A Few of FR's Finest...Every Day...4-24-03...Dark Days for the Left

Billie, daisyscarlett; JohnHuang2 | My Two Cents by JohnHuang2

[daisyscarlett]

A Few of FR's Finest.....
......Every Day

FR is a Treasure Trove of talented, compassionate, patriotic, wonderful people who gather every day to discuss the latest news and issues; salute and support our military and our leaders;  tell a few jokes;  learn a new word;  write poetry;  pray for those in need;  and congratulate those who are deserving. Thank you, Jim Robinson, for giving us the vehicle in which we can express ourselves.

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   I can remember lurking when there were only a few regulars who posted, and now there are over 60,000 who have registered for posting privileges. The forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest November 11, 2001

So many people have written me since my original Veteran's Day Tribute, asking how they, or a loved one, could be included in that tribute. Since I can no longer add the photos to the body of the thread, I've been including them in additional posts as I received enough to make another collage.

Still that doesn't seem to be enough. I think there's never been a better nor more appropriate time to keep the faces of our own Veterans and Active Military in front of FReepers--every day! That's why I wanted to do yet another Daily Thread .....ABOUT FReepers .....and FOR FReepers. But not only about our Military FReepers; for all FReepers! Wouldn't it be nice to get to know a few of the other FReepers as well? That's why, in addition to seeing FR's Finest Military Personnel every day, I thought it might be fun to feature a different FReeper (or FReepers) each day. If you would like to be pictured, or know someone who would, please FReepmail me and we'll turn the spotlight - on YOU - for the day!

And do let me know if you'd like your picture added to the groups of Veterans/Active Military below. I will keep this page updated, and continue to add them to the comment section of the original Veteran's Day thread as well.

TOP: Logos, SwedeGirl's hubby, Neil E Wright, FallGuy, 1John, Sneakypete
MIDDLE:  T'wit, COB1, LadyX, Dick Bachert, 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub
BOTTOM:  YankeeinSC, Delta21, JoeSixPack1

TOP:  Bosniajmc, AFVetGal, Archy, A Navy Vet
MIDDLE:  4TheFlag, Aeronaut, 68Grunt, Xinga
BOTTOM:  Codger, AAABest, Clinton's A Liar, Duke809, dcwusmc

TOP:  mc5cents, Norb2569, LBGA's son, VanJenerette
MIDDLE:  Jim Robinson, KJenerette, davidosborne, KG9Kid
BOTTOM:  gwmoore, Equality7-2521, SAMWolf

TOP:  porgygirl, Phil V., MudPuppy, NorCoGOP
MIDDLE:  RaceBannon, OneidaM, rdb3, jwTexian
BOTTOM:  USMC Vet, TheMayor, Vineyard, rhododogma

We now have eleven groups of veterans/active military; we will post each group of three or four twice a week, with thumbnail/links of the remaining seven or eight groups on each thread. Click on any of the thumbnails below to see the group full-size.

         

GROUP 5A: TOP:  spectr17, RightOnline, SERE_Doc, Tet68. MIDDLE:  FutureSnakeEater, RightOnline's wife, CIApilot, Clamper1797. BOTTOM:  usmcobra, onedoug, DiverDave, Joe6-pack.

GROUP 6A: TOP:  g'nad, AgThorn's son Justin, SLB, AgThorn's son Brett. MIDDLE:  fish70, razorback-bert, CheneyChick, Leroy S Mort, Mark17. BOTTOM:  Terry's Take, Taxman, DinkyDau.

GROUP 7A: TOP:  ValerieUSA's son Grant, SK1Thurman, kd5cts, RangerVetNam, dansangel and .45man's son-in-law Tony.BOTTOM:  rangerX, Old China Hand, Trish, Howlin's dad, Mustang.

GROUP 8A: TOP: ohioWfan's son, MamaBear's father-in-law, MamaBear's dad, ladtx. MIDDLE:  The Mayor's niece, M.Kehoe, Beach_Babe's son-in-law. BOTTOM:  deadhead's dad, HiJinx, Severa's hubby, viligantcitizen's granddad.

