantial. The problem is, with the amount of B&E that is taking place there are few places where you can secure your cash and valuables where the thieves cannot get them.
There are some safes you can buy that mimic a wall socket, or a food container or some other common household gadget. However, you can make your own safe by using any empty food container in varying sizes to hide your valuables in plain sight. What thief would spend the time to search your whole pantry or your entire clothes closet? Most want to get in and out as quickly as possible, and the pros know about the sugar bowl, the freezer and the china cabinet as the most common hidey-holes. If they don’t find anything there, they give up and move on. The oatmeal container in the rear on the middle shelf isn’t likely to draw anyone’s attention, nor is the high top shoe sitting in a pair in the closet. (Those are just examples, not necessarily my choice in case anyone reading this wants to rob me)
Tip 4 – I guess we are all capable of committing the error of locking a vehicle with the keys inside. I know that the companies that provide onboard services in newer makes and models use the problem to promote their services. I have AAA membership and I’ve had to call for roadside service when I locked the key inside my car.
A friend who is a locksmith gave me a great hint: Pay a couple of dollars for a valet key-one that only opens the doors but won’t start the car—and then put that key behind your license plate with one of the license plate screws through it. A coin can be used to unscrew and retrieve the key. No more service calls and delays waiting for someone to open the car.
Tip 5 – Always keep a tool in your car that can be used to break the side window in the event you ever are in a situation where your vehicle is submerged in water. I know, it isn’t something you would voluntarily do, but many accidents end with the car in deep water. There are multi-use tools sold at auto parts stores and online, but if you can’t find one, put a heavy-duty screwdriver or a small hammer in your glove compartment. Since many cars are equipped with electric windows that won’t work underwater, this can be a lifesaver.
Those are the first five tips, and I’ll have more next week, or within a few weeks if some topic comes up that has more value between now and next Saturday.
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