Abel to Yzerman
Next entry: Three Years Later: Wings Add Drake
Previous entry: Ummm….Kenny?
You Wanted Some Perspective?
by IwoCPO on 07/09/07 at 06:22 AM ET
Comments (30)
Editorial note: it’s rare, but sometimes I do stray into worlds that don’t necessarily include hockey. In those instances, the word “perspective” will typically be in the subject of the post. If the subject matter offends you, feel free to say so. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Perspective? Yes. I’ve got a little for you. Back in the states after a short trip to The Cradle and I’ve returned to find a team that is Smyth-less, improved, yet largely the same. Schneider’s gone, so is Bertuzzi. Rafalski’s here and Hasek is back. The blue line is better, but offensively there are questions. The Groin that wasn’t an issue will most likely become a story by Christmas and there is at least one more UFA out there waiting to head to Hockeytown.
All those issues were on my mind, but I was distracted. For instance on the 4th of July I stood on a balcony in one of Saddam’s former palaces and watched nearly six hundred servicemembers re-enlist, the largest mass re-up in history. While their countrymen on the left and right (a great majority of whom have never set foot in Iraq) continue to sling arrows at one another over whether our presence there is just, the warriors who actually live and fight there made the biggest statement of all. Given a choice between going home or staying there to finish a job they believe in, they raised their right hands again.
Oh, and later that night at a camp far from Baghdad and the consistent rolling of cameras? A twenty-year old Sailor, far from any ship or ocean, raised the American flag as she does every evening. Why at night, instead of each morning? Because nothing makes a bigger target in bright sunlight then the national ensign. Political reasons play a role in that too. She’s not real concerned with that though. So as each sun sets, there she is raising the flag again. No one tells her to and no one stops her. She hoists it at taps, lowers it at reveille and another day begins.
A few days before that, we met about thirty Sailors stationed on an oil platform in the Arabian Gulf. In nearly twenty years, I’ve never seen a group of men and women living and working in tougher conditions. You don’t know heat until you stand on that platform and look out in every direction at “fishing boats”, not certain which one is going to make a run at you with less than innocent intentions. So, because you’re a visitor and you know that in a few days you’ll be headed back stateside while these Americans remain there, you pull one of these “kids” aside and you ask, what can we do for you? What do you need? You almost expect a response like, “how about getting us out of here?”
Instead, here’s what he said. “We’ve been talking about a ping pong table. Think you can score us one of them?”
Keep arguing America. Keep debating and wringing your hands. But as you do, remember this: the men and women who are actually over there, actually donning the 80 pounds of body armor every day, actually shouldering the weapons and taking the risks? They believe in what they’re doing. They’re re-enlisting and raising flags, and doing their jobs every day because it’s what they believe is right.
Filed in: | Abel to Yzerman | Permalink
Comments
Damn right!
God bless our men and women in the armed forces keeping the fight in the sands and protecting citizens around the world. While congress has their heads up their a**, the first to see and feel the pressure is our troops, who gets their funding cut and have to make do with what they have.
I wish there was so much more we could do for them. They deserve it.
Rock on IwoCPO. Thanks to you and all our soldiers.
Posted by TheFreak on 07/09/07 at 08:06 AM ET
As always thanks IWO. My old unit, the 173rd Airborne, is in A-stan and I sent them a box of paperback books last month. Everything that we take for granted could be a luxury for the guys and girls over there so if we all send something then they will at least know we care. Thanks for the report on the great morale. Oh, and glad to hear you’re back home.
Posted by Grouchy Hippo on 07/09/07 at 08:41 AM ET
“BCRT DOESN’T HAVE ENOUGH SACK TO POST THIS HERE”
“Meh.
