Our soldiers are being bombarded from all sides and facing major liabilities for their actions. They fight with the fear of being charged with war crimes later, or punished for civilian casualties or deaths that occurred during skirmishes or strikes, incidents that happen in all wars ... yet we as soldiers are condemned when these accidents occur.
Granted, cold-blooded killings should be stopped ... but when doubts or fear of being killed or when attacked by a hostile force .. should be dealt with in whatever manner it takes to overcome the threat. We are fighting in a conflict that does not fall under any Geneva Convention Act, our enemies do not respect any rules, guidelines or show any mercy to our troops and coalition forces. Now, some of our soldiers finally return home from the Iraqi or the Afghanistan conflict, hammered by war's blunt trauma.
They have been subjected to countless firefights, loss of friends, witnessed deaths like babies, small children, men and women, receiving little protection for our soldiers or in receiving their equipment needs, they didn't get our Politician's support like they should have, dodging RPG rounds, running into IED threats or incidents, grenades being dropped on them while walking down a narrow street on night patrols, ambushes, encountering random sniper fire, entering buildings with no guarantees that the people within are friend or foe.... and so on.
This day in and day out routine weighs heavily on anyone's mind .. questions they often ask themselves.. am I going to die today, will I return home in a box, or receive proper medical care when returning with wounds, a mental or physical injury that will stop me from living a decent normal life upon my return should I be so lucky.
Why me Lord, why didn't you allow Joe and Mary to return home alive? Upon our soldiers' return ... they try to adjust from loud sounds of explosions, bombs, IEDs and the survivor mode to a safer world .... a world of silence where people do not understand or care to listen about what happened overseas. They often return to their neighborhoods where gangs or other American threats do exist, but they are not armed now to protect themselves ... or to rely on their weapon for daily protection, changes that a large number of soldiers cannot handle or adjust to without the proper help.
Most soldiers will return with PTSD and feelings of guilt .. or walking around like a time-bomb ready for an action that will probably not occur as it did in the overseas conflict.
Soldiers that will return jobless, homeless, without family or support groups,often burying themselves in isolation, drinking themselves to death or turning to drugs. This article will only be one of many concerning our soldiers who return and one day go off the deep end. Granted, all soldiers cannot blame the war or conflict for their actions, that is only known by the perpetrator who committed a crime. Homeless vets usually find themselves in trouble with the law or seem forced to commit a crime to live.
Will our Veterans and soldiers receive the adequate help and other assistance in time from our government, military or VA? The agencies they served and fought for . Time will only answer that.
Author . Jim Heitmeyer
poemWho'd all be aviators, and not afraid to fly!
For Duty, Honor, Country, their courage I admire!
But it takes more than courage, son, to get to be a flyer.
When you are only twelve years old of course you want to fly!
And tho' you know not what is Death, you're not afraid to die.
But of the million, more or less, all must have perfect eyes;
So only half a million now, can dream of future skies.
Then comes high school, science, math; Some choose the easy way:
Football, cars, and dating girls; teen pleasures hold their sway.
And of the quarter million left, one half go on to schools;
The other half will dream and drift, and never learn the rules.
Now comes the day of testing, eight hours of Stanine Hell;
On every subject known to man, four- fifths will not do well.
The one in five who pass this test Apply for flying schools,
The Application Boards will now Eliminate the fools.
Then comes two days of nakedness, Flight Surgeons poke and prod;
To pass this Flying Physical one needs to be a God!
And now, five hundred lucky souls will start their Pre-Flight days;
Endure demerits, hunger, cold, as upperclassmen haze.
One-half survive this mental game, and go to Primary schools,
But only half will hack the course, move on to Basic rules.
Two hundred fifty now will try to pass those Basic tests;
Formation flight soon separates, the " tiger" from the rest.
One hundred twenty five will then pin on those pilot wings;
The best become hot fighter jocks; the rest fly other things.
Some will die while learning those essential combat skills;
Some will die in combat, some will score their "kills".
But they have learned a lesson, sometimes lost on you and me;
We must always fight for Freedom, because Freedom's never free!
He's a knight in shining armor, that the cruel tyrants fear;
He's that deadly drop of venom on the tip of Freedom's spear.
Engaging him in battle is a course that only fools would choose;
He's the world's fiercest warrior, for he has the most to lose.
