Vets are watched as possible terrorists-also song

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Though few may read this thread - I have included a song I did on the second post. So - once again - run away - Brothers in Arms - is show my support for our fighting troops all over the world - more on the second post... John A. / Medclinician

With the closing of the lab, and now living in a rambilng big old
house, our "team" continues much more online than physically meeting.
Unfortunately, the rambling old house has slick wooden stairs, and in a
rush to catch the dogs who had got out, yours truly fell down them
breaking at least one rib, and possibly several other bones. 

As
I sat in the veterans ER, we watched TV and suddenly a woman came on
with a quote to the effect that "veteran's who were very opinionated,
anti-abortion, or not possibly in total sync with our foreign policy,
were being placed on a list as being possible terrorist. One very old
man (close to older than God pardon the expression) rattled out -
someone should hit that woman in the face for so humiliating the very
soldiers who are in Iraq giving their lives in the service of our
country. 

Well, I am not the type inclined to be hitting anyone
in the face, but the remark did sting. And despite all the talk of
change, it rang of the Muslim scriptures, while we say Muslims are not
our enemies, that basically states any action is justified against a
Kuffar (non-believer) - any act of violence. This is the foundation of
terrorism. 

It is disturbing to me to the core, the methods
used to torture prisoners which were basically inhuman and violate
every Christian principle I believe in. In terms of the Geneva
converntion, even in the most brutal act of war, we are not allowed to
subject prisoners to cruel and inhuman treatment. 

What
was
done to these people gave many of the interrogators nightmares. There
is no doubt at all that many innocent people with absolutely no legal
protection, or as Abraham Lincoln said, certain rights, were horribly
mistreated. They were not all terrorists. At the core of our legal
system is the doctrine that all are innocent until proven guilty. Since
war in itself is a barbaric and inhuman preoccupation of the human
species, and the acts done in war are sometimes difficult to justify,
so is this type of behavior.  And there is no doubt that much has been
done in the name of defending
our nation against 'terrorists', to those who were innocent. The idea
of collateral damage becomes more and more acceptable as we evolve in a
world of fear rather than love and cooperation. In ancient times, many
is the village who simply watched as the more violent fought and
butchered each other and continued with their daily lives, despite
which flag was flying over the castle. 

(I lost a bit of this post) and perhaps that is just as well.  

In
terms of the ideas of 'terrorists' during the last administration we
were in a similar state as in the cold war when so many high profile
people were accused of being communists. It was a witch hunt. The song
remains the same, only this tune is terrorist rather than communist -
and sometimes is synonymous with holding a view or opinion critical of
the current or past administrations. It is quite alright for a
political candidate to shred a standing president, and many of the
policies and practices of Bush were shredded during the campaign. Now
we have a double standard. Those practices are now - undesirable - and
yet there is no doubt somewhere people in custody, or captured in other
countries are being rigorously interrogated.  Those who violated public
trust in economy remain basically unpunished. The internet companies
and carriers who allowed and still allow spying on private citizens without warrants
or court order are shielded by the government from public law suit. 

And now
- well the horror of a a prison's history we followed and observed from
the inside- is now closed and only a very few persons who committed
truly inhuman acts, have been punished. Most people do not like it. Many people are afraid, and most are silent. In talking to the Turks our President said something to the effect of let us not focus on the past act of the genocide and horror done to maybe millions and let that distract us from the an effort to work together. This absolute politically safe position of refusing to condemn or make them a country responsible for what it has done, I would say- those who ignore the past - you all know the rest. We seem to have the most forgiving inclination now of true atrocities done in the last year. Yes, we won't do it any more, but we are not going to suffer the political damage on making those accountable who truly did almost enough to destroy our country, our liberty, and our pursuit of happiness. Like an unfaithful wife or someone who truly betrays you TPTB softly whisper, "but that was in the past." 

As a Christian, I find it difficult to justify torture for any reason.
As a human being, I find it difficult to justify the killing of
innocent civilians, or the acceptability of collateral damage as okay.
There are instances of naked freezing human beings, subjected to
multiple simultaneous inhuman acts, which make the Roman crucifixion
look like an act of mercy. 

As Jesus said- there will always be wars and rumors of wars. There will
always be prisons where people are left to be killed with unlocked
cells, and corruption and abuse of power. 