#1 Reupping doesn’t necessarily mean they believe in the war. Some people just might not know anything else, they might need the money. Some people want to be loyal to their country, or make their family proud. And yes, there are those who truly believe it too. #2 This is a democracy, if people believe the US shouldn’t be in Iraq, then thats what should happen. And look at the results, they ain’t pretty. ”
Posted by jmara from s.c.s. on 07/09/07 at 09:33 AM ET
Maybe some believe in what they are doing, some of those re-up. Some don’t. But not all those who re-up agree with what is going on over there. There are other reasons to re-up with the military. And there are many more who do not re-up than those who do re-up. So following your logic then, the troops over there do not agree in large part with what is going on.
Posted by Goruf from CHICAGO on 07/09/07 at 09:44 AM ET
My brother-in-law just came back from a TOD in Kirkuk. It’s amazing how little the war was talked about at a welcome home picnic. Although a little awkward, I thanked him for his service and told him that I respected him a grea deal because he was doing what most of us merely talk or write about. It’s a shame that the majority of news we get out of Iraq and Afghanistan is negative because of the overwhelming number of biased media outlets. It really is a disservice to those that serve our country because the overabundance of negative news makes you not want to read about what is going on; and that almost makes you numb to the fact that there is a War going on and, like it or not, we should all be respectful and supportive of those that serve our country.
Posted by Sig from Washington DC on 07/09/07 at 10:09 AM ET
Whatever your opinions about George W, the war, the WMD’s, terrorism, etc., I’ve got two things to say…
First: Those troops over there are protecting us every minute of the day and night. If they weren’t over there, the terrorists (and roadside bombings) would be over here along I-75, I-40, etc.
Secondly: Stop saying George W killed your child. I am sorry about your loss, however, if you think our CIC killed your son or daughter, then I think you are ignorant. The U.S. Armed Forces are volunteer only. There is no draft. What ever their reasons were, they willingly enlisted.
Posted by cementslinger from Midland MI on 07/09/07 at 10:15 AM ET
First of all, I hate the war in Iraq and what it’s doing to our nation and to a lot of our nation’s young men and women. I think Shrub Jr. should be impeached for starting this war under false pretenses. And I think Shrub Sr. (an otherwise honorable man) should be ashamed of himself for not finishing the first Gulf War with Saddam’s neck in a noose.
But none of those feelings have anything to do with what I feel for the men and women whose job it is to fight the war. They’re in “harm’s way” whether they believe in the war or not. They do what they do because, more than anything else, they believe in and love one another. And we owe them every bit of support we can give them (a ping pong table, better body armor, etc., etc., etc.).
For some of us, the “support” we give also includes opposition to the war. But, with me, don’t let anyone ever confuse that stand with a lack of support for those who sweat out every day doing the best they can to make something good out of a terrible, terrible war.
As always, thanks to you IWO for being a master at wordsmithing your thoughts and feelings. I may not always agree with everything you say (about the Wings or the world in general), but I sure do look forward to reading your posts.
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/09/07 at 10:16 AM ET
The post that is two above this one is sad. Approve of the War or not, be respectful of those that serve.
Your attempt at trying to string together some sort of logic to make a statement that those that are over don’t agree with what is going on was absolutely pathetic.
Go find a Margaret Sheehan message board you dope. Oh wait…
Posted by Sig from Washington DC on 07/09/07 at 10:17 AM ET
And Olderthanchelios, the first half of your post was obviously biased as well because you would have mentioned Bill Clinton for missing a prime opportunity to knock of Osama.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4540958/
Please don’t be selective in choosing who you like and dislike in regards to the War when there is readily available evidence that there are many to blame.
Posted by Sig from Washington DC on 07/09/07 at 10:24 AM ET
Sig,
In all fairness, you shouldnt be selective either as well in the “many to blame” angle.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4556388/
Posted by Pete Townshend on 07/09/07 at 10:40 AM ET
Well, Sig, equating Clinton’s supposed failure to kill Bin Laden with Shrub Jr.‘s deliberate attempt to mislead the public so he could start this ridiculous war is itself the definition of “pathetic” logic. And apparently the American public agrees.
Bush’s approval rating when he started the war on March 20, 2003: 68%. His approval rating as of last week: 26% (which I believe is the lowest approval rating of any sitting President).