So when you see that fighter pilot, standing at the bar;
Taking out the garbage, or tuning up his car.
You'd best walk up and offer him your thanks, extend your hand;
He's that rare "one in a million" who protects this sacred land.
Autism has always been a primary concern of mine after experiencing what Autism can do to people of all ages during my previous law enforcement career. This is also a very important medical condition that needs immediate attention, exposure and more support from everybody in the world. Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or to play during activities.
One should keep in mind however, that autism is a spectrum disorder and it affects each individual differently and at varying degrees - this is why early diagnosis is so crucial. By learning the signs, a child can begin benefiting from one of the many specialized intervention programs.
Autism is one of five disorders that falls under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by "severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development."
The five disorders under PDD are:
- Autistic Disorder
- Asperger's Disorder
- Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD)
- Rett's Disorder
- PDD-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)
Each of these disorders has specific diagnostic criteria which been outlined in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR).
Prevalence of Autism
Autism is the most common of the Pervasive Developmental Disorders, affecting an estimated 1 in 150 births (Centers for Disease Control Prevention, 2007). Roughly translated, this means as many as 1.5 million Americans today are believed to have some form of autism. And this number is on the rise.
Based on statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and other governmental agencies, autism is growing at a startling rate of 10-17 percent per year. At this rate, the ASA estimates that the prevalence of autism could reach 4 million Americans in the next decade.
Autism knows no racial, ethnic, social boundaries, family income, lifestyle, or educational levels and can affect any family, and any child. A child or adult will generally act out emotionally when attempting to speak or in watching TV or video programs. Presently there is a world of programs actively working on Autism treatments and cures.
And although the overall incidence of autism is consistent around the globe, it is four times more prevalent in boys than in girls.
What Parents of Children with Autism have to say ...
http://www.babybumblebee.com/autism.htm?gclid=CLidk-m4xJACFQSOFQoddl0UWQ
Once your area of living has been alerted for a potential Ice Storm, the following actions should take place immediately if and when possible: Try to have these items on hand or at least a majority of them before the storm strikes. In most major ice storms, power failures occur. Ice storms differ in time lines, one storm may last for only a day or some to ten to fifteen days before your power is restored again, so be prepared for long-term survival. If your house runs on electricity … it is a good idea to have the items below on hand.
If you have a gas stove … light the burners and keep the flames low. Open a nearby door or window just enough to allow escaping gas to exit. Do not stay near the stove. Check the stove regularly for burning. If your eyes begin to water …. Turn the burners off a few minutes to allow any fumes to go outside through the open cracked door or window before relighting your stove again for warmth.
- Purchase or have available … a generator with 5000 watts or more. Check your fuel level every seven hours. Always keep enough fuel on-hand for at least two refuels.
- ( All generators should be outside and away from your house / dwelling at a distance of twenty feet or more. Use a long extension cord from the generator to the house / dwelling .. then attach additional cords to the main generator extension cord as needed. Do not overload your generator. Check your generator every 40 hours of operation for oil.
Turn your generator off .. unplug all electrical cords .. check oil level .. fill as necessary .. wait ten minutes .. restart generator, attach cords.
Insure that the exhaust from the generator blows away from the entrance.
- Purchase or have available … extra long extension cords
- Purchase or have available … a heater that runs on propane … have extra tanks on hand.
- Purchase or have available … a Kerosene Lamp / w/ plenty of kerosene fuel
- A chain saw or saw tool. These tools are handy when clearing fallen limbs or debris.
- Tools for scraping off ice on walkways or driveway.
- Bags of rock salt for melting the ice areas.
- Water … bottled water by the cases.
- Blankets
- Purchase or have available .... flashlights / batteries
- Buy or have available …. "D"cell batteries for lamp lights
- Buy or have available … extra lamps powered by batteries
- Buy or have available …. a battery-powered T.V. for advisories
- Keep an ample supply of can goods and other food that will not spoil.
- Keep breakables, away from all windows.
- Keep everybody in the household away from all windows.
- Have a cell phone on hand and charger.
- Do not try to plug in a hair dryer to any cords.
- Check your generator fuel gauge every seven hours for fuel level.
- When fueling, turn generator off first. Fuel tank, (do not over fill). Allow five to ten minutes before restarting.
- Remember, during most ice storms, tree limbs break and fall from the heavy ice accumulations. If seated in the house, sit at the farthest point away from any windows or your tree area outside.
