Tally of War Deaths Shows Up Next Door to Recruiting Station [ pic }

Star Tribune ^ | 12.09.05 | Larry Oakes

[wallcrawlr]

DULUTH - A large sign went up Monday in the storefront next to the U.S. Army recruiting station in downtown Duluth.

What it says and how its message was received by the "Be-All-You-Can-Be" folks next door may well make it a sign of the times.

"Iraq," it says. "Remember the Fallen Heroes." Below, in black numbers changed daily, is a tally of the dead and wounded U.S. soldiers and the number of days the conflict has gone on.

It took only one day for Staff Sgt. Gary Capan from the recruiting office to walk over and politely ask Scott Cameron to take the sign down.

Cameron is a volunteer on the Steve-Kelley-for-governor campaign, which opened its northern Minnesota office next to the recruiting station last week.

Although the sign was Cameron's idea, Kelley, a DFL state senator from Hopkins, approved of displaying it in the window.

< snip >

Cameron decided to keep the tally going in the window. In explaining why, he talked about Vietnam, which he said was another mistake. There a bullet tore through his spine and shredded his left lung. Forty-six surgeries later, he spends much of his time advocating for better benefits for veterans.

Way too many Americans are insulated from the horror of war, and even the numbers, he said, adding that his sign will help them remember.

He said he was carrying a plate of cookies when he walked into the recruiting office Wednesday to give Capan his decision.

"He was cordial but said that 'until you take your sign down, I can't accept them,' " Cameron said. "I'm not going to do that."

[Lady Jag]

Voted on Star's Canteen ping and bumping the thread that stated it. That candidate is a wretched little man.

[TASMANIANRED]

Great tag line.

Thank them for me.

[SW6906]

"Yours is the opinion of the majority of FReepers: if you're not Delta Force, you're not a real soldier. National Guardsmen like me and my kids are accustomed to that treatment by many veterans on this forum."

Oh good God, I pray that you didn't ever think that of me! I profusely thank every single soldier there is - regardless of service - for what they are doing for us over there!!! Please, please, please don't think that me, or even a majority of Freepers feel that way!

THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT OTHERS OF US CAN'T!!!

[F.J. Mitchell]

That would be ideal.

[WorkingClassFilth]

Kelly's office is shutting out email from people and upping the ante. Here is the new information he has kindly provided for all FReepers interested in telling him what a loser he is...

---

I regret to inform you that because of the volume of email
I have received, I am only able to respond to messages that are sent electronically from the message form on the Senate Web site at:

http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/bios/sendis44_email.htm

Due to the large amount of mail that our office receives, use of this message form allows us to respond to you in the most efficient manner.

For business concerning the Senate Education Committee, please contact my Committee Administrator, Cap O'Rourke, at 651-296-2962 or Cap.ORourke@senate.mn .

For scheduling requests and all other business, please contact my Legislative Assistants, Alice Carlson Seuffert and Jessica Null, at 651-297-8065 or Kelley.LA@senate.mn .


Thank you for your interest.

Steve Kelley
Senator, MN District 44

[Ramius]

It breaks my heart to read your posts tonight.

I hope that you will NOT lose heart over this petty political crap you see on TV. Right now what you're doing really does matter. Years from now you'll see that the change started here and now. It's going to be something to be proud of for a long time.

Don't let the bastards get you down.

[perfect stranger]

Here's a link

[Blue Highway]

And also numbers of the insurgents we have killed by the hands of our fine men!

[Blue Highway]

The Recruiting office needs to put up it's own sign with a running tally of how many people in the same age group are dying here at home from auto accidents,drive by shootings etc.

If the left was so concerned about deaths, they'd put a stop to the babies being murdered each year in our very own country. And that number far outweighs the troops we have lost in Iraq and Afghanistan. Planned Parenthood and NOW take note.

[Gone GF]

"The Recruiting office needs to put up it's own sign with a running tally of how many people in the same age group are dying here at home from auto accidents,drive by shootings etc."

Sorry, not a rational or defensible response. Stupid in fact. Would make them look like idiots, actually.

[StarCMC]

Thanks -- I already found it, but I appreciate your help! :)

[StarCMC]

Why?

[WorkingClassFilth]

Hey, Sarge, I'm raising some little Americans that are grateful to you. They remember you in their prayers, too. There are lots of us out here but we don't get the press - don't forget that!

For what it's worth...

It is my opinion that all who serve are equal in deserving our gratitude and honor. Having said that, the truest American soldier would be the classic citizen-soldier exemplified today by our Army Reserve and National Guard. The minute man, the soldier of Valley Forge, Billy Yank and Johnny Reb, the doughboys, dogfaces and grunts were ALL citizen soldiers. Nothing has ever been more brilliantly conceived than to safeguard liberty than citizens taking up arms on behalf of other citizens (and, of course, the armed populace = the militia).

Far better to have the leavening a trained soldiery brings to civil affairs (that'd be you, Old Sarge) than to have a elitist professional army at the control of a ruling clique who is able to cow a passive and ignorant populace. We've seen the later model too many times in history to get cocky about who is, and is not a soldier. The net result of this particular kind of stupidity is to foster a cult of devotion to a warrior class - just plain bad wrong. If anyone doubts that devotion to self that develops in professional organizations, just look at politicians...

To my thinking, the worst thing this country could do is develop a cadre of uber-soldiers that would, eventually, become the fist of tyrants. Any sort of arrogance and division in our armed forces (beyond the usual inter-service frictions) should be thought of as nothing more than ignorance and, in actuality, anti-American.

[F.J. Mitchell]

Opinions are like our wind pipe that we sit upon-everybody has one. You are welcome to your's same as the rest of us, but to put your opinion out there like it is an absolute, chiseled into stone,is just a teeny mite smug on your part.

[F.J. Mitchell]

If I'm not mistaken, the number dead from abortion outnumbers our loses in every war this country has ever been involved in. Yet the Libs fight tooth and nail to keep this slaughter by abortion permanent.

[Mr. Silverback]

Minnesota Freepers, scramble for intercept!

This message brought to you by FREEPNORAD. If anyone wants on or off this ping list, say so here or by freepmail.

[clawrence3]

The Amry recruiter in question replied over on the other thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1547645/posts?page=1

[SW6906]

BTTT