Godspeed Specialist Francisco G. Martinez

I urge you to read Gina Cavallaro's article and BlackFive's note regarding Spc Martinez.

It's easy to demonize the military. It's easy to be an armchair commander. It's easy to miss the humanity of each individual soldier. But it's not easy to see a friend die.

Paco's Final Farewell is a dignified look at a man's grief for his son.

Maundy - What You Didn't Know

I'd like to share an article by Dr. James C. Denison, Senior Pastor, Park Cities Baptist Church. I had no idea until I read the article, what "Maundy Thursday" was about.

To make a long story short, maundy is derived from the Latin word for mandated. So "Maundy Thursday" is "Thursday of the Mandate." But what mandate are we talking about? This was the night of the last supper. This night began with Jesus doing something so menial that no Jewish slave would ever be required to do it - washing someone else's feet.

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Then he mandated: "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you" (John 13:14-15). We are required to serve others as Jesus serves us. In fact, this is the only proof that we are his followers: "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (v. 35).

For years the Christian church has spouted the "Love" message. This obviously comes from v. 35. But the love message doesn't mean too much in contemporary society - even contemporary christian society. It is a word that we use and abuse so often that unless a person takes the extra time to think about what exactly Jesus meant by love, he will never grasp Jesus's meaning.

Did Jesus mean, "Smile at each other, nod, and ask about each others families?" Did he mean, "Put your arms around each other, pray loudly, and sing praise songs with fervor?" I say no! I believe that Jesus meant, "Throw away your pretenses and your insincerity. Throw away your personal comfort. Choose to work where the work is, and where it will make a difference."

Those of you who know John Mosiman and have travelled to Acuna to build houses and provide dental services, have a first hand view of "work where the work is, and where it will make a difference." Those who have worked with John always marvel at his focused energy. John is giving his all - his heart and his energy. I believe this is what Jesus meant when He said, "There is no greater love than that a man should give his life for another."

If one loves, he will serve. Where will he serve? Where ever his service makes a difference - without regard to station, reward, or convenience. This was the mandate from Jesus.

Now Jesus has handed us the towel. What will we do with it?

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Black History Month Flap

Here's a little tidbit that I saw over on Tongue Tied. Seems a student at a Chicago high school has started to wonder why Black History Month is shoved down her throat every year (for an entire month). The student even went so far as to wonder if it is racism against whites? As the school newspaper printed the article as an opinion piece, the journalism teacher is now in hot water. The administration is doing its best to tell everyone who will listen that the author is "misguided" and that "all students need diversity and sensitivity training."

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Remember, the Cat is pretty much color-blind. My roommate for 2 1/2 years at the Naval Academy was black. During my time in the Marine Corps, I served with both "light green" and "dark green" Marines. The emphasis is on GREEN. Two of my roommates on one float were "dark green", and I enjoyed their company temendously. The Best Man at my wedding was black, as was the pastor who married Haydee and myself. (So with my background out in the open, on with my comments.)

My belief is that the racism card is way overused. If a black doesn't like the criticism he is receiving, then he plays the racism card and everyone is supposed to immediately proclaim the criticizer in need of "sensitivity training". In this particular case, a student wrote an OPINION suggesting that Black History Month created a reverse racism - racism against whites - ostensibly because "whites were slave owners and hence must have been cruel masters who took advantage of the hapless black man", therefore, any speech suggesting that whites are getting the short end of the stick is racist. This student's OPINION is counter to the accepted, politically correct norms. Hence, it is decried by the powers that be as being racist and insensitive.

In a nation that guarantees free speech, one can neither ban a person's opinion nor their free expression of that opinion. To allow one group to bully another group with a differing opinion is counter to what this nation stands for. I find it interesting that anyone in this country thinks they have a right NOT to be offended. In a free society - one in which ideas are not penalized, one man's free speech IS GOING TO OFFEND another man. Yet to denounce the first man's right to express his thoughts in a public setting without fear is tantamount to slavery.

So, I conclude with these parting thoughts. First, that in order to be taken seriously, quit playing your racism card, not everyone who criticizes you is a racist. Second, Black History Month is a silly, politically correct institution that only causes other races to resent blacks because it is getting shoved down their throats. Third, you have a right to speak freely, but your right not to be offended is nonexistent. Get over it.

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Women and "Influencers"

I want to point out three interesting articles and I've written a short piece on the last one.

Here's a link to a very interesting article that completely debunks the whole "Women aren't paid the same as men" theme so prevalent in the feminist mantra.

I've also been reading a very real young author, trying to grok, she puts down in words what young military wives have felt for centuries as their men go off to war, and more importantly, as their men come home.

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Interesting article about military recruitment and blacks. The number of black recruits has fallen from 23.5% to 13.9%. I won't even suggest that blacks are chicken. However, the article asserts that,

"...the propensity of black youth to enlist is impacted by the war and increasingly by views of parents, teachers, coaches, clergy and other "influencers."...Fear of being killed or injured was the top reason to avoid service for 26 percent of youth in 2004, almost double the 14 percent reported in 2000..."

However, all other racial group percentages have increased - including whites. It sort of debunks the myth that "America goes to war on the Black man's blood." Bear in mind that this is a California newspaper from Northern San Diego and Southwest Riverside county.

According to the article, poll data also indicates "...more black parents, particularly mothers, worry that their children could be killed or injured in the war..." Are black mothers the only mothers concerned about their sons' welfare? Clearly this can not be the case.

Though the article did not clarify why black "influencers" have arrived at their current negativity towards the military, my own experience in the Austin public schools indicates that black youth are being force-fed the whole "fear and unjust war" mantra that liberal democrats have been spouting since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom(OIF). My own observations indicate that predominately white/hispanic schools in Austin escape this force-feeding, though the democratic message exists just below the surface. Yet the black schools are inundated with the message.

Through my conversations with black, white, and hispanic students - trying to probe their thought processes to determine why they believe what they believe - I've noticed that most white/hispanic students will describe the military action in Iraq within the moral context of "liberation of people and protection of life." However, most black students tend to express their position in the moral context of, "I don't want to die for any other country", "Iraq is not a just war", or "Bush lied to us about WMD".

My conclusion is that the black students' "influencers" are promoting an attitude of internalism, whereas white and hispanic students' "influencers" are speaking of duty to a cause outside of themselves - a greater cause. In support of this, I'm going to offer up a recent interview Time conducted with Sgt Bozik and other injured service members. Even with their wounds and incredibly different lives, each is moving forward. To my knowledge, none of the three are black. (I was not able to verify the ethnicity of Jim Batchelor) The key quote is one from Sgt. Boznik, "Even knowing that I would lose three limbs, I would sign up again." Read the article.

Humans are by nature afraid of the unknown, and the generic warning of slaughter in war seems to carry more moral weight than suggesting that there is, on occasion, even a utility or morality in the use of arms to stop evil. So why is this lost on black "influencers"? For the life of me, I suspect I will never be able to answer this question.

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