[Billie]

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, One Nation, Under God, Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for All.

[Billie]

Good morning, Good FRiends!

Please come and say hello to today's Finest FReeper. Your pets are invited to come with you.

[ladtx]

Wow, great bio dutchess! Good to see someone who not only "talks the talk" but "walks the walk" too. Is this a great forum or what?!!

[FreeTheHostages]

Good morning!!

I love my pets too!!!

Those inter-generational comments were very interesting. Nowadays, I think any person of substance believes in civil rights for women and minorities. It was the one thing our parents' generation had definitely right. But the Republican party et al now understand this, and the question is: what does the Democratic party stand for now? When it comes to civil rights, nowadays they are just divisive, falsely accusing Republicans of racism and sexism.

I think that's a big part of the intergenerational miscommunication: Democrats almost wish the civil rights revolution hadn't happened so that they would have an actual "issue." When the DC Chapter Freeped Bill Clinton's "Every Vote Counts" fundraiser last week, all these young white DNC kids were shouting, "RNC, RNC, Where is Your Diversity?" They didn't get it. They didn't get that we weren't the RNC, but autonomous-thinking individuals. They didn't get that they looked silly and looked like they were using race for a political purpose.

One of the things I love about GW, as well as his Dad, was that they really did reach out to *everyone* and encourage them to vote Republican.

Well, anyway, great family: the pets look great and any prosecutor looks like a great person in my eyes!

[Mustard]

Lt. Cmdr. Scott Speicher

The Jacksonville family of the only American still listed as missing in action from the Persian Gulf War believes they finally might be able to determine whether Navy Lt. Cmdr. Scott Speicher is dead or alive.

A meeting with an unidentified Iraqi official who family representatives believe is in a position to know Speicher's fate is a good possibility, said Cindy Laquidara, a Jacksonville lawyer representing the family.

"Given their history of actually meeting people on humanitarian issues, I would think it's pretty high," Laquidara said Thursday. She would not identify the official.

Laquidara said she has been working on a meeting for some time but only recently sent a letter requesting it. The time and participants are subject to negotiation, she said.

Today is National POW/MIA Recognition Day, and administration officials are pressing hard for military action against Iraq, but Laquidara said the timing of the letter is coincidental.

"It was time to have the personal plea," she said.

President Bush cited Speicher's case in his speech last week to the United Nations to argue for action against Iraq.

Speicher's F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet was shot down Jan. 17, 1991, the opening night of the war. Initial reports were that it exploded in the air.

Speicher, a native of Jacksonville, was listed as missing in action while the war continued. After the prisoners held in Iraq returned, Speicher's status was changed on May 22, 1991, to killed in action, body not recovered.

In 1995, the wreckage of Speicher's plane was found. A team from the International Committee for the Red Cross some months later found evidence that Speicher "likely ejected from the stricken aircraft prior to the crash," according to an unclassified intelligence summary.

In 1999 an Iraqi defector claimed to have found Speicher alive in the desert and driven him to Baghdad. He has passed a lie-detector test, Laquidara said.

Based on a growing body of evidence that Speicher survived the crash, and spurred by the aviator's family and members of Congress, the Navy changed his status back to MIA in January 2001.

Speicher's wife, who has since remarried, has been instrumental in pushing for an accounting for him, Laquidara said. She has declined all interview requests since his disappearance.

JoAnne Shirley of Dalton, who heads the board of the National League of Families of POW/MIA, said the family needs to be careful they are not used as pawns in a larger game of diplomacy by the Iraqis.

"I would proceed cautiously, but I think I would do it," said Shirley, whose brother has been missing in Vietnam for nearly 30 years. "I think it will impress on Iraq the importance of the issue."

© 2002 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution"

[ladyinred]

I so enjoyed reading your "This is my life" story. We do have a lot in common actually, I am the mommy of a "fur person" my little Maltese who is sometimes pictured around here is like my child too. So glad to see I am not alone! :-)

I also am a DFU fan, love his songs and sing along with them too! I hope you saw him on C-Span when he spoke at the Inaugural Brunch we had here in Clovis, btw. He was smokin' the Clintons during his speech!

Enjoy your day in the spotlight, Dutchess! Very well deserved. Here is hoping your parents come around to the realization that socialism is socialism no matter what name they put on it! Sounds as though they might already realize it deep down!

[mhking]

G'morning all! and Congratulations, Dutchess!

[The Thin Man]

Congratulations, Dutchess on being Today's Finest! I really enjoyed reading the stories about your parents, LOL.

[Flyer]

WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! Dutchess, I could talk doggies with you all day.

I think we have discussed my previous work with the Houston SPCA, and my love for the volunteers. So often I would hear from folks "I love animals too much, I could never do that." No, if you really love animals, it is one of the most rewarding experiences.

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God Bless America, land of the free, home of the brave. . .

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Gilligan - Houston, Texas

 

332 at the Brazos - Brazoria County, Texas

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[doug from upland]

This is a great day in FReeperville. This is long overdue for a great FReeper. Congrats, dutchess!

Yes, she has been following the songs for a long time. She gets an evil glee from being able to sing a song to her mom written by the "pervert songwriter." When dutchess told me she was a big Sinatra fan, I wrote "BJs in the Night" to the tune of "Strangers in the Night." Thank goodness mom didn't have a coronary over that one. Mom almost came to forgive me when I wrote a special poignant song for her birthday that the kids all sang. (It was for her, not dad, right? Since I'm over 1400 songs, it is difficult to remember sometimes.)

Dutchess has done a great job with her parents in turning them from the dark side and making them aware of what Sinkmaster has done.

Dutchess and I have had many moments together on FR as we suffered through the disgraceful president of the Sinkmaster and that awful vote in the Senate.

My best to one of the great FReepers!

[MeekOneGOP]

Hey, everybody !! Running WAY late today. I didn't get home last night from Fort Worth until 1 this a.m. and head on the pillow until after 2. I think I need some more coffee right now. CarlsbadCaveman's makin' some right now !!

Have a cup while you FReep !

For those who prefer hot chocolate.....

[Mo1]

Oh Dutchess .. I'm so sorry for getting here so late
But what a treat

Congrats on being FR's Finest