Free Republic

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that those blaming school shootings on a lack of security was the”definition of insanity.” Anchor George Stephanopoulos said, “You’re coming to us from South Bend, the former mayor of that town. Let me ask you, in the wake of this epidemic of gun violence, what would you be doing?” Buttigieg said, “The worst part of the job being mayor is talking to families of people who have lost their loved ones and knowing that nothing you can do will bring those loved ones back. As mayor, as every mayor is...

Koral Wira, 14, was fishing with her parents and a friend near Venice, Fla., when a barracuda went for her dad's bait and ended up biting her instead. Her dad, Rob Parker, submitted these photos and Wira told the story. After anchoring the boat 4 miles off shore, Parker baited his rod with herring. Wira switched seats to get out of the hot sun, and watched as her dad cast. Moments later, she heard a splash and saw a long silver flash in the air. A barracuda jumped from the water and opened its mouth. As it hit her left...

We just got back from the graduation ceremony for the 2008 class from USU (The Uniform Services University {for health sciences}). My kid is now a M.D. The same kid that lost her lunchboxes, forgot books needed for homework, and kept a half full Thermos of rotten milk over Easter vacation. She’s now ready to heal. She has changed immensely, it’s interesting to me when she looks at me with her ‘Doctor Eyes’ when she says “howz it going dad?” Their graduation ceremony was held at the “Daughters of the American Revolution” hall in Washington D.C.. The Marine Corps band...

My son Ian is in Kuwait, serving his country as a crew chief for the A-10 Warthog. His work carries considerable responsibility, especially for a 19-year-old. But he was prepared to do his job by the outstanding training he received in the United States Air Force. Ian recently wrote family and friends an e-mail that describes his plane and its lethal payload. A follow-up e-mail shows that our son is trying to keep focused on his job and not dwell too much about the death and destruction around him. The subject line of the first e-mail was "The A-10":...