      

GROUP 9A: TOP: Q6-God, Scan59, Mama Bear and JKPhoto's son, ofMagog. MIDDLE:  Big'ol_freeper, JustAmy's great uncle, Prodigal Son. BOTTOM:  JustAmy's husband, JustAmy's brother-in-law, JustAmy's brother.

GROUP 10A: TOP: dakine's wife, MeeknMing's dad, Auntbee's nephew, MilitiaMan7, AlasBabylon. BOTTOM:  Joe Brower, Temple Owl, Temple Owl's wife, dutchess' dad, Aomagrat.

GROUP 11A: TOP: ladtx #2 son; DiverDave's twin Don; petuniasevan and husband poorman; Mustard; ladtx #1 son. BOTTOM: AlamoGirl's brother Floyd; AG's dad; AG's brother Jim (inset); WVNan's husband; ladtx' Aunt Eva.

                     

For the Left, these are dark days, Indeed

by JohnHuang2

Forget Tikrit -- the last stronghold of Saddam Hussein loyalists is none other than the good ol' Democrat Party, stateside Ba'ath affiliate. Wanna see some real Fedayeenies? Forget abandoned foxholes and bunkers in Baghdad. Try Odai troopers Susan Sarandon and Janeane Garofalo, regime remnants Rummy's dubbed the 'Dead-Enders' -- hard-core defenders of Saddam, whose ideological *checkpoints* prevent all them irksome facts and details -- oh, such as torture chambers, child prisons, the wonderful, fabulous, magnificent hellhole Saddam ran for a quarter century -- ever to enter the equation.

Nowhere is this clearer than liberal reaction to the Coalition victory over Saddam. At the New York Times, the highly respected Comedy Central of print "journalism," the anti-U.S. mood, if anything, has only hardened further since the fall of Baghdad. Among anti-Coalition forces in Hollywood, the gleeful destruction of public monuments to Saddam sent shock waves across Tinseltown, as did the wholesale repossession by locals of Hussein's humble palaces. Throughout the highly volatile Media East (ABC/NBC/CBS, suspected Saddam hideouts), a veritable siege mentality prevails as Ba'ath loyalists like Peter Jennings struggle in the hopeless aftermath of America's swift victory. Mentally, though lightly armed, Fedayeenies like Peter and Danny Rather still engage Coalition forces with fierce sporadic fire, such as complaining that it took 3 days (3 days!!) for the Marines to stop Baghdadis from acting like L.A. Lakers fans after winning a game. (For the life of me, can't think of another instance when Rodney King libs fussed and wailed about the lack of law and order, can you?).

"Well, it looks like we are about to win the war in Iraq," weeped noted military affairs expert 'Barbra' Streisand last week, adding "The U.S. military is so powerful that we can pretty much [attaq and] overpower any country we want at this point..." Poor Irak. Poor Saddam.

"But does that mean that we should?" asked noted geopolitical affairs expert 'Barbra Streisand.

"The 'thrill' of war and victory can become addicting," observed renowned psychological affairs expert 'Barbra' Streisand, but she warns that "it is time to start working towards peace. We can only hope that the [Iraki] people will soon have ... peace ... and that our own country resists resorting to violence, death and destruction to solve international problems." Hands off Irak! Hands off al-Qaeda!

As Streisand sees it, Saddam Hussein may not be the kind of guy you'd bring home to mother, but, hey, he ain't no Slobodan Milosevic either. Sure, Saddam's *offed* a million people or more, but Slobo's worse -- he's *offed* at least 5,000! (Barbra's unrivaled mastery of basic math and basic spelling leaves a strong and lasting impression on many, needless to say).

While the war has helped root-out and isolate pro-Saddam embeds of the body politic domestically, some Fedayeenies now claim they weren't really Fedayeenies at all. Or that others were Fedayeenies, but not they. Or that it's all some right-wing conspiracy to discredit Bush-haters.