So now, I guess we veterans are on the list. I don't like lists. I don't want to be on anyone's list. In fact, with the Biometrics Project, we will all soon be on the list. A list which we did
not consent to be on, and one which through without our permission we
are daily spied on and our computers are crawled through portals that
set up secret files that log our emails, our surfing, our credit cards,
and all that is personal and private. Basically not only is information
collected, it is sold to tens of thousands of daily torturers who
almost invade every orifice except one- with their constant drone of
white noise.  

It was stated by the Supreme court- there is no reasonable expectation
of privacy on the Internet. There is no reasonable expectation of
justice in any country. We do not have a justice system, as we once did,
but a legal system. If one has the money, power, and good lawyers, one
can virtually get away with murder, and so have several prominent
celebrities. 

To disagree is free speech. To disagree with a plan is treason. I will stick with the first and let God deal with the second. 

I am not happy with many things and policies that exist. The whole
purpose of the election was to change some of the darkest things which
existed which were destroying us as a country and ruining our image in
the eyes of the world. 

So- some us choose not to die and rather focus our efforts on helping
others
and preparing for the Pandemic. It is not moral cowardice, it is
practicality. Nature has its own way of righting
wrongs, and the human species is the most dangerous virus on this
planet, and will destroy from 20-30% of all living things before the
end of the century because we live for pleasure, convenience, and
selfishly with little regards for the consequences of our lifestyle on
the earth. We are one of the most selfish, corrupt, generations, or
group of people that has ever existed. We are the only species that kill each other and other creatures for fun. Not only do we do it, we allow each other and our young children watch it on cable, where hundreds of people die, by the hour for entertainment. It is sick. The desire for instant
gratification, the lack of compassion for the suffering and dying not
only in our country, but those billions around the world, is close to
barbaric, despite our extreme knowledge and advanced technology. We are
(some) of the darkest wolves set free to prowl, with very little to
inhibit people from living lives of hedonism, self-centeredness, and
lack of natural affection, with a growing tide of divorce, neglect of
our elderly unparalleled by any other nation compared to America. Few
nations put their old in institutions to die and abandoned those who
gave them life and raised them. It is sad. I lived with and took care of my parents until they died.  Having worked in over 100 convalescent
hospitals I have seen the face of despair and those waiting to die with
no one. All this has been foretold, the lack of natural affection and
caring for the family, and each other. Our children are programmed to
mimic role models who have no depth, little character, and looks and
youth have become our gods. Do I sound 60? That's what living a long
time will do for you. Open your eyes. 

Many of us will live to walk among the dead.. in large numbers. We
didn't start the fire, we won't light the torch, we will just in quiet
faith wait until all things right themselves and we once again will have a
better world and many who have done so much harm and hurt to their fellow humans will be the collateral damage of nature and God, and the sense of ultimate justice for that which is inherently wrong. 

Anyone standing against a powerful force, as is the Muslim believe as
well as Christians, will not resist it. It will quickly overwhelm and destroy all but the disincarnate that threaten its power. 

Since it is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness, it
is better to live and try to help- and hope that through normal
channels those in power will right the wrongs, and use their positions
to serve the people and not corporations and special interest groups. 

The Pandemic may be very bad. It may even be from a virus that we
create ourselves to destroy others and then wind up unleashing it on
our own people. And as we walk the fields of those who have perished,
perhaps those of us who survive will start again, and find what we have
lost- build up again, stone by stone, the temple which has been destroyed. 

There may not be justice in the legal system, but some of us do believe there is justice in the universe. 

Its an old theme- and actually we are not the first civilization on the
Earth, nor will we be the last. I watch the tired faces of my fellow fighters and veterans  in the ER, the
old men and women who served their country as I did. My throat tightens, I am such an old and sentimental and tearful softy at times- and I care deeply and love those who share this country and the hard times we find ourselves in. We believed what
we were told, what we were promised. We paid our taxes and worked hard.
We believed in the American dream and we support many many presidents
who made many many promises. 

I'll bet I am not the only one who feels this way and though silent, I
know you are out there, and see what is to be seen and what will be
thereafter. Patience. There is nothing as sure as change. 

Medclinician