But, as I said before, none of that has anything to do with how I feel about the soldiers who are fighting this war.
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/09/07 at 10:40 AM ET
Meh.
#1 Reupping doesn’t necessarily mean they believe in the war. Some people just might not know anything else, they might need the money. Some people want to be loyal to their country, or make their family proud. And yes, there are those who truly believe it too.
#2 This is a democracy, if people believe the US shouldn’t be in Iraq, then thats what should happen. And look at the results, they ain’t pretty.
Posted by bcrt on 07/09/07 at 10:40 AM ET
Pete,
Unless you want to play dumb, please note that I certainly was not selective in my comments. When it comes to the War, we don’t have enough fingers and toes to point out the errors of our Nation’s leadership under numerous Presidents (not just two as Goruf noted).
Sig
Posted by Sig from Washington DC on 07/09/07 at 10:44 AM ET
OTC… if you can’t admit that you were selective, it’s a pointless discussion. That is why I don’t debate politics anymore… too many hard heads that see things one way and one way only. Before I head out and let you boys get all riled up, I will say that I am down for the program (i.e. taking the fight on the offensive is best for our country IMO - the lack of attacks supports that and the strengthening of counter intelligence as well of course); but I do not care for the implementation (e.g. troop levels) or follow through (e.g. setting REALISTIC deadlines (wars take years; not months) for Iraq and sticking to them).
Posted by Sig from Washington DC on 07/09/07 at 10:54 AM ET
Put the bickering Iraqi parliament, the bickering American Congress, and the screaming militia leaders in one big room with baseball bats and then them fight it out themselves, instead of sending other people out to die for them.
Let everyone else go about their lives without worrying if a family member is going to get shot or blown up for a change.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/09/07 at 10:56 AM ET
Sig,
Ain’t playing dumb, just getting tired of the usual “Blame Clinton” strategy designed to sell a suspecting 70% of the populace something they don’t want or need anymore.
Posted by Pete on 07/09/07 at 11:05 AM ET
Pete - fair enough. Just pointing out that some dope was blaming two and leaving out an obvious third. If you want to point fingers at Presidents, at least get it right and blame all three. Otherwise, you look a bleeding azz liberal dope.
Posted by Sig from Washington DC on 07/09/07 at 11:13 AM ET
Um, if
taking the fight on the offensive
is/was so important when are the Saudi’s going to get theirs? Or those in Pakistan who aid and hide Osama? Didn’t going into Iraq actually shift the
fight
sideways, or rather spread it around so that instead of focusing on finishing the job in Afghanistan and eliminating that nation as a breeding ground/base camp for terrorists we instead twinned it. Nice.
Posted by dummy on 07/09/07 at 11:23 AM ET
Welcome back IWO. Missed the fireworks here on the fourth? Decided to light your own?
Posted by Gramps (HockeyTownTodd) from Hockeytown on 07/09/07 at 11:23 AM ET
Responses to a few of you. Gramps: yep, I came late to the party so thought I’d lob one in there…woops.
Goruf said this:
And there are many more who do not re-up than those who do re-up. So following your logic then, the troops over there do not agree in large part with what is going on.
Wrong. Check your stats. The number of servicemembers in Iraq and Afghanistan who re-enlist is amazingly high, as high as 85 percent—and that’s being conservative, so to speak.
Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 07/09/07 at 11:45 AM ET
If you want to point fingers at Presidents, at least get it right and blame all three. Otherwise, you look a bleeding azz liberal dope.
Isn’t it amazing how the Bush supporters want to blame Clinton for the war that Bush started and then call those who disagree with them some name. Just so you know, Sig, I served my time in the Army as a medic from 1969-1971. Calling me names only makes your arguments that much more ridiculous.
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/09/07 at 01:16 PM ET
Where did I blame Clinton solely?
I said get it right and blame ALL THREE instead of pointing the finger at two Republican presidents and conveniently forgetting a Democratic president’s large mistake as you originally did.