"The argument now picking up a good head of steam among commentators on the right," observes Michael Tomasky, "is that we on the left, broadly defined, have disgraced ourselves by essentially cheering for our own country to lose the war."

Writing in the latest issue of The American Prospect, Tomasky allows that "Undoubtedly there was some rife nonsense floating around in left-wing circles...a hard-shell left that did indeed [wish harm on the troops.] This approach was typified by Columbia University assistant professor Nicholas de Genova...[who] wished, during hostilities, for 'a million Mogadishus,' a foul sentiment that crossed the line.."

To be fair, I agree with Tomasky on this point. For most on the Left, wishing a million Mogadishus was perhaps a bit much -- most would gladly settle for half a million Mogadishus. I mean, why get greedy, right?

In fact, I'd dare say even a quarter million Mogadishus would suffice -- nothing like bloody, house-to-house fighting and heavy coalition losses to help lift the mood on the Left. Or the 'haunting specter' of another Vietnam-style quagmire to cheer things up at The Nation. As it turns out, for the Garofalos and Streisands, this whole war has been a near-death experience, politically -- especially the low Coalition casualties.

In the aftermath of Saddam's defeat, the Left is shell-shocked and awed. For regime strongholds like Berkeley, these are dark days, indeed. Ask Baghdad Bob. Lately, the former propaganda Minister stands on street corners in Syria holding a "Will Lie For Food" cardboard sign, to no avail. Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon spend their days watching video of Saddam strolling the Mansur streets in Baghdad, but it's just not the same. Martin Sheen and Ed Asner can't stop sobbing. Rob Reiner keeps thinking it's all just a nightmare and that he'll wake up soon.

And, of course, Tommy Daschle is 'deeply, deeply saddened.'

;)

Anyway, that's...

My two cents

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 04-21-03 Buster (A Nose for Danger) 04-22-03 daughterofTGSL (Stormy Weather) 04-23-03 cmsgop (Up Close & Personal)

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

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[JohnHuang2]

G'nite, sleep well :)

[JohnHuang2]

Oh, and thanks for the donuts and bagels -- YUM! ;)

[JohnHuang2]

Hittin' the sack myself -- G'nite, y'all.

[WaterDragon]

Dark days for the Left indeed! And we cannot afford to let up for even a moment!

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Daisy.

[The Raven]

Wow! I second John's kudos-- Great graphics!

[Pippin]

GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY!

[Budge]

Outstanding job on the article, JH2!

[Lee'sGhost]

Excellent! Dead on as usual, John.

"The 'thrill' of war and victory can become addicting," observed renowned psychological affairs expert 'Barbra' Streisand, but she warns that "it is time to start working towards peace."

What Babs will never understand is that we began "working towards peace" when Dubya sent about 350,000 troops over to Iraq.

Hi, Billie, remember me?

Hello, Pippin, my "highly admired or very admirable" hobbit friend.

[dansangel]

POW!!!! Nothing like a JH2 Essay to get my spirits up on a Thursday morning! I can just see the drooling, bedwetting, liberal leftists ducking and cowering from the attack. Outstanding, ((((((((((JH2))))))))))))))

{{{{{{{{{daisyscarlett}}}}}}}}}}} - so glad to see you again! Thank-you for the excellent presentation of an excellent essay!

[GailA]

Good Morning FRiends..another Home Run John

Coffee's on

[MeekOneGOP]

Mornin', everybody ! Happy Thursday !

70 degrees as I post this, headin' for around 83 today. Thunderboomers moved through last night.

Have a cup while you FReep !

For those who prefer hot chocolate.....

[dansangel]

Good Morning ((((((((Meekie))))))))

Your "thunder-boomers" are going to get here sometime tonight. You could have done me a great service and *kept* 'em there!! [shudder]

(((((((Pippin))))))))

Hope you both have a wonderful day! :-)

[GailA]

Support our Troops Photo CD is now ready

Support our Troops Photo CD

[MeekOneGOP]

FR seems to be having intermittent server problems. The Yahoo! FR site confirms others having trouble besides me too . . .

