For our last edition prior to beginning a march that we all hope will both begin and end in Atlanta on January 20th, 2025 in glorious victory, I thought we might deviate slightly from typical current event or topic of debate and focus instead upon the existential, transcendental and inspirational.
Personally, little else evokes more sincere emotion in me than acts of defiance and courage in the face of overwhelming odds, injustice or evil. These actions can be big or small, famous or anonymous.
In no particular order at all, and feel free to add more below, these are examples that come to mind:
“Then out spake brave Horatius,
The Captain of the gate:
‘To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his Gods.”
As Lewis might have written, “Verily.”
You may wonder, as I do, how you would respond under similar threat or circumstance. We can all speculate that we would not be found wanting though we know the odds are against us. I just feel fortunate that we all have been the beneficiaries of the sacrifices and commitment of others so that the closest we have to come to observing good triumph over evil is watching the Georgia Bulldogs kick the shit of Clemson on Saturday afternoon.
Discuss.
https://www.teeshirtpalace.com/products/irt7456280-in-reality-theyre-not-after-me-theyre-after-you-trump-2024-poster
They are calling from inside the house.
Exactly. When I want to prove a point, I too reference Wikipedia because no one, and I mean absolutely no one can go on there and post articles or change the articles that others posted. USAToday is also a common stronghold of journalistic integrity with no bias whatsoever. LMFAO.
No need to cross reference the list in there to other sources or refer to the other two links or to focus on the substance of the message. Always, always deflect and deny and obfuscate and simply attack the messenger. Facts are for the other guys. Why? Because the facts paint a very unflattering picture. Some might even say “indefensible.” In such circumstances, such methods of “strategic retreat” are an attractive option. “Proudly delusional” is yet another.
I did not deny or deflect anything. I just pointed out that you are citing unreliable sources. That gets you an F in any class.
USATODAY is the journalist equivalent of The Sun.
In order to prove your point, tell us the number of people listed in the articles, in contradiction of the materials linked, who actually provided a full throated endorsement of the 2024 campaign.
If a mental defect told me the sun rises in the East, I could easily point out his general unreliability on many matters, but as to the assertion in question I would have to accept it as true. Can you be equally intellectually honest?
Without such a list of people haven’t you just wasted all of our time on what is the equivalent of: “ha ha, the 58 IQ guy says E=MC squared! Sure, whatever dude! U r dumb and stuff!!”
So the burden of proof is on me now? Hilarious. No, it does not work that way. I am not the one posting political information from unreliable sources like Wikipedia. I do not have to prove jack shit. In fact, I never made a statement one way or the other on whether your information is factual or not. I could care less. I just pointed out that your sources are unreliable, and not to be trusted. Wikipedia articles can be created and then later updated by anyone with a keyboard and an internet connection. USAToday is an online trash magazine. Have a good day Dan Rather.
That totally makes sense! I just looked and Wikipedia says the earth is a sphere. Thats concrete proof you cannot trust anything you read on that site. Must be run by the deep state.
I was in the Marine Corps from ’90 to ’94, Desert Shield/Storm kicked off and ended while I was in MOS school. I never fired a single shot in anger ( unless you count being pissed off about having to go to the rifle range again.) Hell, the closest I got to combat was staging vehicles and gear for a potential response to the LA riots in ’92, a call that obviously never came. I’ve often wondered how I would’ve done if we went to combat, and I’m sure I would have been scared, but also ready to do the job. I’m grateful that I never had to find out, and I have tons of respect for the guys that did have to do it.
Army 81-86
I was in Germany on a nuke missile base (Pershing II) As if the Able Archer 83′ scare wasn’t enough (google that if you don’t know.)
I was short timing and starting to clear. April 15, 1986. I had partied pretty hard the night before and was still quite intoxicated when I heard the claxxon go off but I knew we were having a practice alert to send our battery to the field, so I just rolled over laughing because I was about leave old Deutschland. About that time I heard my door open and opened my still drunk eyes to my battery commander, Maj Troy Taylor. Maj Taylor leaned over me and laid a holstered .45 on my chest and said, “Sgt Pritchett, I need you to get up we are on DEFCON3 and I need you to take charge of the arms room.” He stood there as I shakily got dressed and gave me a short briefing that the entire Kaserne had mobilized infantry support and placed MP security. We found out about four hours later that the USAF had bombed Libya, and that red terror cells had bombed our local Mercedez dealership (retaliation for supporting our unit)
When you are told you are at DEFCON3 and you’re on a nuclear missile base in the middle of the cold war, life is a bit different.
Wow! I bet that sobered you up pretty quick.
Army
Korea 67-68
Vietnam 68-69
It was strange but Korea, for me, was actually more intense than Vietnam. I was in Korea when the NK’s captured the Pueblo and launched “The Blue House Raid”. Both events occurred during the Tet Offensive in Vietnam so they didn’t garner much attention. When I was in the Nam there were 500,000+ troops there and the majority were not really in any danger aside from the odd angry shot. I’ve always thought the “hero”, “sacrifice” and “thanks for your service”stuff was way overblown and should be reserved for people who really were and did.
Why was I thinking you were Navy?
My old man was a WW2 Destroyer Sailor and I’ve probably mentioned him here.
“Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.”
For those who do not know; Dylan Thomas wrote this poem as his father was fighting throat cancer. To the brave who fight against impending death.
Great post Derek, I’ll come back later and look at all those videos.
Great theme Derek. Will we have the “right stuff” in the moment to stand up for what we know to be right and just, even if it costs us all we know and love? The Ukrainian woman with the sunflower seed is my all time “throwing shade” at an aggressor. She is telling the guy with the gun, “At least something good will grow from your passing.”
While your examples showcase repelling an armed aggressor, we shouldn’t lose sight of the courage involved in “everyday” events. Let’s not forget the courage involved in coming out, standing up for a woman’s body autonomy, or pointing out that the “emperor” not only doesn’t have any clothes, but that he’s a blithering, befuddled bag of bovine excrement.
It’s like my boyhood friend and idol, Weyman C. Wannamaker Jr., a great American, used to say. “When Scut Farkus backs you in to a corner, there ain’t but on thing to do: spit in his eye, kick him in the nether region and run like hell.”
There are many different arenas. Battlefields, diamonds, boardrooms, beats, streets, etc. I have mine and hopefully perform well. I try not to second guess others.
Never forget those brave souls who are willing to take one for the team and go home with the 3, just so you can go home with their friend.
Was reading a story about Jake Scott playing in the Super Bowl with two broken wrists. There’s so much wrapped up in that action, bravery, self-sacrifice, personal code and probably a large heaping of stubbornness. Talk about taking one for the team! DGD!!!!
I guess when Ronnie Lott gives you the finger, he really means it.