- If you lose power to your home, you may try staying with family or friends who still have power in their homes.
- Call your local power company and report all power shortages, when you lose power or know of someone else who has.
Ice Storms are dangerous .. and at times can produce lightning too. Stay warm and safe.
Motor cycle hits car 155 mph
Snow / Ice Driving Tips
- Drive below the posted speed limit
- Don't get in any hurry
- When starting off from a dead stop, take your foot off of the brake and allow your vehicle to move forward on its own idle speed, do not give your vehicle any gas until you are moving forward under control again.
- Always allow yourself plenty of distance from any vehicle in front of you for reasons like stopping, an obstacle in the roadway, a signal light or stop sign.
- When necessary to stop or slow down, lightly tap your brakes until you have dropped down to your desired speed or stop. Do not stomp on your brakes, this will only cause your vehicle to slide and that you will lose control.
- If your vehicle goes into a slide, take your foot off of your gas pedal slowly as your speed declines, and slowly turn your steering wheel in the direction that your vehicle is sliding, example, if you are sliding toward the right, turn your steering wheel right, left slide, turn it to your left. Remember to turn into the direction of your slide.
This will allow the driver to use their heater for staying warm, knowing their gas tank is full. If having to pull over off the side of the road, try and find some level ground and to make sure that you are parked off of the roadway enough for your own safety and the safety of others. Turn your emergency flashers on and keep them on. If your vehicle is in good condition, you might turn your car off and save some fuel until it becomes cold again, then start your vehicle back up, if you fear that your car may not start again, leave the engine running, do not shut the car off.
It is also a good idea to store these items in your vehicle before the bad weather hits, things like a cell phone with a charger cord, thick blanket, flashlight, a piece of cardboard that can be placed under a tire should one get stuck in the snow, a heavy-duty jacket, Ice scraper, winter coveralls, snow boots, a small shovel, some long-term snacks, a 'I NEED HELP SIGN', these ideas help believe me. Always remember to keep your doors locked, that you never open your door to any stranger, tell the helping motorist to get you some help from a law enforcement agency, and to wait for that police officer to show up. Right? Right. It is also true and sad, that there are fanatical idiot drivers on the road too.
Yes, a four-way stop sign means stop to all motorists. But, when driving and approaching a four-way stop sign when ice is on the road, do not stop if possible, continue driving through the intersection slowly, because the driver behind you may not be able to stop in time. This also allows the drivers behind you to maintain their traction and from getting stuck waiting on the parked driver in front of them. This same rule applies for drivers driving uphill on ice approaching a four-way stop sign. Have some courtesy for the drivers behind you.
Thinking smart and being a Cautious Driver during Hazardous Weather Conditions is very nice, and a safe idea too, but in the real world we all know everybody does not adhere to safety or respect for other drivers. I shook my head sadly to hear a t.v. reporter this weekend say "Mother Nature" was responsible for 6 deaths this weekend. I wanted to tell her," No, lady! It's the friggin idiots that THINK they know how to drive 55 in a snow storm!" Or how bout the idiots that think because they have FOUR WHEEL DRIVE vehicles, they can drive when and however they like on ICE.
During this special time, People begin to hurry around shopping for Christmas gifts, visiting and or are generally preoccupied with something else on their minds or a cell phone crammed in their ear while driving. This practice while driving is dangerous enough on dry pavement than trying it on a road covered with ice.
This season will be no different, we will have those idiot drivers who think they are expert drivers, who don't care about paying attention to their own driving, that will speed around on ice or drive crazy through road construction sites during hazardous road conditions. These people endanger their own life as well as the lives of other people when doing so.
Hazardous road conditions are bad enough to be driving on, so when a dumb *** adds beer drinking, horse playing, showing off, cell phone conversations or looking down at the floor board for whatever reasons, they will get someone injured or killed. People need to drive safely, cautiously and to give other drivers plenty of room.
If these crazy drivers are driving recklessly because they are in a hurry, or think it is cool, they are wrong. I suggest that they leave earlier to wherever they are going, so that they won't have to hurry. So, during this time, stay alert, keep your eyes on the road, for other drivers' driving, and especially watchful for that Rambo moron driving up behind you like a bat out of hell. This is excellent advise to be mindful of during this season. Maybe, this information will save someone's life.
Jim Heitmeyer