And just because you served doesn’t give you a free pass to bash away without being held accountable for dopey remarks.
Enough with the go-around, you debate like a bleeding azz liberal… absorb, twist and turn, and regurgitate in a twisted manner that looks nothing like what it started as. It turns in to me pointlessly clarifying perfectly laid out statements.
Posted by Sig from Washington DC on 07/09/07 at 02:11 PM ET
Sigh! Again with the name calling.
With your debate style, I’m sure you fit in quite well with both the right-wing fanatics and the “bleeding azz liberals” there in D.C., Sig.
It’s no wonder the troops never get the support they really need. With all of the rhetoric flying back and forth, no one has time to send the improved body armor.
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/09/07 at 02:41 PM ET
Welcome home, Chief! Thanks for all you’ve done and continue to do.
BTW…I support the troops and their mission. I speak as a retired USAF MSgt with two sons on active duty, one USAF and one Navy, both career.
Posted by Buck from Portales, NM on 07/09/07 at 03:56 PM ET
Sig - Older than Chelios said:
First of all, I hate the war in Iraq and what it’s doing to our nation and to a lot of our nation’s young men and women. I think Shrub Jr. should be impeached for starting this war under false pretenses. And I think Shrub Sr. (an otherwise honorable man) should be ashamed of himself for not finishing the first Gulf War with Saddam’s neck in a noose.
All three comments in that paragraph are legitimate opinions that do not require Clinton to be mentioned at all. The fact that you felt like bringing him up seems to be a defense mechanism for a Conservative Republican homer.
It does not matter to me what either Sr. or Clinton failed to do as they are no longer in office. The problem I see is that the current Bush did in fact start a war with a country that did not attack us and he still has not brought Bin Laden to justice. To me that means he is currently, today, failing the American people.
Posted by Not Important from Work on 07/09/07 at 08:11 PM ET
BTW - I have not served in the military. I don’t believe the justifications used to start the war were valid. What’s done is done. I have a brother-in-law who is more than well aquanted with the P-3. He is not currently in harms way but has flown missions over Iraq and will be on the (USS George H.W.) Bush this fall. I am absolutely proud of him! I support every man and woman that serves in our armed forces and hate it when we lose any of them.
Posted by Not Important from Work on 07/09/07 at 08:32 PM ET
I don’t agree with the war or the ephemeral “justifications” used to start it—but that doesn’t stop me from raising a horn and asking my gods to look out for the folks serving over there.
Great post, Chief.
Posted by The Acid Queen from Raleigh, NC on 07/11/07 at 01:00 AM ET
Add a Comment
Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.
Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.
Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.
Most Recent Blog Posts
GDT - Game #56: Red Wings host Ducks (7:30)
GDT - Game #55: Red Wings host Oilers (7:30)
The F Stands For Finger And The Finger Could Really ______ Us All
GDT - Game #54: Red Wings at Coyotes (8:00)
So Far 4 In 2, Why Not 6 in 3?
About Abel to Yzerman
Welcome to Abel to Yzerman, a Red Wing blog since 1977. No other site on the internet has better-researched, fact-laden and better prepared discussions than A2Y. Re-phrase: we do little research, find facts and stats highly overrated and claim little to no preparation. There are 19 readers of A2Y. No more, no less. All of them, except maybe one, are juvenile in nature. Reminding them of that in the comment section will only encourage them to prove that. Your suggestions and critiques are welcome: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
When learning from experts it’s best to learn personally from them, or from their blog. We can provide that with poker lessons blog, your home to learn poker personally.
Do you get shocked from the luck in the game of poker? Stop getting shocked and start being a Poker Shoker
Get the top online sports betting bonuses available to sports betters!
IwoCPO,
Thanks for that perspective. With all the pointing and yelling that goes on in my fair town, it’s easy to forget what our fellow Americans are dealing with every day.
God bless them all.
-g
Posted by Gustafsson from Washington, DC on 07/09/07 at 07:43 AM ET