[FreeTheHostages]

LOL -- noted geopolitical affairs expert Barbara Streisand

[FreeTheHostages]

Vote now for the Free Republic Garafolo Let-Them-Eat-Crow Award

[MeekOneGOP]

I posted this late last night on yesterday's thread but I thought I'd post it here again.

I went to the visitation last night and will go to my Uncle Ernest's funeral this afternoon.

When I graduated from H.S. in the Azores, Portugal I came back to the states to attend college at UT-Arlington in the Fall. I came back and spent two months (during the summer before classes started) with this Aunt and Uncle and it was a very memorable time in my life. I tried to help with room and board but they would never take anything from me while I lived with them. I will miss my Uncle Ernest, may he rest in peace. . .

My cousin Ronnie showed me the write up in the Denton Record-Chronicle for his Dad. Nice write up, I thought. (Reference in this to Don Hilliard is incorrect. Should be Ron Hilliard).

Hilliard, county commissioner for 12 years, dies at age 89
Denton Record-Chronicle ^ | April 23, 2003 | Denton Record Chronicle Staff

Posted on 04/23/2003 9:42 PM CDT by MeeknMing

Hilliard, county commissioner for 12 years, dies at age 89

04/23/2003

Staff report

People thought former Denton County Commissioner Ernest F. Hilliard was crazy when he paved the way for a four-lane Interstate 35 in the 1950s, his son said.

Mr. Hilliard, who died Tuesday at his home in Flower Mound at the age of 89, helped bring the interstate, Loop 288, Grapevine Lake, Lewisville Lake and numerous farm roads to the county, said his son, Don Hilliard.

"He always said Denton County was the first county in the state of Texas that got its right of way for 35," Don Hilliard said. "He was so proud of that, even though it was odd in the 1950s to build a road with a 400-foot right of way. Of course now it’s crowded. Back then we went from a little two-lane road to a 400-foot wide thing."

Ernest Hilliard served as a commissioner from Jan. 1, 1951, to Jan. 1, 1963. He worked with three county judges during that time. In 2001, he was honored by Denton County for being the oldest living county commissioner.

Mr. Hilliard loved his community, his son said. In addition to his tenure as a county commissioner, he also worked for Denton County as a heavy-equipment operator.

Mr. Hilliard lived on the Flower Mound farm that his father bought in 1929 and that he inherited in 1936. The farm has an airstrip called Hilliard Air Field, which was built in the 1960s. At age 55, he received his private pilot’s license.

Don Hilliard said his father’s greatest pleasures in recent years were spending time with his family and taking care of his son’s cows.

Ernest Hilliard was an associate member of First Baptist Church of Flower Mound.

He was a third-generation Denton County resident. He was born in Flower Mound to B.F. "Pete" and Emma Morgan Hilliard.

On April 29, 1933, he married Johnnie Bays in Marietta, Okla.

Survivors include his wife; one daughter, J.R. Martin of Lewisville; one son, Don Hilliard of Flower Mound; one sister, Lou Johnson of Grapevine; five grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by one grandson, Christopher Hilliard, in 1984; one great-great-granddaughter, Sydney Paige Ballard, in 2001; and one brother, Bill Hilliard, in 1980.

A service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 24, at First Baptist Church of Flower Mound. The Rev. David Williams will officiate. Interment will follow in Shiloh Cemetery in Flower Mound.

Visitation will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, at Mulkey-Mason Funeral Home in Lewisville.

Memorials may be made to Ann’s Haven VNA Hospice, 216 W. Mulberry St., Denton, TX 76201-6012.

---

Online at: http://www.dentonrc.com/obituaries/stories/DRC_Hilliard__county.12957c678.html

[Temple Owl]

Good morning all you beautiful eagles. Greaty post as usual John.

[Pippin]

Good Morning,

(((LG)))!

My favorite ghost! :O)